Busch Stadium III, St. Louis (St. Louis is a baseball town, even in a down year)

 

St. Louis is a baseball town.

I realized that the day after we moved to St. Louis in August of 1979. It was late in the season, and the Cardinals were going nowhere, but when I went to turn in the U-Haul we’d rented, the two women behind the counter were discussing the previous night’s game, which they’d both listened to on the radio. I found that unusual both because it was a late-season game in a forgettable season, and because when it’s two women behind the desk, particularly in 1979, you didn’t expect them to be discussing sports.

This is, so far, a very forgettable season for the Cardinals. Despite high hopes, they’re in last in their division, but their average home attendance is the second highest in the majors. That’s not too surprising, in that teams that are good year after year tend to have the highest attendances (unless they play in Tampa Bay). But the reaction to mistakes on the field seems to be shakes of the head, rather than boos, though I heard a few tonight (more on that later).

I’m also fascinated by the jerseys people wear. Over the course of two games, I’ve seen people wearing the jerseys with numbers of at least 29 different players, ranging from 1940s Hall of Famer Stan Musial to 10 players off the current roster. And the scoreboard is advertising an upcoming bobblehead giveaway, honoring Roger Maris, who played well for St. Louis in the 1960s, even though his most memorable years were as a Yankee.

It's a baseball town.

The game:

Much of the game looked like a slightly modified version of last night.

Last night, the first Astro batter reached base on an error on the first pitch. Tonight, the first batter doubled on the first pitch.

Last night, their second batter got a hit. Tonight, the second batter got a walk.

Last night, the Astros took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Tonight, they took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Last night, the Cardinals came back to take a 4-2 in the 5^th. Tonight, they came back to take a 4-3 lead in the 1^st.

Last night, the Astros loaded the bases with two out in the 7^th, and on a full count, pinch-hitter Bligh Madris flied out against Giovanny Gallegos. Tonight, they loaded the bases with two out in the 6^th, and on a full count, Yainer Díaz struck out against Andre Pallante.

Then the script changed.

Last night, the Astros didn’t mount a threat the rest of the game.

Tonight, the 8^th started with Madris getting a hit off his nemesis from the night before, Gallegos. A little later, Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer off Gallegos, and the Astros were ahead. Three batters later, Jose Abreu hit a two-run homer, also off Gallegos. And the Cardinals never got another baserunner.

The final was Houston 10, St. Louis 7. It was the kind of game my friends who are Cardinals fans have been complaining about this year. The offense scored 7 runs, but the pitchers gave up 13 hits (including five doubles and two home runs), 8 walks, and 10 runs. It’s hard to win with that kind of pitching.