Right-hander Kyle Lohse failed to join Lance Lynn as
St. Louis
starters to open their seasons at 5-0.
Lohse was not quite his
April self as he allowed five runs in five innings to the Houston Astros on
Friday night. However, two of those runs were unearned, and perhaps just one of
the five should have scored if the Cardinals' defense had performed
better.
On the other hand, Lohse
pointed to the three-run homer he gave up to Jose Altuve in the second inning,
the difference-maker in a 5-4 Houston victory.
The Cardinals have lost
two in a row for the third time this season. They have not dropped three
straight.
Lohse (4-1) reached 99
pitches far faster than he wanted to, pitching deep into counts more than
earlier in the season even though he walked just one, marking the fifth time in
six starts he had walked either none or one. It was obvious he had an occasional
disagreement with plate umpire Paul Emmel, once disgustedly catching Yadier
Molina's return throw to the mound with his bare hand.
"A couple of calls could
have gone either way," Lohse said. "It was tough. You're out there grinding and
you feel like you're doing everything you can, hitting your spots ... and you
keep running full counts and 2-2 counts.
"(The Astros) made me
work more than I have had to in recent starts."
The Astros scored two of
their runs in the first inning after rookie right fielder Matt Carpenter failed
to make an awkward diving play on Jordan Schafer's liner.
"The ball's got to be
caught. That's the bottom line," Carpenter said. "I misplayed it.
"That's an out, and
Lohse and everybody expect that to be an out. You make a pitch like that and the
ball's got to be caught.
Another error in the
second, this time on a wild throw to second by Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig on Schafer's potential double-play ball, led to Altuve's homer.
"I'm not going to make
excuses," Craig said. "It's a double-play ball. It's a fairly routine play. I
should have made it. I just threw it away. It's one of those you wish you could
have back."
But Lohse, referencing
Altuve's homer, said, "That's not what lost the game."
Notes, Quotes
1B
Lance Berkman, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf, tried to
run a bit before Friday's game in Houston and still felt some soreness. The plan
now is for Berkman not to try to run again until the team gets to Arizona on Monday. "It
didn't go as well as I wanted it to," said Berkman, who is eligible to be
activated. "It's more tight then painful, but it's also a little
sore."
CF
Jon Jay, besides getting two hits and keeping his average over .400 (.414), made
three outstanding defensive plays. "His jumps and his anticipation have really
been impressive," manager Mike Matheny said. "That's something that doesn't go
unnoticed around here. He gets to balls that, most of the time you see them come
off the bat, nobody's going to get to them."
RF
Carlos Beltran, who had a scheduled day off Thursday after driving in a
career-high seven runs the night before, received an unscheduled rest Friday.
Beltran said he felt something in the muscle in the back of his right leg, near
the hamstring area, while doing some flexibility drills Thursday. He told
manager Mike Matheny he could play, and he did pinch-hit, flying out. Matheny
said Beltran would play Saturday.
OF
Erik Komatsu, a Rule 5 draft from last year's winter meetings whom the Cardinals
hoped to pass through waivers, was claimed by Minnesota. "I'm happy for him. Sad for us,"
manager Mike Matheny said. "I had the feeling that once we let him go, we
wouldn't see him."
1B
Allen Craig drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. He has four RBI in three games
since coming off the disabled list after recovering from knee
surgery.
By The
Numbers:
7 -
Consecutive winning decisions for RHP Kyle Lohse, over two seasons, before the
streak was snapped Friday.
Quote To
Note:
"It's
something I'm not happy about still. It's hard for me to conceive of the Astros
as an American League team."
—1B Lance Berkman, a former Houston
player and current Houston resident on the Astros' move next year
to the AL. Berkman earlier this spring had to back off a charge that Major
League Baseball had "extorted" the Astros to move.
Medical
Watch:
RF
Carlos Beltran (right leg soreness) didn't start May 4, but he appeared as a
pinch hitter. He is expected to start May 5.
1B
Lance Berkman (strained left calf) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive
to April 19. He had difficulty when he attempted running May 3, and the
timetable for his return was uncertain.
RHP
Scott Linebrink (right shoulder capsulitis) went on the 15-day disabled list
retroactive to March 30. He felt tightness during an April 30 bullpen session,
and he didn't appear close to a return.
RHP
Chris Carpenter (weak right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list
retroactive to March 26. He isn't likely to begin a real throwing program until
May and probably won't pitch until at least
June.