Sunday’s Game Report: Cardinals blown out by Red Sox, swept in doubleheader
By Rob Rains
Little did the Cardinals realize that when Ryan Helsley blew a save in the ninth inning on Sunday, the day – and night – was only going to get worse.
Helsley could not protect a 4-2 lead in the first half of the day-night doubleheader in Boston, issuing four walks, as the Red Sox rallied to tie a game they would then win 5-4 in the 10th inning.
The bad news didn’t stop there, however, as Miles Mikolas was rocked in the night game, failing to get out of the third inning in what turned out to be an 18-7 loss as the Red Sox pounded out 22 hits, 10 of them for extra bases.
If the two losses weren’t bad enough, the Cardinals also saw catcher Ivan Herrera forced out of the day game with what was announced as inflammation in his left knee. Manager Oli Marmol said on the ESPN broadcast of the night game that Herrera would be placed on the 10-day injured list.
The injury came in the third inning, forcing Pedro Pages to catch the last 16 innings of the two games.
The combination of 18 runs and 22 hits were the most allowed in a game by the Cardinals since an 18-4 loss to the Astros in 2010. It was only the fourth time they have allowed that many hits and runs in a game since 1961.
Here is how Sunday’s doubleheader broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals’ offense continued to play well in the two games as they had 11 hits in the day game and 12 in the night game, extending their streak of double-digit hit totals to the first nine games of the season. The major-league record is 10 games, set by the 1999 Cleveland Indians … The Cardinals also have scored at least four runs in all nine games … After replacing Herrera, Pages had the two biggest hits in the day game, doubling in a run in the sixth and adding another double that drove in two runs in the eighth to put the Cardinals in front … Thomas Saggese hit a three-run homer over the Green Monster in the night game and also drove in a fourth run with a sacrifice fly … Brendan Donovan had three hits and drove in two runs in the night game after also getting a hit in the day game.
On the mound: Of Helsley’s first 11 pitches, only one was a strike and he needed 37 pitches to get through the inning, finally getting out of a bases-loaded jam only to see the Red Sox win the game with a run off Ryan Fernandez in the 10th … Andre Pallante failed to get through the fifth inning, forcing the Cardinals to use five relievers in the game … Mikolas allowed 11 hits and nine runs in just 2 2/3 innings, needing 41 pitches to get through the second inning when the Red Sox scored five runs … Gordon Graceffo was recalled from Memphis to be the 27th man for the doubleheader and he also had a rough outing, giving up seven runs on nine hits in his three innings of work.
Key stat: Mikolas threw 81 pitches in his abbreviated outing and only recorded two swings and misses.
Worth noting: Helsley had thrown 37 pitches or more in a game only twice since he was a rookie in 2019. He threw 37 in two innings on July 2, 2022 and 40 over 2 2/3 innings on June 4, 2022. He had only issued four walks in one of his previous 242 games, on Aug. 5, 2019 in a three-inning appearance … The Cardinals do not have another catcher on their 40-man roster so they will have to open a spot there to call up one of the catchers from Memphis before Monday night’s game.
Up next: The road trip continues on Monday night with the first of three games in Pittsburgh. Matthew Liberatore will make his second start of the season. The Pirates’ Paul Skenes is scheduled to start the middle game of the series on Tuesday night, opposed by Sonny Gray.
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