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Cardinals’ Gorman Provides the Punch
The St. Louis Cardinals‘ power hitting infielder Nolan Gorman drove in four runs to help the team secure a victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. The win completed a three-game sweep for the Cardinals. Gorman hit a three-run homerun and also added an RBI single. The win extended the team’s winning streak to five games.
Cardinals Ambush Alcantara Early
The Ex-Cardinal prospect and Cy Young award winning Alcantara hasn’t been as dominant this year. The trend continued in Wednesday’s game. The Cardinals jumped on Alcantara early to take a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt singled with one out, Lars Nootbaar walked, and Nolan Arenado hit an RBI single to start out the scoring. Gorman followed with a three-run homerun. Alcantara walked rookie catcher Ivan Herrera and allowed a single to Alec Burleson before finally getting out of the inning with an inning ending double-play on a ground ball from Paul DeJong. After the rough start to the game, Alcantara found his groove and didn’t allow a run over the following five innings. Alcantara (3-9) allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings.
Marlins Refuse to go Quietly
The Marlins cut the lead to a two run deficit in the third inning. Jacob Stallings and Jorge Soler singled, then both advanced on a two-out wild pitch. Jesus Sanchez then drove them both in with a single.
The Cardinals punched back in the seventh inning, scoring two runs, increasing their lead to 6-2. Brendan Donovan doubled and scored on a throwing error after Lars Nootbaar hit an infield single. Nootbaar advanced, then Gorman followed with a two-out RBI single.
De La Cruz cut the Cardinals’ lead to 6-3 with eighth inning solo blast. Additionally, Arraez cut the lead to 6-4 with an RBI double in the ninth.
Cardinals’ Pitchers do Just Enough for the Win
Cardinals’ starter Dakota Hudson has had a rough time the past few seasons. Formerly a member of the rotation, Hudson found himself in Triple-A Memphis to begin the season. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been that impressive in Memphis either. Undoubtedly, he has hopes of earning his way back to regular big league innings in the rotation. However, Hudson may be better suited as a long or middle relief pitcher.
Hudson allowed two runs on five hits in three innings. Zack Thompson, another youngster, pitched two scoreless innings to earn the victory. The normally reliable Chris Stratton was a little off but managed to finish the game, earning his first save of the season.
Front Office Needs to Stay the Course
Despite the Cardinals’ recent surge, the Cardinals’ front office needs to remain sellers at the trade deadline. The hole the team has dug for themselves puts them firmly in the sell category. Even if they manage a miraculous comeback in the N.L. Central, they still don’t have the pitching to make it out of the first round. Additionally, the Cardinals have massive holes to fill on next year’s roster. Hopefully, their turnaround doesn’t sway Mozeliak from doing what needs to be done.
