Here We Go: Opening Day! Live Game Post
By Aaron Sharp
It’s that time Cardinals fans! The Cardinals vs. Padres game is about to begin at Busch Stadium and baseball is about to be underway once again in St. Louis! We can only hope that this beautiful sunny weather that St. Louis is experiencing on opening day (while other ballparks around the country are experiencing cold, rainy weather) is merely foreshadowing an equally bright season for the Cards in 2011. All that I can say for now is to sit back, relax, and enjoy your Cardinals! As the game goes on I will be updating this post with my summary and thoughts about the game. Follow along after the jump!
Top First: 1, 2, 3 inning for Carp as he looks great out of the gate. Forcing two ground-outs and striking out Orlando Hudson for the third out, Carp threw a good amount of strikes, knew when to waste some pitches when he was ahead in the count, and overall had good command of his stuff in the first inning.
Bottom First: With good mechanics, Ryan Theriot showed promise with a lead-off line drive to center that was unfortunately caught as it was heading to the ground. Rasmus then proceeded to rope a triple off of the wall to right center, which electrocuted the crowd at Busch Stadium. Pujols saw mostly junk from Padres opening day starter Tim Stauffer and eventually popped up in foul territory just next to third base. Up came Matt Holliday to the plate, who did not waste any time smacking a single up the middle to drive home the Cardinals first run. Batting fifth for the Cardinals, Lance Berkman struck out in his first at-bat as a Cardinal.
It was really encouraging to see the lineup click well together right away in the bottom of the first. This time the Cardinals’ one two punch was Rasmus and Holliday, since Pujols popped out.
Top Second: Chris Carpenter forced Hawpe to pop out on a 3-2 slider to start off the second. An inside fastball got away from Carp as he hit Ryan Ludwick, the recipient of a positive reception at Busch Stadium. But then, Carp responded by forcing Headley to ground into a double play, making it seem as though he had meant to hit Ludwick all along.
Bottom Second: After Freese and Molina quickly grounded out, Schumaker came to the plate and reached first on a dropped third strike. This allowed the Cardinals to get past the nine spot heading into the next inning as Carpenter grounded out on the first pitch he saw.
The bottom of the order dropped the ball a little bit in the bottom of the second, though a slow second inning after the Cardinals scored in the first might have been expected.
Top Third: Carpenter continued to cruise along, retiring the Padres in order. Innings like this one are what can allow the ace to go so deep in these types of games.
Bottom Third: Theriot continued to get solid contact, this time getting a single through the gap between short and third as the ball rolled into left field. Rasmus then worked Stauffer to a 3-2 count, and then got a free pass on a walk. With two men on, Pujols grounded into a double play and then Holliday followed with a ground out to end the inning.
While the offense did not yield an runs this inning, it is clear that the to of this order came to play here on Opening Day. And if guys like Theriot, Rasmus, and Holliday continue to produce like they have so far in this game, Pujols will produce eventually. Heck, the guy has only had two at-bats this season, what am I saying?
Top Fourth: After a lead-off double, David Freese made an excellent play on a would-have-been double down the line. The runner moved to third with no outs and then the Padres were able to tie the game at one with a sacrifice fly by the next batter. Carp was able to get out of the inning after retiring the next batter.
Bottom Fourth: Someone on a laptop in the Cardinals dugout told the bottom half of the order what I thought of their second inning performance. Or so it seems, based on their work in this inning. After the Big Puma stepped up and got his first hit as a Cardinal, Freese and Molina
Top Fifth: C’mon Schumaker. What should have been an inning-ending, strikeout-throw out double play instead led to San Diego’s second run. When an insignificant Padres player tried a pathetic attempt at a steal, Molina gunned him down, almost getting the ball to Schumaker too soon. Then, as Schumaker went to make the tag, the ball popped out of his glove. The next batter smashed a fastball offering from Carp that he left up a bit too high in the zone, and just like that we’ve got ourselves a tie games, folks.
Bottom Fifth: After Rasmus singled with one out, Pujols got another chance to move some runners with his big bat. So what do you think he did? If you said that he grounded into his second double play of the afternoon, you are correct! Give the guy some time. I’m still feeling something big is going to come from Albert’s fourth or fifth at-bat late in this game. For now, we will have to wait and see.
Top Sixth: This half inning consisted of Carpenter doing exactly what I predicted Carpenter would do. Despite issuing his second walk this inning, I still believe that he’s got a real chance to go the distance in this one. If not, perhaps he will retire after the eighth.
Bottom Sixth: The Cardinals were able to string together a few hits by Holliday and Berkman in the sixth, but Stauffer got himself out of a bit of trouble by faking out Matt Holliday with a great pick-off move for the first out of the inning. This deflated the Cardinals sixth inning rally after Freese popped out and Molina grounded into a fielder’s choice. Looks like this is turning into a pitching duel after all. Tim Stauffer has come here to pitch today, folks. If these guys keep going at it like they are, I foresee an exciting finish in the ninth inning. Perhaps the Cardinals won’t be the only team to have a walk-off on opening day. Early indications show that the Reds will be a tough team again this year.
Top Seventh: The Carp train is still rollin’ right along. By my count, Carp had his third 1, 2, 3 inning as he continued his streak against the Padres of going at least seven innings for seven straight starts. Stretch time at Busch Stadium, as well as in my living room.
Bottom Seventh: With Carp’s nine spot due up second in the seventh, and a tie game, La Russa decided to yank Carpenter after a stellar Opening Day performance by the ace. Knowing that a pinch hitter was coming up behind him, Schumaker started the inning with a lead-off single. Daniel Descalso stepped up to the plate next for Chris Carpenter, and did his job by sacrifice bunting the runner over to second base. So the lineup turned over to the top of the order with one man in scoring position and one out. Theriot moved the runner to third with a grounder to the right side of the infield, so it was up to Colby Rasmus with two strikes. A big point in the game, let’s see what Rasmus can do here in this potential turning point.
Top Eighth: Still waiting for this game to break open.
Bottom Eighth: Alas! A Matt Holliday fly ball just barely left the park for a solo shot, giving the Cardinals a lead!
Top Ninth: After Holliday gave the Cardinals enough to win, Ryan Franklin came in to get the save in the top of the ninth. Though Franklin gave up some really solid contact, it looked as though he was about to get the save. David Freese made a spectacular play on a line drive towards the hot corner and then Holliday had to go deep to retrieve a fly ball to left. Cards fans were brought to their feet, and with two outs, Ryan Franklin began to fall apart. The guy’s head just wasn’t where it needed to be, as he gave up a home-run, allowing the Padres to tie the game, and then proceeded to hit the next batter. Based on this performance, if the Cardinals end up in the market for a new closer, it might be sooner rather than later.
Bottom of the Ninth: I was hoping I wouldn’t have to write this section, and not because this post is getting excessively long. Needless to say, Ryan Franklin destroyed my hopes of calling it a day after the top of the ninth. And so we go to the bottom of the ninth. Molina, ground-out to third. Schumaker, ground-out to second. Are we going extras?!? Please John Jay…Aha! On a grounder up the middle, the pitcher slowed the ball by sticking out his glove, and when the ball stopped between the mound and second, it gave Jay enough time to get to the bag. Now only if Theriot can…line out? To the tenth.
Top Tenth: In the first St. Louis season opener to go to extras since 1992, Brian Tallet came in to the game and got a 1, 2, 3 inning.
Bottom Tenth: With 2, 3, 4 coming up this inning, the Cardinals have this in the bag, right? Well Rasmus certainly got things off to a good start, by being patient. A man on first and no outs, Albert Pujols steps to the plate bringing all the fans under the arch to their feet. This is the stuff of legend; well, maybe not legend, but you get what I’m saying. What does Pujols do? Continues his streak of grounding into double plays, his third of the afternoon. But the Cardinal’s hopes for a walk-off finish remained alive, as Holliday kept the inning going with a walk. Allen Craig was up next as a pinch hitter, since Berkman was taken out of the game in the ninth for defensive purposes. And just like that, it was to the eleventh we go as Craig popped out into foul territory, an excellent play made by Padres right fielder on a ball that would have otherwise been in the stands.
Top Eleventh: The Padres pulled a fast one on the Cards. It has now become a 4-3 game due to excellent base running by Nick Hundley. As Hundley took a turn around third base, the relay from right got away from Theriot and Hundley took off towards the plate. The throw high and not in time. The Padres went on to add one more, making the score 5-3 heading into the bottom of the eleventh. It doesn’t look good in St. Louis tonight.
Bottom Eleventh: Heath Bell is now into the game looking to close things for the Padres. The team that shocked everyone last year and that was in the playoff race up until the very last day is looking as though it has just shocked the Cardinals this year, on Opening Day. Freese up, one out. Only two more chances for the Cardinals to get at least two runs. Molina up, two outs. Schumaker up three outs.
Talk about an utter disappointment on Opening Day for Cards fans, on a day that started off so promising.