Brewers vs. Cardinals: Crew Squanders Golden Opportunity, With Help
Edwin Jackson started the inning, but did not start it well - he walked Corey Hart to lead off, and two batters later, he allowed Ryan Braun to smoke an automatic double to center field. That double chased Jackson from the game after 82 pitches, as Tony La Russa decided it was time to start playing the matchups.
In came Arthur Rhodes to pitch to Prince Fielder, and Rhodes walked Fielder on six pitches. That loaded the bases with one out for Rickie Weeks.
So that brought La Russa out of the dugout again, as he called on Lance Lynn. On Lynn's first pitch to Weeks - a low, away curve - he got the result he wanted, as Weeks bounced a grounder to short. Rafael Furcal flipped the ball to Nick Punto, who threw to Albert Pujols to complete the inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Except:
You can’t really tell there, but Weeks was - very barely - safe at first, as his foot beat the ball to the bag. Sam Holbrook didn’t think so, costing the Brewers at least one run. That one run would’ve only changed this from a 7-2 game to a 7-3 game, but the Brewers have sufficiently explosive an offense that that call could be a pretty big call.
Weeks produced a lousy ball in play, and that’s his own fault. But that double play wasn’t a double play, and well, it’s a shame these things have to happen.
