Good, Bad and Ugly: Cardinals avoid getting swept by Brewers

The Good

On Thursday, the Cardinals played like we want them too. And it was nice.

The scoring got started in the first for the Cardinals. Nolan Arenado hit his 31st double of the season to left field, scoring Tommy Edman.

Starting pitcher Jon Lester got in a little bit of trouble in the fourth giving up a double to Manny Pina to score Garcia. Wong singled to left field scoring Urias and Pina. Adames doubled to score Wong.

Things turned back positive for the Cardinals in the fifth inning. What makes it even better is that it came against Brewers co-ace Brandon Woodruff. Arenado singled to score Andrew Knizner. Tyler O’Neill knocked his 21st home run of the season to center field at 450 feet at 111.1 mph, scoring Goldschmidt and Arenado. Just something you love to see!

And if you don’t love that, you have to love the sound of “NOOT!” as Lars Nootbaar knocked his third homer of the season to right center, a 419 foot blast traveling 109.5 mph.

In the sixth, Edman doubled to center field scoring Austin Dean. Edman advanced to third base on a field error by Lorenzo Cain.

And in a moment you were happy to see happen to another team, Bader earned a walk whilst the bases were loaded. Yes, another team can walk the bases loaded. O’Neill scored on the walk given up by Miguel Sanchez.

Lester threw 4.1 innings, giving up six hits, three walks and four runs. Junior Fernandez earned his first victory of the season going two-thirds of an inning. Luis Garcia pitched one inning and struck out one. Genesis Cabrera pitched one inning, striking out one. Giovanny Gallegos pitched one inning, also striking out one. T.J. McFarland pitched the ninth inning, striking out an inning.

It was great to see the Cardinals battle back to take this game from the Brewers. It was even better to see the bullpen step up and be incredibly effective to keep the Cardinals in the game.