HOUSTON -- Failed opportunities by the Cardinals to add to an early lead gave the Houston Astros ample time to rally and complete a three-game sweep of the free-falling Redbirds.
Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer off Jeff Suppan to erase the Cardinals' early runs and push the Astros toward a 5-2 victory Wednesday at Minute Maid Park. For the third time this season, the Astros swept a series from the Cardinals, and they finished the season 10-5 against the local nine. The Cardinals limp home from a 2-8 road trip -- a 2-8 road trip that, mind you, the team believed was their best chance to gain some ground in the standings.
Would have helped to have scored some runs.
The Cardinals trail the Cincinnati Reds by 7 1/2 games with 31 games to play. The Reds play Milwaukee later tonight and can increase the lead to eight before this weekend's series between the two teams at Busch Stadium.
Suppan allowed four runs through five innings. He had two damaging walks that helped fuel Houston's rally. But he was pitching with a small margin for error -- like so many Cardinals' pitchers -- because the team botched its chances to add on to Matt Holliday's first-inning home run.
Holliday's homer gave the Cardinals their first runs of the series and their first lead in more than 30 innings.
The Cardinals left the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings. In the third, the Cardinals got the first two batters of the inning on base. They each got into scoring position.
Neither scored.
Suppan slipped to 1-7 in his first start since returning from the disabled list. Nelson Figueroa, in his first start against the Cardinals since 2004, improved to 4-2.
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HOUSTON PADS LEAD
HOUSTON -- The Astros extended their lead by taking advantage of the kind of opportunity the Cardinals couldn't earlier in the game.
Michael Bourn hit a leadoff single to start the seventh. He took second on a passed ball. He got to third by tagging up on a fly ball to right field. He then scored on a sacrifice fly that shortstop Brendan Ryan caught with his back to the plate.
Carlos Lee got the RBI, but Bourn produced the run.
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PENCE'S HOMER UPENDS CARDINALS' LEAD
HOUSTON -- All those missed opportunities that I've been typing about here for the first five innings of the games -- yeah, well, Hunter Pence just showed why they matter.
Pence clubbed a hanging curveball into the Crawford Boxes to upend the Cardinals' lead and erase the work Jeff Suppan did through the first 4 2/3 innings of the game.
Pence's three-run shot gives Houston a 4-3 lead through five innings.
The shot also effectively chases Suppan from the game after allowing four runs on three hits through five innings. The box score will show that Suppan's troubles spiked with two walks in the fifth innings. A walk to No. 2 hitter Jeff Keppinger was particularly damaging after Colby Rasmus tracked down a ball in deep center field to hold Michael Bourn to a sacrifice fly. An out from Keppinger and Suppan would have turned two solid defensive plays -- Albert Pujols got a runner earlier at home plate -- into a one-run inning and another escape for the Cardinals.
Instead, he offered up an example of what manager Tony La Russa spent some of the morning talking about with reporters: The Cardinals failure to score runs and add on throughout the game when they do score runs.
Read below for as-they-happened reviews of the missed chances.
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MORE MISSED CHANCES TO ADD ON
HOUSTON -- The missed opportunities to add on to their early lead continue to mount. The Cardinals got three runners on base in the fifth inning, helped along by an error from Brett Wallace and an intentional walk to Matt Holliday.
It didn't amount to anything more than more men left on base.
Pedro Feliz flew out to center field with the bases loaded to end the inning. In two of the previous three innings the Cardinals have left the bases loaded without scoring a run.
Colby Rasmus is batting seventh in today's lineup because "that's how it came together," La Russa said. The Cardinals' center fielder, positioned since his return from injury to be the No. 5 hitter against righthanded starters, is pushed down in favor of Jon Jay at No. 5 and Aaron Miles at No. 2. La Russa acknowledged that it gave the team a deeper look -- but a deeper threat was the key.
"It does make for a deeper-looking lineup," La Russa said. "We'll see if that helps."
Suppan has held the Astros to one hit through the first four innings.
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MISSED CHANCE IN THIRD
HOUSTON -- The Cardinals got the early lead but they failed to add on when they had a primo opportunity in the third inning. Suppan walked to lead off the inning and leadoff hitter Skip Schumaker followed with a base hit to center field.
With no outs the Cardinals had runners at first and second and the muscle in the middle of the order coming up.
The Cardinals did not get a run from the opportunity.
Matt Holliday was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but otherwise fly balls from Aaron Miles and Albert Pujols undermined the inning. No. 5 hitter Jon Jay hit the ball back to pitcher Nelson Figueroa so that he could calmly flip to the plate for the force out that ended the inning.
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CARDS RETURNING TO KMOX
Post-Dispatch sports media guru Dan Caesar reports that the Cardinals will be returning to their "radio roots" as the club has decided to take its broadcasts back to KMOX for 2011. Read the breaking news story here at StlToday.com.
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HOLLIDAY HOMERS FOR LEAD
HOUSTON -- Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday gave the Cardinals their first runs, their first RBIs and their first lead in this visit to Houston on the final day of this visit to Houston.
Holliday fouled off three consecutive pitches and then connected on the eighth pitch of his first-inning at-bat for a two-run shot. Holliday's homered cleared the Crawford Boxes. The shot was his 24th of the season and the third of this road trip.
With one swing, Holliday gave the Cardinals as many runs or more runs than they've had in seven of their previous 16 games.
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SUPPAN READY TO GO AND GO AND GO ...
HOUSTON -- Jeff Suppan may be coming off the disabled list for this start, but he's not being treated like a pitcher still in need of conditioning to make it through a start.
"He's ready to go," La Russa said. "He's strong. As long as he pitches well, he can go a long time. He's conditioned to go a long time."
Suppan has limited the Astros to one hit through two innings. He's faced the minimum because Matt Holliday cut down Hunter Pence trying to extend a single into a double. Holliday's throw from left field beat Pence by a stride, and it was the Cardinals' third outfield assist in two games.
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REYES ACTIVATED, READY
HOUSTON -- Reliever Dennys Reyes was activated as expected before this afternoon's game. La Russa said he expected Reyes to also be available if needed in relief today. Reyes, however, was not high on the list of relievers who needed to get work in preparation for this weekend's series against Cincinnati.
La Russa said Trever Miller, Jason Motte (who has yet to appear since returning from the DL on Monday) and closer Ryan Franklin are all in need of work before Thursday's off day, the final off day of the season.
The Cardinals also added Nick Stavinoha and catcher Matt Pagnozzi from Class AAA Memphis, as reported in previous days. Stavinoha missed time this sesaon with a separated shoulder, but he is cleared to play the outfield and has strengthened the arm so that he can make the throws.
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MILES AT SHORT
HOUSTON -- La Russa said his coaches reminded him this morning that Aaron Miles had a stretch at shortstop back in 2006, and if they wanted to load the lineup with bats that was an option.
So La Russa did.
Miles, a switch-hitter, is batting .455 (5-for-11) on this road trip, and the ninth-inning uprisings the Cardinals have had have often involved him. This is the third time that Miles has appeared at shortstop this season, though it is the first time he has started at the position.
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LINEUPS POSTED
HOUSTON -- Tony La Russa scrambled his Cardinals lineup again for today's getaway game with the Astros.
At this point, what has he got to lose? No matter today's outcome, the 10-game trip to play cellar-dwellers and also-rans has been a disaster, with the Cardinals seeking just their third win on the three-city swing.
Here are the lineups:
CARDINALS:
1. Schumaker, 2B
2. Miles, SS
3. Pujols, 1B
4. Holliday, LF
5. Jay, RF
6. Feliz, 3B
7. Rasmus, CF
8. Molina, C
9, Suppan, P
HOUSTON:
1. Bourn, CF
2. Keppinger, 2B
3. Pence, RF
4. Lee, LF
5. Blum, SS
6. Johnson, 3B
7. Wallace, 1B
8. Castro, C
9. Figueroa, P
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