Cardinals' weekend series with Miami marred by missed opportunities
ST. LOUIS -- It's a refrain Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has used way more often this year than he ever wanted, or than most would have expected coming into the season.
Here it goes: "I still think our offense as a whole, there's a lot more there. Those are conversations that are happening in that room, too. We just have to keep fighting 'til we find it. Once we get it, don't let it go anywhere."
This time, it came after an 8-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Adding to the frustration, it came a day after the offense generated five runs but the bullpen lost a four-run lead and the Cardinals lost, 6-5.
Marlins right-hander Henderson Alvarez did the shutting down this time. In seven innings, he allowed only one run on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He also had three hits and scored a run in Miami's game-breaking sixth inning. Thirteen of the 21 outs that Alvarez recorded came on ground balls as he lowered his ERA to 2.27 and allowed the Marlins to win the three-game series.
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"Look at the numbers he's thrown up, they support the fact that he's shutting down offenses, getting a lot of ground balls, getting double plays like we saw happen to us," Matheny said of Alvarez, who threw a no-hitter on the final day of the 2013 season. "He's figuring out a way to get it done. He's had a nice year, so we can't once again say we had a lot of chances. We had a couple."
The Cardinals get their next chance Monday night when they open a four-game series against the Pirates.
3 UP
-- Matt Adams. While his teammates combined for six hits (three of those in the ninth), the big first baseman went 4 for 5 to up his batting average to .328. But that's not all. He stole his second base, scored a run, had an RBI double and, again showing surprising nimbleness in the field, robbed Marcell Ozuna of an extra-base hit with a diving stop down the first-base line. He also put a scare in the Marlins when, with two on and two out in the ninth, he flew out just in front of the track in center field.
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-- Kolten Wong. After going 5 for 11 in a short rehab stint, the rookie second baseman came off the disabled list, rejoined the lineup and enjoyed a 2-for-4 afternoon. Wong said before the game that his left shoulder feels much better after two cortisone injections but that he doesn't expect it to be 100 percent again until the offseason. He looked plenty healthy in the seventh when he knocked a one-out homer into the Cardinals' bullpen, his second of the season. In the field, Wong was caught off-guard once by Alvarez, who beat out a grounder to second when Wong took too long to make his throw.
-- Marco Gonzales. There was plenty to like about the rookie lefty's third start: He gave up only one run, struck out five to equal the total from his first two outings and didn't allow an extra-base hit. On the not-so-likable side, he walked five and threw 109 pitches without getting through five innings, departing with two outs in the fourth with the bases loaded.
Two notes on the high pitch count: Two failed plays by his defense made him throw more pitches than he should have and, clearly, he's listening to his elders. That is, Gonzales kept his pitches out of the middle of the plate for the most part even though the Marlins did a good job of laying off the close ones.
"All in all, a step forward," Matheny said.
3 DOWN
-- Allen Craig. While he's having a less-than-stellar season overall, he's been particularly disappointing in the cleanup spot. Among players with at least 185 at-bats in the four-hole, Craig came into Sunday last in the majors in OBP (.298) and slugging (.33) with only one homer (of his seven). An 0-for-4 Sunday out of the cleanup spot did not help him, though he delivered an RBI with a groundout in the eighth that closed the Cardinals' deficit to 8-3.
-- Nick Greenwood. Entering in the sixth with the Cardinals down 1-0, the rookie left-hander let the game get away by allowing three runs on five hits and a walk (intentional). It should be pointed out, however, that the RBI hits not only came with two outs, they were not struck all that hard but were well placed. Both were ground balls that just eluded the reach of shortstop Daniel Descalso, the first one to his right and the other to his left.
-- Jason Motte. His 17th outing was his roughest yet as he comes back from Tommy John surgery. Called on to work the seventh with the Cardinals down 4-1, Motte gave up four hits and four runs -- three on a homer by Jarrod Saltalamacchia -- in one inning. Unlike Greenwood, who was victimized by poor placement, Motte was hit hard by the Marlins. If not for a diving stop by Adams on what looked like a double down the first-base line, the outcome would have been even worse for Motte.
Matheny was asked before the game if Motte was nearing a point in his return to be considered an option for the ninth inning when Rosenthal isn't available. Matheny did not sound like Motte was that close. His fastball touched 96 mph, but his command was lacking, an indication that he still has some sharpening up to do.
You can follow Stan McNeal on Twitter at @StanMcNeal or email him at stanmcneal@gmail.com.
