Thanks to key contributions from some former Midwest League players, the St. Louis Cardinals won 3-1 Monday to take a 2-1 lead in their National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Offensively, the Cardinals’ big blow came off the bat of Kolten Wong (2011 Quad Cities River Bandits), who hit a two-run homer that broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 7th inning. They also got a solo homer and a double from Matt Carpenter (2009 River Bandits).
Wong batted .335 with 5 HR, 25 RBI and 9 SB in 47 games with the River Bandits. Carpenter batted .295 with 10 RBI in 29 games with the River Bandits.
Pitching-wise, the Cardinals were led by starter John Lackey (2000 Cedar Rapids Kernels). He gave up only one run on five hits and a walk in seven innings, and he struck out eight. St. Louis also got scoreless innings from relievers Pat Neshek (2003 River Bandits) and Trevor Rosenthal (2011 River Bandits).
Lackey went 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 30.1 IP for the Kernels. Neshek went 3-2 with a 0.52 ERA, 14 saves and 53 strikeouts in 34.1 IP for the River Bandits. Rosenthal went 7-7 with a 4.11 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 120.1 IP for the River Bandits.
Trevor Rosenthal started the 2011 Midwest League All-Star Game at Quad Cities’ Modern Woodmen Park. (Photo by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler)
In Monday’s other NLDS game, the Washington Nationals staved off elimination by beating the San Francisco Giants 4-1. Doug Fister pitched seven scoreless innings, Bryce Harper homered, and Asdrubal Cabrera (2005 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) drove in a run for the Nationals.
Cabrera batted .318 with 4 HR and 30 RBI in 51 games with the Timber Rattlers.
