Saturday’s Game Report: Cardinals sweep doubleheader from Cubs
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals finished what they started on Saturday.
Seventeen innings after they scored nine runs in the first inning of the day-night doubleheader, the Cardinals rallied from a 4-3 deficit on a two-run single from Nolan Arenado in the eighth inning of the night game to finish off a sweep of the Cubs at Busch Stadium.
A leadoff walk started the winning rally, followed by a ground-rule double from Paul Goldschmidt in front of the one-out single by Arenado. It was the first hit by Arenado with a runner in scoring position in a game at Busch Stadium since June 8.
That hit capped a big day for the Cardinals’ offense, which scored the most runs they have ever scored in the first inning of a game at Busch Stadium 3 to get the long day started, leading to an 11-3 win in the day game before the 5-4 win in the night game.
Here is how Saturday’s doubleheader broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals sent 12 batters to the plate in the nine-run first, with seven of the runs unearned because of two Cubs errors. Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson each had two hits in the inning, with Burleson capping the inning with a three-run homer as they combined to score four of the nine runs … Winn led off the first inning in the night game with a home run, and Willson Contreras two hitters later also homered … The Cardinals had two runners thrown out at the plate in the second game and another runner, Arenado, doubled off second base … Protecting the one-run lead, the Cubs had retired 11 Cardinals in a row before the walk to Contreras began the winning rally in the eighth.
On the mound: Lance Lynn was the beneficiary of the big first inning in the day game, allowing two runs over six innings … Kyle Gibson had a rocky start in game two, allowing four runs in the second inning. He was able to strand two runners on base in the third and then got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth … The Cubs got the would-be tying run to third base off Ryan Helsley in the ninth before he finished off his 32nd save with a game-ending strikeout.
Key stat: The last time the Cardinals scored nine or more runs in the first inning of a regular-season game was on May 8, 2005, when they scored 11 runs against the Padres. It was the ninth time in franchise history they scored nine or more runs in the first inning, including once previously against the Cubs, an 11-run inning on Aug. 7, 1998.
Feeling a draft: The Cardinals have the seventh overall pick in this year’s amateur draft, which begins at 6 p.m. St. Louis time on Sunday. It’s the highest selection for the Cardinals since they picked J.D. Drew with the fifth overall choice in 1998. The top of the first round is expected to be dominated by college position players. This will be the team’s only selection on Sunday night as they forfeited their second-round pick to sign free agent Sonny Gray. Their next choice will be in the third round, the 80th overall pick, on Monday. It will be the sixth pick in the round. The Cardinals will pick sixth in all of the remaining rounds of the 20-round draft, which runs through Tuesday.
Worth noting: Cardinals prospect Quinn Mathews worked a scoreless inning in the Futures Game on Saturday, allowing one hit while recording two strikeouts … Lynn’s win in game one was his first victory over the Cubs since 2013. He had gone 0-5 in 11 starts since that last victory … Michael Siani came out of the day game after he was hit by a pitch, with the initial report that he was suffering from a left elbow contusion. He came into the night game in center field in the ninth inning … Manager Oli Marmol was ejected in the sixth inning of the night game for arguing balls and strikes. It’s his third ejection of the year.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Sunday in the final game before the All-Star break.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
Postgame audio:
Oliver Marmol
