Kevin Siegrist kicked the air and fired a pitch toward home.
Yadier Molina caught it, dust billowing from his glove like stars.
But though the universe may expand, even an umpire has his limits.
The ball was low and outside, a fourth pitch out of the strike zone, and Miguel Montero advanced to first.
St. Louis manager Mike Matheny hopped up the dugout steps and pointed at the bullpen.
Seth Maness jogged across the grass, and stepped on the dirt collected in the middle of the diamond.
He tossed a couple of pitches to warm up.
Perhaps he might’ve stretched a bit more.
Jorge Soler cracked the ball through the infield and advanced to first, with Montero to 2nd.
And Matheny brought in the closer, Trevor Rosenthal, for he took no further chances in the 9th ninning.
Starlin Castro, a marvelous young player often knocked for his carelessness, bounced a ball through the grass.
Mark Reynolds dashed, picked up the ball and fired it to first to retire Castro.
Still, he advanced the runners to 2nd and 3rd, and Rosenthal pitched to Matt Szczur.
It remained 5-1.
He hit from the right side, bending in perfect triangles before swinging through a third strike.
With that, the second out, another righthander, Welington Castillo, took his place in the batter’s box.
He hit for the Cubs reliever, Jason Motte, who pitched for St. Louis at one time.
Does one get used to watching baseballs dart like comets from 60 feet away?
Did Welington even see the pitch land in Molina’s glove?
Certainly the umpire didn’t, for he called it strike three.
And St. Louis won three of four against the Cubs.
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