Cards get shut out for first time all year
It’s looking more and more like if the Astros are going to win this year, it’s going to have to be because of outstanding pitching.
Like tonight.
Hunter Brown shut out a capable Cardinals team for six innings, allowing only four hits, two walks, with four strikeouts.
After that, perhaps this year’s version of Lidge/Dotel/Wagner, that is, Bryan King, Bryan Abreu, and Josh Hader, preserved the shutout, the first time the Cardinals have been shut out all year.
Despite a few recent games where the bats arose from slumber, the Astros’ offense is ranked 20th in MLB in runs and 23rd in wRC+. Tonight, they won with only seven hits and were only 1-7 with runners in scoring position. They stranded the bases loaded twice. The Cardinals’ starter, Erick Fedde, struck out five Stros, equalling his total for the season from before the game. But all they needed was this sixth inning RBI from Jake Meyers, who was 3-4 and is currently sporting the team’s second-highest batting average.
Credit to Jeremy Pena for daring baserunning that resulted in the winning run.
In the eighth, Yordan Alvarez added insurance with this solo shot to center field, only his second dinger of the year.
Cam Smith was 1 for 3 tonight but was robbed on this amazing defensive play.