The New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals continued their slew of dangerous shots during their Wednesday showdown, with the benches empty this time due to a ball that nearly hit Nolan Arenado in the head. In the uproar, the “Cards” won 10-5 at Busch Stadium.
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The day before, five players were hit by shots, including three from the Mets. Out of clumsiness or revenge, visitors’ reliever Yoan Lopez headed a pitch near Arenado’s face in the eighth inning. Used as a designated hitter, the star player did not find him funny and after insulting the gunner, he walked towards him, pushing receiver Tomas Nido in the process.
The benches emptied and Arenado and Cardinals first base coach Stubby Clapp were ejected from the game. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who had to observe concussion protocol after being shot in the head on Tuesday, was also one of the main players in the squabble.
All the points in this meeting had been scored before this incident. Arenado was the most productive of his team with three points. Corey Dickerson and Dylan Carlson, the latter with a triple, added two points each.
The Cardinals’ win went to Jake Woodford (1-0), who was on the mound for two innings, allowing one run on three hits. Mets starter Carlos Carrasco (1-1) added the loss to his record.
Meanwhile, pitcher Jon Jay, who played 12 major league seasons, including his first six in St. Louis, announced his retirement on Instagram. He won the World Series with the “Cards” in 2011.
Andrew Vaughn stands out
In Chicago, Andrew Vaughn had his second game of four RBIs this season, which helped the White Sox defeat the Kansas City Royals 7-3.
The promising outfielder is off to a good start with 12 points and four homers in 14 games. This is a second season in major league baseball for the third player called up in the 2019 draft.
Vaughn made the Sox lead to 2-0 in the third inning with a double to cross the plate to Tim Anderson. The Royals came from behind to make it 3-3 in the seventh round, but the 24-year-old gave his team the win with a long ball for three runs.
The White Sox looked no further as Kendall Graveman closed the books with a perfect two-inning save that scored four strikeouts. Bennett Sousa (1-0), who worked for two thirds of an inning, was however credited with the victory, the first of his career.