TORONTO, ON — One day after having multiple opportunities to get a hit that could have given them a win, that wasn’t the case for the Cardinals on Saturday.
The Cardinals did not get their third hit or their second at-bat with a runner in scoring position until the ninth inning as they lost to the Blue Jays in Toronto.
The loss dropped the Cardinals back to .500 for the season and they stayed seven games out of the race for the third wild-card spot in the playoffs. They have only 14 games left in the regular season.
The Blue Jays broke open a 1-1 game with four runs in the sixth inning, all unearned following a throwing error by Masyn Winn.
Here is how Saturday’s game broke down:
At the plate: Jordan Walker hit his third home run of the year with two outs in the third, but the only other hit for the Cardinals before the ninth was a two-out single by Brendan Donovan in the fourth … They had a total of four baserunners in the game until Alec Burleson led off the ninth with a double. He later scored on a groundout by pinch-hitter Jose Fermin … They were 0-of-3 with a runner in scoring position after going 2-of-19 in their 11-inning loss on Friday night.
On the mound: Kyle Gibson gave up a game-tying hoe run in the third but he allowed only two hits through the first five innings before back-to-back walks got him in trouble in the sixth. After a run scored Winn’s throw to the plate with the bases loaded shorthopped Pedro Pages, Ryan Fernandez relieved and allowed all three inherited runners to score … The final two runs for Toronto came in the seventh off Riley O’Brien.
Key stat: The Cardinals are 6-6 in September but have only one win from a starting pitcher, Sonny Gray, in those 12 games.
Worth noting: Nolan Arenado came out of the game for a pinch-hitter, Fermin, after being stung by a bee while playing third base … The 19 at-bats with runners in scoring position on Friday night were the most for the Cardinals in a loss since 2018 … With Thomas Saggese hitting his first career home run on Friday night, the Cardinals have had three players 22 years old hit a home run this season, joining Winn and Walker. The last time that happened was in 1976.
Looking ahead: Miles Mikolas will get the start on Sunday as the Cardinals try to avoid being swept in a three-game series for the first time since Aug. 12-14 at Cincinnati. Mikolas last earned a victory on July 21.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains