Saturday’s Game Report: Rockies 6, Cardinals 5
By Rob Rains
Two errors helped the Cardinals score four unearned runs in the sixrh inning, giving them a chance to win Saturday’s game against the Rockies.
Ezequiel Tovar made certain that didn’t happen.
Tovar capped a 4-of-4 day with his second home run, a two-run shot off Andrew Kittredge in the seventh inning that gave him a four-RBI day and sent the Rockies to the win at Busch Stadium.
The only other Rockies player in history to match Tovar’s performance in a game in St. Louis was Larry Walker, who had three homers and eight RBIs in a 4-hit day at Busch Stadium II on April 28, 1999. Walker threw out the first pitch on Saturday as it was his bobblehead giveaway day.
The loss was the second by the Cardinals in the first three games of the four-game series against the Rockies, who are 18 games under .500.
Here is how Saturday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals only hit through the first five innings off Ryan Feltner was a two-out single by Paul Goldschmidt in the fourth … A walk to Matt Carpenter leading off the sixth and a single by Dylan Carlson came before the back-to-back errors that gift-wrapped the first three runs for the Cardinals. Nolan Arenado’s single drove in the fourth run of the inning and briefly gave the Cardinals the lead … Carpenter hit his second homer of the season in the seventh to make it a one-run game … Brendan Donovan’s one-out double in the ninth put the tying run on base, but Ivan Herrera flew out and Carpenter popped out to end the game.
On the mound: Kyle Gibson held the Rockies to one run through the first five innings, getting two inning-ending double plays … Tovar led off the sixth with his first homer, and Jake Cave added an RBI single that increased the Rockies lead to 3-0 … With one out in the seventh, Kittredge surrendered a double to Charlie Blackmon, who stole third and scored on a single before Tovar launched his second home run.
Key stat: The Cardinals fell to 9-17 in day games this season, tied with the Rockies for the fewest day-game wins in the National League. The only AL teams with fewer daytime wins are the White Sox and Angels.
Worth noting: The Cardinals were 1-of-8 with a runner in scoring position. Carpenter’s home was the 13th solo home run for the team among their last 21 home runs; the other eight came with a runner on first base. They have not hit a home run with a runner in scoring position since Michael Siani hit a three-run homer on May 20 … The Cardinals committed two more throwing errors, by Herrera and Nolan Gorman … Steven Matz will make his second rehab start on Tuesday for Double A Springfield, hoping to throw about 50 pitches.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals have not named a starting pitcher the series finale on Sunday. Andre Pallante has started the last two times they needed a fifth starter.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
