Wednesday’s Game Report: Mariners 4, Cardinals 2 (13 innings)
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals escaped jams in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings on Wednesday night, but there was no escaping one swing of Leo Rivas’ bat in the 13th inning.
Rivas hit the first pitch of the inning from Ryan Fernandez to give the Mariners the walk-off win in Seattle and complete a sweep of the three-game series.
The game reached the 13th inning because Riley O’Brien got off a bases-loaded jam in the 10th, then gave up a run in the 11th but kept the game tied with two force outs at the plate, the second starting a double play. Fernandez then was able to strand two runners in the 12th.
While the pitching was keeping the Mariners off the board, the Cardinals offense was only able to come up with one hit in the four extra innings, a single by Thomas Saggese that drove in their only run in the 11th.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The hit from Saggese in the 11th was his fourth hit of the game. He singled in the second and fourth and doubled in the sixth but each time was left on base … The only run for the Cardinals before the 11th was a first-inning home run from Ivan Herrera, his 15th of the season … The Cardinals were just 2-of-22 with a runner in scoring position and left 13 runners on base.
On the mound: Michael McGreevy allowed one run over six innings, retiring 10 of the last 11 hitters he faced. He did not walk a batter and struck out four … Matt Svanson and JoJo Romero combined to work three scoreless innings, with Romero getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth … The Mariners were just 3-of-15 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base.
Key stat: The run in the 11th inning was the only run the Cardinals scored in 16 1/3 innings against the Seattle bullpen in the three-game series.
Worth noting: Brendan Donovan was hitless in three at-bats on Wednesday night in the second game of his rehab assignment at Springfield. Nolan Arenado began his rehab assignment and also went 0-of-3 while serving as the designated hitter …. Righthander Chen-Wei Lin headlines the group of eight minor-leaguers assigned by the Cardinals to the Arizona Fall League. The Cardinals players will be on the Glendale roster. Also assigned to the team were pitchers Tyler Bradt, D.J. Carpenter, Randel Clemente and Darlin Saladin; catcher Graysen Tarlow and outfielders Travis Honeyman and Miquel Ugueto.
Up next: The Cardinals will have the day off on Thursday and then open a three-game series on Friday night against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Andre Pallante is the scheduled starter.
