Paul Goldschmidt lined a run-scoring double, a ball usually caught by center fielder TJ Friedl. But he took a semi-circular route to the ball and missed it.
Michael Siani trotted home from third with the run that beat the Reds, 2-1. That’s another one-run defeat, Cincinnati’s 27th in 41 games.
Failures?
The Reds had runners on third and second with no outs in the third, but St. Louis starter Lance Lynn struck out Luke Maile, Jonathan India and Elly De La Cruz.
The Reds had runners on third and first with one out in the fifth, but De La Cruz struck out again and Spencer Steer flied out to right on the first pitch.
India broke a 0 for 20 skid with a one-out single in the fifth and that was it. The next 14 hitters were retired.
The Cardinals weren’t much better.
They put two on with one out in the first against Cincinnati starter Brandon Williamson, but Nolan Arenado rolled into an inning-end double play.
They put their leadoff man on in the second, but he never budged off first.
The Reds scored their run in the fourth when Steer doubled and stole second. Santiago Espinal saw 11 pitches and fouled off seven. He blooped the 11th pitch just over second baseman Thomas Saggese’s glove. Steer scored and the Reds led, 1-0.
When Arenado came to bat in the St. Louis fourth, Reds pitchers hadn’t given up a run in 24 1/3 innings. Cincinnati starting pitchers hadn’t given up a run in 25 innings..
And opponents had scored one run in the previous 32 innings against Cincinnati pitchers.
Arenado ended it all.
He reversed Williamson’s 2-0 90 mph cutter into the front row of the left field seats for his 10th homer and tied it, 1-1.
That’s the way is stayed until the St. Louis eighth with Buck Farmer on the mound.
Siani opened the inning by lining a single to center. The Reds threw a pitchout, but Siani still stole second. With one out, Farmer had pinch-hitter Alec Burleson 0-and-2 but ended up hitting him.
Farmer fell 3-and-0 behind on Goldschmidt, got it back to a full count, then Goldschmidt crushed his game-winning double.
That forced the Reds to face Ryan Helsley, one of baseball’s best closers. And he zipped 1-2-3 through the Reds, striking out Espinal to end it with his MLB-leading 44th save.
The defeat stopped Cincinnati’s three-game winning streak and stopped their four-game winning streak against the Cardinals.
The Reds knew it would be a tough assignment. They had to face Lynn, just off the injured list due to a knee injury.
Lynn, 37, faced the Reds twice earlier this season and gave up one run over 12 innings. And for his career he owns 13 wins over the Reds, nine in Busch Stadium.
He didn’t get the win Wednesday, but he held the Reds to one run, five hits, one walk and struck out seven over five innings.
Cincinnati’s Williamson spent most of the season on the injured list and was making his second start of the year. He held the Cardinals to one run and three hits over five innings, but one of those three hits was the home run by Arenado.
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