Cards top Red Sox 5-2
By Rick McNair
The dying weeks of the Boston 2014 baseball season continued with the finale of a three game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Brandon Workman trudged out for Boston against Adam Wainwright, who was last seen losing two World Series games against the Red Sox.
A three-run first inning, steady pitching performance by Wainwright and two Kolten Wong solo home runs allowed the Cards to come away with a 5-2 win.
The Cards wasted no time welcoming Workman back to St. Louis.
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A Matt Carpenter walk, a Wong single and a double steal with two gone set the stage for Jhonny Peralta. Result was two bases for Jhonny and two runs for the Cards. This was followed by a “Here’s Jhonny” moment when he scooted home on an Oscar Taveras single and the Cards had an early lead.
In the third inning, the Red Sox got to Wainwright.
Brock Holt and Dustin Pedroia both singled, and with one down, a Mike Napoli single brought home a run. The RISP-challenged Xander Bogaerts then flailed at a Wainwright curve for the second out and up stepped Christian Vasquez, who grounded an RBI single to center. Boston down 3-2.
Workman settled into a comfortable rhythm until Wong put one out in the fifth to get the Cards their fourth run. Wong later blasted his second of the game off Craig Breslow.
Workman (1-5) was done after 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Wainwright (14-6) got out of a two-on jam with a hook to Yoenis Cespedes that was called strike three and that was the evening for the righty. Final line was seven innings, with two runs allowed on seven hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.
The Cards were now in cruise control as they got win number 61 in their tight Central Division race.
The Red Sox head further west for a Friday night visit with the Angels. For Boston the walking man himself, Allen Webster (1-1, 6.75), will match up with Jered Weaver (12-6, 3.59).