ST. LOUIS — It only took one swing of the bat to decide an old-fashioned pitching duel on Saturday night at Busch Stadium.
Held to just one hit through the first seven innings in a scoreless game against the Mariners, the Cardinals got the only hit they needed to win the game in the eighth – a two-run home run from Pedro Pages.
The homer, Pages’ sixth of the season, came after Logan Gilbert hit Jordan Walker with a pitch – only the third Cardinal to reach base in the game.
Kyle Gibson matched zeroes with Gilbert into the seventh before the Cardinals’ bullpen completed the shutout.
Here is how Saturday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The only hit for the Cardinals before the home run from Pages was a double by Lars Nootbaar with one out in the fifth. The next two batters struck out … Walker was hit with one out in the eighth before Pages hit a 1-1 pitch for the home run … Pages is the only Cardinal to hit multiple go-ahead home runs in the eighth inning or later in a game this season, having also done it on June 14 against the Cubs in Chicago … The two hits were the fewest for the Cardinals in a game this season … It was the first time the Cardinals won a game scoring multiple runs with two hits or less since 2004.
On the mound: Gibson had to pitch out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first and went on to keep the Mariners from scoring as he worked into the seventh inning, tying his season high with nine strikeouts while allowing only three hits, two of which were recorded by the first two batters in the game … Gibson threw a season-high 112 pitches … Andrew Kittredge had to pitch around a hit and a walk in the eighth before Ryan Helsley allowed one hit but struck out the other three batters in the ninth, earning his 43rd save.
Key stat: Despite the win the Cardinals remained six games out of the third and final wildcard spot in the playoffs, now with 20 games remaining in the season.
Worth noting: The Cardinals brought in a fresh arm for their bullpen before the game, recalling Chris Roycroft from Memphis and optioning Kyle Leahy … After having to come out of Friday night’s game because of a sore shoulder, Nolan Arenado was back in the starting lineup on Saturday night … Matt Morris, Dave Duncan and Whitey Kurowski were inducted into the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Saturday afternoon at Ballpark Village.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Sunday in the final game against the Mariners.
