The St. Louis Cardinals fell to 1-3 Monday night, dropping the first game of their NL Central-opening home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates by a final score of 4-3. Kyle Lohse took the start for the Cardinals and was efficient—five strikeouts against one walk—until he ran into a four-run speed-bump in the sixth inning. Lohse went seven in the loss, giving Cardinals fans hope that he'll be able to stand in as the fourth starter in 2011 after two years in the wilderness. Charlie Morton picked up the win for the Pirates, somehow scattering five walks to allow just one earned run across six innings.
The Cardinals' offense's punchlessness continued Monday despite a solid eighth-inning rally. They couldn't turn Morton's five walks into runs thanks to a 6-31 night that produced just one extra-base hit, a double from Skip Schumaker.
Allen Craig made the start in left field, serving as Matt Holliday's replacement following the slugger's appendectomy on Friday. Craig went 1-2 with an RBI and two walks in the losing effort.