Cardinals climb out of hole but can’t take lead vs. Tigers

Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde runs off the mound to make a play on a pop-up Tuesday, May 20, 2025, during the first inning of a game against the Tigers at Busch Stadium.

Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch

Although the Cardinals were able to climb out of a four-run deficit against the Tigers on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, they could not scratch across the fifth run they needed to take a lead.

After the combination of a deep fly ball from Masyn Winn and Victor Scott II’s speed allowed Scott to score with ease on a tag play in the seventh inning, the Cardinals left runners on first and second base in the eighth inning on an inning-ending lineout from Pedro Pages and in the ninth inning, the Cardinals went down in order against Tigers right-hander Tommy Kahnle in a 5-4 loss to Detroit.

The Cardinals (27-22) closed the four-run deficit with a blast from their star third baseman Nolan Arenado in the fifth inning, who homered off Tigers ace and reigning American League Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal. Once Skubal was removed from the game with two outs in the sixth inning, the Cardinals tacked an additional run to the lefty’s pitching line when Ivan Herrera singled with two out against Brenan Hanifee.

People are also reading…

5 dead, church belltower collapses, buildings destroyed in St. Louis storm: Recap

St. Louis storm declared a tornado. Zoo butterfly dome damaged: Recap

See the path of tornado damage in the St. Louis area

Post Malone, Jelly Roll deliver nearly 5-hour concert that shines and sags at Busch

St. Louis storms cause ‘devastating’ damage, with 5 killed and many buildings toppled

Clayton, University City schools to close, hundreds of St. Louis students to relocate after tornado damage

St. Charles County pitches $131M plan to overhaul highway in ‘fastest growing area’

St. Louis sheriff already bought golf carts. ‘Oh my God,’ alderman says

St. Louis tornado path was 1 mile wide and 23 miles long. Winds topped 150 mph

Residents from Clayton to north St. Louis assess damage after tornado

St. Louis mayor doesn’t know reason for ‘holdup’ in federal emergency response to tornado

Teen girl stabbed to death in O’Fallon, Ill. Boyfriend charged with murder.

‘Book banning pastor’ kicked out of Francis Howell school board meeting

Helicopter crossed into Delta plane’s flight path near Lambert International Airport

Here’s how to help, or find help, after St. Louis tornado

Before Winn scored Scott on a flyout in the seventh inning after Scott doubled to begin the frame, the Cardinals left the bases loaded to end the sixth inning on a groundout from Pages.

Having allowed three runs in 19 2/3 innings across his previous three starts ahead of Tuesday’s task against the Tigers, Cardinals starter Erick Fedde surrendered four runs in five innings before he was lifted from the game following 63 pitches. Three of the four runs Fedde surrendered to Detroit were produced by home runs. A leadoff home run to begin the game from Kerry Carpenter marked the first home run Fedde had allowed since April 21.

Steven Matz provided 2 2/3 scoreless inning in relief of Fedde and Kyle Leahy completed a scoreless 1/3 of an inning before allowing a single to Zack McKinstry and a double to Riley Greene to open the ninth inning.

Power from the six

Batting from the sixth spot in the Cardinals’ lineup for a second consecutive game, Arenado collected his eighth career home run from that spot in a batting order when he connected on an 0-0 slider from the reigning American League Cy Young award winner.

Arenado, who collected his fifth homer of the season, pulled a slider Skubal left over the middle of the strike zone to left field for a two-run home that brought Ivan Herrera in to score following his leadoff single to pull the Cardinals to a 4-2 deficit.

The home run, which had a 102.9 mph exit velocity, was Arenado’s hardest hit ball since he singled on a ball with a 103.4 mph exit velocity on May 9 in Washington, D.C. and tied for the seventh hardest hit ball Arenado has produced this season, per Statcast.

Arenado was moved from the No. 4 spot to the No. 6 spot on Monday for what Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol called a “breather” from cleanup duties. That has allowed to allow Willson Contreras and Herrera to bat higher up in the lineup. Arenado noted the move would still require him to drive runs in if the guys ahead of him reached base.

When that opportunity arose in the fifth inning, the Cardinals star delivered a jolt he had been missing to start this season.

Seeing Skubal

The Cardinals forced Skubal to exit from his outing after 5 2/3 innings and 94 pitches from the left-hander. Herrera’s and Arenado’s looming presence in the on-deck circled signaled the end of the ace’s exit after he struck out eight Cardinals and allowed three runs.

Cardinals hitters had just one hit through the first four innings against Skubal. The left-hander’s changeup-heavy repertoire notched him five strikeouts over that stretch, leading his pitch count reach 62 by the end of the fourth frame.

A leadoff single from Herrera disrupted Skubal’s rhythm, extended Herrera’s hitting streak to a career-high 10 consecutive games, and set the stage for Arenado to give the Cardinals their first two runs of the night.

After Skubal notched three strikeouts and worked around a walk to Scott to complete the fifth inning, Winn saw two pitches from Skubal before reaching base with an infield single and Herrera drove a 98.5 mph fastball to right field with two outs on what represented Skubal’s last pitch of his outing.

Greene gets Fedde for 3

Of the four runs Fedde allowed through the first two innings of his start, three were driven in by Riley Greene, who saw three pitches in total from Fedde in their first two encounters.

Greene, an All-Star for the Tigers a season ago, pounced on a 1-0 sinker in the first inning for a single that scored McKinstry from second base. Greene pulled a first pitch sweeper to right field that hit off the foul pole for a two-run homer in the third inning.

The former All-Star’s RBI single was one of three hits Fedde allowed in the first inning that had an exit velocity above 103 mph. The other two: Carpenter’s home run that registered 108.9 mph and McKinstry’s double that was clocked at 103.6 mph.

The home run Fedde surrendered to Greene marked the second outing this season in which Fedde allowed two or more homers.

Photos: Cardinals miss a second swipe at the Detroit Tigers in 5-4 loss in the ninth