CINCINNATI — The Cardinals scratched out a late-night win after a long rain delay on Sunday night, but their bats never quite woke up after they traveled in the middle of the night/early in the morning to begin their series against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cardinals were held to just five hits in a 3-1 loss to the Reds in the first game of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park in a Memorial Day matinee on Monday afternoon. The loss snapped a five-game win streak for the Cardinals, who entered the day within a game of reaching .500.
Paul Goldschmidt’s first-inning home run accounted for all the scoring for the Cardinals, who fell to 25-27 at the start of their longest road trip of the season, a nine-game, 10-day trek that will feature stops in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Goldschmidt went 1 for 4 with his seventh home run of the season.
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Cardinals rookie shortstop Masyn Winn went 1 for 4, and his third inning single to center field extended his hitting streak to 16 consecutive games. That’s the longest by a Cardinals rookie since Jordan Walker hit in 17 straight games last season.
Alec Burleson (1 for 4) and Dylan Carlson (1 for 3) had the other hits for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals, who played on Sunday night after a 2-hour and 33-minute rain delay, left four men on base and had just one at-bat with a runner in scoring position (0 for 1).
Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn allowed three runs, just one earned, on five hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked three. The lone earned run he allowed came on a solo home run.
The Cardinals have now committed at least one error in 12 consecutive games, the firs time they club had such a streak since they committed errors in 12 straight games from Sept. 27, 1976-April 14, 1977.
First-inning fireworks
Goldschmidt’s third home run in a span of less than 24 hours gave the Cardinals a brief one-run advantage when he blasted a first-pitch fastball over the inner third of the plate for a solo home run with two outs in the first inning.
Goldschmidt hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats on Sunday night against the Chicago Cubs, and his home run on Monday marked the first time this season he ‘d homered in consecutive games. He’s now collected a hit in 13 of his last 14 games. His 15 home runs against the Reds since he joined the Cardinals are tied for the second-most in the majors during that span.
Goldschmidt also clubbed his 20th career homer at Great American Ball Park, including his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals’ lead lasted less than one inning thanks to a solo home run by Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario that traveled an estimated 356 feet down the right field line. Candelario jumped on a 1-0 fastball in h the middle of the plate from Lynn.
Lynn gets cornered in the second
The Reds took a 3-1 lead thanks to a pair of unearned runs in the second inning due to errors by the corner infielders.
The first batter of the inning, Nick Martini, reached on a fielding error by 10-time Gold Glove winning third baseman Nolan Arenado, and Jonathan India followed Martini with a single to left field. Will Benson singled to drive in Martini and give the Reds a lead.
India came around to score from third on a fielding error by Goldschmidt, a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, on a ball hit by Jacob Hurtubise with one out.
The Cardinals defense did help Lynn out in the inning. Catcher Pedro Pages threw out Benson in his attempt to steal second base with India on third. Second baseman Nolan Gorman and shortstop Winn turned an inning-ending double play in that frame.
A relief outing for Liberatore
Left-hander Matthew Liberatore, who had filled Steven Matz’s spot in the starting rotation, pitched in relief for the first time since May 10. He’d began the season in the bullpen, and his first 12 appearances came in relief.
Liberatore hadn’t pitched since May 19, when he started against the Boston Red Sox and went three innings.
On Monday, Liberatore entered the game with the Cardinals trailing 3-1. He faced four batters and threw 13 pitches in the seventh inning. He recorded two outs and walked two batters in the frame before right-hander Kyle Leahy took over with two men on base and the switch-hitting Candelario due up.
Leahy walked Candelario, but he got Spencer Steer to hit a fly ball to center field to end the inning and strand the bases loaded.