RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 21: Joshua Báez #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, August 21, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It felt like playoff baseball as the Cardinals and Phillies began a crucial 3-game series in Philadelphia. Hunter Dobbins took the mound for St. Louis while Jesus Luzardo started for the Phillies. It would be a classic back-and-forth affair, but Philadelphia would have the last laugh Friday night.
It’s been nearly a week since Joshua Baez made his historic Major League debut in Chicago and Friday night he reminded the world while he will be a force to be reckoned with. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Jordan Walker reached on a two-out error when Stotts made an errant throw which allowed Jordan to reach second. He’d be able to walk home from there as Joshua Baez jumped on the first pitch he saw and punished the 98 mph four-seam fastball 360 feet into the right field stands giving the Cardinals an early 2-0 lead.
I’m not the St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach, but here’s a pro tip: DO NOT WALK ANYONE . Hunter Dobbins did not follow this advice in the bottom of the 2nd inning as he handed out a leadoff walk to Stotts. He would score when the next batter Brandon Marsh doubled cutting the Cardinals lead in half at 2-1. That lead would vanish with the next batter as J.T. Realmuto also doubled tying the score at 2-2. It’s to Dobbins credit that he didn’t allow any more runs after the Phillies successfully moved Realmuto over on a sacrifice bunt, he got a ground out and a fly out to end the Phillies 2nd inning.
The Phillies would take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Luis Arráez hit a one-out double. He scored on the next play when Alec Bohm hit a single, but Dobbins would get out of the inning when Stott grounded into a double play that became a double play when Oli Marmol challenged the safe call at first and it was overturned.
If you tried to imagine a nightmare scenario for the St. Louis Cardinals after Andre Pallante was delegated to the injured list Friday, it’s what happened in the bottom of the 5th inning Friday night when Hunter Dobbins had to be taken out of the game for an undisclosed injury after he threw one pitch to Trea Turner. The TV crew would later reveal the Cardinals said it was “right forearm tightness”. Manager Oli Marmol brought in Caleb Ferguson to take over mid-game duties for the Cardinals. After Ferguson walked Trea Turner, he got Bryce Turner to roll over an 80 mph slurve into a rally-killing double play. After a flyout to deep right-center from Arraez, the Phillies 5th inning was done.
If you’re wondering “hey, where are all the Cardinals offensive highlights?”, I was wondering the same thing as I watched Jesus Luzardo set down a dozen Cardinals-in-a-row. Well, that streak was shattered in the top of the 6th inning when Ivan Herrera reached on an infield single and then Jordan Walker gave the Philly crowd PTSD of the Home Run Derby when he absolutely destroyed a 97-mph four-seam fastball and sent it sailing 392 feet into the loving hands of the Phillies fans for a 2-run homer giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.
It didn’t result in a run, but an 11-pitch at-bat by José Fermín in the top of the 6th inning helped drive the pitch count of Luzardo up to 111 and get him out of the game. You won’t see it on a scorecard, but lengthy at-bats like the one from Fermín helped the Cardinals get into the Phillies bullpen.
Caleb Ferguson did a respectable job in his emergency fill-in roll for the ailing Hunter Dobbins, but he got into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the 6th inning when he gave up a leadoff single to Alec Bohm. He then struck out Stott looking, but gave up a single to Marsh after that giving the Phillies runners at first and second with just one out. That inspired manager Oli Marmol to send for Gordon Graceffo in the bullpen. He entered the game to face J.T. Realmuto. His second pitch was laced into left field for a RBI double tying the game 4-4 and giving the Phillies a chance to take the lead with two runners in scoring position and just one out. Crawford made good on that opportunity as he lifted a deep sacrifice fly to center scoring Marsh and giving Philadelphia a 5-4 lead. That’s all the Phillies would get after Trea Turner flew out to end the inning.
The Cardinals mounted a threat in the top of the 7th inning when Pedro Pagés led off with a single into left field. Nathan Church was brought into the game to pinch-run for Pedro and stole a base to get into scoring position with no outs. JJ Wetherholt smartly took a strike when he saw Church get the huge jump off of first, but unwisely took a called third strike for the first out. Ivan Herrera unfortunately struck out on a sweeper from Phillies reliever Kerkering which would have been ball four. Kerkering generously threw a wild pitch to the backstop to move Church up to third anyway with Jordan Walker at the plate. All Jordan Walker could manage this time around was a gentle pop-out to Bohm in foul territory behind first to end the Cardinals 7th inning.
St. Louis would have another opportunity in the top of the 8th inning when Alec Burleson came off the bench to pinch-hit for Joshua Baez. He quickly singled into right field. Burleson then advanced to second on a passed ball from Kerkering. Alec would move over to third base with just one out when Blaze Jordan grounded out. José Fermín unfortunately popped out unable to bring Burleson in for the second out. Everson Pereira was next up and he was nailed on the hand by a pitch from Kerkering giving the Cardinals runners at first and third with Bryan Torres coming up. Phillies manager Don Mattingly pulled Kerkering out of the game and brought in Brooks Raley to face Torres. Bryan came through like a champ when he slapped an 8...
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