Which is how they lost 14-1.
The Ninth Wave is a painting finished in 1850 by Russian-Armenian painter Ivan Aivazovsky. It is largely considered his best work and one of the greatest marine paintings of all time, if not one of the greatest paintings ever created. Aivazovsky is perhaps the most famous marine painter — most of his works depict the sea and shipwrecks, using them as an allegory for the power of nature and the meekness of humans in comparison.
The ninth wave is a phrase amongst sea travelers referring to the strongest, most deadly wave after a succession of smaller waves. It is the wave when the sailors think the worst is over. It is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. It is that final right hook from a right-left-right combo from Muhammad Ali when you are George Foreman completely gassed in the eighth round. It is the final push over the edge when you just cannot take any more.
But that isn’t the feeling you get when you look at the The Ninth Wave by Aivazocsky. The colors are beautiful. The sun peaks through the storm clouds between the waves, like a promise of something better in the distance, if the shipwreck survivors can just make it through this final gauntlet. Maybe it is a tease. Maybe it supposed to taunt the survivors with what lies just beyond their reach. But that does not seem to be the case. The Ninth Wave looks hopeful. That in the toughest challenges there can be something to strive for if you are able to weather the storm. It is beautiful. Truly, a work of art.
So anyway, the St. Louis Cardinals lost the Arizona Diamondbacks 14-1 on Tuesday night. The only run scored for the Cardinals was a nearly 108 mph homerun off the bat of Willson Contreras in the bottom of the first. The Cardinals ended up with 6 total hits on the night, but an 0-4, three strikeout night from Paul Goldschmidt in the fourth spot in the order stalled most of the scoring chances. He had the second lowest win expectacy added among hitters at -.073, just after Masyn Winn at -.077.
It was also a rough night for Cardinals pitchers. Every Diamondbacks hitter got at least one hit for 15 total hits on the night as a team. Steven Matz started the game with two scoreless innings before the wheels came off. Back-to-back walks in the top of the third put two on with one out. It looked as if Matz would escape the jam after a strikeout, but a two-out single off the bat of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tied the game and the following three-run homer from Christian Walker would be the deciding hit. Zack Thompson entered the game to replace Matz with one out in the top of the fifth and allowed seven runs on seven hits over the course of 2 2⁄3 innings. He allowed two homeruns: a two-run shot by Kevin Newman in the top of the fifth and a grand slam the next inning from Pavin Smith. The ninth wave.
But there is always the next game. Kyle Gibson faces off against Jordan Montogomery on Wednesday at 12:15 pm CT.