Wednesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 5, Rays 2
By Rob Rains
Erick Fedde was not happy with the first game he pitched for the Cardinals. He liked game two on Wednesday night a lot more.
After one bad inning cost Fedde a loss in his debut last week in Chicago, he allowed just one run over five innings and got nice support from his offense as the Cardinals beat the Rays at Busch Stadium for the second consecutive night.
Fedde was able to pitch out of trouble in both the second and third inning, stranding two runners on base in each inning.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: An RBI single by Willson Contreras in the first inning and a two-run double from Nolan Arenado in the third gave Fedde all of the run support he needed … Alec Burleson increased the lead to 5-1 with a two-run double in the fourth … The top three hitters in the Cardinals’ lineup, Masyn Winn, Burleson and Contreras, combined for six hits, three RBIs and four runs scored … The Cardinals put the leadoff man on in each of the first four innings and three times he came around to score … They had only one hit after the fourth, a two-out double by Nolan Gorman in the fifth.
On the mound: Fedde needed 93 pitches to get through the five innings to qualify for the win. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out six … Ryan Fernandez only allowed one run in the sixth after the Rays loaded the bases with nobody out … Ryan Helsley gave up a hit and a walk in the ninth before back-to-back strikeouts ended the game and gave him his 36th save of the season.
Key stat: The RBI for Contreras was his first in 10 games and his first RBI that did not come on a home run since July 20. It was the first RBI from the third-place hitter in the Cardinals’ lineup in six games.
Worth noting: It was a scheduled day off for Paul Goldschmidt, who is is hitless in his last 18 at-bats … Dylan Carlson started his first game against his former team and singled and walked in four plate appearances … The Cardinals’ top pick in this year’s draft, J.J. Wetherholt, hit his first professional home run on Wednesday night for Class A Palm Beach … Riley O’Brien made another relief appearance for Memphis, allowing one hit with one strikeout in a scoreless inning.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will go for a sweep of the three-game series on Thursday night. Kyle Gibson is the scheduled starter.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
Postgame audio:
Oliver Marmol
