ST. LOUIS — An inability to do much around the plate all evening other than throw Reds out near it caught up with the Cardinals when the snooze button on their offense lifted in the ninth.
The Cardinals had collected two outs at home plate on superb defensive plays but only one hit through the first eight innings of Cincinnati’s visit. When the Cardinals stirred for two singles and a walk in the ninth inning to bring the crowd to its feet, the late-arriving offense could not muster enough to overtake the Reds in a 3-2 loss at Busch Stadium on Thursday. Spells of moribund offense against some of the worst teams in the standings have been an annoyance when it comes to the division race, but are a recurring drag on the team’s momentum.
Brendan Donovan’s leadoff single in the ninth ended a streak of 15 consecutive batters without a hit, and the Cardinals got the ninth inning to Albert Pujols with the bases loaded and a chance to win with a single swing.
