ST. LOUIS It was such a night.
The kind of night where every starter leaves the stadium with a hit – including the pitcher – and five do this with multiple strokes; the kind of night where your big boppers are all going to throw, your pinch-hitter gets two at-bats in an inning; a night where your offense brings a position player on the mound, when mistakes kick start rallies and broken bats fall for punches and slumps disappear in big ways.
It was the kind of night the Cardinals could roll out to victory, in a fifth inning of nine runs en route to a 14-3 trouncing of the Nationals on Tuesday-evening at Busch Stadium.
“That’s really, effective, exactly how we expect to compete offensively,” said manager Mike Shildt.
As part of that frame, 14 Cardinals went to bat, three walked, Justin Williams collected three RBI’s with two basehits and not one of the nine basehits went for extra bases. What’s more, those who scored the first two outs did so while riding in a run.
“It is exactly what we expect [the offense], ‘Said Shildt. “That’s a very broad way to compete regardless of the situation. You saw everything we want to get out of the attack tonight. “
Nine-place was the Cardinals’ highest single-inning output since July 24, 2019, when they did the same in Pittsburgh.
Frankly, it was not a collection of necessity. The Cardinals were already up 5-1 by the time the blowout hit, and worked relatively easily thanks to five one-run frames from Jack Flaherty, while home runs by Paul Goldschmidt – the 250th of his career – and Nolan Arenado opened the St. Louis’s score against Stephen Strasburg.
How often would that duo be in the same match this season?
“Hopefully,” said Goldschmidt, “we can do that often this year.”
But their long balls only set the stage for one or more ceremonies.
Matt Carpenter – of whom Goldschmidt said he has “never had an accident like this in my life” – put down hit No. 1 of 2021 on Monday, a bunt against the side that landed three feet from home plate. Hit No. 2, on Tuesday, traveled 384 feet further, towering into the air but seemed to drift foul in the right corner.
“Oh god,” said Shildt, “it’s like, ‘Just stay honest. Please stay honest.”
“I put my inner Carlton Fisk and try to keep that ball as best I can,” said Carpenter.
It did, off the foul pole. The 12,714 at Busch Stadium erupted due to their 11-year franchise mainstay. Carpenter obliges with a curtain call.
“It sure feels good,” said Carpenter. “You know, not having much success and having a few difficult years in a row, to have a moment like that, is definitely a good feeling.”
It was part of the Tuesday night good feelings all over St. Louis. The big boppers shot away, the ace in Flaherty continued to show a return to form – although more work is needed on both pitch counting and fastball command, he said – and the bottom half of the lineup stacked up. on: Williams recorded his first three career RBI’s spread over two hits by a lefty, Dylan Carlson with his first multi-hit game of the season and catcher Andrew Knizner who went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks in his first start of the season.
In short, it was a night when the Cardinals’ attack was at its peak, something that has been far and few among now 11 games in the 2021 season.
“Many positives from our team,” said Goldschmidt, “and if you do, you will find a way to score.”