Balanced offensive attack paves way in win
Of late, it hasn’t been one specific player who has led the St. Louis Cardinals’ offense. Rather, it has been a different guy every night, and Tuesday evening in Cleveland was no different as four different players drove in at least a run as the Cardinals topped the Cleveland Indians 8-3.
Doing his part on the hill, right-hander Lance Lynn turned in six shutout innings, striking out nine and walking four while scattering four hits on the night. The bullpen struggled, which has not been the case of late, but the Cardinals held off the Indians to preserve the series-opening win.
Cleveland scored three times in the seventh inning – thanks to RBI doubles from Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley and Ryan Raburn, but the Cardinals answered right back in the top of the eighth, hanging a four-spot on the board to blow things wide-open.
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Matt Holliday drove in four on the night, including a critical three-run shot as part of the four-run eighth inning for St. Louis. Matt Carpenter, in his first game back from missing time due to “extreme fatigue,” also drove in a run in the frame, and is now batting .336 on the year.
The Cardinals got things started early on, roughing up starter Carlos Carrasco for two runs in the top of the second and lone runs in both the fifth and seventh-innings. Mark Reynolds accounted for the first pair of tallies with an RBI single, while Holliday drove in the team’s third run and Jhonny Peralta‘s double pushed the team’s fourth run across the dish.
Carrasco allowed four runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
What’s Next:
St. Louis and Cleveland will continue their series on Wednesday when veteran John Lackey (2-1, 3.20 ERA) takes on Indians ace Corey Kluber (0-5, 5.04 ERA), who is still seeking his first win of the season. First pitch is set for 5:10 p.m. CT at Progressive Field.