The Cardinals’ surprise hero of London Series

This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.

LONDON — Some 10 innings into the London Collection, the Cubs-Cardinals sequence was a one-sided affair tilted closely in favor of the North Siders.

After the Cardinals dedicated three first-inning errors on Sunday — properly, a misplayed ball by 10-time Gold Glover Nolan Arenado was later modified to a double — St. Louis was already trailing, 4-0, earlier than the simmering tea inside London Stadium had cooled.

However from out of nowhere emerged a hero, who helped stabilize the Cardinals and pave the way in which for his or her considerably stunning 7-5 victory in Sunday’s finale. Not Paul Goldschmidt, who drove in runs in each London Collection video games. Not hot-shot rookie Jordan Walker, who prolonged his hitting streak to fifteen video games on Sunday along with his tying RBI single. Not even Willson Contreras, who had 4 hits towards his former staff on Sunday.

As an alternative, it was starter-turned-reliever Jake Woodfordwho got here on in aid of struggling lefty Matthew Liberatore and pitched probably the most vital 2 1/3 innings of his Cardinals profession. Woodford, who spent 4 weeks on the injured listing with shoulder irritation in Could and spent one other stint with Triple-A Memphis, allowed only one hit because the Cardinals rallied for seven runs in a four-inning stretch.

A day earlier, when Adam Wainwright was shelled by the Cubs for seven runs and 11 hits, it was Woodford who entered and saved the bullpen by getting 5 outs with simply 16 pitches whereas not giving up a run. Doing what he did over the two-game sequence left Cardinals teammates and coaches singing the praises of the 26-year-old.

“MVP of the sequence, as a result of he actually locked it down and he saved us,” nearer Jordan Hicks stated. “I known as [Woodford] the MVP after the sport and that’s what he’s. If we performed each sequence in London, he’d in all probability be the Cy Younger or one thing.”

Added supervisor Oli Marmol: “We had some massive hits, however what Jake did right now — particularly following what he did [on Saturday] — he was some of the essential components of that recreation. It takes so much to have the ability to do this, so for him to provide us what he did, it was superb.”

Woodford stated he was so locked in on the duty at hand throughout the London Collection that he didn’t actually get to go searching London Stadium and savor the second of saving the Cardinals earlier than 55,565 followers on Sunday and 110,227 within the two video games. The magnitude of the second actually hit him, he stated, when he was mobbed by teammates within the clubhouse with a celebration that included gobs of shaving cream.

“It’s undoubtedly massive getting back from harm once I was nonetheless feeling like I used to be discovering my footing,” Woodford stated. “We’re exhibiting up day-after-day and doing what we are able to to win. This staff isn’t going to give up and we’re going to maintain grinding. We haven’t gotten off to one of the best begin, however to return right here and bounce again after a [Saturday] recreation that wasn’t our greatest, it’s enormous.”