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 Until this week.
Holding the offensively challenged St. Louis Cardinals scoreless for
all but one inning of a three-game series, Cincinnati won a series
for just the fourth time in the last 13 years under the Gateway Arch
with a 1-0 verdict Wednesday night at Busch Stadium.
Rookie right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (6-7) throttled St. Louis on
three hits and three walks in seven innings and right fielder Jay
Bruce supplied the game's lone run with a leadoff homer in the top
of the second inning.
"I'll tell you this, I came in here after the game and I haven't
heard the clubhouse sound this jovial and excited," Reds manager
Bryan Price said. "It's a team that's had our number."
Not this time, not with an offense that dented the scoreboard with
just one swing in the series -- a fourth-inning grand slam by second
baseman Kolten Wong on Monday night that gave the Cardinals a 4-1
win.
A second straight shutout was the least of St. Louis' postgame
concerns. In a loss that could prove more damaging than a mere game,
the Cardinals (64-37) also saw All-Star left fielder Matt Holliday
go down in the first inning as he strained his right quad for the
second time in less than two months.
Originally injured on June 8 in Colorado, Holliday missed 31 games
before returning on July 17. He limped off the field and into the
dugout while trying to beat out a double play ball. AFter the game,
he underwent an MRI to determine the injury's severity.
"We didn't see anything that was leading in the direction that this
was going to reoccur," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said of
Holliday's latest injury.
With or without Holliday, the Cardinals' offense has been below
average in the last 26 games, managing only 88 runs and hitting less
than .200 with runners in scoring position. They had just three of
those at-bats Wednesday night, none with a runner at third.
Their last chance came in the bottom of the eighth after a two-out
double by third baseman Matt Carpenter. But first baseman Mark
Reynolds, who replaced Holliday in the lineup, bounced into an
inning-ending fielder's choice.
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Victimized by the lack of offense was starter John Lackey (9-6), who
gave up only two hits and a run in eight dominant innings, walking
one and fanning eight in his ninth straight quality start.
"John was great and it was a shame to lose a start like that,"
Matheny said. "It's one of those starts we have to capitalize on and
we didn't."
After DeSclafani departed, J.J. Hoover worked the eighth and closer
Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean ninth, ending the game with a
strikeout of catcher Yadier Molina on a 102 mph fastball for his
21st save of the season.
Cincinnati (45-54) finished its six-game road trip at 3-3, posting
its first back-to-back shutouts since May 31-June 1, 2013, in
Pittsburgh.
"Last night was a good, clean win for us and Anthony pitched a great
game tonight," Bruce said. "Both pitchers did a good job and we were
able to edge them."
NOTES: St. Louis CF Randal Grichuk (groin) was back in the lineup
after missing the last two games. Grichuk was injured during
Sunday's 3-2 loss to Atlanta while running the bases. ... Cincinnati
1B Joey Votto reached base four times Tuesday night, marking the
15th straight game he has gotten on base at least twice. That
extended his club record once held by Pete Rose and three others.
... Cardinals RHP Jordan Walden (right biceps) moved to Triple-A
Memphis to continue his rehab assignment. Barring a setback, Walden
could be back with St. Louis within a week.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
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