ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante didn’t change his approach, even though he knew what was brewing as the innings rolled by without a hit by the Miami Marlins on Monday night.
“Just trying to execute the next pitch I’m throwing and trying to be better at doing my process in between innings,” Pallante said. “You know, like when I come inside, cool down a little bit, hydrate, read my report, make sure I’m (ready) for the next competitor I’m facing.”
Graham Pauley broke up Pallante’s no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the sixth, and that was the only hit the 26-year-old allowed in seven innings as the Cardinals beat the Marlins 7-1.
Pallante (6-7) retired the first 10 batters before walking Jesús Sánchez in the fourth.
Pallante struck out four, walked one and threw 49 of his 81 pitches for strikes. Sánchez and Pauley were the only Marlins to reach base against him.
“I know, like their tendencies, you know, you have the scouting reports, you know what they like to do,” Pallante said. “I just knew that if I commit and execute the pitch I’m throwing, I’ll get good results.”
The five-plus innings matched Pallante’s longest hitless start to a game, the other coming against Cleveland on Sept. 22, 2024. It was the longest hitless start by a Cardinals starter since Erick Fedde went six innings at Pittsburgh on April 9.
“He did a really nice job with just quick outs,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He was very efficient. Also got some very defensive swings, a lot of soft contact. To be able to go seven, I feel like he navigated that lineup extremely well.”
The effort matched a one hit, seven-inning shutout performance at Pittsburgh on July 1, in which Pallante took a no-decision in a 1-0 loss.
Pallante had gone 0-3 with a 9.76 ERA in his three starts since then, giving up eight or more hits each time.
“Had some hard-hit balls at guys, you know, like, that’s just part of the kind of evening out over what feels like the past couple weeks,” Pallante said. “But like, just stay on the attack, command the inside part of the plate.”
Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn provided all the offense Pallante needed. Burleson homered and drove in two and Winn broke it open with a bases loaded double to highlight a five-run seventh.
Pallante admitted there was a nervous moment on a flyout to Iván Herrera in the second. Herrera, who played the outfield for the first time as a professional after spending the majority of the season as the Cardinals’ designated hitter, made the play on his only chance of the game.
“He kind of scared me a little bit,” Pallante said. “He ran straight to the fence. I’m like, ‘Oh, man, is that like, 30 rows deep?’ But then he came in on it, so I’m like, Oh, thank goodness. But I was a little worried, but he did a good job.”
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