The big, bold number that puts Jack Flaherty in the company of Bob Gibson for how he’s started a season came only after a game where some little moments had to go right, too.
The opening day starter and All-Star candidate improved to 8-0 to start the season as he threw the Cardinals to a 8-5 victory at Busch Stadium against the Pittsburgh and a second consecutive series sweep of their waterlogged rivals. Flaherty becomes the first Cardinal starter to begin the season 8-0 since Gibson started 1965 8-0. The Hall of Fame righthander also got to 8-0 in his first nine games, and the Cardinals have won all nine of Flaherty’s starts this season.
It helped Wednesday, in front of the largest crowd yet at Busch (14,677), that the Cardinals stormed to a 6-0 lead before the Bucs had a run.
