The Cardinals had runners on 2nd & 3rd in the bottom of the 8th inning on Thursday night.
Fixing to bust the second game of a doubleheader against the Blue Jays wiiiiiide open.
And then, our benevolent commander-in-pizza, Papa John Schnatter, had his marketing minions shatter a million mirrors all over the Busch Stadium backstop:
Sure, the Cardinals ended up winning.
I’m just not convinced that taunting the opposing pitchers during games is going to be a strategy that pays off for the Cardinals, Papa John’s or us in the long run. I mean, no way the pitcher doesn’t see that, right?
We need that 50% coupon, kind sir.
Let’s find another area of the stadium for that billboard, OK?
+++++
So .500.
Is it everything you expected? Better?
This level record wasn’t always a sure thing. The Birds were down to their last out when Randal Grichuk went HAM on a meaty fastball to take game 1 to extras:
With 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th Randal Grichuk hits a 2-RUN HOMER TO TIE IT UP!!! #Cardinals
— Around The Bases POD (@AroundBasesPOD) April 27, 2017
Now let’s go ahead and rewatch Matt Carpenter’s walk-off grand slam for the 40th time:
It's A Walk-Off! #STLCards https://t.co/LNaYAg7IaS
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 27, 2017
The first by a Cardinals player since Tommy Herr in 1987, in fact. You might remember it as ‘seat cushion night’:
#ThrowbackThursday to the last time we walked it off in extra innings with a grand slam! #STLCards https://t.co/9YEyC7Ms9N
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 27, 2017
That got the Cards’ record close to the elusive (in 2017) break even point. And then they sealed the deal in game 2 with a 6-4 win.
#STLCards 6 #BlueJays 4. W-Wainwright (2-3) L-Lawrence (0-3) SV-Rosenthal (2) HR-Fowler (3) Morales (4). pic.twitter.com/p4U4DFqrg4
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 28, 2017
When the Cardinals were 3-9, 11-11 was more of a fever dream than an attainable goal.
It’s real, though.
Tony LaRussa said more times than I could ever count some variation of ‘win series and you’ll be in the playoffs’. The Cardinals, fresh off one of the sloppiest games in recent memory on Tuesday night, came back and won the series.
Their 3rd in a row since getting swept by the Yankees.
I can’t – in good conscience – tell you that I feel great about the way the Cardinals are playing in every facet of the game. Wins are wins, though. And this team is figuring out how to grab ’em.
Reds come to town tomorrow and are 2-8 in their last 10.
Win 2/3.
Win another series.
And get that much closer to getting to that next plateau… 5 games over .500 (we’ll talk playoffs at a much later date).
Photo: Inc
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