The St. Louis Cardinals grabbed their 51st win of the season, scraping past the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 in a wild game. After a short layoff, it was awesome to see the full team back in action, especially with how tight this one got. They took the lead early and never looked back, even when Arizona tried to claw their way back in.
First Inning Fire and McGreevy’s Heat
Man, the Cards came out absolutely swinging right from the jump. Ivan Herrera got things going, reaching base on a Ketel Marte error. You love to see that early pressure paying off! Alec Burleson followed it up with a solid single, putting runners on. Then Jordan Walker, after falling behind 0-2, dug deep and worked a walk, loading the bases with just one out. Lars Nootbaar took a tough, ABS-called third strike, but that just set the stage for Masyn Winn. Winn, that dude just *clutched up*! He ripped a two-run single that got the dugout absolutely buzzing, giving the Cards that sweet early lead. What a way to come out of the break, right? On the mound, Michael McGreevy wasn’t messing around either. He tossed a total donut in the bottom of the first, retiring the side in order and flashing some serious heat, hitting 94mph on the radar gun. That’s the kind of pitching that sets the tone!
D-backs Fight Back, Tawa Blasts One
The second inning got a little dicey, though. Jose Fermin looked like he was gonna keep the momentum rolling with a leadoff single, but then came the pickoff. Ugh, that just takes the wind right out of your sails, doesn’t it? Merrill Kelly worked around a two-out walk to JJ Wetherholt before striking out Herrera. But then Arizona stepped up and it was almost immediate chaos. Gabriel Moreno tomahawked an 0-2 single, then Max Kepler dropped a perfect bunt single. No outs, runners everywhere. Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s bunt attempt messed up Jimmy Crooks behind the plate, a passed ball giving Arizona a free 90 feet. Gurriel made ’em pay immediately, driving in Moreno with a long sac fly that moved Kepler to third. But McGreevy, man, he kept his composure. He somehow wiggled out of that inning with no more damage, even getting Nolan Arenado to strike out with a runner in scoring position. Seriously, that’s a Houdini Act right there! The Cards offense went quiet in the top of the third, and Arizona pounced. Tim Tawa launched a 381-foot homer on a 2-1 changeup, evening things up. Kelly then shut down the Cards again in the fourth. The D-backs kept pushing, with Moreno hammering a double in the home half, getting to third on a groundout. Gurriel Jr. was up again, needing just a sac fly, but he grounded out to third, and Fermin smartly kept Moreno stuck there.
The Cardinals clinched their 51st victory of the season in a gritty 5-4 win. This was just the first game of a three-game series, and if this opener is any indication, we’re in for some intense baseball. You know every game matters, and getting the W on the road, especially after such a back-and-forth battle, just sets the tone for the rest of the series. Let’s see if they can keep that momentum rolling!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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