O’Brien Slams Door as Cards Edge Reds
THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
O’Brien Slams Door as Cardinals Edge Reds
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Alec Burleson doubled home two runs in the first inning, Quinn Mathews struck out seven over four innings, and Riley O’Brien finished it with a dominant ninth as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds, 2-1, Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
The win opened a five-game series and gave St. Louis the first game of a split doubleheader. It also continued a strong stretch for the Cardinals, who came into Cincinnati after taking two of three from the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Burleson gave the Cardinals all the offense they would need before Cincinnati came to bat. Joshua Báez and Iván Herrera scored on his sharp double to right field off Kent Emanuel, putting St. Louis ahead, 2-0, in the first inning.
The Cardinals had chances to extend the lead but could not add on. They finished with seven hits, went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. That kept Cincinnati close, but the pitching staff made the early lead stand.
Mathews worked through traffic in his second major league appearance. The left-hander allowed one run on two hits, walked three and struck out seven, setting a career high in strikeouts. His only mistake was a fourth-inning solo home run by Dane Myers, which cut the Cardinals’ lead to 2-1.
The pitch count kept Mathews from working deeper into the game, but he showed the swing-and-miss ability that has followed him through the Cardinals’ system. He threw 95 pitches, 55 for strikes, and left with the Cardinals still in front.
From there, the bullpen handled the rest.
Luis Gastelum struck out two in a scoreless fifth. Gordon Graceffo worked a clean sixth. George Soriano handled the seventh, and Ryne Stanek protected the lead in the eighth.
That left the ninth for O’Brien, who has become one of the most important pitchers on the roster. He struck out the side in order to earn the save, closing out Cincinnati without allowing the Reds to put the tying run in motion.
O’Brien now leads the National League in saves, continuing a season in which the 31-year-old right-hander has turned himself into one of the most dependable closers in the league.
The Reds managed only three hits and struck out 13 times. Elly De La Cruz went hitless with four strikeouts, while Cincinnati’s only run came on Myers’ homer.
For the Cardinals, the offensive frustration was real. Jordan Walker doubled, Blaze Jordan tripled, and Everson Pereira and Masyn Winn also added hits, but St. Louis did not score after the first inning. In a tighter game, that usually becomes a problem.
Monday, the pitching staff covered it.
The Cardinals did not win with a big offensive day. They won with one timely swing, a promising start from Mathews and five scoreless innings from the bullpen.
In August, that counts the same.
Cardinals 2, Reds 1.
That’s a winner.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Riley O'Brien, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB