Right fielder Dexter Fowler also homered, hitting a solo shot off Pirates starter Joe Musgrove in the 5th.
Flaherty had a dominant 2nd half last season, publishing a 0.91 ERA after the All-Star break and finishing 4th in NL Cy Young Award voting. Hell likely be in that race once again this year, and with Fridays trip, its clear why.
ST. LOUIS– With runners on very first and 2nd, 2 outs and keeping a one-run lead in the 4th inning on Friday night, Jack Flaherty reached back and whizzed a 95-mph fastball past Pirates 3rd baseman Colin Moran for a swinging 3rd strike.
Pregame introductions were peaceful, with the occasional player tipping his cap or waving to the empty park. A couple of professional photographers were spread along the first deck of seats. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak sat in the exact same seat he beinged in for lunch practically every day throughout the four-month break from video games in the sixth row of section 245. He was the only person in the upper deck.
” When we talk about the depth of the lineup, we truly felt like practically the entire lineup had a lot of quality at-bats all the method through,” Shildt said. “Thats what elite offenses do, have quality at-bats all the way.”
ST. LOUIS– With runners on very first and second, 2 outs and keeping a one-run lead in the 4th inning on Friday night, Jack Flaherty reached back and zoomed a 95-mph fastball past Pirates 3rd baseman Colin Moran for a swinging 3rd strike.
Flaherty walked off the mound anticipating
Flaherty and the Cardinals opened the 60-game routine season with a triumph. However it was strange and different, without any Clydesdales or Cardinals Hall of Famers trotting around the ballpark to a cheering sea of red.
Flaherty strolled off the mound expecting a roar from 40,000 fans at Busch Stadium. Thats when it hit Flaherty that he was pitching on an Opening Day unlike any prior to.
Anne Rogers covers the Cardinals for MLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @anne__rogers and on Facebook.
John Ryan Murphy throughout the game that this is a guy, when you view him live, you realize how good he is,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton stated. “You see him on video and believe hes great, then when you view him live, you realize why hes pitching Opening Day for them.”
Flaherty walked off the mound anticipating a holler from 40,000 fans at Busch Stadium. Instead, the Cardinals right-hander searched for at empty red seats and heard the piped-in crowd noise functioning as a replacement at the ballpark. Thats when it hit Flaherty that he was pitching on an Opening Day unlike any prior to.
” Strikeouts come when they come, and you take the outs when you get them,” Flaherty stated. “If they come quick, they come fast and you get some effective innings. And when you enter huge areas, like whatever inning it was with Moran, and you get into huge spots in the seventh, youve got plenty in the tank.”
” It was strange, it was different,” Flaherty said after St. Louis 5-4 triumph. “Managing your emotions is different. I understood it was a big area, essential area, big punchout, and it was unusual. It was an entirely different feeling. It was odd. Other than that, the juices were flowing, it was Opening Day, get a brand-new group in there. Simply go out there and complete.”
Flaherty travelled through 6 effective innings on 62 pitches, and he completed seven with only 2 runs enabled on six hits. He hadnt permitted a run through 6, which extended his scoreless innings streak to 25 dating back to last season, breaking his previous career-best mark of 23, set from July 26-Aug. 13, 2019.
It had been 284 days since Flaherty pitched in a game that counted– going back to his start in Game 3 of in 2015s National League Championship Series– however the 24-year-old looked as though he had not skipped a beat.
Flaherty struck out six, working quickly by causing groundouts and, as supervisor Mike Shildt states, “letting the defense play.” The Pirates had 4 songs in a period of 5 at-bats in the seventh– consisting of Jacob Stallings two-run knock– but Flaherty maintained a 3-2 lead by getting Jarrod Dyson to ground out to end the inning.
– Box rating
Fredbird moved the stadium without much to do. After Tyler ONeill hit the Cardinals first house run of the season, a solo shot in the third inning, the mascot visited the Homers for Health check in left field and altered the number to one.
” It was unusual, it was different,” Flaherty said after St. Louis 5-4 victory. Flaherty travelled through 6 efficient innings on 62 pitches, and he completed 7 with just 2 runs enabled on six hits.” Strikeouts come when they come, and you take the outs when you get them,” Flaherty said.
The Cardinals debuted their new-look lineup that includes Kolten Wong at leadoff and Paul DeJong in the clean-up area. DeJong provided a pair of key insurance keeps up a 402-foot homer in the 8th inning. Left-handed closer Kwang Hyun Kim allowed two runs in the ninth prior to inducing a game-ending double play to notch the save, becoming the very first St. Louis pitcher to make a conserve in his MLB launching since Brad Thompson in 2005.
” It seems like forever back,” Flaherty said. “It certainly feels like a very long time contending versus another person.”
