Cardinals Blowing Jack Flaherty's Gem Proves They're Unraveling at the Worst Time
By Michael Luciano
The MLB choke job is a borderline art form, and can manifest itself in several different ways. One of the most common and unfailing methods is currently being exhibited by the St. Louis Cardinals, who wasted a sublime outing from young stud Jack Flaherty.
Flaherty threw seven shutout innings on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, walking only a single hitter and striking out 10.
Jack Flaherty 7 IP, 10 K’s, 1 BB, 0 runs against the best team in Major League Baseball ?????
— DFA the front office (@CardinalsRant_) August 7, 2019
The Cardinals should have had this one in the bag, but managed to bumble their way to another loss. Carlos Martinez flopped in the ninth, allowing a walk-off, 2-run single by Russell Martin to give the Dodgers yet another win.
There's no other way to say this. Mihe Shildt and the Cardinals are choking, and are handing both the NL Central and a potential Wild Card spot away in the process.
The Redbirds have won just three of their last nine games, and have shown nothing to indicate the losing streak is coming to an end soon.
Someone bubble wrap Jack Flaherty, because if I were him right now, I'd be breaking things. He was superb.
— Brenden Schaeffer (@bschaeffer12) August 7, 2019
It is weird to see the Cardinals as the victim of a choke job rather than the beneficiary, but that's what happens when your pitching staff is performing the way it has been over the lats month.