Cards Cruise to 9th Straight

09/21/2021 Cards Cruise to 9th Straight

By: Jeff Yoder

St. Louis Takes Control of NL Wild Card Race Behind Jon Lester’s 200th Win

Make it nine straight for the birds on the bat! The Cardinals cruised to a 5-2 win over the NL Central-leading Brewers on Monday night behind Jon Lester’s 200th career win. The 37-year-old pitcher went six innings and allowed just three hits and two runs in a milestone game. St. Louis (80-69) just surged from a Wild Card hopeful to a three-game lead over the Reds (78-73) with 13 games to play. The Padres (76-73), Phillies (76-74) and Mets (73-77) are still in the hunt, but the Cards hold all the cards to the NL Wild Card race.

 

Watch: Cardinals Streak Hits 9 in Lester’s 200th Win

 

MLB Quick-Hitters

 

Salvy’s Catcher HR Record: It was only a matter of time. Royals catcher Salvador Perez went yard in the 5th inning last night for his 46th homer of the season to set the single-season catcher record. Johnny Bench (45) held the previous record. The Royals beat the Indians (4-2).

 

MVP Up for Grabs: Shohei Ohtani (Angels) looked like the clear-cut MVP favorite for most of the season, but a recent slump has put the award up for grabs. Both the AL and NL MVP races are tightening down the stretch.

 

Votto Smashes 2 HRs: The Reds kept pace in the Wild Card race with a 9-5 win over the Pirates thanks to Joey Votto’s two-homer game on Monday night. The 38-year-old slugger continues his renaissance season with his 32nd and 33rd home runs.

 

Photo: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images