Sunday’s Game Report: Reds 7, Cardinals 4
By Rob Rains
Nobody on the Cardinals was happier to see August come to an end than Andre Pallante.
Pallante’s August ended Sunday the same way it went in all six of his starts in the month – with another loss. He gave up five runs, although only two were earned, over five innings as the Cardinals failed to complete a sweep of their three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati.
Pallante became the first Cardinals pitcher to lose six games in August since Bill Doak lost seven in the month in 1917.
A three-run second inning wiped out a 2-0 advantage for the Cardinals and gave the Reds a lead they never relinquished. Those runs were all unearned because of an error by Cesar Prieto, making his first career start.
The Cardinals have gone 1-11 in Pallante’s last 12 starts although his ERA in August went down on Sunday, dropping from 9.82 to 8.67.
The highlight of the day for the Cardinals was a home run from Jimmy Crooks, the first hit of his career.
Here is how Sunday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals jumped out to the 2-0 lead in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar and Ivan Herrera singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nolan Gorman and a single by Thomas Saggese. It’s the first time the Cardinals scored more than one run in the first inning since July 11 … Nootbaar tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly from Herrera in the third … Their only hits after the third inning were the home run from Crooks leading off the seventh and an infield single by Prieto in the ninth for the first hit of his career … The Cardinals struck out 15 times, including their final seven outs. Jordan Walker struck out in all four of his at-bats.
On the mound: Pallante allowed six hits and walked four while striking out six as his season record fell to 6-13 with a 5.38 ERA. One of the hits was a two-run homer in the fifth … The Reds added runs off Gordon Graceffo in the seventh and Andre Granillo in the eighth.
Key stat: The Cardinals finished August with a 13-15 record and were outscored 144-120 in the month.
Worth noting: Crooks became the fifth Cardinal since 2004 to hit a home run for his first career hit, joining Paul DeJong in 2017, Oscar Taveras in 2014, Steven Hill in 2010 and Hector Luna in 2004 … Quinn Mathews finished his August with 5 1/3 scoreless innings on Saturday night for Memphis. He posted a 2.27 ERA in six starts with 41 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings during the month and held opponents to a .193 average.
Up next: The Cardinals return home and will host the Athletics in a 1:15 p.m. game on Monday in the opener of a three-game series. Sonny Gray is the scheduled starter.
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