Wednesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 1, Angels 0
By Rob Rains
Hunter Dobbins showed again on Wednesday why he is deserving of a regular spot in the Cardinals’ rotation.
Dobbins, called up from Memphis to start against the Angels to give the other five starters an extra day of rest, worked six shutout innings as the Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak.
JJ Wetherholt’s home run in the sixth produced the only run of the game, enough for the Cardinals to salvage the final game of their series in Anaheim.
Dobbins scattered six hits, struck out five and did not walk a batter as he picked up his second win of the season.
It was the fifth start of the season in the majors for Dobbins, all as a spot starter, and he lowered his ERA in those games to 3.18.
Here is how Wednesday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals only had three hits in the game, including Wetherholt’s 15th home run. The other hits were a single by Blaze Jordan in the third inning and a single in the seventh inning by Masyn Winn … They only had two at-bats with a runner in scoring position … In the three games against the Angels they scored a total of four runs and were just 2-of-17 with a runner on second or third.
On the mound: Dobbins was able to navigate traffic during his outing, allowing two hits with two outs in the second, giving up a double and hitting a batter in the third, and allowing two more hits in the fourth but was able to strand all six runners … After Luis Gastelum worked the seventh and George Soriano the eighth, Riley O’Brin came on in the ninth and walked two batters with one out before getting back-to-back strikeouts to end the game, earning his 26th save.
Key stat: This was the first time the Cardinals won a game 1-0 with the only run coming on a home run by the leadoff hitter since Bernard Gilkey’s homer provided the game’s only run in the win over the Montreal Expos on June 11, 1993 in St. Louis.
Worth noting: To make room for Dobbins on the roster, reliever Scott Blewett was designated for assignment. He worked two scoreless innings in the game on Tuesday night, his only appearance after he was brought up when JoJo Romero went on the injured list … Pedro Pages was a late scratch from the starting lineup when he became ill, replaced by Jimmy Crooks … Ivan Herrera has played in all 101 games for the Cardinals this season but was 0-of-4 on Wednesday and since June 1, has a .210 average (44-of-162) with four homers and 14 RBIs in 44 games. In 19 games in July, he is hitting .200 (15-of-75) with one home run.
Up next: The Cardinals return home on Thursday to start an eight-game homestand with a game against the Diamondbacks which makes up a game which was rained out earlier this season. First pitch is set for 4:15 p.m., with Michael McGreevy the scheduled starter.
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