Sunday’s Game Report: Cardinals 7, Guardians 0
By Rob Rains
Nolan Gorman found it hard to find at-bats early this season but injuries to Ivan Herrera and Jordan Walker have provided that chance.
Gorman is trying to make the most of the opportunity.
Gorman hit a three-run homer in the first inning on Sunday, his third in his last seven games, to send the Cardinals to a win over the Guardians in Cleveland that completed a sweep of the three-game series.
In those seven games Gorman has posted a .296 average (8-of-27) with seven RBIs.
The win moved the Cardinals to a season-high nine games over .500, their best record since the end of the 2022 season.
Matthew Liberatore allowed just three hits over his six innings of work and was able to pitch around five walks, matching the combined total he had in his previous eight starts. Pedro Pages caught his second shutout in the series and the Cardinals were able to complete the shutout despite issuing eight walks.
Here is how Sunday’s game broke down:
At the plate: Victor Scott II also homered, a two-run shot in the seventh, that increased the lead to 5-0 … The final two runs scored in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Pages and a single by Garrett Hampson, who got the start in right field, which knocked in Gorman after he reached on a walk … Masyn Winn reached base three times with two hits and a walk .. The two homers increased the Cardinals total for the month to 35 with one game left in June.
On the mound: Liberatore had to pitch out of jams in the first and third inning because of walks. He walked two in the first, when the Guardians loaded the bases with two outs, before he got the final out. In the third, he allowed a hit and walk with one out before getting the final two outs … Liberatore left after walking the first two batters in the seventh, but JoJo Romero struck out the next two batters before an inning-ending ground out.
Key stat: The win allowed the Cardinals to climb back to .500 on the road this season at 21-21 after they had begun the season by losing 11 of their first 13 games away from Busch Stadium. Sunday’s win extended their road winning streak to six games.
Worth noting: The last time the Cardinals recorded a shutout while walking eight or more batters was in 2019. It has only happened eight times since 1950 … Nolan Arenado was removed from the game in the eighth inning because of “precautionary” reasons about a sore right hand. Arenado singled and doubled in four at-bats before coming out of the game … Lars Nootbaar was not in the starting lineup with Donovan getting the start in left field and Thomas Saggese at second base.
Up next: The Cardinals move on to Pittsburgh for a three-game series beginning Monday night. Erick Fedde is the scheduled starter.
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