Jake Westbrook’s pitching helps St. Louis Cardinals defeat Cincinnati Reds 3-0 – MLB Update
Jake Westbrook broke the inauspicious spell of unsteady performances on Sunday, April 24 to throw six scoreless innings to help St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-0 victory over Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium, St. Louis.
Cincinnati started the game with Drew Stubbs on the plate faced by Jake Westbrook, as he disallowed any hit unlike his pitching rival Edinson Volquez despite the fact that both were largely successful in keeping both teams scoreless. Volquez, allowed hits
but did not give up any runs easily. However, someone had get the runs to flow, as Molina seemed the batter on the pitch to do that.
“I didn't notice anything at all," Westbrook said. "I felt great. It was kind of one of those things where coming into the night that didn't even cross my mind at all. It was just a matter of going out there and being better than I have been."
Yadier Molina provided a strong offence to St. Louis by hitting a three-run homer. The homer came when Edinson Volquez of Cincinnati was simply too good, pitching superbly well up until the sixth inning. "I mean, every time you hit a home run, what do you
want, to be mad or sad?" Molina said. "No, you've got to enjoy it, man, especially here. That's the way you have to play this game, to have fun."
Just when things seemed to be going alright for the Reds, Molina struck Volquez hard. Molina homered to left, allowing Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman to score, making it a 3-0 lead for the Cardinals. Volquez was hardly pleased with whatever happened. "I
just threw the wrong pitch," Volquez said. "That was my call, too. We had got him out before with breaking ball, fastball and changeup."
The 3-0 lead was meant to be maintained, as Westbrook would dispense that without giving out anything that could be utilised by the Reds. The Cardinals interestingly kept rotating the pitchers so as not to take any risk. Any mistake was bound to be turned
into runs and that was the last thing that Cardinals wanted.
It was Fernando Salas who replaced Westbrook and then Salas was replaced by Eduardo Sanchez. Mitchell Boggs was the fourth pitcher for the Cardinals to help the team restrict Cincinnati to no score, sealing the 3-0 victory for St. Louis on their home ground.
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