After going 7-12 in their last 4 series, winning two of those. You had to feel pretty good facing the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals in Busch Stadium. You think at least a couple of series wins. Things did not work out the way the Cardinals wanted them to go. Sloppy pitching leads to a pair of losses which lead to a sweep by the Braves. They were able to come back and take two from Kansas City.
Game 1 August 3 vs. Atlanta, Braves 6 - Cardinals 1
The debut of John Lester as a St Louis Cardinal was a rocky start. The first SEVEN batters would reach base, and 5 runners would score as the Braves batted around.
He did eventually settle in. After the first inning, he went four more innings, allowed three hits, one run and struck out four, and walked no one. Unsure if it was a case of nerves or that he had not pitched in 9 days. But in any case, he had a bad first inning that gave the birds a big hole to get out. Final Line;
5IP, 9H, 6R, 2BB, 4SO.
The bullpen came in and did the job. They were supposed to shut the door. Three relievers followed Lester to the hill
*TJ McFarland 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1SO
*Luis Garcia 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0SO
*Justin Miller 1IP, 0H,l 0R, 1BB, 0SO
The Cardinals wasted a three-hit day by Tyler O'Neill, who had a three-hit day. The Cards managed only eight hits. Never really mounting any serious threat.
The Braves set the tone when Jorge Soler started the scoring in the first with a 2 run home run. Dansby Swanson singled home another run. Joc Pederson drove in another run with a single. Kevan Smith would end the scoring in the first when he grounded into a Double play.
Freddie Freeman would hit a solo home run in the second inning to account for the Braves sixth run.
The Cardinals' lone run came on a Yadier Molina singled in the 9th.
The week starts off 0-1, and the record overall slips to 53 - 53.
O'Neill- The three-hit game was his fifth this year. It was also the 19th multi-hit game this year.
Game 2, August 4, Vs. Atlanta Braves 7 - Cardinals 4
The Cardinals bullpen wasted an excellent performance by JA Happ and Nolan Arenado in bowing out to the Atlanta Braves.
JA Happ's 1st start after being traded to St. Louis went five solid innings. Giving up two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out four. He left the game with the lead. Ryan Helsley could only manage 2/3 of an inning. He gave up two runs on two hits, walking one striking out one. More importantly, he gave up the lead.
TJ McFarland put out the fire in the sixth. Genesis Cabrera pitched the seventh, giving up zero hits, zero runs, and one strikeout. Then Giovanny Gallegos was utterly ineffective in the eighth, only going 2/3 of an inning, giving up three runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out one. Luis Garcia came in finished the eighth. And pitched a scoreless ninth giving up, no runs, no hits, and struck out one.
Nolan Arenado went 2-4 with 3 RBIs. Paul Goldschmidt added an RBI. The rest of the lineup was sporadic at best, including the top of the order with Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson, who went a collective 1 for 9.
The Cardinals started out swinging heavy lumber. The Cardinals had four straight hits. The big one was a three-run bomb by Arenado.
Atlanta scored one in the fourth on a Heredia double. Then again, in the fifth on a Jorge Soler home run. In the sixth, Adam Duvall belted a two-run home run to put the Braves up by one. Paul Goldschmidt tied the game in the 7th with a sac fly.
The undoing for the bullpen came in the eighth when the Braves started with back-to-back singles. Then a one-out walk would load the bases. Stephen Vogt drove in one with a sac fly. Joc Pederson doubled to bring home two more, giving the Braves a three-run lead. The only thing the Cardinals could manage was Tyler O'Neill leading off the eighth hit by a pitch.
The loss puts the Cards at 1-2 for the week and 53-54 overall.
Game 3, August 5 vs. Atlanta Braves 8 - Cardinals 4
A late-inning collapse denied Wade LeBlanc his 1st Cardinal win. LeBlanc was almost an Adam Wainwright clone going six innings, allowing two runs on three base hits. He did walk three and only struck out one, but he went to the dugout with the lead.
Genesis Cabrera pitched a scoreless inning. The Cardinals used three pitchers in the eighth inning Giovanny Gallegos, Alex Reyes, and Justin Miller. The Braves would score six times.
Gallegos 2/3 of an inning three hits, three runs, no walks, no strikeouts.
Reyes hit one batter and walked four, and did not record an out.
J. Miller finished the eighth inning and started the ninth. going 2/3 giving up one hit and walk one
Andrew Miller would get the final two outs of the game.
Offensively, Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O'Neill would each have two hits. Goldschmidt and Andrew Knizner clubbed his first home run of the year.
The Braves struck first in the first on a Freddie Freeman single. To grab the early lead.
The Cardinals would respond with an Andrew Knizner home run to tie the game. Then a Nolan Arenado single would drive in another run to take the lead. A Joc Pederson home run would tie the game in the fourth.
In the sixth, Tyler O'Neill would score on a passed ball. Goldschmidt would single in the seventh, giving the Cardinals a 2 run lead.
Gallegos came on to pitch the eighth got the first two batters out on three pitches. Then after a single, he had Austin Riley 2-2. Riley homered to the left, tying the game after a double Reyes came in. He hit the first batter he faced on the second pitch the walked the next batter on four straight pitches to load the bases. He walked Ehire Adrianza, forcing in a run. He then walked Stephen Vogt on four consecutive pitches to put the Braves up by two. Then with a 3-2 count on Ozzie Albies, he walked him as well, giving the Braves a 3 run lead. Reyes was taken out for Justin Miller, who walked in another run.
All three of the Braves RBIs came as the result of a walk. The sweep by the Braves meant an 0-3 week and a 53-55 overall mark.
Next up is the return of Mike Matheny to St Louis.
Game 4, August 6, Vs. Kansas City Cardinals 4 - Royals 2
Adam Wainwright and Tyler O'Neill said enough is enough on the losing streak. Both set noteworthy accomplishments in leading St Louis to snap the 3 game losing streak.
Wainwright would go seven strong innings allowing two runs on seven hits. The cagey veteran walked two while striking out six.
In one inning, he got outstanding bullpen support from TJ McFarland: no hits, runs, walks, and 1 strikeout.
Alex Reyes one inning, no hits, no runs, no walks, 1 strikeout
Tyler O'Neil went 4-4, scored twice, and drove in an RBI. Paul Goldschmidt would go 2-4 with a run scored and a pair of RBIs. To help pace the Cardinal attack. Paul DeJong would also add an RBI.
The Cardinals scored in four of the first five innings.
In the first, a Goldschmidt solo home run put the Cards on top.
In the second, DeJong singled home an RBI.
Then, in the fourth, O'Neill hit a solo shot to add to the lead and the eventual winning run.
The Cardinals scored again in the fifth on a Goldschmidt single. The Royals mounted a comeback in the sixth and scoring runs on a Ryan O'Hearn triple and a Hunter Dozier single. That is all they could muster.
Wainwright -Tied Jessie Haines for second on the all-time Cardinal list for the most 10 win seasons with 11. Bob Gibson is first with 14.
Reyes - earned his 26 save.
The win made the cardinals 1-3 for the week and 54-55 overall.
Game 5, August 7, Vs. Kansas City Cardinals 5 - Royals 2
Kwang Hyun Kim had to be pulled, but the bullpen was in full support. The Cards used a balanced hitting by the offense to make it two wins in a row over Kansas City.
Kwang Hyun Kim Started the game and held the Royals scoreless for three innings. The fourth inning was his undoing with a two on two out. He gave up back-to-back singles. He complained of a bit of soreness in his elbow. Kim would end up 4IP, 4H, 2R, 2BB, 3SO. Luis Garcia pitched the fifth and sixth. He retired all six batters he faced walking, none striking out three. He threw a total of 22 pitches; 17 were strikes. Garcia would end up with his first win.
*Ryan Helsley pitched a hitless scoreless seventh, striking out one.
*Genesis Cabrera pitched the eighth no runs on one hit, striking out two.
*Giovanny Gallegos pitched a three up three down ninth, earning his second save of the season
The offense scored in 4 different innings Paul DeJong went 2-3, Tommy Edman had two hits Yadier Molina drove in two runs. To provide the offense.
The Cardinals started off the game with a Molina single that scored two runs.
KC tied the game on a Michael Taylor RBI single in the fourth, followed by a Hanser Alberto single.
St Louis countered in the fourth When Matt Carpenter hit an RBI double, there were almost two RBIs, but Edman was thrown out at the plate.
The Birds on the Bat added another run in the fifth on Nolan Arenado's 22nd home run. They got the fifth run in the sixth off of a Lars Nootbaar single for the Cards final run.
The win makes St. Louis 3-2 for the week and 55-55 overall
Garcia - This marks the third game out of the last five that Garcia has gone two innings in relief. Also, he has pitched a scoreless 8 1/3 innings in his previous five games, allowing three hits and NO walks while striking out 8.
DeJong - It was his 11th multi-hit game.
Molina - His first multi-RBI game since July 2.
Game 6 August 8, vs. Kansas City Royals 6 - Cardinals 5
John Lester started strong, and then the Royals began to chip away. The bullpen settled the Royal bats long enough for St Louis to get back in the game. Alex Reyes could not hold on after an early error and then the rain delay.
John Lester's first three innings were vastly different than his previous outing vs. Atlanta. When he gave up six runs in the first two innings. Lester had little trouble in the first three innings. In the fourth, the Royals would start. They would score in the fourth, fifth, and sixth. He left the game after 5 1/3 innings. Justin Turner would finish the inning, and He would allow one inherited run to score and pitch a one, two, three sevenths. Inning. He would throw 1 2/3 innings giving up one hit and striking out two. . TJ McFarland would pitch a scoreless eighth. After facing two batters, Reyes came in for the ninth, then after a rain delay of 2 hours and 10 minutes. I would give up the eventual winning run.
The top of the order fueled the Cardinal offense. Dylan Carlson 2-4 with a run scored and two RBIs, with a home run.
Paul Goldschmidt was 2-5 with two RBIs. Nolan Arenado was also 2-5 with one RBI.
The Cardinals started the scoring on a Carlson home run. It would stay that way until the fourth when Michael Taylor singled, tying the game. Hanser Alberto reached on a fielder's choice giving the Royals the lead. Salvador Perez drove home another run with a sac flies in the fifth, giving the Royals a two-run lead. In the sixth, Taylor would drive in another run with a one-out single. Justin Miller would relieve Lester from getting the second out. Then pinch hitter Ryan O'Hearn would single to give the Royals a 4 run lead. The cardinals would striker back in the seventh when Goldschmidt singled home a run. In the eighth, with the bases loaded, Carlson hit a sac fly bringing in a run. Goldschmidt would follow with a single, getting the Cards within a run. Arenado would tie the game with a single. In the ninth, Shildt turned to Anthony Reyes. After a single and a throwing error by Paul Goldschmidt. and a Fielder's choice, the Royals had runners at second and third one out when the rain delay struck them. After the rain, pinch hitter Nicky Lopez would single off Reyes on an 0-2 count to drive home the eventual winning run.
The loss gives the Cards a losing record for the week at 2-4 and 55-56 overall.
Rondon - As a pinch hitter is .320/.333/.440 with a home run and three RBIs.
Carlson - Is fifth in RBIs for MLB rookies with 46 (second in the NL). He leads ALL rookies in doubles with 24, leading ALL rookies in hits(109).
McFarland - In the month of August 4 1/3IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2SO .000ERA, 0.244WHIP, .071 opponent BA.
Coming up
The Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh
August 10 JA Happ 5-6(0-0 for StL) Steven Brault 0-0
August 11 Adam Wainwright 11-6 vs. Will Crowe 3-6
August 12 Wade LeBlanc 0-1 vs. J T Brubaker 4-11
Kansas City Royals at Kansas City
August 13 Jack Flaherty 8-1 vs. Mike Minor 8-10
August 14 John Lester 3-6 (0-1 for StL vs. Brad Keller 7-11
August 15 JA Happ 6-6 (1-0 StL) vs. Kris Bubic 3-5
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