Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal will be evaluated Thursday after leaving last night’s game early while trying to close out a Cardinals 4-2 lead. On his second pitch of the ninth inning, he served up a home run on a fastball that only hit 91 mph on the radar gun.
“Something didn’t look right,” Matheny said. “It just didn’t look smooth.”
Rosenthal had been dealing with some renewed tightness in his right arm, but after three days off, felt he was ready to go. Rosenthal has one of the best averages for fastballs in all of baseball, topping out at 98.5. Last night, he averaged under 94 on the six he threw.
The Red Sox scored three runs in the ninth to rally for a 5-4 win. Xander Bogaerts hit the solo homer off Rosenthal, before Mookie Betts later hit a game-winning two-run double. Lefty Zach Duke and rookie righty John Brebbia couldn’t close the win.
Kolten Wong went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for St. Louis, which scored all four runs in the second inning. Duke took the loss.
The Cubs won 7-6 over Cincinnati to drop the Cardinals 2 1/2 games out of first place.