Wednesday’s Game Report: Diamondbacks 9, Cardinals 4
By Rob Rains
It was another bad night in what is quickly turning into a bad month for Matthew Liberatore.
After allowing only two hits over his first three innings on Wednesday night, Liberatore ran into trouble in the fourth when the Diamondbacks scored six times that sent them to the win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Liberatore allowed five hits, including back-to-back homers, and a walk in the inning, only the latest rough inning for Liberatore. He also gave up six runs in an inning in his last game, an abbreviated start against the Royals.
In his four starts this month, Liberatore has worked a combined 15 2/3 innings in which he has allowed 24 hits, 18 earned runs and has served up seven home runs.
Liberatore has won only one of his last eight starts dating back to May 13.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The two offensive stars for the Cardinals were Jose Fermin and Blaze Jordan. Fermin had two hits, including a home run in the ninth, drew a walk and scored three of the Cardinals’ four runs … Jordan also had two hits, including an RBI double in the second, added a sacrifice fly and drove in three runs … The rest of the lineup had a combined four hits in 28 at-bats … From the fifth and eighth innings the Diamondbacks retired 15 of 16 Cardinals batters before Fermin homered leading off the ninth.
On the mound: Liberatore worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits while throwing 98 pitches … Gordon Graceffo gave up two runs in the seventh that increased the Diamondbacks’ lead to 8-2 before Justin Bruihl allowed their final run in the eighth … The Cardinals have allowed at least nine runs three times in their last six games.
Worth noting: Fermin’s homer ended a streak of 178 at-bats by the Cardinals over nearly a six-game span without a home run at Busch Stadium … Joshua Baez homered again for Memphis on Wednesday, his 26th of the season, while top prospect Rainiel Rodriguez also homered for Springfield. Rodriguez has homered four times in June and has nine so far this season.
Up next: Michael McGreevy will get the start on Thursday night in the final game of the four-game series.
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