The Cardinals went just 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base, but they still found a way to win by putting the pressure on the Cincinnati defense in a 5-3 victory at Busch Stadium.
In yet another sign that the Cardinals might indeed have a special season in the works, the club found a way to win – and sweep the rival Reds out of Busch Stadium – on a day when it didn’t necessarily play its best baseball.
The Cardinals continued to have trouble hitting in the clutch by going just 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranding 12 base runners. Also, starting pitcher Michael McGreevy uncharacteristically surrendered back-to-back homers and reliable reliever George Soriano was taken deep in the seventh inning for a game-tying long ball.
Undeterred, the young and feisty Cardinals got singles from Jose Fermin and Nelson Velazquez to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning, and Cincinnati’s shoddy defense did the rest as St. Louis rallied for a 5-3 win and a three-game sweep of the reeling Reds.
Left-handed reliever Sam Moll, who surrendered Lars Nootbaar’s two-run, go-ahead homer in Saturday’s eighth inning, fielded a Victor Scott II bunt in Sunday’s eighth inning, but threw wide of third base for the Cardinals’ go-ahead run. Velazquez then came around to score when Matt McLain – who hit two home runs offensively – booted a back-handed grounder at shortstop. The Cards scored five times despite registering just six hits on the day.
“I’m very happy because we just continue to do a nice job and stay focused and that’s a big part of this,” said Cardinals’ manager Oliver Marmol, who revealed earlier in the day that he will be a coach on the National League squad for the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia on July 14. “You could easily get distracted and start to think about what just happened or thinking too far ahead of what it’s going to take to come back. But the guys continued to stay focused on what’s right in front of them. This is another example of that.”
The Cardinals used a two-run homer from 28-year-old rookie Bryan Torres, consecutive doubles from Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker and the two unearned runs in the eighth inning to win their fourth straight games. Also, by rallying from a 2-0 deficit, the Cardinals won in come-from-behind fashion for a 19thy time on the season – good for third in MLB.
The victory wrapped up the longest homestand of the first half and it pushed the Cardinals’ record to 6-3 in the nine-game run against the Cubs (2-1), Rangers (1-2) and Reds (3-0).
“We’ve talked about being tough, being a tough at bat, putting balls in play and not having the swing and miss in our lineup,” Marmol said, referring to his club’s ability to generate runs even when the offense isn’t clicking at its highest efficiency. “One through nine in our lineup, we want to make the other team earn it and put pressure on their defense and force them to make plays. We did a lot of that today.”
Torres delivers big blast on Sunday
Torres, who played 11 seasons in the Minor Leagues and Independent League ball before getting his shot at the big leagues, homered for the second time this season – both of times coming against the Reds. After homering in his emotional MLB debut two weeks ago in Cincinnati, Torres jumped all over a first-pitch fastball from Chris Paddick and launched it 365-foot two-run homer. That smash, which followed the back-to-back doubles by Burleson and Walker, vaulted the Cards ahead 3-2.
“That pitcher has a pretty good fastball, but I was looking to jump the fastball, I got a pretty good pitch to hit and I put a good swing on it,” Torres said. “Since I was a young kid, I’ve always had that kind of (confident) energy. It wasn’t easy for me when I was growing up, but (confidence) has been the key since I have debuted (with the Cardinals) and helping me play at this level.”
Torres said the Cardinals are a good comeback team because there is a strong belief growing throughout the team that it is never out of games.
“We have a really good energy as a team, man,” Torres said. “The identity of the team is to take good at bats and get on base – and that’s what we do. We never give up these guys like coming back.”
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