St. Louis Cardinals MLB Game Recap – Saturday, July 25, 2020

photo: Adam Wainwright via Zoom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Saturday, July 25, 2020 – Cardinals 9, Pirates 1

In the second of the three-game home series against Pittsburgh to open the 2020 season, the St. Louis Cardinals’ offense pounded Pirates pitching behind a quality Adam Wainwright start Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

Paul Goldschmidt got the Redbirds on the board in the first inning with his first home run of the 2020 season, a solo shot to left field.  The Pirates tied it up in the top of the second inning on a bases loaded walk allowed by Wainwright.  This would be the only run allowed in the game by Cardinals pitching.

Adam Wainwright

St. Louis’ offense broke the tie in the fourth inning and never looked back.   Paul DeJong reached on a leadoff single and later scored on a single by Dexter Fowler.  Tyler O’Neill drove in Yadier Molina, who had singled.

The big inning was the seventh.  Harrison Bader hit a squibbler to the pitcher that was bobbled; It was initially called an error, then changed to a hit, and later changed again back to an error.  Bader stole second base and Kolten Wong drew a walk.  Goldschmidt singled, followed by an RBI single by DeJong that scored Bader and Wong.  Matt Carpenter followed with a double to center to plate Goldschmidt and DeJong.  The Cardinals led 7-1.

The offense added to the lead in the eighth.  With two outs, Bader was hit by a pitch.  Wong singled and Tommy Edman tripled on a ball in the left center gap.  Bader and Wong scored to make it 9-1.

The two Pauls, Goldschmidt and DeJong, led the offense with two hits each.  Wong, Edman, Carpenter, Molina, Fowler and O’Neill rounded out the hit parade with one each.  DeJong, Carpenter and Edman drove in a pair each and Wong, DeJong, Carpenter and Harrison Bader scored two runs each.

Starter Wainwright pitched six innings, giving up his only run in the second inning on a bases loaded walk.  The inning began with two singles and a hit by pitch. A bases-loaded walk to the catcher brought the Pirates’ only run home.  Wainwright got the final two outs to get out of what was his worst inning of the game.  The right hander pitched four more scoreless innings before being relieved by John Gant.  Wainwright’s final line was 6IP 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 5K. (Wainwright discussed being overheated in his post-game remarks.)

Gant pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and yielded to Tyler Webb.   Webb pitched until Daniel Ponce de Leon was brought in to get the final out.  Wainwright earned his first win of the season and his 163rd of his career. This accomplishment puts him in a tie with Bob Forsch for third in wins in franchise history.

Sunday’s game:  vs. Pittsburgh at 1:15 pm.  Dakota Hudson (16-7, 3.35 in 2019) vs Mitch Keller (1-5, 7.13 in 2019) FSM//KMOX/WIJR


For more

Check out summaries of pre- and post-game comments from Mike Shildt and key Cardinals players located in the daily game threads at The Cardinal Nation’s free message board. While you are there, join the talk with other Cardinals fans.


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