Friday’s Game Report: Padres 4, Cardinals 1
By Rob Rains
Through seven innings on Friday night the Cardinals had more errors – on one play – than they had hits, which usually is not a combination that helps a team win the game.
It wasn’t on this night either.
The two throwing errors, one by Nolan Gorman and one by Willson Contreras, led to three unearned runs and ruined a good start from Matthew Liberatore in the opener of a three-game series in San Diego.
Liberatore had allowed only two hits through four scoreless innings but could not pitch around the two errors. He left with two runs in and the bases loaded, but a two-run single by Jackson Merrill off Matt Svanson completed the four-run inning.
The loss dropped the Cardinals under .500 at 55-56, the first they have been below .500 since they were 18-19 on May 6.
Here is how Friday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The only hit was a home run by Contreras leading off the fifth. It was his team-leading 14th of the season and snapped the Cardinals’ streak of 23 consecutive scoreless innings … San Diego starter Nick Pivetta retired the other 21 hitters he faced before leaving the game after the seventh inning … Masyn Winn and Gorman singled to open the eighth and bring the tying run to the plate with no outs but Jordan Walker struck out and Yohel Pozo grounded into an inning-ending double play … Victor Scott II got the Cardinals’ fourth hit, a single leading off the ninth, but another double play ended the game.
On the mound: Liberatore allowed a one-out single in the first but then retired the next 10 batters before Merrill singled with two outs in the fourth … A leadoff walk started the trouble in the fifth before Gorman’s throw on a groundball went wide of first. Contreras retrieved the ball and threw wild to third base, allowing the first run to score. A single drove in the second run and another walk and single loaded the bases … Svanson struck out Manny Machado but then gave up the two-run single to Merrill.
Key stat: This was the 16th game this season when the Cardinals were held to four or fewer hits. They are 3-13 in those games.
Worth noting: Nolan Arenado was placed on the injured list before the game because of a shoulder impingement which has bothered him for the last several weeks. Arenado’s last home run came on June 21, and since then he has gone 18-of-90, a .200 average, with four RBIs. He had a .175 average (10-of-57) in July. The Cardinals said they don’t know how long Arenado will be out and that it will depend on how he recovers from rest and treatment … Gorman will get the bulk of the work at third base in Arenado’s absence. He returned from the IL (sore back) playing his first game since July 12 … Relievers Andre Granillo, Ryan Fernandez and Roddery Munoz were recalled from Memphis to take the spots of the traded Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz … Lars Nootbaar …. Quinn Mathews had his best start of the season for Memphis on Friday night at Norfolk. He worked 6 2/3 runs, allowing five hits, two runs (both in the last inning), walked one and struck out nine.
Up next: Michael McGreevy will get the start on Saturday night in the second game of the weekend series.
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