CLEVELAND — Sometimes it just feels like a rally is coming. The St. Louis Cardinals have the best record in the majors, so they are quite familiar with that feeling. In the eighth inning of Thursday’s game in Cleveland, Matt Carpenter felt it.
“When (Peter) Bourjos drew that walk, I could just sense that we had a chance to come back,” said Carpenter, who belted a two-run home run with one out in the eighth inning, turning a 1-0 Cleveland lead into a 2-1 Cardinals lead, and eventual victory.
Carpenter’s home run snapped a streak of 17 consecutive innings without the Cardinals scoring a run. That streak began Wednesday when Indians right-hander Corey Kluber struck out 18 in eight innings in a 2-0 Indians victory.
But Carpenter’s home run also reflected the approach the Cardinals take every game, regardless of the circumstances.
“Stay the course,” said St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, of that approach, which emphasizes grinding out at-bats and grinding through games.
After being held scoreless through nine innings Wednesday and through the first seven Thursday, Bourjos, still grinding, coaxed a one-out walk from right-hander Trevor Bauer in the eighth. “That was really a good at-bat and it rejuvenated me because I knew I needed to follow with a good at-bat,” said Carpenter, who did exactly that, leading to still another Cardinals victory.