SB Nation St. Louis - Cardinals Vs. Reds: St. Louis Gets Swept With Loss On Sunday Night

Cardinals Vs. Reds Final Score: St. Louis Gets Swept Out Of Cincinnati, Falling 4-2

2012-07-16T03:17:55Z

The St. Louis Cardinals knew they would be facing a key series right out of the All-Star break when they traveled to Great American Ballpark to play the Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately for the Redbirds, it didn't go according to plan.

The Reds completed the three-game sweep of their NL Central rival, beating St. Louis 4-2 on Sunday night.

Homer Bailey pitched excellently for Cincinnati, going eight innings while only allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits and two walks. Jake Westbrook was average for the Cards, pitching 7.1 innings but surrendering four runs.

Yadier Molina opened the scoring with a RBI double in the second before the Reds took the lead in the third. Joey Votto doubled in Chris Heisey and was then himself driven home on an RBI single by Brandon Phillips.

St. Louis tied things up in the top of the sixth with a Molina home run, but that was all the Cardinals could muster. With the bases loaded in the home half of the eighth, Scott Rolen delivered the key hit, singling Votto and Phillips home off of Mitchell Boggs.

St. Louis now heads to Milwaukee to play a three-game set with the Brewers, with Lance Lynn on the hill Monday.

For more on the Cardinals, please be sure to check out our blog Viva El Birdos and SB Nation St. Louis for all the latest news and updates.

Cardinals Vs. Reds Preview: St. Louis Looks To Salvage Series

2012-07-15T15:03:14Z

Losing two straight games to your bitter rivals is not how any team would want to start the second half, but that's where the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves after falling to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday and Saturday. Though the playoffs are still a long way away, the second half is loaded with division games and each is important as the Cardinals battle for entry to the postseason.

The good news for the Cardinals heading into Sunday night's game is that they won't be facing Reds ace Johnny Cueto, who was scratched from his start tonight due to a blister. In his place is Homer Bailey, who has been solid this year, posting a 4.14 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in the first half. That said, Bailey is no Cueto, and the Cardinals have already defeated Bailey once this season.

St. Louis will counter with Jake Westbrook, who was one of St. Louis' most consistent pitchers in the first half, posting a 3.75 ERA that was almost a full run below the 4.66 ERA that he finished last season with. Westbrook has also been close to unhittable in his career at Great American Ballpark, where in three starts he's only given up three earned runs in 18.2 innings.

Game date/time: Sunday, July 15, 7:05 p.m CT

Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: ESPN

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more coverage of this series, visit St. Louis Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos and Reds blog Red Reporter. For additional baseball coverage, check out Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish.

Lance Berkman Returns From Injury With Strikeout In Cardinals Loss Saturday

2012-07-15T13:14:04Z

The St. Louis Cardinals saw Lance Berkman return from injury Saturday, but their corner-slugger logjam meant their best hitter from 2011 found himself coming of the bench in his first game back from an injury that some thought would lead to the end of his career. Berkman replaced Kyle Lohse as a pinch-hitter in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, striking out in the seventh inning with runners on second and third and nobody out.

It turned out to be the beginning of the end for the Cardinals, who managed to get only one run out of that situation and couldn't pull things together in extra innings. Berkman, coming off the best season of his career by OPS+, has to play, but with Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday, and Allen Craig all in the middle of huge season he's likely to be little more than a platoon bat and a pinch hitter for a while--in short, the role the Cardinals originally envisioned for Allen Craig.

Berkman hadn't appeared for the Cardinals since May 19, when he went 0-1 before leaving the game in the third inning of a 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cardinals Vs. Reds: St. Louis Falls 3-2 In 10 Innings On Walk-Off Homer

2012-07-15T00:11:25Z

Ryan Ludwick hit a one-out walk-off homer off Victor Marte in the bottom of the 10th as the Reds defeated the Cardinals for the second straight game, this time by a 3-2 score.

It was Marte's first batter faced after relieving Mark Rzepczynski.

Kyle Lohse made the start for St. Louis, allowing two earned runs over six innings. Mike Leake made the start for the Reds and allowed two runs over six-plus innings. Both runs allowed came in the seventh after the first three batters reached. Yadier Molina hit a solo home run, and Rafael Furcal reached on a bunt single to score David Freese. Furcal went 2-for-4 with a walk, while Skip Schumaker went 2-for-2 with two walks.

Cardinals Vs. Reds: Cincinnati Takes 1-0 Lead In 5th Inning

2012-07-14T21:39:44Z

The Cardinals and Reds finally saw a run cross the plate in Saturday's game, as Cincinnati took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Jay Bruce scored Brandon Phillips from first on a two-out double. Phillips reached on a two-out single.

Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse has allowed the one run on six hits through five innings. He also has walked one while striking out six. On the other side, Reds starter Mike Leake has allowed just three hits through five scoreless innings. Lohse has thrown 82 pitches, while Leake has thrown just 63.

St. Louis is 0-for-3 with runners in scoring positon.

St. Louis Cardinals Sign Reliever Brian Fuentes

2012-07-14T18:14:19Z

The St. Louis Cardinals will soon have some additional bullpen help as they signed reliever Brian Fuentes to a minor-league deal on Saturday. Fuentes should be with the team by the end of July.

Fuentes will report to #STLCards’ Gulf Coast League affiliate on Monday. Team expects him to be in minors no more than two weeks.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 14, 2012

The veteran reliever was released by the Oakland Athletics on July 11. He had an ERA of 6.84 in 26 appearances this season.

Working as a closer for most of his career, Fuentes has racked up 204 saves in 12 seasons. He has a career ERA of 3.58.

Cardinals Vs. Reds Lineups: Lance Berkman Is Not Starting

2012-07-14T17:13:44Z

The St. Louis Cardinals may have activated Lance Berkman today, but the slugger is not in the starting lineup. The Cardinals will instead continue to ride with the hot-hitting Allen Craig at first base.

Here are today's lineups for both teams:

St. Louis Cardinals

1. Rafael Furcal (S) SS

2. Jon Jay (L) CF

3. Matt Holliday (R) LF

4. Carlos Beltran (S) RF

5. Allen Craig (R) 1B

6. Yadier Molina (R) C

7. David Freese (R) 3B

8. Skip Schumaker (L) 2B

9. Kyle Lohse (R) P

Cincinnati Reds

1. Zack Cozart (R) SS

2. Drew Stubbs (R) CF

3. Joey Votto (L) 1B

4. Brandon Phillips (R) 2B

5. Jay Bruce (L) RF

6. Ryan Ludwick (R) LF

7. Scott Rolen (R) 3B

8. Devin Mesoraco (R) C

9. Mike Leake (R) P

Lance Berkman Injury Update: Cardinals Activate Slugger From DL, Option Shane Robinson To Triple-A

2012-07-14T16:51:12Z

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Lance Berkman was officially activated from the disabled list on Saturday, and outfielder Shane Robinson was optioned to Triple-A Memphis as the Cardinals shifted their roster around for the remainder of their series against the Cincinnati Reds. Berkman has been on the road to recovery after undergoing knee surgery in May, and he posted an impressive .333/.429/.571 triple-slash batting line over 49 plate appearances before going on the DL. He is not in the starting lineup against the Reds on Saturday.

#Cardinals officially activate Lance Berkman from DL, option Shane Robinson to Memphis
— Eye on Baseball (@EyeOnBaseball) July 14, 2012

Robinson managed a .256/.304/.344 line over 125 plate appearances during his time with the major league team in 2012.