SEATTLE — At the end of a second inning that did not go well but could have been so much worse, Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty motioned to the Mariners’ baserunners he left stranded with a feisty strikeout, wagged his finger, and delivered some choice words.
Whether the Mariners on base were actually relaying pitch location or even Flaherty’s pitch grip to the hitter Sunday, the Cardinals could not be sure, but they suspected.
Whether they heard Flaherty was beside the pointing and pointed comments.
“Sometimes you’re just fired up,” the Cardinals’ right-hander said. “Or you’ve got to find ways to get fired up.