The St. Louis Cardinals<\/a> dropped the series finale to the Pittsburgh Pirates<\/a> 6-2 Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium, losing two of three in the series. Braxton Ashcraft<\/a> was masterful for the Pirates, striking out nine across seven innings and limiting the Cardinals to four hits and one earned run. Dustin May<\/a> battled but could not hold the lead, and a damaging seventh inning off Justin Bruihl<\/a> put the game out of reach. Ivan Herrera<\/a> provided the lone highlight for the Cardinals with a home run, but it was not nearly enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ashcraft was the story of the afternoon. The Pirates starter held the Cardinals to just four hits across seven innings on 98 pitches. He struck out nine, walked two, and allowed only one earned run \u2014 a home run to Herrera in the eighth. The Cardinals had no consistent answer for him. Nolan Gorman<\/a>, JJ Wetherholt<\/a>, and Victor Scott II<\/a> finished hitless, and the Cardinals went one-for-six with runners in scoring position. Ashcraft’s ERA dropped to 2.89 for the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n May started for the Cardinals and was not without promise. He struck out seven across 5 1\/3 innings and kept the Cardinals within striking distance for much of the afternoon. But he allowed six hits and four earned runs, including a home run, and his ERA now sits at 6.75 on the season. The Pirates scored in the first, fourth, and sixth innings off May \u2014 consistent, steady damage that the Cardinals offense could not keep pace with. When Bruihl relieved May, things started to go downhill. He allowed three hits and two earned runs in 2\/3 of an inning, including a home run that pushed the Pirates’ lead to six. The seventh inning was when the game ended as a contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Herrera continued his strong stretch of play, going two-for-four with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. He has now homered in consecutive games and is one of the few Cardinal hitters carrying consistent production at the plate. In a quiet offensive afternoon, Herrera stood alone as the brightest spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jordan Walker<\/a> went one-for-four with an RBI, keeping his recent productive stretch alive. He continues to find ways to contribute even when the lineup around him goes cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt Pushard<\/a> and Matt Svanson<\/a> combined for 2 1\/3 scoreless innings in relief. Pushard needed only seven pitches for a perfect inning. Both gave the Cardinal bullpen a much-needed lifeline after Bruihl’s rough outing in the seventh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Five Cardinals finished hitless on the afternoon. The Cardinals batted .235 as a team and left opportunity after opportunity on the table, going one-for-six with runners in scoring position. Against a Pirates starter with an ERA under three for the season, the Cardinals needed to manufacture runs early. They never found a way to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seven strikeouts is an encouraging sign, but four earned runs across 5 1\/3 innings is not good enough for a starter who needs to eat innings and keep his team in games. May has yet to string together the consistent outings the Cardinals rotation desperately needs. The Cardinals cannot afford another start like this one, especially heading into a road series against the Cincinnati Reds<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two earned runs and three hits in 2\/3 of an inning turned a manageable deficit into an insurmountable one. The seventh inning was where the game was lost, and that loss rests upon the shoulders of Bruihl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Cardinals open a three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, May 22 at 5:40 pm Central. Starting pitchers for that contest have not yet been announced.<\/p>\n\n\n Main Photo:Ashcraft Secured the Win<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
May Keeps Cardinals Afloat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Went Right for the Cardinals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Herrera Stays Hot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Walker Delivers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pushard and Svanson Provide Relief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Went Wrong for the Cardinals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Offense Goes Cold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
May Allows Damage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bruihl’s Rough Seventh<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Quick Hits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Looking Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Embed from Getty Images<\/a>