Kyle Leahy Fires 8 K's as Iván Herrera's Homer Secures Win
Kyle Leahy fired 8 strikeouts in 5 innings as the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Friday night.
The game was marked by a series of leadoff hits for the Rockies, but Leahy's impressive strikeout numbers helped the Cardinals maintain a slim lead. Herrera's 3rd-inning homer proved to be the decisive blow, securing the win for the Cardinals.
In the top of the 2nd inning, TJ Rumfield led off with a single to center, and Castro singled to advance Rumfield to third. The Rockies were unable to capitalize on the opportunity, scoring only one run on a groundout by Johnston.
The Cardinals responded in the bottom of the 2nd, playing small ball baseball to score two runs and take a 2-1 lead. Jimmy Crooks reached on an infield hit, followed by a double by Masyn Winn, and consecutive sacrifice flies by Nathan Church and Bryan Torres.
Herrera's homer in the 3rd inning increased the Cardinals' lead to 3-1, but the Rockies continued to chip away, scoring one run in the 4th inning on a groundout by Johnston.
Leahy's start was marked by 8 hits, but just 2 earned runs, with 8 strikeouts and no walks. Justin Bruihl pitched a scoreless 6th inning, and Caleb Ferguson helped maintain the slim lead in the 7th and 8th innings.
The Cardinals' bats were silent after Herrera's homer, but Riley O'Brien secured the win in the 9th inning, coaxing a weak grounder from Kyle Karros to wrap up the tight victory.
It's game 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals' 3-game series hosting the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. Matthew Liberatore will start for the Cardinals, while the Rockies will give the ball to Kyle Freeland. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15pm central time, and the game broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.
Source: Yahoo Sports
