ST. LOUIS -- Matthew Liberatore had long been out of the game, and from the training room, he had to do a double take at what he had just seen on the television. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was dumbfounded by what he had just witnessed and was quickly trying to calculate all the things that had to go right for the play of the night to take place in Friday¡¯s eighth inning.
Meanwhile, Kyle Leahy was looking on from the dugout after having mostly pitched out of a jam an inning earlier, and when he saw more defensive brilliance from star third baseman Nolan Arenado to preserve a one-run lead, one three-word description kept ringing in his head: ¡°Hall of Fame.¡±
Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar each had two hits and an RBI. Leahy and Phil Maton mostly worked out of late jams, while Liberatore delivered six-plus strong innings of another solid start. However, the night belonged to Arenado, who seemed to defy physics with a cross-body throw home to help preserve the Cardinals¡¯ 3-2 win over the Brewers at Busch Stadium.
With runners on first and third and the Cardinals clinging to a one-run lead, Arenado ranged to his left to field a chopper by Sal Frelick. Instead of trying to turn a difficult double play, Arenado adjusted on the fly, threw back against his body to the plate and nailed Milwaukee speedster Jackson Chourio to keep the lead intact.
Throughout the Cardinals' dugout and clubhouse, shock reigned over what they had just witnessed. Even Chourio threw both palms up in the air as if he had no clue how the 10-time Gold Glover got enough on the throw for the out.
¡°That¡¯s a Hall of Fame play with a fast runner, and most people try to [turn the double play], but he makes a play at home on a throw I don¡¯t know how you even make your arm go that way,¡± Leahy marveled. ¡°It was incredible.¡±
Added Liberatore: ¡°I almost had to do a double-take because that was such an incredible throw. Aside from the physical things, the ability to have that internal clock and know you still have time and put enough on that throw to beat that guy. Nolan does things every night you¡¯ve never seen before, and he continues to amaze us.¡±
Ever the perfectionist, Arenado felt he needed to make a fantastic play to make up for dropping a foul pop off the bat of Frelick, who later doubled and scored Milwaukee¡¯s second run. The play made by Arenado -- running one way and throwing another -- is something he practices every Spring Training, but the skill level and athleticism involved still shocks those around him, but not the star third baseman.
¡°I felt like I kept Chourio pretty close to the bag so I felt like I would have a play there,¡± said Arenado, who had a fourth-inning single that set up the Cardinals¡¯ first run of the game. ¡°Worst-case scenario, he¡¯s safe and it¡¯s man on first and second, which would have been bad, but the double play is still in order.
¡°I feel like I¡¯ve made that play before but probably not in a long time. But I still feel very comfortable making that play.¡±
The Arenado play made a winner out of Liberatore, who allowed just two runs (one earned) on five hits over six-plus innings. It preserved the hold for Maton and it put closer Ryan Helsley in position to notch his fourth save of the season. It also allowed the Cardinals to win for a ninth time in 13 tries at Busch Stadium.
¡°One guy makes it -- and it was the guy that made it tonight,¡± Marmol said, referring to Arenado¡¯s cross-body throw home. ¡°Incredible play and a big part of the game. That play changes everything. The way he turned his body and threw home, incredible play.¡±
Added Brewers manager Pat Murphy, referring to Arenado: ¡°He's a great player. Nolan has been a great player for a while, and he comes through in big situations.¡±
Having yet to watch a replay of his throw home, Arenado chuckled when told that the speedy Chourio seemed dumbfounded at how he was thrown out at home. To Arenado, the play was just letting his instincts take over and repeat a play he¡¯s made so many times before in a career that will likely take him to the Hall of Fame.
¡°My instincts just kind of took over and told me to do it,¡± he said. ¡°In my mind, it doesn¡¯t feel like that hard of a play because I¡¯ve done it so many times in practice and in games. ¡ It was a big part of the game and maybe it makes up for that popup I dropped.¡±