If a single facial expression could capture these Cardinals, it was the exasperated look Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado wore following his final strikeout Sunday night at Busch Stadium.
Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Lack of pressure and boatload of confidence makes Cardinals a dangerous team
September 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Cardinals keep Braves behind with four home runs
September 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment
With a gleaming opportunity to set the pace in the wild-card race as it nears the turn, the Cardinals’ offense had to first mash the pedal to stay ahead of their bullpen.
Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
NL Central tracker: Cubs’ magic number at 10 after road victory over Diamondbacks
September 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The Cubs opened their last trip of the regular season Monday night with a 5-1 victory over the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Their lead in the National League Central remained at 2½ games over the Brewers, who routed the Reds 8-0.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
Defense shines as Bears top Seahawks 24-17; Matt Nagy picks up first win as coach
September 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The Seahawks were driving against the Bears for a potential tying touchdown midway through the fourth quarter Monday night at Soldier Field.
Here’s a link to the story at Chicago Tribune.
Memphis Redbirds go to title game
September 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment
It seems as if most of the Memphis Redbirds already are here, but the Cardinals’ Class AAA club, by virtue of a 5-0 win over Fresno on Saturday night, clinched a second consecutive Pacific Coast League title and advanced to the Class AAA championship game against Durham in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday night. Memphis lost to Durham in the 2017 championship game.
Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Wainwright rises to occasion as Cardinals blank Dodgers
September 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment
It wasn’t the Adam Wainwright of old. We’ll never see that again. The old one would have gone nine innings. But what a sellout Busch Stadium crowd of 45,217 did witness Sunday night was an Adam Wainwright of new who can compete — and win — in the major leagues.
Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Late touchdown lifts SEMO past Saluki Football, 48-44
September 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment
48
Southeast Missouri 2-1
44
Southern Illinois 1-2
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Missouri | 14 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 48 |
| Southern Illinois | 10 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 44 |
Game Recap: Football | 09/15/2018 | 11:36:00 | By Tom Weber, SIUSalukis.com
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CARBONDALE, Ill. — In a game that featured 10 lead changes, tight end Austin Crump caught a throwback pass from Daniel Santacaterina and rumbled 14 yards for the game-winning touchdown to lift SEMO to a 48-44 win over Southern Illinois on Saturday night at Saluki Stadium.
The Redhawks (2-1) converted the touchdown on a 3rd-and-5 play with 25 seconds left in the contest. On the first play of the 75-yard scoring drive, SIU appeared headed for victory when linebacker Luke Gieglingintercepted Santacaterina and returned the ball to the SEMO 15. The play was nullified, however, by a roughing the passer penalty against Malik Haynes.
Just minutes earlier, the Salukis (1-2) had completed a thrilling 75-yard scoring drive of their own, in which quarterback Sam Straub found Raphael Leonard in the corner of the end zone for an 8-yard pass to put SIU ahead, 44-41, with 1:52 to go. The Straub-to-Leonard combo was spectacular all night with the senior wideout catching a career-high 11 passes for 124 yards and two TDs. Leonard also drew multiple pass interference penalties against the defense.
On Southern’s last-gasp drive in the final 25 seconds, the offense advanced 34 yards to the SEMO 38 with five seconds left, but Straub’s Hail Mary pass fell incomplete on the game’s final play.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but tomorrow is a work day for us and we have to be men about it and find a way to get better,” said SIU head coach Nick Hill. “We have a long season ahead of us.”
In the 86th meeting between two schools that are separated by just 45 miles, the teams combined for 92 points — the most in the history of the series — plus 1,078 yards and 63 first downs.
While there was little either team could do to stop the other, both teams had self-inflicted wounds.
On SIU’s side, it started with a roughing-the-punter penalty in the first quarter that extended a SEMO drive when the Salukis were ahead, 10-0, and led to a Redhawks’ touchdown.
“That just took some momentum out of our sideline,” Hill acknowledged. “We score twice, get a stop 3-and-out, they’re backed up and we’re going to get good field position, and we just blatantly rough the kicker, which is an undisciplined thing.”
Straub passed for 338 yards — his seventh-career 300-yard passing game — but he also threw three first-half interceptions. James Ceasar fumbled the opening kickoff to add to SIU’s woes. By comparison, SEMO made fewer mistakes, but its 16 penalties for 165 yards were also costly.
The single-biggest difference maker in the game was SEMO running back Marquis Terry who set a school record with 311 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 30 carries. He had 190 yards in the first half alone, including a 74-yard TD run.
“Obviously, they game-planned us and saw some things they could take advantage of, and we didn’t have an answer the entire night,” Hill said.
Southern’s ground game was nearly as strong with D.J. Davis netting 172 yards on 35 carries with two touchdowns. He has rushed for 100 yards in all three games this year.
Despite putting 85 points on the scoreboard the last two games, SIU has come up short both times.
“If the game calls for us to have 50, then we need to have 50,” Hill said. “That’s our job as an offense. If you get in a shoot-out, you gotta close ’em.”
Hill didn’t point fingers at the defense, though.
“I’ve got confidence,” he said. “It might sound silly, last week we gave up a bunch of yards, a bunch of points — same thing this week. I love those guys over on D. We have to figure out a way to get together and figure out what’s going wrong.”
Southern has a bye week before returning to action on Sept. 29 versus South Dakota on Family Weekend.
“We’ve got to trust each other when times are tough, when everybody is going to be questioning you,” Hill said. “Times like this are what makes you strong. Nobody is going to hang their head, including me. We’re going to get back to work — that’s all we know.”
‘Horrible’: Joe Maddon slams Willson Contreras’ baserunning decision as the Cubs lose 2-1 to the Reds
September 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Joe Maddon says Cubs hitters are feeling “a little bit French-fried mentally,’’ and they didn’t do much to disprove that theory in a 2-1 loss to the Reds on Sunday.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
Not known as D-1 hotbed, Black Diamond Conference home to several Saluki standouts
September 14, 2018 By Leave a Comment
CARBONDALE — Not known as a Division I hotbed, the Black Diamond Conference is now home to five players on SIU’s football team and one on the third-best team in America.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
Cubs knock off Nationals but lose Pedro Strop for at least 2 weeks in process
September 14, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The Cubs survived their makeup game in Washington on Thursday, but the cost may have been prohibitive.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.
