St. Louis is known for beer, baseball, and an anticlimactic arch. I made the not-so-long, but boring, drive from Louisville to catch the Reds series. Having never been to St. Louis before, I figured I would see some of the local attractions as well. First stop: Blues City Deli. I ordered the Benton Park deli sandwich, and I would be lying if I said I have had better. I also took the tour of Anheuser-Busch where I sampled something called a “Bud Light.” Have you heard of that? Not too shabby.
Friday night’s tilt between the two NL Central foes was a matchup between DeSclafani and Mikolas. DeSclafani pitched 6 innings, only allowing 4 hits while striking out 6, also earning his first win. The bullpen gave up a few hits and did not record a single strikeout, but got the job done. It might not have been the “best” Reds game we see this season, but it might have been the most exciting. A good old fashioned ass whooping. If you had told me it would be a 12-1 win to open the weekend series? Sign me up. Votto, Winker, Pereza, Suarez, and Puig all went yard, silencing the St. Louis crowd. An offensive breakout against a divisional rival was exactly what the Reds needed.
Saturday was not the same story. “The Marcell Ozuna Show” killed the Reds, as he collected a homerun and all five RBI. Tyler Mahle did not have his best stuff. The Reds jumped out to an early lead, only to give it up. Want to guess who was on the mound when it all seemed to fall apart? I will give you a hint: everyone’s least favorite NCAA basketball team is also his last name. The Zach Duke reunion has been nothing short of dreadful. The 11.25 ERA, and countless “ugh” moments, have led to plenty of unsatisfied fans calling for anyone else besides Duke to pitch. A positive was Lorenzen and Hughes pitching well to close out the game. A 3-6 loss just had the feeling they were supposed to win this but blew it. Winning this game and building off Friday’s performance felt like it could have changed the direction drastically for this team.
Traveling back Sunday did not allow me to go to the game, so it was Marty on the car radio. Yet another disappointing game. Sonny Gray pitched well enough to finally get a win, but David Hernandez did not. In one inning he gave up two walks, three hits, and three runs. Yikes.
My first St. Louis experience was great. Fantastic food (listed below), cold $12 ($#!*) beers, and an incredible baseball atmosphere. Those Cardinal fans come out to the park. The stadium was impressive. It seemed massive and was easy to navigate. I also noticed how clean it was, and they even had staff going around collecting recycling during the game. I haven’t seen that before. Definitely a place I will come back, and I suggest you check it out if you haven’t already.
Food Talk:
Blues City Deli: Benton sandwich – 10/10 This sandwich is thick and delicious.
Ball park hot dog: 6/10 Only offered ketchup, mustard, and relish? The Louisville bats even offer onions and jalapenos.
Broadway Oyster Bar: 8.5/10 Shrimp Po Boy tossed in Voodoo sauce that takes it to the next level.
360 Rooftop Bar: Burger and fries: 7/10 A good burger, but better view. You can watch the games from the rooftop, as it overlooks the stadium.
Claiborne Snowden @Clay_Reds