April 8, 2014
8:15 PM ET, 7:15 PM CT, 6:15 PM MT, 5:15 PM PT
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
TV: FSOH, FSMW, Fox Sports 1
RADIO: KMOX 1120
H. Bailey (0-1, 8.31 ERA) L. Lynn(1-0, 5.40 ERA)
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/reds-cardi ... --mlb.html
The St. Louis Cardinals were among the best hitting teams in the majors last year.
Their best offensive showing of 2014 came against Homer Bailey and the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cardinals will try to capitalize on another meeting with Bailey as they attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time this season Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.
St. Louis (4-3) hit a staggering .330 with runners in scoring position last year, baseball's highest mark since 1974. The team's .269 overall average ranked fourth in the majors.
So far, that success hasn't carried over for the reigning NL champion.
The Cardinals are batting a mere .199, including .167 with runners in scoring position while alternating wins and losses through seven games. However, St. Louis did all of its scoring Monday while going 3 for 12 with two doubles in that scenario to beat the Reds 5-3 in its home opener.
Still, the Cardinals' best performance this season came in a 7-6 win at Cincinnati on Thursday, when they had season highs in runs, hits (11) and extra-base hits (five).
Much of that damage came at the expense of Bailey, who surrendered four runs and seven hits with three walks in 4 1/3 innings. It was the right-hander's first time on the mound since March 10 due to a strained groin
The Cardinals will again counter Bailey with Lance Lynn, and a change of venue may be just what he's looking for.
The right-hander got the win Thursday, but labored through 107 pitches in five innings. He had seven strikeouts but also gave up three runs and two homers.
"I was prepared for them to come out and swing it, and after the first inning, I was able to make some pitches when I needed to," Lynn told the team's official website.
Lynn hasn't had much trouble doing that at home against the Reds, compiling a 1.20 ERA and 0.93 WHIP while winning both of his starts over three appearances.
That dominance may continue since Cincinnati is hitting .231 with runners in scoring position and .224 overall.
The Series:
St. Louis leads season series 3-1
April 7, 2014-St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 3
April 8, 2014-CIN (Bailey) @ STL (Lynn) -7:15 PM CDT
April 9, 2014-CIN (Leake) @ STL (Miller) -12:45 PM CDT
Baseball Reference 2014 Cardinals Statistics
2014 Current MLB Standings
2014 Current MLB Wild Card Standings
2014 Current MLB vs. Division Standings
2014 Current MLB vs. Expanded Standings
Last Game:
St. Louis 5
Cincinnati 3
WP-Michael Wacha (1-0)
LP-Tony Cingrani (0-1)
Chris Carpenter throws out first pitch
Yadier Molina's bases-clearing double
Matt Holliday's deep RBI double
Recap: CIN 3, STL 5
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/wacha-pace ... --mlb.html
Wacha pitches Cards past Reds 5-3 in home opener
By R.B. FALLSTROM (AP Sports Writer) AP - Sports
ST. LOUIS -- Home opener hoopla was no distraction at all for Michael Wacha. Neither was the 49-degree chill for the first pitch.
The 22-year-old rookie was definitely excited about the occasion and the opportunity. Just like last fall when he was the breakout pitching star of the postseason, he fed off the atmosphere.
"Huge crowd out there, a lot of energy," Wacha said after the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Monday. "It's a lot of fun pitching in front of your home crowd, 40,000-plus fans.
"I don't know who wouldn't thrive off those kind of situations."
Wacha outdid Tony Cingrani in a rematch of young power arms, and the Cardinals got a three-run double from Yadier Molina in the first inning.
"I didn't have my fastball, so what are you going to do? I just tried to battle," Cingrani said. "One bad pitch and it cleared the bases."
A standing-room crowd of 47,492, the largest at 9-year-old Busch Stadium, braved daylong rain to greet the National League champions and take a look at the new Ballpark Village. Hundreds milled about the attached complex, which features five sports bars and rooftop seating.
The Cardinals bunched three hits and a walk over the first five hitters to take the early lead against Cingrani (0-1), who allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings against the Cardinals six days earlier in Cincinnati.
The Cardinals opened the first with singles by Matt Carpenter and Bourjos, and Holliday walked to load the bases with none out. Craig struck out before Molina cleared the bases with a drive to left-center on a 1-2 pitch.
Game notes
Lance Lynn (1-0, 5.40 ERA) opposes Homer Bailey (0-1, 8.31) in the second game of the series, another rematch from the season-opening series in Cincinnati. Lynn allowed three runs in five innings and Bailey gave up four runs in 4 1/3 innings in St. Louis' 7-6 win. ... The Reds anticipate activating reliever Jonathan Broxton (forearm) from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. The team held off making the move Monday to give Broxton two days off after pitching on consecutive days.