Fans Cheer HR Derby Champ Jordan Walker, But Cardinals Fall Flat Again Versus Surging Dbacks

· Yahoo Sports

Roundtable Sports' John Denton breaks down the Cardinals' ugly loss to the Dbacks -- the fifth time they fell to Arizona in seven meetings this season.

In his first game back at Busch Stadium since winning the MLB Home Run Derby with a stunning display of power and calmness under pressure, Jordan Walker was given a standing ovation by Cardinals fans and the party kept going when the slugger drilled a 110.7 missile off the wall in right-center.

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Then, the Arizona Diamondbacks – Cardinals’ killers all season – interrupted the fireworks with some party vibes of their own.

Just as they did last Sunday in Arizona when they wiped out a seven-run deficit in an extra-innings victory, the Dbacks spotted the Cards an early two-run lead and rallied to win 10-6 at Busch Stadium.

It nearly became the fourth straight game where the Cardinals only runs came in one inning. After scoring twice in the first inning, the Cardinals didn't scratch again until the ninth when they pushed across four runs with two outs.

Having already locked up the season series with last Sunday’s 8-7 come-from-behind victory over St. Louis, Arizona won for the fifth time in seven games against the Cardinals. They won two of three in St. Louis in late June, captured two of three in the desert last weekend and won Thursday’s makeup game from a June 25th rainout.

Meanwhile, the slumping Cardinals fell for the fifth time in seven games after the break for the MLB All-Star Game. Also, they have dropped 11 of their last 16 as various cracks in the roster have started to form following a surprising start to the season.

McGreevy comes unglued after strong start

Michael McGreevy limited the Dbacks to one earned run over 6 1/3 innings of work last Friday to lower his ERA to 2.92 on the season. He seemingly was on his way to doing the same thing again on Thursday by breezing through the first three innings and protecting a 2-0 lead.

However, the game came apart on McGreevy in the fourth inning. After allowing the first two to reach, Tim Tawa – playing in place of the resting Nolan Arenado – plated the first run with a sacrifice fly. Then, McGreevy grooved a changeup to Tyler Locklear, whose 111.5 mph line drive barely cleared the wall down the left-field line for a two-run homer that gave Arizona a 3-2 lead. Locklear, who had three hits and three RBI, wasn't in the original starting lineup, but was inserted when Ketel Marte was scratched with a sore back. 

McGreevy hated the center-cut pitch so much that he audibly screamed out just as the 364-foot shot was leaving Locklear’s bat.

All-Star outfielder Corbin Carroll opened the fifth inning with his12th triple and scored on another sacrifice fly. McGreevy surrendered seven hits, three walks and four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Cardinals Need to Re-Energize Slumping All-Star to Make Second-Half Surge 

Arenado, who tied up Sunday's game with a clutch, two-run homer and registered the 2,000th homer of his career a night later, received an ovation in the eighth inning before pinch hitting. He looped an RBI single into right as Arizona scored five times in the eighth inning to break the game open. He added a second RBI single in the ninth inning.  

The Cardinals made Brandon Pfaadt throw 25 pitches in the first inning when they scored twice on RBI hits by Walker and Lars Nootbaar. However, the Cards failed to add on when struggling center fielder Nathan Church struck out with the bases loaded and one out. Then, rookie third baseman Blaze Jordan – who had three hits against the Dbacks last Sunday – flied out to right to end the first-inning rally.

Walker, who doffed his helmet upon being given the standing ovation before his first at bat, had two hits for his 29th multi-hit game of the season.

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