Wednesday’s Game Report: Rockies 6, Cardinals 5
By Rob Rains
The good news for the Cardinals is that they don’t have to play the Colorado Rockies any more this season – which would be bad news for almost every other team in the majors.
The Cardinals blew a 5-2 lead and lost to the Rockies on Wednesday at Busch Stadium on Hunter Goodman’s two-run, pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning off JoJo Romero.
The loss left the Cardinals with a 2-4 record against the Rockies this season, a team which is 28-86 against the other 28 teams in the majors.
The only other team the Rockies have defeated more than three times this season is the Washington Nationals, going 4-3 against them. They only have a winning record against three other teams – 3-0 versus Miami and 2-1 against both Minnesota and Pittsburgh.
The Cardinals had the 5-2 lead after five innings but gave up a run in the sixth and a run in the seventh before the Goodman home run flipped the game in the ninth.
It was only the third time in 61 games this season the Cardinals have lost a game they led going to the ninth inning.
Here is how Wednesday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals built their lead on a two-run double by Pedro Pages in the second and home runs by Lars Nootbaar in the fourth and by Alec Burleson in the fifth, a two-run shot … Burleson’s homer was his 15th of the season … The Rockies retired the final 15 batters in order following Burleson’s homer … In the three-game series the Cardinals were a combined 4-of-27 with runners in scoring position.
On the mound: Michael McGreevy allowed three runs on seven hits over his six innings, lifted after throwing 74 pitches. He did not walk a batter and struck out two … Kyle Leahy gave up the run in the seventh that cut the lead to 5-4 … Romero relieved to start the ninth and walked the leadoff hitter before giving up the one-out home run by Goodman. It was the first home run the Cardinals have allowed in the ninth inning since June 14.
Key stat: The home runs by Nootbaar and Burleson off former Cardinal Austin Gomber marked the first time the Cardinals had hit two home runs off a lefthanded pitcher in the same game since June 14, when Nolan Gorman and Willson Contreras homered in Milwaukee.
Worth noting: Contreras was not in the lineup after being hit by a pitch on his right foot in Tuesday night’s game … Nootbaar played after missing Tuesday night as he recovered from fouling a ball off his left knee on Monday night and he had two of their nine hits … Masyn Winn hit third in the batting order for the first time this season. He has now started games in six of the nine spots in the batting order, missing only fourth, seventh and eighth … In their six games this season against the Rockies the Cardinals were outscored 27-18.
Up next: After a day off on Thursday the Cardinals will host the Yankees this weekend at Busch Stadium. Andre Pallante is the scheduled starter in Friday night’s opener.
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