Saturday, January 06, 2018

Redbirds Sweep Nats


 
 
Behind Yoenis Cespedes' bat, the St. Louis Cardinals swept the Washington Nationals in four games.  A summary of the series:
 
 
GAME 1
Cardinals 3, Nationals 1
Curtis Granderson snaps a 1-1 tie with a 2-run double in the 6th.  Jacob DeGrom and three relievers toss a 3-hitter. In a key play in the 8th inning, Yoenis Cespedes throws out Starling Marte trying to score from second on a Mike Trout single.

GAME 2
Cardinals 7, Nationals 1
Yoenis Cespedes crushes a 2-run HR in the 3rd and Brett Lawrie highlights a 5-run 7th with a 2-run PH triple as St. Louis coasts to a 2-0 series lead. Francisco Liriano strikes out 7 and allows just 4 hits in 7 innings for the win.

GAME 3
Cardinals 3, Nationals 2 (11 innings)
Yoenis Cespedes belts a solo homer in the top of the 11th, then St. Louis holds on for dear life in the bottom half. Washington put runners on second and third with one out against Kevin Siegrist. Delino Deshields fails on a squeeze bunt and strikes out. Mike Trout is walked intentionally to load the bases, but Billy Butler fans to end the game. St. Louis had taken the lead in the 7th on an RBI
double by Logan Forsythe and a run-scoring single by Cespedes. But Washington tied it in the 9th against closer Wade Davis. Starling Marte singled, stole two bases, then rode home on a Trout single. Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 in 7-1/3 for Washington, which had been held to 1 hit until the 9th.

GAME 4
Cardinals 5, Nationals 4
Logan Forsythe leads off the game with a homer, finishing with 3 RBIs, and Yoenis Cespedes caps a 4-run 3rd with a 2-run HR as St. Louis completes the sweep. Washington had taken a rare lead on Mike Trout's 3-run HR in the bottom of the 1st and crept within 5-4 on Starling Marte's RBI single in the 7th. St. Louis starter Danny Salazar struck out 12, but tired in the 9th, departing after Jose Bautista's leadoff PH double. Wade Davis entered and retired three straight Nationals, two on strikes.
 
The Cardinals, who haven't been to the Fall Classic since the 2004 season, will face the San Francisco Giants.



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