Daily News | After two comebacks, Phillies can’t rally a third time Saturday against the Cardinals
This was a winnable game for the Phillies. Entering the bottom of the ninth inning, they were down by only one run. They’d shown considerable resolve up until that point; after digging themselves into a five-run deficit in the top of the first, the Phillies dug themselves out with the help of some of their young sluggers. After Corey Knebel walked in a run in the top of the fifth to give the Cardinals a 6-5 lead, Nick Castellanos tied it up again with an RBI single.
In the bottom of the ninth, while down, 7-6, with two outs, Matt Vierling walked to get on base. Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley, as talented as he is, was at 33 pitches and showing signs of fatigue. And then Odúbel Herrera stepped up to the plate. It was a frustrating way for the Phillies to lose. Herrera said afterwards that the at-bat was a learning expeirence for him; that sometimes he tries to do too much when the game is on the line.
, the Cardinals made history again against the Phillies on Saturday afternoon. In the top of the first inning, they hit four straight home runs off of right-handed starter Kyle Gibson, becoming the 11th team in MLB history to do so and the first to accomplish the feat in the first inning. It also was the first time in club history the Cardinals had hit four home runs in a row. Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez, and Dylan Carlson went yard in the first for the Cardinals.