dgcrow
- Kelso, WA
I sure don't blame you....
St. Louis Cardinals 2022
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
We have 3 hits in 11 innings now against the last place team in the division ......
Now , we can't buy an out and the ump has missed about 5 pitches on Flaherty.....
That was a much needed double play right there...........
LET'S GO CARDINALS..............................................
Now , we can't buy an out and the ump has missed about 5 pitches on Flaherty.....
That was a much needed double play right there...........
LET'S GO CARDINALS..............................................
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Once again, Nolan Arenado is the best fielding 3rd baseman I have ever seen in my almost 71 years on this planet.............WOW.................
brewers are at home playing the yankees and the yanks lead 5-3 in the bottom of the 4th........let's go yankees....................
brewers are at home playing the yankees and the yanks lead 5-3 in the bottom of the 4th........let's go yankees....................
I used to lay on the floor listening to the game on a transistor radio when Gibby would throw 9 pitches and get 3 strikeouts. I thought it was somewhat normal. I didn't understand how rare of a feat it is because batters take pitches. Umps miss calls. Pitchers are simply not that good. Custom has been to "waste" a pitch with an 0-2 count. But Gibson did it all the time so I that it was something every elite pitcher did.
I watched this play live when it happened during the game tonight and I've watched the replay and still have no idea how Arenado made this play:
Helsley is possibly having the best season for a Cardinals relief pitcher ever. Beast. This was the 109th immaculate inning in MLB history. The last Cardinal to do it was Isringhausen on 4/13/2002.
Funny enough, unless I'm missing something, Gibby had only one immaculate inning in his career, on 5/12/1969. The only players to do it more than once are Lefty Grove, Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Chris Sale, Max Scherzer, and Kevin Gausman. Koufax, Scherzer and Sale are the only pitchers to do it 3 times.
dgcrow
- Kelso, WA
I think it was Joe Garagiola who said the Sandy Koufax belonged in a higher league.
I guess it is an old guy's memory of a kid's perception. Before reading this I would have confidently said Bob did it 5-6 times easily. Perhaps 10.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Closer Ryan Helsley sizzles through third known ‘immaculate’ inning in Cardinals history
Right-hander struck out three Reds on nine pitches to join Gibson and Isringhausen as the only Cardinals with such a flawless inning of whiffs.
Derrick Goold
On the eighth pitch of the ninth inning, Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley realized he was on the brink of a rarity when Cincinnati’s Donovan Solano fouled off a 101.1-mph fastball.
Helsley had struck out the first two Reds of the inning on six pitches and ahead 0-2 on Solano, the right-hander realized he was a pitch away from perfection.
“I was like, alright, I’ve got one shot at it,” Helsley said. “Let’s try to rip the best pitch of the night.”
He spun his hardest slider of the game.
On nine pitches, Helsley struck out three Reds on Friday night to complete the third known immaculate inning in Cardinals’ history and first since 2002. Since record-keeping could confirm that a pitcher got three strikeouts on the minimum nine pitches, there have been 108 immaculate innings. Helsley joins the Cardinals’ all-time wins leader, Bob Gibson, and the club’s all-time saves leader, Jason Isringhausen, as the only three pitchers in several generations to author one of the game’s rarest feats – the untouchable scoreless inning.
“He had immaculate stuff,” catcher Andrew Knizner said. “That’s a good quote. Somebody was going to say it.”
In the Cardinals’ 6-5 victory against Cincinnati, Helsley secured his 18th save. On his nine pitches, he got seven swings and misses. Five of those came on his slider.
The Cardinals have debuted a new entry for Helsley that includes dropping Busch Stadium into complete darkness save for the scoreboard and ribbon boards showing lava red. Flames appear on the main scoreboard, licking at Helsley’s last name, and the AC/DC “Hells Bells” chimes. Teammates have warmed to the closer-entry theater with Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt talking briefly Friday about holding off on those warmup grounders so an infielder doesn’t lose sight of it in the darkness.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
BenFred: Predicting the Cardinals’ postseason rotation? You could be surprised
Some factors to consider when engaging in a still-too-early discussion.
Ben Frederickson
One of the earliest messages delivered to the Cardinals by their new manager before this season began is worth revisiting as we get a head start at discussing what postseason plans could look like, specifically the far-too-early but understandably ongoing conversation of the playoff rotation.
(And yes, if the Cardinals can’t score, none of this will matter.)
A player shows what kind of teammate he is, Oli Marmol told his team back at spring training, by how he responds to a decision that doesn’t go his way individually, but is best for the club as a whole.
It could mean getting called back to the dugout from the on-deck circle so a pinch-hitter could be inserted for a key at-bat.
It could mean understanding why certain playoff matchups are better for a certain starter compared to another.
There have been times in the past where a Cardinals postseason rotation — if health holds — could be predicted far in advance. This is not one of those times. Marmol is not one of those managers.
Too many factors, including how Jack Flaherty finishes the regular season, are still up in the air at the moment.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
The stars come out, especially Albert Pujols (No. 698), as Cardinals overtake Reds
Goldschmidt, Arenado also deliver as starter Flaherty labors. Helsley closes it down with Immaculate Inning.
Rick Hummel
The Cardinals had only one hit through eight innings on Thursday night against a collection of Cincinnati pitchers specializing in off-speed pitches. That game resulted in a 3-2 loss for the Cardinals and through five innings —and four different pitchers on Friday — they had only two hits and one run.
But, here is where the stars are supposed to shine.
Paul Goldschmidt, who had been struggling, opened the sixth inning with a double to left center. Nolan Arenado singled to right and Goldschmidt scored to cut a Cincinnati lead to 4-2.
Corey Dickerson flied deep to left and guess who was up next?
On Reynel Espinal’s first pitch to him, Albert Pujols, the brightest star lately in the Cardinals’ galaxy, launched a 427-foot, game-tying homer to left. It was the fifth time this season that Pujols had homered on the first pitch.
Ultimately, this starburst in the sixth led to a 6-5 win over the Reds before a capacity house of 47,118 as the big hitters came out again in the seventh following a home run by the Reds’ Kyle Farmer in the top of the inning.
Goldschmidt doubled home Brendan Donovan with the tying run and Arenado blooped his 40th double to left to send in Goldschmidt as the Cardinals took their first lead of the night.
For history’s sake, the home run was No. 698 of Pujols’ career. For the sake of the game, Pujols’ home run off a 453rd different pitcher either tied or put the Cardinals ahead for the fifth time in his last six home runs.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
BenFred: Some of La Russa's old advice to Pujols helped Cardinals hero ambush No. 698
“When he smells blood," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said, "he will pounce on it real quick."
Ben Frederickson
Tony La Russa will love watching Albert Pujols’ 698th home run.
There were many times many years ago, Pujols recalled at his clubhouse locker late Friday night, when his former Cardinals manager would get on his case about letting a ripe first pitch hit the catcher’s mitt without Pujols attempting to punish it with his iconic right-handed swing.
“He was always mad at me because I took a lot of first pitches,” Pujols said. “I still take a lot of first pitches. I feel like I’m a better hitter with two strikes. I go up there and if it’s not the pitch I’m looking for, I take it. Sometimes, you take a pitch down the middle, but that’s not where you are probably looking for it. Sometimes, the ball moves just a hair, and it kind of throws you off. I’m not an aggressive hitter. That’s always been me, since I was little, minor leagues, college, high school. I like to take pitches.”
There are, of course, exceptions.
Each one of Pujols’ 19 homers this season have become a stand-alone story, and No. 698 was no different.
Before the game, Pujols played catch with a former president. No kidding. Leonel Fernandez, former president of the Dominican Republic, was in attendance as a special guest of the Cooperstown-bound slugger. He left with an autographed game-worn Pujols jersey, the one Pujols was wearing when he launched his game-tying, 427-foot two-run homer against Reds reliever Raynel Espinal. The towering shot ignited what became a 6-5 Cardinals win.
“He’s a huge fan of mine, and I’m a huge fan of his,” Pujols said about Fernandez. “To have him here, to deliver like this, it’s special.”
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
TON put on the 10 day IL with a hammy issue........This year for him has been the "" Season of the Bewitched "".........He had a homer and , I believe , 5 RBI's in the season opener but he can't stay healthy......I always have wondered if he is too muscled up to not pull something all the time .....
Seems like years ago there was a thought of not being so musclebound to add protect with fat cells around your muscles to absorb some of the shock on the body from playing baseball.....
Sounds kinda farfetched , even for me.......pru's memory banks has some corruption issues and need to be defragged on a regular basis.....I like it , I really really do.........................
Seems like years ago there was a thought of not being so musclebound to add protect with fat cells around your muscles to absorb some of the shock on the body from playing baseball.....
Sounds kinda farfetched , even for me.......pru's memory banks has some corruption issues and need to be defragged on a regular basis.....I like it , I really really do.........................
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Cardinals win the first game of the doubleheader against the reds by the score of 5-1.........................Hudson with 8 strong innings and his stat of
102 pitches , with 72 being strikes (I think thats right ) is awesome for him.........
Arenado with more fielding gems and Yadi with a home run support the nice job by Hudson...............
On to the nightcap @ 6:15 pm CDT................Quintana pitching for the Redbirds.........................
THAT'S A WINNER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
102 pitches , with 72 being strikes (I think thats right ) is awesome for him.........
Arenado with more fielding gems and Yadi with a home run support the nice job by Hudson...............
On to the nightcap @ 6:15 pm CDT................Quintana pitching for the Redbirds.........................
THAT'S A WINNER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!