In loss to Tigers, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol had ‘tough decisions’ to make

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol could point to at least three moments on Tuesday night where he felt “touch decisions” had to be made against the Tigers.

From a possible pinch-hit spot in the sixth inning to a bullpen decision late in the game to an earlier move with his starter, Marmol described his club’s 5-4 loss to Detroit at Busch Stadium as one with “moving parts.”

The Cardinals (27-22) fell behind 4-0 after starter Erick Fedde gave up four runs in his first three innings. A two-run homer from Nolan Arenado against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and an RBI from Ivan Herrera helped shrink the deficit, but a bases loaded opportunity in the sixth inning that ended with Pedro Pages grounding out left runners on base.

Following a sacrifice fly by Masyn Winn the in the seventh inning, the Cardinals fell behind 5-4 when Kyle Leahy allowed a run to score with no outs in the ninth inning.

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“That’s a tough one,” Marmol said. “There are a lot of tough decisions today. This one’s going to wear on me to be quite honest with you. I’ll get two hours of sleep tonight and be ready for tomorrow.”

Here’s a look at three of the tough “tough” moves Marmol had to balance.

Decision No. 1: A possible pinch-hit spot

When Pages stepped to the plate with two outs in the sixth inning, the bases loaded, and his team trailing 4-3, Marmol had Alec Burleson available on his bench to be used a a pinch hitter. In that scenario, a left-handed Burleson, who is batting .304 vs. right-handed pitchers, would have faced a right-handed Brenan Hanifee, who has surrendered a .423 batting average to lefties.

It also would have removed Pages from behind the plate with three innings left to play.

“You want him (Pages) behind the plate because that’s what gives you a really good chance to keep them from adding on. You weigh that into the equation,” Marmol said.

Knowing his club had enough game left to try and complete a comeback, Marmol stuck with Pages. Pages went into a 1-1 count against Hanifee before grounding out to third base on a sinker thrown up-and-in.

The ground out was one of two opportunities to hit with a runner in scoring position for Pages. In the eighth inning, Pages lined out to center field to leave runners on first and second base to end the inning.

“It’s everything. I want to get the job done,” Pages said of the frustration from the missed opportunity. “I didn’t…  And then I got an opportunity again. I got a good swing. I still didn’t get the results done. It’s frustrating but you just got to keep working every day and just show up every day and be ready.”

Decision No. 2: Getting Fedde

Having allowed three runs over his previous 19 2/3 innings entering Tuesday’s start, Fedde was hit for four runs in his first three innings vs. Detroit. Fedde surrendered a homer to Kerry Carpenter and an RBI single to Riley Greene in the first inning. He allowed two more runs to score on a homer from Greene in the third.

The right-hander got through the fourth and fifth innings on a combined 17 pitches to keep his pitch count at 63 through five frames. But with lefties Zack McKinstry, who doubled off Fedde in the first inning, and Greene due up to begin the sixth inning, Marmol called in lefty Steven Matz from the bullpen.

“He (Fedde) started to settle in there towards the end,” Marmol said. “We just didn’t like going through that lane one more time. I think he retired the last seven or so. He did a nice job, but we knew we had Matz for length today, and it was our best chance to go through those lefties.”

Matz provided 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief after Fedde’s exit. Matz faced the minimum and induced three groundouts while striking out two batters before exiting with two outs in the eighth inning when Marmol needed to make another “tough” call with Gleyber Torres, a righty, set to bat.

Decision No. 3: Riding with Leahy

Considering the success Torres has had against left-handed pitchers, Marmol made the move to bring in Leahy. Leahy retired Torres by getting him to flyout on five pitches to keep the game tied 4-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.

After the Cardinals did not score in the bottom half of the eighth, Marmol kept Leahy in the game as the Tigers’ lineup wrapped around to McKinstry and Greene. Doing so would have kept closer Ryan Helsley available to work with an automatic runner in the 10th inning if the Cardinals got there. It set Leahy, who had not allowed a run in 14 1/3 consecutive innings and had kept lefties to a .114 batting average this season, to face two of Detroit’s lefties.

Leahy had his scoreless innings streak snapped when he surrendered a double from Greene that pushed McKinstry, who singled, across to score.

“He’s been really good no matter who is in the box,” Marmol said of Leahy. “You take a gamble on having Helsley in the 10th with a runner on second, right? Any other matchup, you just go straight to (Helsley) there, and then just roll the dice later. But as good as Leahy has been, you almost feel like you’ve got two closers and you just let him roll out there. … You get off the field there, and then you feel good about sending him back out. And then if we don’t score, you have Helsley with the runner on second in the 10th.

“We gambled and lost.”

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