Jul 18, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (5) reacts after his at-bat in the second round during the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals showed strong defense on Wednesday night that ultimately led to their victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
The St. Louis Cardinals showed great defense on Wednesday night that led to their victory over the Cincinnati Reds. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic (subscription required but Woo shared in a Tweet), the Cardinals used a five-man infield strategy that they hadn’t practiced before but ended up saving them twice.
The game was tied in the fourth inning and went scoreless until the 13th inning. In the 13th, St. Louis scored three runs and held a victory over the Reds, who scored just one in the bottom.
As fans lost hope for the Cardinals, manager Oli Marmol decided to implement the five-man infield twice in the extra innings. The strategy worked in their favor after a nearly five-hour game.
The Cardinals won the series and are one step closer to the playoffs.
The Cardinals are fighting hard for the playoffs
St. Louis currently sits at the top of the NL Central standings, just one of two teams above .500 this season. They hold a decent lead over the Milwaukee Brewers, but there is potential for the Cardinals to be knocked down if they don’t pull wins.
According to FanGraphs, St. Louis has a 97.5 percent chance of making the playoffs. The Reds, in the same division, have a zero percent chance and have a winning percentage of .395, so the win shouldn’t have been so difficult.
Despite whatever challenges St. Louis may be facing approaching the end of the season, they seem determined to have even the slightest postseason success.