Friday’s Game Report: Nationals 9, Cardinals 1
By Rob Rains
For the fourth consecutive season, the Cardinals will be spending October at home.
Their loss to the Nationals on Friday night at Busch Stadium eliminated them from the wild-card chase with eight games to go in the season.
The Cardinals will need to go 7-1 in those finals games to finish above .500.
Kyle Leahy, again working with a restricted pitch count, allowed seven runs in three innings. The Nationals scored three times in the first inning and increased their lead to 7-0 with a four-run third.
The Cardinals trailed 9-0 before spoiling the shutout bid with a run in the eighth.
Here is how Friday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: Leo Bernal had three of the Cardinals’ seven hits, raising his average to .323 in his first 16 games … Their run in the eighth came when Nathan Church led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a fly out and scored on a groundout by Ivan Herrera … They put their leadoff hitter on base in five innings but were hitless in five at-bats with a runner in scoring position.
On the mound: Leahy allowed five hits, including a two-run home run by Dylan Crews in the third, and walked three before coming out of the game after 61 pitches … Cooper Hjerpe followed Leahy to the mound and worked four innings, leaving after issuing a leadoff walk in the eighth. He gave up two runs … Cade Winquest worked the final two innings.
Key stat: The four years is the longest stretch the Cardinals have gone without making the playoffs since an eight-year stretch between 1988 and 1995. They lost won a playoff game in 2020.
Worth noting: Joshua Baez was placed on the 10-day injured list before Friday night’s game because of an oblique strain. The move was backdated to Thursday, which makes Baez eligible to return and play in the final game of the season but that is not likely. Cesar Prieto was recalled from Memphis … The Springfield Cardinals will begin the Texas League championship series on Sunday night against Amarillo, the affiliate of the Diamondbacks.
Up next: Michael McGreevy will get the start on Saturday night in the second game of the series.
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