The Cardinals’ New Bullpen Shines in Late-Inning Win Against Padres
On Saturday night, the Cardinals finally had the opportunity to showcase their revamped bullpen as they fought to defend a late-inning lead. Despite a rocky start, Michael McGreevy handed over a 6-4 advantage to the bullpen in the seventh inning. Kyle Leahy and JoJo Romero then joined forces to secure the final nine outs and secure a victory over the Padres in San Diego. Leahy impressively retired all five batters he faced before Romero took over with two outs in the eighth.
Cardinals Break Losing Streak with 8-5 Win Against Padres in San Diego
SAN DIEGO – After losing four consecutive games, the St. Louis Cardinals were determined to turn things around on Saturday night against the Padres. And with a new-look bullpen, they were able to do just that.
The game started off shaky for the Cardinals, with the Padres taking an early 4-0 lead. But the Cardinals didn’t let that stop them, scoring eight unanswered runs to secure the win.
Pitcher Michael McGreevy, who had a rough start, handed over a 6-4 lead to the bullpen in the seventh inning. Kyle Leahy and JoJo Romero then stepped up to record the final nine outs and seal the victory for the Cardinals.
Leahy retired all five batters he faced, while Romero gave up a single but was able to get out of the inning. In the top of the ninth, the Cardinals added two insurance runs, and although the Padres were able to score one more run, Romero was able to shut them down and secure the save.
This was Romero’s first save of the season and the fifth of his career. It was also the first save for the Cardinals since trading three of their top relievers earlier in the week.
The Cardinals’ offense also came alive, with Pedro Pages hitting a three-run homer in the fourth inning and Masyn Winn driving in two runs with a double in the fifth. Alec Burleson and Willson Contreras also contributed with RBI hits in the ninth inning.
On the mound, McGreevy struggled in the first three innings but was able to bounce back and shut out the Padres for the next three innings. He finished the game with four strikeouts and only one walk.
The Cardinals’ record now stands at 47-2 when leading after the seventh inning, making them one of the top teams in the league in this category.
In other news, Lars Nootbaar was activated from the injured list and went 1-for-5 in his return. To make room for Nootbaar, Jose Fermin was optioned to Memphis.
The Cardinals will look to sweep the series against the Padres on Sunday, with Andre Pallante taking the mound for St. Louis. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. St. Louis time.
