First Inning: Feeling out the Pitchers
The game began with a quiet first inning as both teams struggled to get on base. Our trusty lead-off, Lars Nootbaar, grounded out at second, a sign of the pitching showdown to come. The Nationals also couldn't find their rhythm against our pitching as James Wood was the only one to make it to a single before being left stranded.Second Inning: Cardinals Take Charge! 
The second inning was when the magic began for our Cardinals! Our lineup turned electric, starting with Willson Contreras getting hit by a pitch. Then, Alec Burleson walked, setting up a prime opportunity. Pedro Pagés brought the house down with a clutch single that scored Contreras, igniting the flame. Victor Scott II kept it going with another single that brought Gorman home. The real crescendo happened when Nootbaar came in clutch with a double, bringing home both Scott II and Pagés. Score 4-0! Middle Innings: Holding the Line
The Cardinals held strong, stopping any Nationals' offense in its tracks. Nolan Arenado was an irreplaceable defensive force at third base, ending a Nationals threat with a brilliant double play. We saw some nice swings from Masyn Winn and Brendan Donovan, but no further runs just yet. Our pitchers were lights out, taking care of business through the middle innings. It's safe to say, the defense was on-point, keeping the Nationals off the scoreboard!Eighth Inning: Nationals Battle Back
A hiccup in the 8th saw the Nationals' Dylan Crews hit a two-run homer, cutting our lead in half.
Manager put in Romero to steady the ship, and he did just that! He held it down to ensure no more damage was done and our lead stayed intact at 4-2.Ninth Inning and Closing the Game
With some tension in the air, Ryan Helsley came in for the save. The Nationals tried to mount a comeback, but Helsley came through, striking out Luis García Jr. and calming any storm. Despite the Nationals loading the bases with two outs, our boy CJ Abrams flied out to right, securing an epic win for our Cardinals. Great game, great team effort, and a fantastic result for the Cards. On to the next win! Go Cards!
Scoreboard for Cardinals @ Nationals (May 10th, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |