A Unique Game

Tonight's Cardinals/Brewers game had a little bit of everything.

The Cardinals won the game 8 - 7 in eleven innings and what an eleven innings it was.

In the 4th inning, Cardinals starting pitcher Jaime Garcia hit his first career homerun and raised his season average to .089.

In the 7th inning, the Cardinals best player Albert Pujols was hit by a pitch on the wrist by an up and in fastball.

The Cardinals later tied the game 7 - 7 in the 7th inning getting one run despite having the bases loaded with nobody out.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, the Brewers best player Ryan Braun was hit in the ribs by a 97 mph fastball in retaliation for the Pujols hit-by-pitch.

The Brewers loaded the bases in that inning with nobody out and did not score.

In the top of the 10th inning, Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina, was ejected after being called out on strikes. Our replays showed the pitch to be a ball.

The usually mild mannered (but intense) Molina went ballistic on the home plate umpire and was ejected as well he should have been.

In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Brewers had a runner on third base with two outs and two of the best players in baseball due up. We speculated in the TV truck that the Cardinals might intentionally walk both of these players - Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. The Cardinals elected to pitch to Braun who was batting .375 in his career against the Redbirds pitcher.

Braun grounded out to third base on the first pitch.

With two outs in the top of the 11th inning, Cardinals slugger, Matt Holliday, reached first base on an infield ground ball. What was more surprising was the fact that Holliday then stole second base for his first stolen base of the season!

The batter at the plate was the National League's homerun leader, Lance Berkman.

Berkman, who earlier reached base with a bunt single, hit a Texas League bloop single to shallow left field and the Cardinals took the lead 8 - 7.

The Cardinals held on and won what may turn out to be their most important win of the season.

In turn, this could be a game that the Brewers look to if they do not make the playoffs.

A good victory for the Cardinals, a tough loss for the Brewers, a unique game for the fans.