The visiting St. Louis Cardinals will strive to proceed their late-season position as spoilers within the National League once they play the second of three video games against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
On Friday night time, the Cardinals beat the Reds 9-4 for his or her fourth win in 5 video games and their sixth in 9 contests.
So far on their three-city, nine-game trek by Atlanta, Cincinnati and Baltimore, the Cardinals have taken three of 4, outscoring their foes 35-24.
The Cardinals (62-79) raced out to a 6-0 lead on Friday as Willson Contreras belted a three-run homer estimated at 440 ft within the first inning after which Luken Baker hit a three-run double within the third.
On the pitching facet, six relievers mixed for five 1/3 scoreless innings to assist beat a Reds group that began to rally against starter Drew Rom.
Matthew Liberatore earned the win with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
Left-hander Zack Thompson (4-5, 3.91 ERA) will make his sixth begin for the Cardinals on Saturday after making 16 aid appearances earlier this season. Last Sunday in St. Louis, Thompson earned a win after permitting three runs and 7 hits over seven innings in a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out six with out strolling a batter.
Thompson will likely be making his first profession begin — however fifth look — against the Reds after producing 4 scoreless aid appearances against Cincinnati final season as a rookie.
“The bullpen forced me to simplify, and I don’t mean on the mound,” Thompson mentioned. “With a five-day schedule as a starter, I could overthink things. I could go run too much or throw too much or spend that time tinkering with things, working on things. There’s no time for that if you’re going to be ready as a reliever. I learned how to simplify everything and take that into starting.”
The Reds (73-70) will counter with rookie right-hander Carson Spiers. The 25-year-old Clemson product made his main league debut on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs, and he allowed three runs on 5 hits in 4 innings, putting out seven and strolling two.
Spiers left with a 4-3 lead, however the bullpen imploded en route to a 15-7 loss.
“The adrenaline wore off in the third, and it was more of just go time,” Spiers mentioned. “I felt like my pitches were kind of more sharp, whether that was being out in front of them or just being more relaxed on the mound. That third inning is definitely where I need to be.”
Spiers was pressed into motion final week because the Reds had 4 pitchers — together with two starters — land on the COVID injured listing. Hunter Greene is due to return Sunday, whereas Brandon Williamson is anticipated again someday subsequent week.
“I’m just going to take it all in. I’m not going to worry about that,” Spiers mentioned. “Whether they keep me here for however long COVID lasts or whatever the decision is, that’s out of my control. I can’t do anything about it. I’m just going to work my tail off and let everything else happen.”
When Spiers takes the mound, it is going to mark the forty eighth time this season {that a} rookie pitcher had began for Cincinnati.
—Field Level Media
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