Cards magic runs out as Cubs snap winning streak at eight
With the tying run on third and just one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cardinals were just 90 feet from forcing extra innings against the Cubs in an attempt to keep their eight-game winning streak alive. But the magic had to run out eventually, as Mark Reynolds struck out with Peter Bourjos on third and Jhonny Peralta grounded out as the Cubs defeated the redbirds 6-5 on Wednesday night at Busch Stadium, ending the club’s longest winning streak since 2010.
“I feel as bad as anybody I didn’t get that ball out there, hit a sac fly and at least tie the game,” Reynolds told Brian Stull of St. Louis Baseball Weekly after the game. “They kept scoring, we kept coming back. We just couldn’t get the big hit or big at-bat we needed. It was just a tough night–for me especially. Lester had my number tonight.” Reynolds finished the day 0-5 as the team’s cleanup hitter.
Despite coming up short Wednesday night, the sense that the club could once again make a late comeback persisted in the Cardinals dugout until the final out was made.
“That’s the great thing about this team — everybody was sensing that, ‘Here it goes again. We’re going to find a way to win this,'” Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter told MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch. “But that’s the way it goes sometimes. You can’t win them all.”
The 3-5 batters in the Cubs lineup exploded for six hits, with first baseman Anthony Rizzo driving in three runs off Cards starter Lance Lynn, who surrendered five earned runs but was able to go six innings to help out a heavily-taxed bullpen.
Game Recaps: Cardinals.com, theScore, St. Louis Baseball Weekly
Up Next: The Cardinals will send veteran right-hander John Lackey (1-1, 3.69 ERA) to the mound on Thursday as the team looks to close out their 11-game homestand with an eighth consecutive series victory. The Cubs will oppose with 29-year-old Jake Arieta, who’s off to a good start to the season, with a 3-2 record and a 2.84 ERA over 31 2/3 innings.
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Garcia to start Sunday for AAA Memphis as rehab stint begins
Via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told Frank Cusumano of KSDK that lefty Jaime Garcia will start Sunday for AAA Memphis as he begins his minor league rehab assignment.
Garcia, who was shut down during spring training with shoulder discomfort, made it through an extended spring training game on Tuesday without issue. It will likely be a while before Garcia could join the big-league club, and as of now it looks like Marco Gonzales will likely snag the fifth spot in the big-league roster once he proves his health at AAA Memphis.
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Marco Gonzales to start Saturday for AAA Memphis in recovery from left pectoral injury
As Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports, John Mozeliak told reporters on Tuesday that lefty Marco Gonzales is scheduled to return to the AAA Memphis rotation on Saturday (5/9). The 23-year-old has been sidelined since April 22 with a sore left pectoral muscle. Gonzales is widely expected to take Adam Wainwright’s spot in the Cardinals rotation once he’s ready, which could come some time next week if his start this weekend goes well. However, Mozeliak wouldn’t put a timeline on Gonzales’ potential big-league season debut when discussing it with Luke Thompson of Fox Sports Midwest:
“We just want to be smart,” said Mozeliak, who hasn’t put a timeline on when either pitcher would be available for a start in St. Louis. “He’s young. He’s someone that we think has a bright future so there’s no reason to push it.”
Gonzales is 4-2 with a 4.15 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 34.2 innings at Memphis so far this season.
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Link: Setup man Walden out 6-10 weeks with shoulder strain
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Reyes, Scruggs named minor leaguers of the month
The Cardinals announced on Wednesday that starter Alex Reyes and first baseman Xavier Scruggs were named the organization’s minor league pitcher and player of the month for April, respectively. At class High A Palm Beach, Reyes has a 1.71 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 26 1/3 innings, while Scruggs has slugged six home runs and picked up 17 RBIs so far this season at AAA Memphis.
Lynn image used under Creative Commons from Keith Allison. No changes made. Image license.
Garcia image used under Creative Commons from Barbara Moore. No changes made. Image License.
