Tuesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 4, Nationals 2
By Rob Rains
The key for the Cardinals on Tuesday night wasn’t how many hits they got, it was when they got them.
Four of their seven hits came in the span of nine pitches in the third inning, the big blow a two-run homer from All-Star Brendan Donovan, that produced all of the runs they needed to defeat the Nationals at Busch Stadium.
Victor Scott II led off the inning with a double and scored on Donovan’s first-pitch home run. Masyn Winn followed with a single in front of an RBI double from Alec Burleson that capped the three-run inning.
The Cardinals only had three other hits in the game, one a home run from Lars Nootbaar that provided an insurance run in the sixth.
Sonny Gray, whose start was moved up a day from when it was originally scheduled so he could start two games before the All-Star break, left the game after five innings and only 70 pitches.
The start of the game was delayed for 2 hours, 19 minutes because of rain.
Here is how Tuesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Nootbaar’s homer was his 12th of the season, taking over the team lead … Their only other hits were a single by Pedro Pages in the fourth and an infield single by Willson Contreras in the eighth … The Cardinals also drew four walks, but two of those runners were erased in double plays.
On the mound: Gray allowed five hits, walked one and struck out six. The one-out walk in the third, to the ninth-place hitter, came in front of back-to-back singles and a fielder’s choice grounder that accounted for both of the Nationals runs … Steven Matz got a double play to get out of a jam in the sixth, Phil Maton worked the seventh and JoJo Romero the eighth before Ryan Helsley pitched around a leadoff walk and a two-out single in the ninth to earn his 18th save.
Worth noting: Manager Oli Marmol is hopeful that Nolan Arenado will be able to play on Wednesday. He missed his third consecutive game on Tuesday night, but reportedly was feeling better as he recovers from an impingement in his right shoulder … Ivan Herrera is likely to go on a rehab assignment before the end of the week which could have him ready to rejoin the team after the All-Star break … Jordan Walker traveled with the Springfield team to Corpus Christi, Texas as he continued his rehab assignment with the Double A team … No decision has made about who will get the start when Erick Fedde’s next turn in the rotation comes up on Saturday. “We’re in the middle of those conversations,” Marmol said … JJ Wetherholt, the Cardinals top prospect who was promoted Monday to Memphis, is expected to get work at both second and third base with the Redbirds but will primarily play shortstop.
Up next: Andre Pallante will get the start on Wednesday night in the second game of the series.
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