The Saint Louis Cardinals have had one glaring weakness all season with the performance of there bullpen--but for today, they got the job done and slammed the door on the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook pitched six innings on Sunday, giving up four runs on nine hits--striking out six and walking just one batter. He recieved the win on the day, and ultimately helped the defending champs avoid a sweep of the Pirates by beating them by a score of 5-to-4.
Allen Craig had a big day at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a two run home run--as did Yadier Molina. Craig has now hit eleven home runs in 39 games and Molina has hit thirteen, which is just one home run short of his career high in a single season of fourteen in which he did last season.
The Cardinals ousted out nine hits for the game, and held the 5 to 4 lead following the bottom half of the fifth inning--which ultimately was a big confidence boost with the way that this team has finished ball games in the one-run differentials through the first three months.
The defending champs got big time relief appearances from both of the likes of Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte. Motte recorded the final four outs of the game to record his seventeenth save in twenty-one opportunities.
Pittsburgh got there offensive production by Michael McHenry, the Pirates starting catcher, who recorded three runs batted in on the day; and an RBI Clint Barmes--the team combined for a total of twelve hits in the game, despite just putting up four runs. The lost for the Bucco's ended there five game win streak and costed them being tied for the division lead following the Reds loss to the Giants.
The Cardinals will now take on the Colorado Rockies for four games inside Busch Stadium starting tomorrow night at 7:15 pm Central St. Louis time.
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