CHICAGO — It took a while Tuesday for the Cardinals’ offense to get a start it wanted, but once it did there was no questioning its impact.
Jake Woodford can relate.
A notable contributor during the September surge a year ago, Woodford has been in and out of various roles, shuttled back and forth to Class AAA Memphis, and overlooked many times this season when the Cardinals had an open start for someone to claim. His start, his first of the season, finally arrived Tuesday night in the second half of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field — and he took it as far as the Cardinals would let him.
Woodford took a shutout into the sixth inning as the Cardinals split a day-night doubleheader against the Cubs. Absent from the 2-0 loss in Game 1 that ended an eight-game winning streak, the offense provided Woodford a five-run inning on the way to a 13-3 victory in Game 2. Nolan Arenado had three hits, including a home run, and Corey Dickerson had four hits in Game 2, including two doubles.
In the midst of the game’s defining rally, Tyler O’Neill struck a two-run bolt to the bleachers. To expand the ninth inning rally that made the night game a rout, Tommy Edman hit a two-run double, adding to a solo homer earlier in game 2.
Before the pent-up offense let loose for a baker’s dozen, there was Woodford (3-0) making the most of the opportunity. The right-hander did not allow a run until the sixth inning. He needed only 76 pitches to get 16 outs, and efficiently retired the Cubs by inviting meek contact. Woodford struck out only one batter, did not get the swings and misses that will capture the Cardinals’ imagination, but he did get outs. He kept a quick pace, and has forced the Cardinals to find a way for him to contribute — not just commute between levels.
Pujols, in a pinch, faces Cubs’ DH
With the crowd chanting for Albert Pujols’ appearance in the ninth inning, the Cubs unplugged the electricity of the moment by removing the left-handed reliever and calling on their designated hitter to flip that script and pitch. Franmil Reyes made the first pitching appearance of his career — and the first batter he faced was Pujols.
The Cardinals’ pinch-hitter had a chance to hit a home run off a record-setting 450th different pitcher, though one who had never been a pitcher before.
Before Pujols could hit off him, Reyes hit Pujols.
Pujols took a bruise and then took his base before Reyes did finish the ninth with a double play and a strikeout.
Offense surges after Game 1 snoozing
After five different Cubs pitchers, including starter Javier Assad in his major-league debut, the Cardinals’ offense stalled and stalled again in the afternoon game.
For their first 21 innings at Wrigley this week, the Cardinals scored one run — on Pujols’ 693rd career homer. That was the only run Jordan Montgomery needed in Monday’s shutout, but it was not enough to carry the Cardinals beyond eight consecutive victories.
It was not for lack of opportunities.
In Game 1, the Cardinals stranded eight runners in the first five innings and 11 runners in the first eight. Through six innings the Nos. 3-9 spots in the order were a combined 1-for-17. As a team, they went zero-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the game.
In what could have been a breakout third inning, Assad walked his way through the middle of the Cardinals’ order to load the bases for rookie Nolan Gorman. The Cardinals’ infielder chopped the inning-ending groundout. In the fifth, the first two batters got on before reliever Michael Rucker worked through the middle of the Cardinals’ order to keep them scoreless. Paul Goldschmidt, Arenado and Gorman combined to go zero-for-six with runners in scoring position.
“We’ve been coming up with the big hit quite often over the last couple of weeks,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “Done a real good job of cashing in. We got some pitches to hit and just missed them — and weren’t able to.”
That trend ended by sundown.
In the fourth inning of Game 2, the Cardinals’ lineup snapped awake. Ten batters in the inning produced five runs. Two homers jarred Cubs starter Adrian Sampson, and the Cardinals’ first base hit of the day with a runner in scoring position was the punctuation. Arenado opened the scoring with his 26th homer of the season and seventh of the month. He’s tied for the major-league lead this month in homers with two teammates, Goldschmidt and Albert Pujols.
Two batters later, O’Neill struck for a two-run shot and his eighth homer of the season.
The inning wrapped back to the top of the order, and with the bases loaded Brendan Donovan lashed a two-run, two-out single to widen the lead, 5-0. Donovan started both games of the doubleheader, played two different positions, and batted second in each games. In the first 13 innings he played Tuesday, Donovan reached base safely three times and also reached on an error.
“At some point,” Marmol said of starting the rookie more often, “you also have to give Donovan an opportunity to do what he’s capable of doing.”
Game 1 slips just past Wainwright’s grip
The inning that got away from Adam Wainwright in Game 1 swung around two groundballs that barely did.
The veteran ace danced around four walks and five hits to provide the Cardinals six innings and allowed only two runs. Both came in the Cubs’ third inning during a rally pieced together on walks and singles. Two of the singles were groundballs that were just out of Wainwright’s reach — and one nicked off his glove on its way to a safe landing.
“I should have caught that one,” he said later.
Throughout his quality start, Wainwright had to sidestep baserunners. With help from an error, the Cubs got the first two batters on base in the second inning, and then did so again in the third. Wainwright walked two batters in the fourth inning. Each time he evaded a bigger inning or any Cubs scoring at all by finding the right series of pitches at the right time.
In the second, he retired three consecutive batters with runners on, finishing the inning with a called strike-three sinker. The fourth ended with a groundout. And sandwiched in between, the Cubs had a chance to build on the 2-0 lead and did not when Wainwright struck out the final two batters. With two runners in scoring position, Wainwright struck out designated hitter Reyes on three pitches.
Two of them were curveballs, at 74 mph or slower.
“It was a weird one because it was a game that I was either executing very well or completely disconnected,” Wainwright said. “It was a little of sorts, occasionally. But then I executed when I needed to. Can't explain that one. I was just disconnected in my delivery.
“Nothing was great. Everything was OK.”
Romero continues to make case to stay
While the Game 1 shutout brought a screeching halt to the Cardinals’ winning streak, it was not a complete dud because it tilted in just the right direction for another look at lefty JoJo Romero.
Romero, acquired at the trade deadline, has received an extended engagement on the active roster with All-Star closer Ryan Helsley away from the team for the birth of he and his wife’s first child. Romero impressed with his Cardinals debut in Arizona, and he doubled up on that impression with two scoreless innings Tuesday afternoon. The lefty retired all six batters he faced, struck out, and got three groundballs.
The notable twist? All six batters were right-handed.
Instead of relying on a sinker that touched 95.4 mph or a four-seam fastball that reached 94.7 mph, Romero tested the right-handers with his changeup. His slider and fastballs get him success against left-handed batters, but the changeup gets him a larger role in a bullpen if it’s successful against right-handed batters.
“He can really help us,” Marmol said. “Really good arm. Electric stuff. Fastball — good movement to it. Slider is good. Changeup is a swing-and-miss pitch to righties. On the ground a ton, and in the zone. A combination of those things plays really well for what we need.”
