pitch well , they generally walk off the field with a win.
But on nights where they can’t connect with the long ball, they don’t consistently make up for it with situational hitting or defense. Friday night’s 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves was another example of that trend rearing its ugly head.
After failing to cash in leadoff walks in the bottom of the first against Braves starter Julio Teheran, St. Louis simply couldn’t crack the code. It eventually caught up with the Cardinals as they were held to one run for their second straight game. For St. Louis (42-38) to even the series Saturday night at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals will have to do a better job of converting runners in scoring position into runs while not giving up extra outs defensively. The Cardinals’ three errors Friday night marked their 17th multi-error game in 80 games.
St. Louis is on a pace to commit more than 130 miscues this year, continuing a three-season trend of below-average defense. Permitting good teams like Atlanta (46-34) four or five outs in an inning is a recipe for disaster.
The Braves started a 10-game road trip with a positive result. Third baseman Johan Camargo was the offensive star, going 3-for-5 with two runs and a two-run double off Jordan Hicks in the eighth that broke open a 1-0 game.
“Baseball is all about its ups and downs,” Camargo said. “For me, it’s all about maintaining the focus and just staying the path.”
Atlanta essentially heeded Camargo’s credo, bouncing back fr om consecutive series losses against last-place teams Baltimore and Cincinnati. It will turn to left-hander Max Fried (0-2, 4.09 ERA) on Saturday to secure a series win.
Fried is replacing veteran right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who was put on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a knee injury. A former first-round pick of San Diego, Fried will make his first start since going five innings and giving up one earned run on May 28 in a no-decision against the New York Mets.
It will be the second career appearance against the Cardinals for Fried, who last year tossed a scoreless inning in relief against them.
Right-hander Luke Weaver (4-6, 4.59) will look for his second straight win for St. Louis. Weaver shrugged off a rough first inning Sunday in Milwaukee to grab an 8-2 win, fanning a season-high nine over 5 2/3 innings while yielding two runs off five hits and two walks.
Weaver needed 32 pitches to make it through a two-run first inning, but started finding the range with his off-speed pitches. That made his fastball play bigger, and he rolled through the middle innings while the Cardinals bombed Jhoulys Chacin out of the box with five runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
“The first inning, it was like, ‘Here we go again.’ It means a lot for him to right the ship ,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny told mlb.com.
Weaver, who snapped a seven-start winless streak in Milwaukee, will make his first career appearance against the Braves. Aaron Nola never gets flustered, even when he’s riding a stationary bike while the closer fights to protect the lead.Nola struck out 10 in another dominant performance, Scott Kingery hit a three-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Tuesday night.
Seranthony Dominguez escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth for his third save. ”I just take it pitch by pitch,” Nola said.
Nola (8-2) allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.27. He has given up three runs or less in 13 of 14 starts.
”He’s a special kind of competitor,” manager Gabe Kapler said. ”He’s fun to watch.”
Nola left after striking out Ian Desmond with runners on first and third. Edubray Ramos entered and gave up a bloop RBI single to Tom Murphy before recording the third out. Tommy Hunter tossed a scoreless eighth. But Luis Garcia allowed four consecutive singles to start the ninth. He departed after Murphy’s RBI single cut it to 5-2.
Dominguez entered and gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Chris Iannetta. DJ LeMahieu’s sacrifice fly cut it to 5-4. But right fielder Aaron Altherr ran down Charlie Blackmon’s hard liner for the second out and Dominguez struck out Nolan Arenado to end it.
”I was thankful to get the job done,” Dominguez said.
Kapler called Altherr’s running catch a ”game-saver.”
”That play was sensational,” he said.
Kingery drove a 1-2 pitch from Jon Gray (6-7) out to left-center to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead in the first. He added a sacrifice fly in the third.
Gray surrendered four runs on only three hits in six innings. He also fanned 10.
”I had no rhythm early and it cost me,” Gray said.
Jesmuel Valentin’s pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth extended Philadelphia’s lead to 5-1.
The Phillies have won two in a row for the first time since a three-game winning streak May 13-17.
The Rockies have lost five straight and nine of 11.
After starting at five positions, Kingery has taken over as Philadelphia’s regular shortstop despite batting only .215. J.P. Crawford has moved to third base since returning from the disabled list and has started five straight games instead of Maikel Franco.
”It’s been a process,” Kingery said. ”Just trying to go step by step to wh ere I feel better in the box.”
WHIFFS
This was the first time a Phillies starter and opposing starter each struck out 10 or more in the same game since April 25, 2011, at Arizona when Cliff Lee had 12 and Ian Kennedy had 10.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: OF Carlos Gonzalez was back in the lineup after missing two games with a rib issue. … RHP Adam Ottavino threw a live batting practice session. He has been sidelined by a left oblique strain.
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff received a cortisone shot in his right wrist on Monday. Eickhoff hasn’t pitched this season. … Reliever Pat Neshek threw a bullpen session Tuesday. He began the season on the DL with a shoulder strain and sustained a flexor strain in his elbow during rehab. … Utilityman Pedro Florimon could return in September after breaking his right foot during the team’s recent road trip.
UP NEXT
RHP Nick Pivetta (4-5, 3.76 ERA) starts for the Phillies while LHP Tyler Anderson (3-1, 4.81) goes for the Rockies in the middle game Wednesday night.
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But on nights where they can’t connect with the long ball, they don’t consistently make up for it with situational hitting or defense. Friday night’s 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves was another example of that trend rearing its ugly head.
After failing to cash in leadoff walks in the bottom of the first against Braves starter Julio Teheran, St. Louis simply couldn’t crack the code. It eventually caught up with the Cardinals as they were held to one run for their second straight game. For St. Louis (42-38) to even the series Saturday night at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals will have to do a better job of converting runners in scoring position into runs while not giving up extra outs defensively. The Cardinals’ three errors Friday night marked their 17th multi-error game in 80 games.
St. Louis is on a pace to commit more than 130 miscues this year, continuing a three-season trend of below-average defense. Permitting good teams like Atlanta (46-34) four or five outs in an inning is a recipe for disaster.
The Braves started a 10-game road trip with a positive result. Third baseman Johan Camargo was the offensive star, going 3-for-5 with two runs and a two-run double off Jordan Hicks in the eighth that broke open a 1-0 game.
“Baseball is all about its ups and downs,” Camargo said. “For me, it’s all about maintaining the focus and just staying the path.”
Atlanta essentially heeded Camargo’s credo, bouncing back fr om consecutive series losses against last-place teams Baltimore and Cincinnati. It will turn to left-hander Max Fried (0-2, 4.09 ERA) on Saturday to secure a series win.
Fried is replacing veteran right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who was put on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a knee injury. A former first-round pick of San Diego, Fried will make his first start since going five innings and giving up one earned run on May 28 in a no-decision against the New York Mets.
It will be the second career appearance against the Cardinals for Fried, who last year tossed a scoreless inning in relief against them.
Right-hander Luke Weaver (4-6, 4.59) will look for his second straight win for St. Louis. Weaver shrugged off a rough first inning Sunday in Milwaukee to grab an 8-2 win, fanning a season-high nine over 5 2/3 innings while yielding two runs off five hits and two walks.
Weaver needed 32 pitches to make it through a two-run first inning, but started finding the range with his off-speed pitches. That made his fastball play bigger, and he rolled through the middle innings while the Cardinals bombed Jhoulys Chacin out of the box with five runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
“The first inning, it was like, ‘Here we go again.’ It means a lot for him to right the ship ,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny told mlb.com.
Weaver, who snapped a seven-start winless streak in Milwaukee, will make his first career appearance against the Braves. Aaron Nola never gets flustered, even when he’s riding a stationary bike while the closer fights to protect the lead.Nola struck out 10 in another dominant performance, Scott Kingery hit a three-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Tuesday night.
Seranthony Dominguez escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth for his third save. ”I just take it pitch by pitch,” Nola said.
Nola (8-2) allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.27. He has given up three runs or less in 13 of 14 starts.
”He’s a special kind of competitor,” manager Gabe Kapler said. ”He’s fun to watch.”
Nola left after striking out Ian Desmond with runners on first and third. Edubray Ramos entered and gave up a bloop RBI single to Tom Murphy before recording the third out. Tommy Hunter tossed a scoreless eighth. But Luis Garcia allowed four consecutive singles to start the ninth. He departed after Murphy’s RBI single cut it to 5-2.
Dominguez entered and gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Chris Iannetta. DJ LeMahieu’s sacrifice fly cut it to 5-4. But right fielder Aaron Altherr ran down Charlie Blackmon’s hard liner for the second out and Dominguez struck out Nolan Arenado to end it.
”I was thankful to get the job done,” Dominguez said.
Kapler called Altherr’s running catch a ”game-saver.”
”That play was sensational,” he said.
Kingery drove a 1-2 pitch from Jon Gray (6-7) out to left-center to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead in the first. He added a sacrifice fly in the third.
Gray surrendered four runs on only three hits in six innings. He also fanned 10.
”I had no rhythm early and it cost me,” Gray said.
Jesmuel Valentin’s pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth extended Philadelphia’s lead to 5-1.
The Phillies have won two in a row for the first time since a three-game winning streak May 13-17.
The Rockies have lost five straight and nine of 11.
After starting at five positions, Kingery has taken over as Philadelphia’s regular shortstop despite batting only .215. J.P. Crawford has moved to third base since returning from the disabled list and has started five straight games instead of Maikel Franco.
”It’s been a process,” Kingery said. ”Just trying to go step by step to wh ere I feel better in the box.”
WHIFFS
This was the first time a Phillies starter and opposing starter each struck out 10 or more in the same game since April 25, 2011, at Arizona when Cliff Lee had 12 and Ian Kennedy had 10.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: OF Carlos Gonzalez was back in the lineup after missing two games with a rib issue. … RHP Adam Ottavino threw a live batting practice session. He has been sidelined by a left oblique strain.
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff received a cortisone shot in his right wrist on Monday. Eickhoff hasn’t pitched this season. … Reliever Pat Neshek threw a bullpen session Tuesday. He began the season on the DL with a shoulder strain and sustained a flexor strain in his elbow during rehab. … Utilityman Pedro Florimon could return in September after breaking his right foot during the team’s recent road trip.
UP NEXT
RHP Nick Pivetta (4-5, 3.76 ERA) starts for the Phillies while LHP Tyler Anderson (3-1, 4.81) goes for the Rockies in the middle game Wednesday night.
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