St. Louis Cardinals defeat Houston Astros 9-2 to clinch series 2-1 - MLB Update
The St. Louis Cardinals crushed the League rivals Houston Astros by a huge 9-2 margin in the rubber game at the Minute Maid Park on Thursday, June 9 to clinch the series 2-1.
The Cardinals’ third baseman Albert Pujols kicked the game off with an RBI single against the Astros’ starter James Anthony Happ in the top of the first inning. However, in the bottom half of the inning, the Astros’ Brett Wallace tied the game at 1-all with
an RBI single against the Cardinals’ starter Lance Lynn.
After allowing a run each, both starters struck back in a great fashion and kept the batters under great pressure until the sixth inning. In this inning, the Cardinals’ Lance Berkman drove in a single to the deep left-field while Mark Hamilton hit a grounder
for an RBI single to take his club into 3-1 position.
Despite allowing two runs, Happ could not stabilise himself instead he allowed a walk to Tyler Greene for an RBI single and an RBI double to Daniel Descalso. His five-run sixth inning not only sent the Astros under 6-1 deficit but also ended his own spell.
Before allowing these runs, Happ has allowed just two hits, one each in first and fifth but after the end of this inning, his record has moved to six runs on six hits and two walks over five total innings.
The score was 6-1 at the end of the sixth inning but it moved to 7-1 when Skip Schumaker hit a line drive single to right centre-field off the Astros’ reliever Jeff Fulchino in the top of the seventh inning. The Astros’ Jeff Keppinger made an RBI single
in the bottom of the inning to trim the lead by one run but after this run, the Cardinals’ phenomenal pitching depth completely closed down the Astros’ bat.
In the eighth inning, Ryan Theriot launched a 356-feet long one-run homer off the Astros’ reliever Fernando Rodriguez. Then in the top of the ninth, Lance Berkman hammered a 416-feet long one-run homer against the same hurler to take the Cardinals’ lead
to 9-2.
Lynn, on the other hand, kept the Astros to one-score in his five innings, in which he allowed six hits, walked three and struck-out three batters to earn his first win in his second start of the season. Lynn substituted injured Kyle McClellan on June 2
for his season debut against the defending World Series champions San Francisco Giants at the same venue, where he allowed five runs on four hits over just five innings.
Miguel Batista also allowed an RBI single while Trever Miller, Jason Motte and closer Eduardo Sanchez did not scatter any run over their short spells. Sanchez pitched two hitless innings and struck-out two batters to cement the Cardinals 38th
win in 2011.
Tags: