The Cardinals suffered another tough loss on Saturday night as an early lead wasn’t enough to hold off a struggling bullpen.
The game started off well, with Paul Goldschmidt launching a two-run homer to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead, scoring Nolan Arenado. Goldschmidt’s recent hot streak has been a bright spot for the team.
The Royals responded in the bottom of the third, with AL MVP contender Bobby Witt Jr. grounding out to bring Kyle Isbel home, narrowing the gap to 2-1.
The game remained tight until the sixth inning when Freddy Fermin’s single tied it up at 2-2, as former Cardinal Paul DeJong crossed the plate.
In the seventh, the Royals took the lead with a Maikel Garcia single, putting them ahead 3-2. Bobby Witt Jr. then added to his impressive 2024 season with an RBI triple, extending the lead to 4-2.
The inning’s final blow came from Salvador Perez, who hit a home run, continuing his powerful performance late in his career.
In the eighth, Willson Contreras delivered an RBI single, cutting the lead to 6-3, but the Royals quickly responded in the bottom half. Kyle Isbel’s triple scored Dairon Blanco, pushing the lead to 7-3, followed by a Bobby Witt Jr. single that made it 8-3.
Andre Pallante pitched 5 and 2/3 innings, allowing two runs with four strikeouts and four walks. Ryan Fernandez took the loss and a blown save after giving up three runs in just one-third of an inning. John King pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing two runs, including a home run by Salvador Perez. Shawn Armstrong finished with an inning and a third, giving up two runs with no strikeouts or walks.
The Cardinals have a day off tomorrow before heading to Cincinnati for a three-game series against the Reds starting on Monday.
