Curveball could make Siegrist even tougher

ST. LOUIS — After jumping ahead, 0-2, on Carlos Gonzalez with two outs in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 2-0 win over the Rockies, Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist, for the first time ever, followed his urge to shake off catcher Yadier Molina.

Molina called for an outside fastball. Siegrist felt convicted to go with the curveball, a seemingly odd choice given that it’s a pitch that, according to Pitch F/X, he had thrown three times all season.

“I just thought it was a good time to throw it,” Siegrist said. “I think the only way I’m going to get comfortable in those game situations is if I throw it in game situations.”

It bounced near the lip of the grass for a ball. That was no deterrent for Siegrist, who went right back to the curve again. That time, it induced a swing-and-miss from the Rockies’ cleanup hitter.

“Loved it,” manager Mike Matheny said of the sequence. “I don’t know if the camera caught us over here, but I jumped up and yelled and whistled as soon as the first one happened. I was happy to see it. That should have been …

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