Cardinals Fall to Royals in Kansas City After Late-Inning Surge
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It took until the seventh inning on Saturday night, but the Cardinals finally witnessed the explosive performance of Bobby Witt Jr. that has troubled pitchers throughout the season.
The Cardinals managed to keep the Kansas City shortstop in check during his first eight plate appearances across the two-game series, walking him twice and holding him hitless. However, their luck ran out in the seventh inning.
Witt Jr. broke through with a crucial triple, driving in a run and later scoring on a two-run homer by Salvador Perez, which was part of a four-run seventh inning that broke a 2-2 tie and led the Royals to victory.
In the eighth inning, Witt Jr. continued to hurt the Cardinals by padding the Royals’ lead with an RBI single, adding two more insurance runs to secure the win.
The Cardinals had struggled to protect a slim 2-1 lead, which they held from the third inning onward, but the Royals tied the game in the sixth before taking control in the seventh.
This loss, combined with Milwaukee’s 1-0 victory over the Reds, pushed the Cardinals eight games behind the Brewers in the NL Central standings, marking their largest deficit in the division race since May 15.
Game Breakdown
At the Plate:
Paul Goldschmidt got the Cardinals off to a promising start with a two-run homer in the second inning, his 18th of the season, against former teammate Michael Wacha. Unfortunately, those were the only runs the Cardinals managed off Wacha, who allowed just three more hits through seven innings. Brendan Donovan tried to spark a rally with a leadoff double in the eighth, later scoring their third run, while Nolan Gorman had three of the team’s total 10 hits. Masyn Winn was out of the lineup due to a cold, with Donovan stepping up to lead off.
On the Mound:
Andre Pallante pitched into the sixth inning, giving up a run in the third and then being charged with another when Ryan Fernandez allowed an inherited runner to score in the sixth. Fernandez struggled in the seventh, retiring only one of the five batters he faced and being charged with three runs. John King gave up the home run to Perez, while Shawn Armstrong allowed two more runs in the eighth.
Key Stat:
The Cardinals have now lost the last five games started by Pallante, whose last win came on June 28. Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals have posted a 10-12 record, with Sonny Gray being the only starter to record more than one win during that stretch.
Additional Notes:
Brandon Crawford had a tough night at the plate, striking out three times in four at-bats. The Royals were aggressive on the bases, succeeding in three of their four stolen base attempts, though Witt Jr. was also picked off at first. Meanwhile, in Memphis, Jordan Walker hit a three-run homer and tripled, while Luken Baker smashed his league-leading 31st home run and contributed a sacrifice fly.
Looking Ahead
After wrapping up the short two-game series in Kansas City, the Cardinals will enjoy a rare day off on Sunday before starting a three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati on Monday night. Sonny Gray is scheduled to start the opener.
