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Cardinals Swept by Mariners After JoJo Romero Runs into More Woes
TL;DR
The St. Louis Cardinals were swept by the Seattle Mariners after JoJo Romero's critical pitch was overturned, leading to a game-winning home run by Rob Refsnyder. The final score was 3-2 in favor of the Mariners.
Key points
- Cardinals swept by Mariners in three-game series
- JoJo Romero's pitch was overturned from strike three to ball one
- Rob Refsnyder hit a game-deciding homer after the overturned call
- Final score was 3-2 in favor of the Mariners
- Game took place at Busch Stadium
CardinalsMarinersJoJo RomeroRob Refsnyder
(Joe Puetz-Imagn Images)
ST. LOUIS – The 85.9 mph changeup from Cardinals left-hander JoJo Romero was called a strike three by home plate umpire John Bacon – usually a cause for celebration in a tied game in the ninth inning – but it was instead met with resignation from knowing catcher Iván Herrera, who simply flipped the ball back to the pitcher instead of firing it around the horn.
“That one was way off and it was a bad pitch, and umpires are humans and we’re all going to make mistakes,” said Herrera of the pitch that was ultimately overturned from strike three to ball one on an ABS challenge by Mariners’ pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder.
That moment proved big in that instead of Refsnyder becoming the second out of the ninth inning he drilled a sweeper from Romero for the game-deciding homer four pitches after the overturned call. Refsnyder’s 412-foot smash allowed the Mariners to win 3-2 and finish off a three-game sweep of the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
For Herrera, who had been 4 for 4 on successful ABS challenges before the Refsnyder homer – including two of them resulting in strikeouts for his pitchers – it was a difficult ending to a lost weekend for St. Louis. The Cards blew leads of 7-4 and 9-7 in an 11-9 loss on Saturday and they lost two other one-run games as result of late solo homers.
“That’s just part of the game,” Herrera said of the emotional letdown of seeing a called strike three overturned in the ninth inning. “Those things can go both ways at any time. We just have to continue to play the game and stay focused every pitch.”
The only person who had a rougher day that the Cardinals was Bacon, who was proven to be incorrect on the first eight times his calls were challenges – four by Herrera and four by Seattle hitters – on Sunday. Cardinals’ rookie JJ Wetherholt, who homered for a second straight game earlier in the day, challenged a strike call in the heart of the plate in the ninth inning, but only because the Cards were down to their final out.
Q&A
What led to the Cardinals' loss against the Mariners?
The Cardinals lost due to a pivotal overturned pitch call that allowed Rob Refsnyder to hit a game-winning home run.
Who hit the game-winning home run for the Mariners?
Rob Refsnyder hit the game-winning home run for the Mariners, a 412-foot shot in the ninth inning.
What was the final score of the Cardinals vs. Mariners game?
The final score was 3-2, with the Mariners completing a three-game sweep of the Cardinals.
What was JoJo Romero's role in the game against the Mariners?
JoJo Romero was the pitcher for the Cardinals, and his overturned pitch led to the decisive home run by Refsnyder.
