Adam Wainwright via Johnathan Daniel - Gettyimages, Carlos Martinez via Joe Puetz - AP, Tyler O'Neill via Jeff Roberson AP, Matt Carpenter via Charles LeClair - USA Today, Paul Goldschmidt via Greg More - Arizona Republic, Johan Oviedo via MLB.com
An excellent week for the Cardinals this week, As both offense and pitching seemed to be on the same wavelength.
Let's get to it, shall we?
April 26 vs. Philadelphia. Phillies 2 Cardinals 1
Adam Wainwright turned in a brilliant 9 inning, 6 hits, 1 run, 8 strikeout performances. He made two mistakes to Rys Hoskins, in the 7th and the 9th. On both occasions, Hoskins teed off for his 7th and 8th HRs of the year. For Hoskins, it was the 2nd time in 3 days he had a multi-homer game and the 7th time of his career. It was also the 4th time in the last 6 games he has hit at least one home run.
Zach Wheeler held the Cards hit-less until a Paul DeJong single in the 5th broke the string. The Cards wouldn't score until the 9th. Wheeler gave up a walk to pinch hitter Matt Carpenter. Hector Neris entered the game as a reliever and gave up a single to Tommy Edman. Carpenter scored on a ground out by Dylan Carlson. Nolan Arenado flew out to centerfield to end the game. Wheeler went 8 innings, giving up 1 hit and 1 run, 9 Ks, 3 BBs.
Record for the week 0-1 overall record 11-11
April 27 vs. Philadelphia. Cardinals 5 Phillies 2
Carlos Martinez carried on the recent upswing in starters going long as he pitched 7 1/3 innings giving up 1 earned run on 2 hits, striking out 4, and walking 2.
The Phillies scored in the 1st on a sac fly by JT Realmuto, and the Cardinals answered in the bottom half on the double by "Golden" Nolan Arenado. The Cards would strike again in the 2nd on a two-run double by Tommy Edman.
Two cardinal errors in the 4th. A misplaced fly ball by Williams in Right Field led to a two-base error that landed Realmuto on 2nd base. A wild throw by Martinez on a pick-off attempt allowed Realmuto to third base. He came home on a Didi Gregorius ground out.
The Cardinals struck again in the 7th on a 2 run double by Paul Goldschmidt. With one out in the 8th, Giovanny Gallegos came in with a runner on, and 3 pitches later, Brad Miller grounded into a double play. Alex Reyes gave up 1 hit to Bryce Harper but then shut the door securing Cmart's 1st win and earning his 6th save.
Weekly record 1-1, overall record 12-11.
April 28 vs. Philadelphia. Phillies 5 Cardinals 3
Johan Oviedo is getting his 1st start of 2021. While it did not go quite as planned, all in all, not a bad outing
5 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 7 SO, 2 BB. The Phillies opened the scoring in the 2nd inning when Andrew McCutchen singled home Didi Gregorious.
The Cardinals returned the favor scoring to the bottom half of the frame on a walk to DeJong, then Tyler O'Neill turned a 1-0 count 87mph curveball into an absolute bomb to left-centerfield. The Cards added another one in the 3rd on a Paul Goldschmidt home run in the 5th. After a walk to Andrew Knapp, Bard Miller hit a two-run home run tying the game at 3.
In the 6th Genesis, Cabrera's 1st pitch, a 97mph fastball, hit Bryce Harper in the face under his left eye. He would leave the game as a precaution. His Next pitch, a 94MPH fastball, caught Didi Gregorious in the back. Even though visibly shaken, Cabrera had to pitch to the next batter due to the 3 batter minimum rule. Andrew McCutchen drove dome Pinch Runner Matt Joyce.
The Phils got their final run in the 7th When Didi Gregorious drove home pinch hitter Alec Bohm with a bases-loaded sac fly.
Tyler O'Neill was 3-4. In his last 7 games, he is 6-18(.300) with 3 HRs, 4 RBIs, and only 3 Ks.
Since being moved to the 2 slots, Dylan Carlson is 10-23 (.434) 4 RS, 2 RBIs.
Weekly record 1-2 overall 12-12.
April 29 vs. Philadelphia. Cardinals 4 Phillies 3
Game 4 featured Aaron Nola vs. Kwang Hyun Kim. After 2 scoreless innings, JT Realmuto doubled home a run. The Cardinals came back in the 5th with a pinch-hit 3 runs home run by Matt Carpenter that almost wasn't. Roman Quinn leaped and had the ball in his glove but couldn't hold on. Carpenter's last pinch-hit Home Run, May 30, 2019, against Philadelphia.
In the 6th, Andrew Miller, in relief, gave up a leadoff double to Nick Maton, Struck out Andrew Knapp, the gave up a double to Andrew McCutchen for one run. He was relieved by Gallegos, who gave up an RBI single to Alec Bohm to tie the game at 3.
The game went into the tenth. In the top, Matt Joyce was at 2nd base. After Reyes struck out Bohm, Rys Hoskins lifted a fly ball, Dylan Carlson made the catch and threw out Matt Joyce at third for an inning-ending double play. The Cardinals half saw O'Neill at 2nd base. He reached third on a Knizner ground out and came home on a wild pitch to Sosa that got away from Realmuto.
Kim 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO. Alex Reyes pitched two scoreless innings striking out 3 to get the win. Reyes also has still not been scored on. The Cardinals earned a series split with the Phillies and wrapped up a 5-2 homestand.
Record for the week 2-2 Overall 13-12.
April 30 @ Pittsburgh. Cardinals 7 Pirates 3
The trio of Arenado, O'Neill, and Carpenter was too much for Pittsburgh.
Arenado got the Redbirds started Doubled home Dylan Carlson in the 1st. Then he repeated the feat in the third, scoring Tommy Edman. In the 4th Tyler O'Neill hit an absolute monster solo shot to left-centerfield, over the bullpen measured 426 ft+.
Gant gave up back-to-back walks in the bottom of the 4th, and Kevin Newman drove home two runs with a single. In the 6th, Matt Carpenter pinch-hitting for John Gant hit his second 3 run pinch-hit home run in as many days.
Tyler Webb got the 1st out of the inning, then three batters later. With the bases loaded and two out, Kodi Whitley came in and balked a run home, and then he threw a wild pitch to bring in another run.
A fielding error in the 9th on a Goldschmidt ground ball gave the Cards their final run.
Tyler O'Neill went 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored
Gant 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 2 SO
Cabrera two scoreless innings in the 7th and 8th
Record for the week 3-2, Overall 14-12
May 1 @ Pittsburgh Cardinals 12 Pirates 5
The Cardinals showed up with hitting spikes on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, pounding 15 hits and 12 runs, including for the 3rd game in a row a pinch-hit home run. 4 Redbird hitters had multiple-hit games, Tommy Edman, 4-6, Paul Goldschmidt 3-4, Nolan Arenado 3-4, Tyler O'Neill 2-5. Four players had multiple RBIs Arenado 3, Paul DeJong 3, Tyler O'Neill 2, and Justin Williams 2.
The Birds on the Bat started the game with 4 runs in the 1st inning. The first run came when Goldschmidt reached on an infield single, scoring Edman. After a walk to Arenado, DeJong took an 0-2 pitch and put it over the wall in left-centerfield.
The Pirates came back with 1 in the second on a Ka'ai Tom sac fly. The Cards got a run in the 3rd when O'Neill drove home Goldschmidt with a single.
The Bucko's came back with 2 runs in the 3rd. In the bottom half, Phillip Evans walked, then Bryan Reynolds singled. Colin Moran then singled Evans home, and Gregory Polanco hit a sac fly that scored Reynolds.
In the 7th, the Cards struck again when Arenado hit a double, bringing home Dylan Carlson who had walked, and Goldschmidt, who had singled.
In the bottom half of the 7th, Adam Frazier doubled and later scored on the double by Reynolds. Reynolds then scored on a single by Moran.
The Birds tacked 5 more in the 9th Nolan Arenado tripled to right field, scoring Goldschmidt, who had doubled, Arenado came home on an O'Neill single, Harrison Bader hit into a fielder's choice bringing home O'Neill. Justin Williams came up pinch-hitting for the pitcher with a runner on base and drove a 2-1 pitch to center field. Kodi Whitley pitched a 1,2,3 ninth to finish off the win, giving the Cards their 3rd series win and a 4-2 record for the week, and a 15-12 mark overall.
May 2 @ Pittsburgh Cardinals 3 Pirates 0
Carlos Martinez went 8 innings shutting out the host Pirates on just 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. While he didn't blow batters away, he pitched very effectively, preferring to trust his defense 12 ground balls to 6 fly balls. He did, however, hit a batter. He grazed Catcher Jacob Stallings in the face with a 97 MPH fastball. To his credit, Stallings shook it off and finished the game. Alex Reyes came in and with a 1,2,3, 9th to earn his 7th save.
Harrison Bader provided all the offense that Carlos would need with a three-run home run to left-centerfield in the second inning. After a walk to Paul DeJong and a single by Tyler O'Neill, The Cards finish the week with their 3rd series sweep of the year and the 3rd shutout of the year, and an impressive 5-2 mark giving them a 16-12 overall record 1 game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the Central Division lead.
NOTES
The cardinals are 8-2 over the last ten games and 4 games over the .500 mark. Contributions are coming from everywhere up and down the lineup.
The Cards have had a pinch-hit HR in 3 straight games. Tyler O'Neill hit a slash of .393/.393/.643, 2 HRs, 5RBIs.
Matt Carpenter hit 3 run pinch-hit home runs in back-to-back games last time that happened was in 1906.
Alex Reyes has YET to be scored on in 13 games this season in 13.1 Innings Pitched.
Jack Flaherty is 5-0 in 6 starts. With a 3.41 ERA and a 1.019 WHIP.
Carlos Martinez has allowed only 1 ER in his last 15.1 IP
John Gant has allowed only 1 ER in his previous 11 IP
Giovanny Gallegos has allowed 0 ER in 3 IP
See ya next week