By Bob Priddy, Missourinet Contributing Editor
(Baseball)—The St. Louis Cardinals won their first home game Sunday since April 17. But they’re still the worst team in the National League. And it felt so good, they won again last night.
The Royals avoided a sweep against the Athletics in a series involving the AL’s worst teams. Oakland turned out to be the best of the worst by taking two out of three. But the Royals, too, enjoyed the unusual experience this year of winning a second game in a row last night.
(St. Louis)—Detroit’s Jake Rogers hit a grand slam homer in the top of the sixth inning to put the Tigers up 6-5. This time, however, the Cardinals had a response, a vicious one, with seven runs in their half to take a 12-6 lead that stood up the rest of the way. Brendan Donovan’s three-run shot gave the Cardinals an 8-6 lead and they added four more runs in the rest of the inning
Paul Goldschmidt hit the third of his three home runs in that same inning. St. Louis is 11-24 as we head to the mid-point of May.
Last night, the Cardinals got solid pitching from Miles Mikolas, and some timely hitting to take a 3=-1 win from the Cubs in Chicago. Mikolas didn’t get the win but he fanned seven in four and a third innings. it’s the first time the Redbirds have won two in a row since April 11-12. And it’s the first time this year that the Cardinals have won a series opener.
(CONTREAS)—It happens everywhere when someone comes in behind a person who has been a fixture or an institution whether it’s at a church, a bank, a university, or a business. The successor often has a rough time and the people who work with him have to make some major adjustments. Willson Contreras and the Cardinals are in that situation. After twenty years with Yadiair Molina managing pitchers masterfully, the adjustment by and to Contreras is struggling. He’s going to be a DH for a while and spend time during the game on the bench with the manager and others on the coaching staff learning the Cardinal Way.
His offense has been good enough to keep him in the lineup. Andrew Knizner, a Yadi mentee for four years or so, will take over the prime duties behind the plate for now.
Baseball’s trading deadline is not until August 1 but putting Knizner behind the plate while Contreras studies the Cardinal style of baseball will give the kid some exposure should he be considered trade bait in a deal to strengthen the pitching staff.
(ROYALS)—The Royals salvaged the last game of a three-game series against the other American League bottom-feeder Sunday, but their two losses to Oakland leaves Kansas City as the worst American League team.
The victory was clouded by the 106-mile-per-hour line drive off the bat of Detroit’s Ryan Noda that struck pitcher Ryan Yarbrough on the left side of his head. Yarbrough was able to walk from the field a few minutes later but has been put on the 10-day disabled list with what is described as a “head fracture.” But no surgery will be necessary. No other details have been released by the team.
Salvatore Perez, who picked up the ball that had bounced back toward the plate, threw out Noda before rushing to the mound with other teammates. Perez, the batter, went three for four with a 462-foot shot over the fountains in left to lead the Royals attack.
Last night the Royals exploded for eight runs in the sixth inning and clobbered the White Sox 12-5.
(AT THAT TRACK OVER THERE)—-Denny Hamlin broke a 55-race winless NASCAR streak with his win at the Kansas Speedway, pulling off the first last-lap pass in NASCAR’s 28-year history at the track
Track developers twenty years ago, or so, tried to get the Missouri Legislature to provide some tax breaks so the rack cold be built near Kansas City International Airport. The legislature’s failure to act has led to the track being built in sight of the Kansas City skyline, triggering a massive economic development in the area.
Twelve drivers accounted for 36 lead changes before Hamlin got in front for the final time on the backstretch of the last lap when Kyle Larson, on worn tires, bobbled in the side draft as he and Hamlin were running next to each other. Hamlin’s car lightly touched the left rear of Larson’s car, sending Larson into the wall. Larson recovered to finish second, 1.3 seconds back.
The 37 total lead changes was a record for any 1½ mile track on the NASCAR circuit.,
William Byron, Bubba Wallace, and Ross Chastain filled out the top five.
NASCAR is at Darlington next weekend. Retired Columbia driver Carl Edwards will be a guest in the broadcast booth, working alongside Mike Joy and former local track competitor Clint Bowyer for the race’s second stage.
(THE GREATEST)—Darlington is traditionally a “throwback” race for NASCAR, a time when the cars are painted to resemble competitors from NASCAR’s history. NASCAR will use the race to honor the 75 greatest drivers in the series’ history.
Carl Edwards was announced earlier as one of the 75. But Missouri has a SECOND driver on that list—Larry Phillips, the southwest Missouri driver who won five NASCAR national short-track championships. Nobody is sure how many races he won although NASCAR says he won 226 of the 308 sanctioned races that it knows he ran. He won thirteen track championships in three states. Phillips died at the age of 62 in 2004.
He and Edwards have been listed on NASCAR’s Hall of Fame ballot but are still waiting for election to the hall.
(ONE MORE NASCAR NOTE): Kyle Larson knows what kind of seat he’ll be sitting in when he tries to make the field for the Indianapolis 500 next year. He was fitted for the seat at the Arrow McLaren shop in Indianapolis last week. He hopes to become the fifth driver to compete in the 500-mile race at Indianapolis and the 600 mile race that evening in Charlotte. The others who’ve tried it are Tony Stewart, John Andretti, Robbie Gordon and, most recently, Kurt Busch.
(FORMULA 1)—Another race, another Red Bull win, this time on the streets of Miami. Max Verstappen beat teammate Sergio Perez, who started from the pole. Fernando Alonso, whose career has been revived since joining the Aston-Martin team, finished third, his fourth third in five races this year.