Cardinals Silenced in Wednesday’s 5-0 loss to Phillies

For the second day in a row, the Cardinals’ struggles at the plate and in the field resulted in a.. not-close loss to the Phillies. With a 5-0 loss on Wednesday, St. Louis dropped two of three games to Philadelphia.

The Cardinals have a 21-16 record and are now 4-6 in their last 10 games.

Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff was very sharp on Wednesday afternoon. Eickhoff twirled eight innings, his longest outing of the year. He held the Cardinals to just three hits: two singles from Yairo Munoz and Yadier Molina’s 10th double. Eickhoff walked three batters but enjoyed two double plays turned behind him. Seranthony Dominguez pitched a quick, clean ninth inning for the Phillies.

Jack Flaherty started for the Cardinals. Flaherty cruised through the first four innings, with just one base hit separating him from facing the minimum. Then the fifth inning happened.

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto started the frame with a walk and scored on Odubel Herrera’s double up the middle. Nick Williams followed with a single to put runners at the corners, and Herrera scored when Maikel Franco’s groundball to Matt Carpenter turned into an error. Eickhoff bunted to advanced the two runners into scoring position, and Ceaser Hernandez’s double to left scored them both. And just like that, 43 pitches from Flaherty later, it was 4-0 Phillies.

Mike Shildt turned to Tyler Webb to pitch the sixth inning, and Webb logged a scoreless frame. Giovanny Gallegos pitched the seventh and eighth innings, and Hernandez got to him for a solo homer to cushion his 3-for-5 day. Luke Gregerson, in his third appearance of the year, pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Cardinals will open a four-game series with the Pirates tomorrow evening at Busch Stadium, as Michael Wacha will take the mound 6:45 PM Central time.