Cards Pound Reds 10-3 Behind Noot’s Return & Dobbins’ Relief Gem

The Cardinal Chronicle
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Cards Pound Reds 10-3 Behind Nootbaar’s Return and Dobbins’ Relief Gem

The St. Louis Cardinals fell behind early Friday night, then spent the rest of the evening reminding the Cincinnati Reds that a three-run first inning does not win a ballgame at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis erased an early deficit, scored 10 unanswered runs and rolled past Cincinnati 10-3 in the opener of a three-game weekend series between two National League Central rivals separated by just one game in the standings coming into the night. The win moved the Cardinals to 33-28 and dropped the Reds to 31-31.

The night belonged to a returning Lars Nootbaar, a relentless Cardinals lineup, and right-hander Hunter Dobbins, who delivered five scoreless innings of relief to earn his first win with St. Louis. Dobbins struck out six, scattered four hits and gave the Cardinals exactly what they needed after Kyle Leahy’s short start. (Reuters)

Cincinnati struck first, jumping Leahy for three runs in the opening inning. Sal Stewart delivered the big blow with a two-run double, and Eugenio Suárez followed with an RBI single to put the Reds ahead 3-0 before the Cardinals had even taken their first swing.

That lead did not last long.

The Cardinals answered immediately in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of Cincinnati defensive mistakes and Brady Singer’s lack of command. A missed play by Stewart at first base allowed Ivan Herrera to score, and after the Reds lost a replay challenge, Cincinnati manager Terry Francona was ejected by plate umpire Chris Conroy. A wild pitch from Singer later brought Alec Burleson home, cutting the deficit to 3-2. 

From there, the game began to tilt hard toward St. Louis.

Burleson tied the game in the third with a solo home run into the right-field bullpen, continuing a strong offensive run and setting the stage for the Cardinals to take control. Jordan Walker put St. Louis ahead in the fifth with an RBI double to center field, one of his three hits on the night. Walker finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, while Burleson went 2-for-4 with a home run and four runs scored. 

Then came the sixth inning, and with it, the full unraveling of Cincinnati’s bullpen.

Nootbaar, making his long-awaited season debut after offseason surgery on both heels, helped ignite a six-run outburst with a sharp RBI double. The Cardinals sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, using hits, walks and pressure baseball to turn a one-run lead into a comfortable seven-run advantage. Cincinnati used three relievers in the frame, but none could stop the bleeding. 

Nootbaar’s return was one of the major pregame storylines. The Cardinals activated him from the 60-day injured list before the game after he played 12 rehab games across three minor league affiliates, batting .257 with three home runs, eight RBIs, nine walks and a .962 OPS during the assignment. St. Louis also placed Ryan Fernandez on the 15-day injured list, optioned Thomas Saggese to Memphis and recalled Matt Svanson.

For a Cardinals lineup that has been searching for stability, Nootbaar’s return was more than just another name on the lineup card. His presence lengthens the order, gives Oliver Marmol another professional at-bat, and adds a left-handed bat with patience and power to a club trying to build momentum in June.

But the quiet backbone of the night was Dobbins.

After Leahy could not settle the game early, Dobbins took over and slammed the door. He gave the Cardinals five scoreless innings, struck out six and prevented Cincinnati from building on its early lead. In a game that could have turned into a bullpen scramble, Dobbins gave St. Louis length, command and calm. That kind of outing has a way of saving more than one game. It protects the bullpen for the rest of the series.

Singer took the loss for Cincinnati, allowing four runs, only one earned, over 4.1 innings. He gave up four hits, walked three and continued a difficult stretch for a Reds rotation looking for more stability. Cincinnati has now dropped six of its last eight games. 

For the Cardinals, this was exactly the kind of response they needed after dropping two of three to Texas earlier in the week. They trailed 3-0, did not blink, kept pressure on Cincinnati, and then buried the Reds once the bullpen door opened.

It was not a clean start. It was not a quiet win. But it was a convincing one.

The Cardinals will look to secure the series Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore is scheduled to start for St. Louis against Cincinnati left-hander Nick Lodolo. First pitch is set for 1:15 p.m. CT.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with the Gateway Sports
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary:
www.cardinalchronicle.com

Photo Credit: MLB.com Video Clip