The Cardinals pinned San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease up against the ropes multiple times, but they failed to deliver that one knockout blow that could’ve changes their entire night.
Instead, the Cardinals carved out a slim lead and that lead slipped away late in the game.
Another record-low crowd at Busch Stadium
Date | Attendance | Opponent |
---|---|---|
8/27/2024 | 27,224 | SDP |
8/22/2024 | 28,630 | MIL |
8/26/2024 | 28,697 | SDP |
8/21/2024 | 29,580 | MIL |
8/20/2024 | 30,022 | MIL |
9/5/2012 | 30,090 | NYM |
8/23/2012 | 30,343 | HOU |
6/14/2022 | 31,193 | PIT |
5/6/2024 | 31,283 | NYM |
7/31/2024 | 31,365 | TEX |
Cardinals relief pitcher John King allowed two runs that flipped the game in the Padres favor, and just recalled reliever Riley O’Brien gave up a late insurance run in a 7-5 loss in front of an announced crowd or 27,224 at Busch Stadium, lowest announced attendance in ballpark history (not including pandemic-restricted crowds).
The estimate of attendees who came through the turnstiles was believed to have fallen below 13,000.
The Padres, managed by former Cardinals skipper Mike Shildt, have now won the first two games of the four-game series. They won for the 12th time this season when they trailed after six innings.
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The Cardinals (65-67) rallied to take a one-run lead in the fifth inning on Paul Goldschmidt’s 20th home run of the season. Goldschmidt reached base four times in a 3-for-3 day at the plate that included a walk and two RBIs.
While the Cardinals offense helped starting pitcher Miles Mikolas overcome a four-run second inning to leave the game with a lead, the offense also shouldered the blame for not breaking the game open earlier.
The Cardinals left 10 men on base and went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Twice they stranded the bases loaded against Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease.
“I felt like we took some really good swings against him,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “I felt like our approach was good. We drove his pitch count up. We did a lot of good things, but that extra push [was missing].
"We let him off the hook, I felt like, several times. You could’ve buried them at one point in that game and created a big enough gap where it was difficult for them to come back.â€
Cease, who entered the day with a 12-10 record and a 3.43 ERA, allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. The outing marked his shortest start that wasn’t truncated by weather since he went 3 2/3 innings against the Texas Rangers on July 2.
Cease’s four strikeouts against the Cardinals also snapped a streak of 36 consecutive starts (not shortened by weather) with at least five strikeouts.
The Cardinals didn’t waste any time getting on the board against Cease. Rookie shortstop and leadoff hitter Masyn Winn (2 for 4, walk) and Alec Burleson began the night with back-to-back hits, Burleson’s a double that put two men in scoring position before Cease recorded an out.
A wild pitch and a Luken Baker sacrifice fly later, the Cardinals logged more runs (two) than Cease had outs.
They kept applying pressure to Cease as illustrated by the fact that they had the leadoff batter on base in four of the first five innings, including Cease’s final inning.
“I did like our at-bats,†Marmol said. “He’s a tough pitcher. He’s done a nice job all year. I like what we were able to do against him at-bat to at-bat, but we’re still missing that key hit.â€
After the Padres grabbed a 4-2 lead with their four-run second inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases in the bottom half of the second on a Goldschmidt single, a Jose Fermin fielder’s choice that forced out Goldschmidt, a Victor Scott II single and a Winn by walk.
With one out, Burleson’s softly grounder on the infielder allowed Padres first baseman Luis Arraez to throw home for force out and prevent the lead runner from scoring.
Then with two outs, Baker worked the count full against Cease and fouled off a 97-mph 3-2 fastball before he struck out swinging when chased a fastball above the strike zone.
Then in the bottom of the third inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases again. All three runners reached via walks, a leadoff walk by Brendan Donovan followed by a two-out walks by Goldschmidt and Fermin.
However, Cease struck out Scott swinging on three consecutive sliders to keep the score 4-2.
“[It stings] to kind of see the outcome of that game and then know we had a lot of situations that we could’ve put even more runs on the board," Scott said. "For example my bases-loaded strikeout, I’ve got to be able to come through there. That’s something I can definitely take away.â€
Scott helped save at least one run in the top of third inning when he made a gasp-inducing catch in center field.
With Jake Cronenworth on second base and two outs, Padres rookie sensation Jackson Merrill lined a ball deep that tailed towards the left-center field side of center.
Scott gave chase at full speed and made a leaping catch on the run before he crashed into the outfield wall. He had just enough time to get his hands out in front of him before he hit the wall. The catch stole an extra-base hit from Merrill, one that likely would have scored Cronenworth.
As Scott jogged off the field, Merrill waited in shallow center field to greet him with a congratulatory high-five and a hug. The two played against one another in the minors and played as teammates in the 2023 MLB All-Star Futures Game.
“I thought I got a pretty good jump,†Scott said of the play. “I saw it off the bat, kind of noticed the pitch it was too and the swing he took. Once he made contact, I just kind of got to a spot and it happened to be the right spot. So it was a pretty cool play. I’m glad I came up healthy after it. It was pretty sick to see Merrill’s reaction after that too.â€
Scott’s catch helped Mikolas limit all the runs against him to the second inning.
Mikolas cruised through an 11-pitch first inning, but Padres star third baseman Manny Machado started the second inning with a solo home run on 3-2 changeup high and on the inner half of the plate.
With one out, Merrill doubled to right field. Then David Peralta singled on a ball up the middle Mikolas deflected. The second of consecutive singles came from Luis Campusano and gave the Padres two runs with just one out.
The Padres took the lead on an RBI groundout by Mason McCoy, and then added another run when Arraez singled on the ground into left field.
The Padres sent eight batters to the plate, collected four runs on five hits and forced Mikolas to throw 36 pitches in the frame.
“I felt good in the first inning,†Mikolas said. “The second inning was kind of frustrating. I made one or two bad pitches to Machado and (Merrill), then I shoot myself in the foot getting in the way of that groundball. Masyn is right behind me. It kind of hits off my glove. I took a wild stab at it.
“Then they roll a couple groundballs through the infield. I knew that I liked my stuff so I just went back out there. Keep making pitches and try to get us through as much of the game as possible.â€
The Cardinals scored two runs in the fifth inning on a Lars Nootbaar RBI single, their lone hit with a runner in scoring position, and Goldschmidt's two-run home run. The homer gave them a 5-4 lead.
Mikolas allowed four runs on six hits and one walk in 5 2/3 innings.
King finished out the sixth inning and allowed two runs in the seventh. O’Brien, who rejoined the team from Triple-A Memphis prior to the game, gave up one run in the top of the ninth.
O’Brien made his first appearance in the majors since the Opening Day in Los Angeles. He missed 117 games with a forearm flexor strain, and then the Cardinals optioned him to Triple-A on August 12.