In a sloppy game where the pitching, defense and umpiring was all well below par, Red Sox hitters light up Cardinal pitchers with four multiple run innings.
Game Result
Cardinal pitchers add fuel to the fire by giving up 8 free passes, while striking out a meager 3 Red Sox batters. Cardinals’ offense continues to plug away, putting up 10+ hits again, but can’t overcome the 5-0 hole Eric Fedde dug in the first inning.
Pre-game Notes
- The Cardinal’s embark on their first road trip of the season to Boston and Pittsburgh, coming off a nice, although less than tidy, 4-2 homestand to start the season. Boston comes in off a less than pleasant road trip through Texas and Baltimore.
- Forecast is for a decent day in Boston, although not particularly warm. Mid-sixties at game start. Should be pretty breezy, with winds blowing in from left.
- Hjerpe joins Hence on minor league IL. 5 of top 30 prospects already on the shelf. Honeyman included. Funny how the same guys keep showing up on this list.
- A funny note … an oddity of early season. Statcast has no sprint speed data on Masyn Wynn. I guess one has to actually get on base for that to be measured.
- Another oddity of the early season. While Wynn and Contreras’ early struggles at the plate have captured most of the attention, one’s gaze might catch that Alec Burleson has ZERO barrels so far.
Line-up (and roster) Machinations
- Well, the first roster change didn’t take long. Gorman was placed on 10-day IL (hamstring) and T. Saggese has been recalled. I’m gathering he hurt it on Tuesday, running the bases (according to mlb.com J. Denton). IL is retro to April 2, so he’d be eligible to come off during the Phillies series on next homestand.
- Fedde for the Cardinals, Buehler for the Red Sox. Very few hitters on either team have much prior exposure to either pitcher.
- What is turning into the regular line-up against RHP deploys again today. Burleson at DH. Herrera at C.
- Leahy might be on the do-not-use list, to avoid a 3-games-in-4 days workload so early in the season. Everyone else should be good to go with the day off. Funny how quick the bullpen can get taxed, huh?
The Game
T1 – Nootbar out 6-3 (after running the count to 3-2). Contreras Ks. Donovan out 3u.
B1 – Rough start for Fedde. Single. SB. Walk. RBI double. A mound visit, followed by a pop out. The a 3-run HR by Story, and Abreu goes back-to-back to punctuate the route. Backwards K. Another walk. 5-3 mercifully ends the inning. Red Sox jump out 5-0.
T2 – Arenado out 1-3. Burly singles. Herrera lines out. Walker Ks.
B2 – F8. Another walk. F9. F4. A bit better.
T3 – Scott walks and Winn singles. Nootbar RBI single. Contreras continues his slump, GIDP 5-4-3. Donovan lines out. Cardinals cut Red Sox lead 5-1.
B3 – F9. F4. Another walk. SB. RBI single. Narvaez cut down trying to advance to end the inning. Red Sox back up 6-1.
T4 – Arenado doubles off the Green Monster. Burly singles again. Herrera clubs an oppo taco, 3-run HR to right. Walker 4-3. Scott 3-1. Winn grounds out 5-3. Cardinals have cut the lead now to 6-4.
B4 – Matz in to replace Fedde. F8. 6-3. 5-3. Very efficient for Matz. Fedde’s line is 3 IP, 6 runs, 1 K, 4 BB, 2 HR. 65 pitches. Not very much positive there.
T5 – Nootbar K’s (after running count to 3-2). Contreras K’s (again). He is swinging at pitches a foot outside and taking strikes. Talk about being lost. Donovan hits a solo HR! Arenado out 6-3, and now the Cards have cut the lead to 6-5.
B5 – Matz back out to the mound. Bregman walks. Have I mentioned I hate walks? That is 5 so far. Ugh. Casas doubles. Story K’s. Followed by a run scoring single. Campbell fouls out to Walker, driving in another run. Oli challenges the call looking for fan interference as Walker caught the ball on the field and there was contact with a fan. Call stands, mostly. They returned the trail runner to first base, allowing STL to retain their challenge. Narvaez pops out. Fenway living up to its billing as the second most offensive park in baseball (behind Coors). Three of the five walks to the Red Sox have scored. Red Sox now up 8-5.
T6 – Weisert in for a largely ineffective Buehler. Burleson singles. Herrera GIDP. Walker reaches on an error, but Scott K’s to end the inning.
B6 – Matz back out for a third inning. F8. F7. Single. Infield single. 4-6 force ends the uprising and puts a rare zero on the board for the Red Sox.
T7 – Kelly in for Weisert. Winn lines out. Nootbar doubles off the monster. Contreras K’s for the Golden Sombrero, which is accessorized by that GIDP. Donovan with an RBI single and Arenado with F8. Cards yet again cut the lead, now 8-6.
B7 – Fernandez in for Matz. 6-3. Single. Single. Walk (another walk!). 6-4, which would have ended the inning with a GIDP but for a misfire on the throw to first. A run scores (no RBI). King in for Fernandez. Another single plates another run. Followed by another RBI single. King losing the LHP-LH hitter advantage big time as they tee off. Bregman K’s to bring yet another big inning to a close and balloons the Red Sox lead to 11-6.
T8 – Bernardino in for Kelly. K. K. and a third K.
B8 – King back out. Double. Single. King not fooling anyone, especially LH. GIDP scores a run but cleans the bases. King fixes that with yet another walk. Roycroft in for King. RBI double. Not to be outdone, Roycroft issues a walk. Durran lines out to end another crooked number inning. Red Sox now up 13-6.
T9 – Criswell in for the Bernardino in a mop up role. He forgot the mop. Scott pops out. Winn single. Nootbar reaches on FC with error. No outs on the play. Contreras RBI single. Donovan RBI single. Arenado reaches on FC with error. No outs on the play. Yes, there is an echo in here. A run scores. Chapman in for Criswell. Bet their manager loved having to use Chapman there. Baker PH for Burly and he walks. But Herrera with a second GIDP kills the rally. Red Sox win 13-9.
Post-game Notes
- Eight walks by Cardinal pitchers today. I lost count how many scored, but it was the difference in the game.
- No one pitched well. The Red Sox bullpen bent, but didn’t quite break.
- Ryan Fernandez is not sharp. He seems to be working himself into a free ticket to Memphis.