Randal Grichuk sent St. Louis Cardinals’ fans home happy on Monday night with his walk-off home run against the Cubs. Twitter told the story of the Cardinals’ exciting win over their arch-rivals.
Before Randal Grichuk hit the home run that beat the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth inning, John Lackey was dominating the St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup.
From the first inning to the seventh inning, Lackey tamed the Redbird offense, except for a sacrifice fly by Aledmys Diaz in the third inning that made it 1-0 Cardinals.
It was one of those nights where it seemed like the Cardinals’ offense was going to drop the ball yet again, much like their hockey friends did down the street. Lackey was simply dominating the Cardinals and making it look like he was a completely new pitcher.
First Holliday, then Piscotty. Lackey gets two awkward fell-for-the-slider almost checks swings, and strikeouts vs. #Cardinals 3/4 hitters.
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) May 24, 2016
Nolan Ryan just took over John Lackey's body. 5 k's in a row for him as he strikes out the side in the second. 0-0 Top 3
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 24, 2016
John Lackey on pace for 172 strikeouts tonight or something like that. Scary.#STLCards
— Cardinal Kingdom (@STLCards18) May 24, 2016
Nice timing for Aledmys Diaz, who puts the #STLCards up 1-0 with a sac fly in the bottom of the third.
— The Kevin Wheeler Show (@WheelerShow101) May 24, 2016
Many fans on both sides questioned home-plate umpire, Manny Gonzalez’s strike-zone throughout the game
Tonight's strike zone in the @Cubs vs @Cardinals game is one of the worst I've seen in a while. No consistency, just blind calls.
— What you mean? (@DisagreeTons) May 24, 2016
Cool strike zone, guy. pic.twitter.com/mzfJMZ86Nq
— Tara Wellman Nichols (@tarawellman) May 24, 2016
Strike zone big as thumb tack in Stl.
— Frederick D. Gibson (@Sugalean) May 24, 2016
The Cubs’ bats came alive against Adam Wainwright in the fourth and fifth inning, as they pushed across three runs making it a 3-1 game.
Cubs score pic.twitter.com/dOtiVFy5Ji
— Brad (@mcginnisbc) May 24, 2016
Until the seventh inning, the Cubs lead stayed steady and John Lackey seemed to have the Cardinals on their heels. Matt Adams then stepped up to the plate as a pinch-hitter and smashed a two-run home run to center field off of Lackey. This home run scored Yadier Molina and tied the game at three.
MATT ADAMS!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! NEVER WILL I EVER TALK BAD ABOUT YOU AGAIN!
— House of Cards (@hocstl13) May 24, 2016
MATT ADAMS BOMB!!
— Cards Nation (@CardsNation13) May 24, 2016
TIE GAME!! pic.twitter.com/C5fwrWoHv1
That Matt Adams home run was the ninth by a #Cardinals pinch hitter this year. Sixteen teams have zero PH home runs
— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) May 24, 2016
TIE GAME!!! MATT ADAMS GOES BYE-BYE! #STLCards pic.twitter.com/J7iIRqzIFy
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 24, 2016
With Wainwright now out of the game, the Cubs threatened to score in the top of the ninth inning. With runners at first and third, Anthony Rizzo stepped up in hopes of driving home the go-ahead run. Rizzo proceeded to hit a soft line drive to third baseman, Matt Carpenter, who tagged third for the unassisted double-play and the final out of the inning after Dexter Fowler had left for home.
Matt Carpenter proves to be the GOAT with that double play 😍😍
— Jon Box (@_JonBox_) May 24, 2016
For Cardinals’ fans, the game only got better from there. After Brandon Moss and Yadier Molina went down at the hands of Adam Warren, Randal Grichuk launched an opposite field home run into the Cardinals’ bullpen to give the Redbirds a 4-3 win.
Cardinals beat the Cubs on a walk-off home run by Randal Grichuk #STLCards https://t.co/foAZZBRh9o
— Nicholas Childress (@NChill17) May 24, 2016
Randal Grichuk needed that. Boulder fell off his shoulders. Big team win tonight. Comeback win over the Cubs. #STLCards
— Dan Buffa (@buffa82) May 24, 2016
RECAP: @RGrich15's 1st career walk-off HR wins it for the #STLCards. https://t.co/nJGz0oj7PO pic.twitter.com/lwx8t7kBCR
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 24, 2016
In the post game, Grichuk got a Gatorade bath, Matheny had nothing but good things to say and Cardinals’ fans got to go home happy.
Grichuk got the first walk-off home run of his career, and then he got a Gatorade bath from Kolten Wong. #STLCardshttps://t.co/fR3BdC2epB
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) May 24, 2016
Matheny on #STLCards' fight: Could feel the vibe in the dugout all night, even when we were down.
— Cardinals Magazine (@CardsMagazine) May 24, 2016
Matheny: I'll absolutely buy into" this is one that #STLCards will take off from. "Sometimes a shot like this can be the catalyst."
— Cardinals Magazine (@CardsMagazine) May 24, 2016
Next: Three Reasons Lackey is Easy to Hate
The Cardinals and Cubs are set to face off Tuesday night at 6:10pm. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
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