The St. Louis Cardinals were able to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, but it was not without a struggle from starting pitcher Chris Flexen. The right-hander allowed four runs in five innings of work, but the Cardinals were able to come away with a 6-4 victory.
Flexen got off to a rough start in the first inning, allowing two runs on a pair of singles and a double. He then settled down and pitched well over the next four innings, but the Mariners were able to get to him again in the fifth. Flexen allowed two more runs on a single, a walk, and a wild pitch. He was able to escape the inning without further damage, but his day was done after five innings.
The Cardinals offense was able to pick up Flexen, scoring six runs on nine hits. Paul DeJong and Yadier Molina each had two hits and an RBI, while Tommy Edman added a solo home run. The bullpen was also able to hold off the Mariners, as Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, and Alex Reyes combined for four scoreless innings.
Flexen’s struggles against the Mariners are nothing new. He has now allowed 13 runs in 10 innings against them this season, and his ERA is now up to 6.75. The Cardinals will need him to turn things around if they want to remain in contention in the NL Central.
Overall, the Cardinals were able to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Mariners on Sunday, but it was not without a struggle from Chris Flexen. The offense and bullpen were able to pick him up and help the Cardinals secure a 6-4 victory. Flexen will need to improve if the Cardinals want to remain in contention in the NL Central.
