Blue Jays 6, Cardinals 3: One-Hit, Five-Run Innings Are Rad

The yet-to-be-cut Juan Rivera

Carlos Villanueva had another totally solid start, Rauch and Rzepcynski combined for a couple perfectly acceptable innings, and Frank Francisco allowed but a single run in the ninth (which I will take at this point). These were all good and necessary things. But it was the five-run third inning that I would like to draw your attention to, because it was excellent and strange.

Villanueva himself drew a lead-off walk, which was both hilarious and, as it turned out, useful. Escobar walked too, you see, before Hill moved the runners over with a groundout to the right side. The Cards then elected to walk Jose Bautista with first base open, which is probably not a bad call, except that after an Adam Lind sac fly, and a throwing error charged to third baseman Daniel Descalso that was really a blown call at first (yes, the throw pulled Berkman off the bag, but everybody except first base umpire D. J. Reyburn saw Berkman get back in time), Juan Rivera hit a three-run shot to left. 

So that's five runs in -- and only one earned -- on one hit. 

Which is outstanding.

KS