Monday’s Game Report: Cardinals 6, Padres 2
By Rob Rains
Before he threw his first official pitch as a Cardinal, Kyle Gibson was handed a 3-0 lead. He knew exactly what to do with it.
Gibson’s Cardinals’ debut could not have gone much better on Monday night as he pitched seven strong innings, allowing only two solo home runs, in a win over the Padres in San Diego.
Gibson, one of the three free agent starters signed by the Cardinals over the winter, allowing only two other hits, walked two, struck out four and enduced eight groundball outs, including two which the defense turned into double plays.
Willson Contreras helped stake Gibson to the early lead with a two-run homer in the first and Brendan Donovan added his first homer of the year in the sixth.
The win came in the first game managed by the Padres’ Mike Shildt against his former team.
Here is how Monday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Donovan had a big night as he reached base four times on three hits and a walk. He singled in the first and doubled in the second, scoring each time, before his two-run homer in the sixth … Nolan Arenado, Matt Carpenter, Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn each contributed two hits, with neither of Carpenter’s hits leaving the infield … Victor Scott II was the only starter without a hit, going 0-of-4, but he did reach base on a walk.
On the mound: Gibson gave up a home run to Jackson Merrill in the third before Fernando Tatis Jr. hit one in the sixth. He was helped out in the fifth by a diving catch by Walker that took an extra-base hit away from Merrill. Gibson threw 94 pitches … JoJo Romero worked a 1-2-3 eighth before Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth, even though it was not a save situation, allowing an infield hit.
Key stat: Eight of the Cardinals’ 14 hits came with two outs, producing four of their six runs.
Worth noting: Lars Nootbaar is scheduled to start for Triple A Memphis on Tuesday night in Indianapolis in what could be a short rehab assignment as he recovers from the two non-displaced rib fractures he suffered in spring training. He is eligible to come off the injured list as soon as Thursday, the day of the home opener … Sonny Gray will join Nootbaar in Indianapolis, where he is scheduled to start on Wednesday night and throw about 50 pitches … An MRI showed no structural damage to Riley O’Brien’s right arm after he was placed on the injured list on Sunday because of a forearm strain.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will make his second start of the season on Tuesday night in the second game of the three-game series in San Diego.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
