Monday’s Game Report: Cardinals 5, Marlins 0
By Rob Rains
For only the second time this season, and 30th time in his career, Matt Carpenter had a homer and a double in the same game for the Cardinals on Monday night at Busch Stadium.
But never has he pulled off that combination the way he did in the win against the Marlins.
After hitting his 10th home run of the season in the third inning, Carpenter came to bat with two outs in the fifth – and laid down a perfect bunt against the shift. The ball actually rolled all the way to the outfield grass in short left field before the pitcher was able to track it down.
The hit led to the Cardinals’ second run when Carpenter scored on a short fly ball to center by Paul DeJong which fell among three defenders and was ruled an error.
The only other game this season when Carpenter had a home run and double was on March 31.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: Carpenter had three of the Cardinals’ eight hits, adding an infield single leading off the eighth … The Cardinals had only five hits going into the eighth inning when Carpenter and DeJong singled and both scored on a two-out homer by Dexter Fowler, his eighth of the season, that blew the game open … It was the fifth homer hit by the Cardinals in the eighth or ninth inning in their last four games. They have scored 13 runs in the eighth inning or later in their last five games … The homer by Fowler was their only hit in six at-bats with a runner in scoring position.
On the mound: Miles Mikolas threw six scoreless innings, scattering six hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out four as he snapped his five-game losing streak. It’s the second time this season he has pitched at least six innings without allowing a run or a walk. He allowed only two runners to reach second base … Giovanny Gallegos, John Gant and Jordan Hicks finished off the Cardinals’ third shutout of the season by pitching one inning each.
Key stat: Two of the Cardinals eight hits were singles by Marcell Ozuna, who is now 16-of-38 (a .421 average) in 10 career games against his former team.
Worth noting: After playing 838 games in the minor leagues, Rangel Ravelo was called up by the Cardinals on Monday from Memphis to take the roster spot of Yairo Munoz, who went on paternity leave. Mike Mayers was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot for Ravelo on the 40-man roster … Ravelo grounded out in his first career at-bat as a pinch-hitter in the seventh … It’s likely that Jedd Gyorko will come off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and Tommy Edman will probably be going back to Memphis … Adam Wainwright threw a “favorable” bullpen session on Monday according to manager Mike Shildt and is likely going to start on either Thursday or Friday. A start on Friday would match up with the return of Albert Pujols for the first time since he signed as a free agent with the Angels following the 2011 season. They have faced each other in two previous games in Anaheim, in 2013 and 2016, with Pujols getting one hit in seven at-bats … The Cardinals sixth round pick in this year’s draft, catcher Pedro Pages, was named a finalist on Monday for the ABCA Rawlings college Gold Glove awards.
Looking ahead: Jack Flaherty will get the start on Tuesday night in the second game of the series.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
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