Westbrook and Holliday take St. Louis Cardinals to 3-0 shutout over Kansas City Royals: MLB Update
Jake Westbrook tossed eight shutout innings and Matt Holliday launched a two-run homer, as the St. Louis Cardinals blanked Kansas City Royals 3-0 at the Kauffman Stadium, Missouri, on Saturday, May 21, to tie the series 1-1.
After getting shutout by Kansas City for the first time in the franchise history Cardinals were looking to return the favour on Saturday. Westbrook tossed shutout eight innings, allowing four hits and three walks while managed three strikeouts to take his club back into series.
The 33-year-old ball thrower, pitching 65 strikes of 105 pitches, was on the height of his form to earn his fourth win of the series with 5.17 ERA.
"It worked out perfectly," said Westbrook, who now has 4-3 record in 2011. "I've got a base open and he's their guy. Even if it's a double play to somebody else, it's just one run and it's kind of where you want, me being a sinkerball guy. But it came right back to me and we get two big outs there."
For all offence that came in the eighth inning, Albert Pujols drove in a single with one out and then Matt Holliday entered the plate for his third at-bat with National League leading with an 0.356 average and launched a striking 452-feet long two-run homer off the Royals' reliever, Tim Collins, to take 2-0 advantage.
Holliday is one of the best hitter in the league, said Westbrook.
Daniel Descalso bunted into fielder’s choice to first while Allen Craig out on second, then the Royals' closer, Robinson Tejeda, allowed Tyler Greene a walk that sent Daniel to second base in the top of the ninth inning. Tejeda pitched another wild pitch allowing Daniel and Greene to occupy third and second base respectively. With both the bases loaded, Ryan Theriot hit a sacrifice fly to the centre of the field to grab 3-0 leading to take his club back into series.
The Royals’ starter Nate Adcock threw five scoreless innings to impress manager Ned Yost in his first Major League start.
"He danced in and out of trouble early on and then he really settled down," said Yost. "He got his pitch count up around 75 where we wanted it. I thought he pitched pretty good."
Louis Coleman provided Adcock a perfect back up, but as soon as he was replaced by Collins, the Cardinals’ bat broke out and it took their team into winning position. Collins, Tejeda and closer, Blake wood, each yielded one run each in their less than an inning pitching.
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