*Photo from KY3*
Just in time for the stretch run, the St.Louis Cardinals are getting a big piece back as they look to try and make the playoffs. His name is Jack Flaherty. Flaherty returned from the IL, Nolan Arenado homered, and the Cardinals shut out the Kansas City Royals 6-0 on Friday night.
As he took the mound for the first time since his last start on May 31, fully recovered from his injured left oblique, Flaherty remembered what he had missed while injured. The warming up in the bullpen, his routine glove tip to Paul Goldschmidt, ducking out of the way as Yadier Molina throws out another base stealer, it all came back to him.
Flaherty said that "Competing is one thing, but being able to look out and having Yadi put signs down. Before every hitter, I just reach over and kind of acknowledge Goldy, and seeing him over there and seeing those guys out there in the field, just a different feeling coming in the dugout, being a part of that, seeing my name in the lineup card and being able to compete with these guys. That was something I missed."
Arenado and Tyler O'Neill got the party started for the Cardinals, hitting back to back home runs in the 4th inning, giving Flaherty a 2-0 lead to work with. In the 5th, that lead became 3-0 when Tommy Edman scored on a sac fly by Arenado. In the 8th, Molina hit an RBI single, and O'Neill scored on a sac fly from Paul Dejong to make it 5-0 Cardinals. In the 9th, Lars Nootbaar hit his second big league homer, a solo shot, giving the Cardinals a 6-0 lead and sealing the game.
In his first start since the end of May, Flaherty gave the Cardinals 6 shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 5 batters. After that, it was in the bullpen's hands. Thanks to TJ McFarland, Giovanny Gallegos, and Ryan Helsley, they were able to keep the Royals offense off the scoreboard and secure the win.
Arenado said of Flaherty that "I think he’s got a chance to just be really elite and has a chance to do great things in this game. He'll be up for those Cy Young Awards throughout his career. But right now, obviously coming back from injury, we're just happy he's healthy, competing again, and he was locked in today. It's just great to have a guy like that back."
Mike Minor took the loss for the Royals, dropping to 8-11 on the season. Minor was charged with 3 runs allowed, on 6 hits and one walk, with 7 punchouts in 6 innings pitched. Despite the loss, it was Minor's 100th quality start of his career, which is a start that has a pitcher throw 5 innings or more. He's the 14th left hander to reach the 100 quality start mark.
Minor said of his start that it was "One of the better games early on that I’ve had in a while. I thought my stuff was pretty good until the 4th inning, and then I was fighting mechanics and thinking about mechanics rather than making pitches. And then I started leaving pitches out over the plate."
The Cardinals and Royals continue their series this evening, with lefty Jon Lester getting the ball for St.Louis, and Brad Keller receiving the start for the Royals.
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