Saturday’s Game Report: Tigers 6, Cardinals 5 (10 innings)
By Rob Rains
Not even an appearance by the rally squirrel on Saturday could help break the Cardinals out of their funk.
The squirrel ran across the Busch Stadium infield in the bottom of the seventh inning of a tie game but did not help the offense over the final four innings. The Tigers scored a run in the 10th to extend the Cardinals losing streak to eight consecutive games.
It’s their longest streak since they lost nine games in a row in 2007. They are now 10-24 on the season.
The Cardinals had a 5-3 lead after the fifth inning and led 5-4 after six before the Tigers tied the game in the seventh. A one-out double in the 10th off Giovanny Gallegos drove in the ghost runner with the winning run.
Here is how Saturday’s game broke down:
At the plate: All of the Cardinals’ runs scored on two home runs, a three-run bomb by Dylan Carlson, batting lefthanded, in the second and a two-run shot by Nolan Arenado in the fifth, his first since April 12 …They had only two more hits, both singles, after Arenado’s homer but thanks to walks left two runners on base in the eighth, two on base in the ninth and one on in the 10th, finishing the game 1-of-8 with runners in scoring position … Lars Nootbaar had three of the team’s nine hits, all infield singles.
On the mound: Adam Wainwright made his season debut after coming off the injured list and kept the Tigers scoreless on just two hits through the first four innings but gave up three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth … In the seventh Spencer Torkleson drove in the tying run with a single off Chris Stratton after Riley Greene had reached on an infield hit against Genesis Cabrera … Gallegos gave up two hits in the ninth but was able to get out of the inning when Nootbaar threw a runner out at the plate to end the inning.
Key stat: Arenado’s home run was his first in 21 games, a streak of 86 plate appearances, his longest home run drought since 2014. It was the longest streak by a Cardinals’ cleanup hitter since Marcell Ozuna failed to homer in 20 consecutive games in 2018.
Worth noting: To open a roster spot for Wainwright, Guillermo Zuniga was optioned to Memphis. The Cardinals also designated Taylor Motter for assignment, for the second time this season, and promoted Tres Barrera, giving them three catchers … With Barrera joining the team, the Cardinals said that Contreras will shift to being predominately the designated hitter for the next few weeks and also will get some work in a corner outfield spot … Zack Thompson, sent to Memphis earlier this week to be stretched out as a starter, will make his first start for the Triple A team on Sunday.
Looking ahead: Steven Matz is still scheduled to get the start on Sunday in the series finale with the Cardinals again being in the position of needing a win to avoid being swept in a series. The Cardinals have lost all six of his starts this season.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
