By Rob Rains
While some of the slumping Cardinals have shown signs of turning their seasons around lately, such as Matt Carpenter and Marcell Ozuna, the team still has not come up with a way to help Dexter Fowler and Greg Holland get out of their malaise.
Fowler was back in the leadoff spot on Tuesday night for the first time since April 19 as Tommy Pham got the night off but was hitless in four at-bats to drop his average to .155 as the Cardinals lost to the Royals at Busch Stadium.
With the Cardinals trailing 3-1 with one out in the seventh, he got ahead in the count 3-0 – and swung at the next pitch and popped out.
Holland, who was booed off the mound on Saturday, came in to pitch the ninth – and did not retire any of the four hitters he faced, loading the bases on two hits and a walk before giving up a two-run single to former Cardinal Jon Jay that put the game out of reach.
Holland has now allowed 17 hits and 15 walks in 12 1/3 innings and has an ERA of 8.76.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals had 11 hits, all singles, and scored their only run on a misplay by the Royals in the first inning. Jose Martinez was credited with a steal of home on a double steal but the play should have been ruled an error on third baseman Mike Moustakas for dropping a throw that allowed Martinez to score … Yairo Munoz got the start at shortstop and went 4-for-4 but was thrown out twice trying to steal second … Ozuna had three hits, giving him five in the last two games, after an 0-for-22 streak … Carpenter, after hitting above .500 for the last six games, went 0-for-4 … Tyler O’Neill had a single but struck out three times as his homer-streak ended at three games … The Cardinals left four runners on third base and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
On the mound: Starter Luke Weaver allowed the first three runs, two coming on solo homers. Weaver had only allowed three homers in 47 1/3 innings coming into the game. He scattered seven hits and struck out eight … John Brebbia was able to clean up Holland’s mess, getting three foul popups and stranding two runners.
Key stat: Munoz became only the second Cardinal to be caught stealing twice in a game in the last 20 years. The only other time it happened since 1998 was on Sept. 18, 2012, when Jay was thrown out twice … The Cardinals have been thrown out 17 times this year, the most in the majors, and even with the two gift steals in the first inning included have only 23 for the year.
Worth noting: Greg Garcia’s grandfather, longtime MLB manager and coach Dave Garcia, died on Tuesday in San Diego at the age of 97. Dave Garcia was a native of East St. Louis, Ill. … The start in center field was the first for O’Neill since he started seven games there for Memphis last season. He also played seven games in center while playing for the Mariners’ Class A affiliate in Bakersfield, Calif., in 2015 … The last time Fowler hit leadoff and Carpenter hit second for the Cardinals was on June 6 of last season … Pitching prospect Ryan Helsley started Tuesday for Memphis and allowed just two hits and two runs over seven innings, all in the first inning. He walked one and struck out nine, retiring the final 20 batters he faced.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will close out the series against the Royals with a 12:15 p.m. game on Wednesday with Michael Wacha getting the start. The two teams will play three more games, Aug. 10-12, in Kansas City.