Tuesday’s Game Report: Rangers 7, Cardinals 4
By Rob Rains
It was another rough night for Cardinals’ closer Riley O’Brien on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.
Brought in to pitch the ninth inning in a 4-4 game against Texas, O’Brien walked the first batter he faced, then gave up three hits and a sacrifice fly that produced three runs and gave the Rangers their second win in as many nights over the Cardinals.
It was the fifth time in his last 13 appearances that O’Brien has allowed two or more runs in a game. Over that stretch, which began when he was left in to throw 39 pitches against Seattle on April 25, O’Brien has allowed 13 runs in 13 innings.
Going into that game on April 25, O’Brien had allowed only one run in his first 13 appearances this season.
O’Brien has earned seven saves in this current stretch, but also has three losses and two blown saves.
The Cardinals had tied the game with two runs in the seventh, including a game-tying RBI single from Jordan Walker, ending a streak of seven consecutive strikeouts over the last two games.
Here is how Tuesday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead on an RBI single by Jimmy Crooks in the second and a home run from Nolan Gorman in the fourth. Gorman had struck out in the second, the 20th time he had struck out in a span of 34 at-bats … In the seventh, JJ Wetherholt led off the inning with his second single of the game and Ivan Herrera was hit by a pitch before Alec Burleson doubled in a run. Walker’s single then drove in Herrera and tied the game with nobody out but Nelson Velazquez and Masyn Winn struck out and Jose Fermin flew out to end the inning and strand the runners on first and third … Crooks led off the eighth with a double but was left there when the next three batters were retired.
On the mound: Dustin May, after taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning in his last start, allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings, the first two runs scoring in the fifth inning before the Rangers scored again on a two-out single in the sixth that ended May’s night. He matched his season-high with nine strikeouts, and the Cardinals combined to record 15 strikeouts in the game … A leadoff double in the seventh off JoJo Romero led to a run that temporarily put the Rangers in front 4-2.
Key stat: It was another bad night for the Cardinals with a runner in scoring position as they were 3-of-14 in those situations and left 11 runners on base, six in scoring position. They have a combined eight hits in 42 at-bats with a runner on second or third in the first five games of this homestand.
Worth noting: Right-hander Tink Hence was activated by Memphis and made his first appearance since April 26. He allowed one run on one hit and two walks over his one inning as the opener, but was sitting at 94 mph and hit 96 with his fastball. Hence had been working on strength and conditioning during his long layoff … Lars Nootbaar was hitless in three at-bats for Memphis and has one more game remaining on his rehab assignment … Nathan Church is expected to join Memphis to begin his rehab assignment.
Up next: The Cardinals will send Andre Pallante to the mound on Wednesday night to try to avoid being swept in the three-game series.
Follow Rob Rains on X @RobRains