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Mike: “Dog, I’m telling you right now, if you’re the Cardinals, you can’t be happy with that. You give up seven runs in a Wild Card opener? That’s not how you start October baseball.”
Mad Dog: “MIKE! COME ON! Did you see Juan Castaneda? Three for four, homer, double, four RBIs. That guy carried the Reds on his back today. I mean, look at the box score — Castaneda and the Reds just flat-out beat St. Louis.”
Mike: “I see that, Dog, but let’s be honest — the Cardinals had the bats going, too. Arispe goes four-for-five, ties the NL playoff record with four runs scored. They hung five on Cincinnati. This is not a blowout, it’s just one of those wild first games where pitching gives way to big swings.”
Mad Dog: “Wild swings? MIKE! The Cardinals’ starter, Steven Janczak, gives up seven runs in four and a third innings. FOUR AND A THIRD! That’s a World Series starter in Wild Card Game 1? Not happening! That’s an issue right there.”
Mike: “Sure, he struggled, but look at the bullpen — Walker, Gonser, they shut it down the rest of the way. And Landaverde? He had five strikeouts in six and a third, handled ten hits, only gave up five runs. That’s enough to steal a Wild Card opener in this kind of offense-heavy game.”
Mad Dog: “I DON’T CARE ABOUT LANDA VERDE, MIKE! You can’t give up seven and still say ‘we’ll be fine.’ The Cardinals are lucky to have even one chance to bounce back tomorrow. And let me tell you — that Arispe performance? Four runs, tying a playoff record — yeah, it’s impressive, but you can’t win a series scoring runs if the other team is lighting up the scoreboard first!”
Mike: “Dog, I agree, it’s a mess, but it’s just Game 1. The Cardinals have a chance to turn it around tomorrow, and they have to. The Reds have to defend this lead under playoff pressure now.”
Mad Dog: “Pressure? MIKE! The pressure’s on the Cardinals to even survive this. Reds got the momentum, Castaneda’s swinging like he’s in the middle of July, not October. St. Louis? They better bring their A-game, because Game 2 is going to be a war!”
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