The cleaning crews were scurrying about on Thursday (Practice/ Media Day) at the Jim. It was obvious the Cards from nowhere sweep of the Regional had caught the powers that be off guard.
The place was getting hosed down from stem to stern.
Snack bars were swabbed down and replenished with Cracker Jack and brewski in advance of crowds that bought out the joint within hours of when tickets went on sale.
It appeared that the effort had been going on for awhile.
Some tasks take time.
Like getting the interweb connection to Miami to work for the visitor’s meet and greet.
Some tasks turn in the proverbial blink of an eye.
The Cards fashioned the latter in the twice rain delayed Super Regional opener against Miami Friday.
Ace Patrick Forbes plowed the first four Hurricane batters without any problem.
Then a third of the way through the top of the 2d came this . . .
. . . Base on Balls . . . Base on Balls . . . Hit By Pitch.
Sacks full, one out.
Antacid time.
The Cardinal starter continued to wobble, hurling a Wild Pitch to the next hitter. Though it caromed right back to Matt Klein. No advancement. No harm.
Forbes settled. Struck out that guy Torres. Then the next Ogden.
Both swinging.
Charging to the dugout, the Cards were pumped after pulling off the Houdini.
First up: Garret Pike. Launched one to the throng on the Berm. Next: Jake Munroe. Blasted a 432 foot homer over the dead center wall.
Uncle Mo had switched dugouts.
Cards added five in the bottom of the 3d. A couple on an egregious error by Miami hurler AJ Ciscar who threw wide trying to get the lead runner at home. Zion Rose followed Klein across the plate. Three more in that half on another Munroe long ball.
Munroe got his fifth RBI of the long afternoon and evening with a sac fly in the 4th, scoring Rose.
Forbes erratic 108 pitch 5 2/3s was enough for the W, given U of L’s take advantage, strike while the iron is hot O.
Second sacker Kamau Neighbors lay out snare of a grounder for a 4-3 out was the defensive gem of the victory.
8-1.
Cards have two to win one, and a trip to Nebraska for the CWS.
Next pitch: 11:00 am — not a typo — Saturday morn.
— c d kaplan