Liberatore makes 'pitch of the game' as reliever in win

CINCINNATI -- Having already used a stint in the bullpen to get lefty Zack Thompson back on track and back in attack mode, the Cardinals are trying a similar tactic with Matthew Liberatore in hopes that the short-burst, high-adrenaline nature of relieving can awaken something in the talented lefty.

If the results from Friday’s four-out, three-strikeout performance are any indication, the Cardinals just might have found something with the hard thrower, who is still just 23 years old.

The Cardinals got a mammoth three-run home run from Willson Contreras and a three-run double from rookie Luken Baker to build a big early lead, but the game was on the line when Liberatore was thrown into it and asked to face Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz, who ultimately walked on five pitches to load the bases. But that’s when Liberatore showed the Cardinals the fire they wanted to see, hitting 96 mph twice before fanning Tyler Stephenson with a 95.4 mph heater to end the threat.

Liberatore went on to strike out two more Reds and pick up his first win since his 8-inning gem against the Rays in August. On a night when the offense did much of the heavy lifting, Liberatore’s effort was still significant in the Cardinals’ 9-4 win over the Reds.

“I’ve always been a high-volume guy, and I don’t get too sore [following outings] and I went to them today and said, ‘Hey, I want the ball if the opportunity is right,’” said Liberatore, who also got four outs in relief on Thursday night in the Cardinals’ loss in Atlanta. “I want to compete and help this team win, and I feel like I’m able to bounce back quick enough to do that.”

The Cardinals were able to align their bullpen for a Reds team that likes to platoon hitters throughout the late innings for optimal matchups because they got an early lead on Contreras' 440-foot three-run home run in the first inning off Reds lefty Andrew Abbott and stayed ahead all game.

Said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol of the Contreras blast, which left his bat at 113.6 mph: “From where we were at, it looked like 760 feet. That ball went a long way. It was a really good swing, it put us ahead early and it gave us momentum.”

Liberatore seemed poised to finally establish himself as the dominant pitcher the Cardinals needed on Aug. 10 when he completed eight innings for the first time in his big league career. That night, he didn’t allow a run and surrendered just two hits while striking out seven.

His next outing, however, was a dud, and then he injured his back while performing the regimented weight-lifting program that the team has assigned for him in hopes of adding more zip to his fastball and more stamina in the middle innings of games. Then, after two Minor League rehab starts didn’t go exactly as planned, the Cardinals sought to reinvent Liberatore as a reliever.

Thompson has pitched effectively as a starter this season, striking out 27 hitters, while walking just seven in five outings.

“It’s just about wanting to see [Liberatore] in relief -- rather than in a long-man role, he’s in a one-inning stint, and we need him to go get an out or a couple of outs,” Marmol said. “We want to see if his [velocity] plays up.

“Sometimes [pitching in relief] allows you to see that you just need to be on the attack. It’s a different mentality than, ‘How am I going to navigate this lineup three times through?’ As a reliever, you’re pounding the [strike] zone and getting after people. I think we saw that with Zack. They’re both competing every time out to have a spot up here moving forward from this year. When you’re in their position -- whether you are in the rotation or the ’pen -- you want to know, ‘Where can I bring value up here?’ They have to prove they belong.”

Liberatore proved his big league stuff to Reds manager David Bell, who said of Liberatore's 95.4 mph four-seamer to Stephenson for the strikeout that ended the sixth inning: “Liberatore made the pitch of the game right there.”

Liberatore is admittedly still getting used to pitching out of the bullpen, but he liked the adrenaline rush he got from being able to attack hitters in relief.

“It’s a little more sudden and unknown, and you’re on your toes the whole game, but I enjoy it,” he said. “I want to help this team win and cover innings. However that’s done -- even if it’s out of the bullpen -- I’m fine with it.”