CINCINNATI — The large crowd at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Friday night came in part to see the post-game fireworks show. They just didn’t know the fireworks would start a little early.
In a game that won’t be forgotten for a long time, by either those who played in it or those who watched it, the Cardinals came back from a 7-0 deficit, scored 10 runs in the sixth inning and then had to hang on in the ninth inning for the victory.
Here are just some of the things that happened in the game:
– It was the first time the Cardinals rallied from a deficit of seven or more runs to win a game since May 12, 2002 – also in Cincinnati – when they were losing 8-0 after the second inning before pulling out a 10-8 victory.
– They scored 10 or more runs in an inning for the first time since July 21, 2012, when they scored 12 in the seventh inning at home against the Cubs – a game that was scoreless going into that inning.
– According to Stats Inc., it was the first time in the majors that a team was being shut out by seven or more runs and then scored 10 or more runs in an inning since June 26, 1987, when the Red Sox were down 9-0 to the Yankees before scoring 11 runs in the third inning.
– The 10-run inning gave the Cardinals a 10-7 lead and Paul DeJong added a two-run homer in the seventh, and they needed all of those runs as the Reds closed to 12-11 in the ninth, with the tying run on third, before Carlos Martinez got Joey Votto to ground out and end the game.
– It was the first time the Cardinals won a nine-inning game when they allowed 18 or more hits since July 30, 1994 against the Cubs.
– The Cardinals had lost their last 101 games in which they allowed 11 or more runs, dating back to a 15-12 win over the Rockies on April 8, 2003.
– Catcher Ryan Lavarnway, playing his first game for the Reds, had two homers and drove in six runs, only the second time since 1978 the Cardinals won a game when an opposing batter had six or more RBIs.
Here is how the crazy game broke down:
At the plate: Jose Martinez was in an 0-of-17 streak when he beat out an infield single in the sixth, the first of his two hits in the inning. The second was a three-run homer, which capped the inning in which the Cardinals sent 13 hitters to the plate and collected eight hits, two sacrifice flies, a walk, a stolen base and had a runner reach on an error … DeJong’s double drove in two of the runs and Harrison Bader, Tommy Edman and Martinez all scored two runs in the inning … The Cardinals had only three hits through the first five innings … DeJong’s homer was his second in as many nights, his 15th of the season, and gave him a four-RBI night.
On the mound: The rally took Adam Wainwright off the hook as his struggles on the road continued. He allowed the seven runs while recording only 10 outs. Wainwright has won only one of nine starts on the road this season and saw his ERA away from Busch Stadium climb to 7.16 … His ERA in nine home starts is 2.33 … Michael Wacha pitched for the first time since July 4 and worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings, despite allowing three hits, and got the win … Dominic Leone allowed Lavarnway’s second homer in the eighth to cut the Cardinals lead to 12- 9 … In the ninth, Martinez struck out the first two hitters before giving up a double, back-to-back walks and a two-run single that cut the lead to one. On a 1-2 pitch, Votto hit a ground ball to Paul Goldschmidt to end the game.
Key stat: In his last three appearances, Martinez has allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks over three innings but still managed to earn two saves.
Worth noting: Lavarnway had not homered in the major leagues since Aug. 23, 2015 … Reds manager David Bell and third baseman Eugenio Suarez were ejected after the first inning by home plate umpire Carlos Torres, who had called Suarez out on strikes during the inning … The Cardinals previous high for runs in an inning this season had been seven, on April 22 … The Cardinals have now won six of eight games since the All-Star break.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Saturday night in the third game of the series.
