Friday’s Game Report: Diamondbacks 7, Cardinals 3
By Rob Rains
The second half of the season did not get off to the start the Cardinals wanted.
Andre Pallante allowed six runs and the Cardinals were shut out until the ninth inning and lost their first game after the All-Star break on Friday night against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
Pallante allowed nine hits, eight of them singles, in just 4 2/3 innings. He has now given up a combined 13 runs and 17 hits over 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts.
The Cardinals were limited to six hits through the first eight innings before scoring three times in the ninth, including a two-run homer from Victor Scott II.
Here is how Friday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals trailed 7-0 going to the ninth before Pedro Pages delivered an RBI single in front of the home run from Scott II, his fifth of the season … They left the bases loaded in the eighth when Nolan Arenado grounded out to end the inning, and also left Willson Contreras on third in the seventh after he hit a leadoff double but then could not score … Masyn Winn, Ivan Herrera and Pages all had two hits … Jordan Walker returned to the lineup and was hitless in four at-bats, although he was robbed of an extra-base hit by Alek Thomas in the fifth.
On the mound: The Diamondbacks built an early 5-0 lead off Pallante, scoring three runs in the second and two more in the third. They knocked him out of the game with another run in the fifth … John King allowed the final Arizona run before Kyle Leahy worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Key stat: The loss dropped the Cardinals into a tie with the Reds for third place in the NL Central with a 51-47 record, 7 ½ games behind the division-leading Cubs.
Worth noting: Walker was activated from the injured list and Thomas Saggese was optioned to Memphis … Walker was not in the original lineup but was a late replacement for Nolan Gorman, who was scratched because of back pain. Gorman also had been forced to miss the last game on Sunday before the break … Top prospect JJ Wetherholt had four hits for Memphis on Friday night at Toledo, including a pair of doubles.
Up next: Sonny Gray will get the start on Saturday in the second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. St. Louis time and the game will be televised by Fox.
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