Wednesday’s Game Report: Cardinals 3, Yankees 1
By Rob Rains
With only one hit in the four games he had played on this road trip, JJ Wetherholt was ready to do something about that.
He got his chance in the fifth inning on Wednesday night.
Wetherholt’s double off the center field wall drove in two runs in a scoreless game and sent the Cardinals to a win over the Yankees in New York.
Ivan Herrera followed that hit with a double of his own, driving in Wetherholt, and the Cardinals were able to protect that lead despite walking seven batters over the final four innings, only one of whom came around to score.
The win allowed the Cardinals to finish their stretch of 20 games in 20 days with a 7-13 record.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: A fielder’s choice groundout, following a single by Blaze Jordan, and a single by Jimmy Crooks put the runners on base for Wetherholt, who had driven in only one run in his previous 12 games … The Cardinals had a chance to add to their lead in the ninth when they loaded the bases with two outs before Herrera struck out … Nathan Church, Jordan and Crooks all had two-hit games.
On the mound: Andre Pallante allowed three hits over five scoreless innings, but back-to-back walks in the sixth forced him out of the game. A hit batter and another walk by George Soriano forced in the only run of the game for the Yankees, without a hit. The run was charged to Pallante … Justin Bruihl pitched around a double and walk in the seventh; Ryne Stanek stranded two runners after issuing a pair of walks in the eighth and Riley O’Brien also walked a batter in the ninth before finishing off his 27th save.
Key stat: The win gave the Cardinals a series win, breaking a streak of six consecutive losing series. They have not lost seven series in a row since 1995.
Worth noting: The start of the game was delayed by more than an hour because of rain and then there were two more short delays in the first inning when part of the stadium lights briefly went out … Jordan Walker missed his second consecutive game because of a sore knee … Josiah Ragsdale, one of the outfielders acquired from Milwaukee on Monday, made his Cardinals debut on Wednesday night for Springfield and homered in his first at-bat, his 20th of the season.
Worth noting: The Cardinals finally get their first day off since the All-Star break on Thursday. They will be back at Busch Stadium on Friday night to open a three-game series against the Rockies, with Kyle Leahy getting the start.
Follow Rob Rains on X @RobRains
