Working with more alacrity in his previous two starts, Cardinals right-hander Dakota Hudson had allowed just two runs and six hits over 14 innings. “It sure beats pitching slow and bad,” said Hudson.
Hudson then was headed for a Cardinals record by throwing four double play balls in the first four innings Sunday at Busch Stadium. That was one short of the nine-inning club record for ground-ball double plays induced, most recently accomplished by Steve Mura in 1982.
But Hudson didn’t make it to five, and though he once again pitched seven innings, he didn’t have quite the efficiency he had displayed recently.