51黑料

Maton said the streak was one that, as a player, you 鈥渄on鈥檛 look at because as soon as you look at it, something happens.鈥�

The streak dated back to July 12, 2024. It spanned 61 1/3 innings and 65 appearances. But a misplaced cutter in the eighth inning against Braves catcher Sean Murphy snapped it as Murphy lifted a three-run homer that erased a Cardinals lead.

"I think my pitch execution this year has been really good. This is just one of those games today where two pitches were the determining factor in that game," Maton said.

For the Cardinals (50-46), Maton鈥檚 outing was one of two in which one of their veteran relievers gave up runs late in a 7-6 loss to Atlanta at Busch Stadium.

After Maton allowed Murphy's homer that turned a 5-3 lead into a 6-5 deficit, the Cardinals loaded the bases with three walks from Braves reliever Daysbel Hernandez. A wild pitch by Hernandez allowed Garrett Hampson, who pinch-ran for Alec Burleson, to score the game鈥檚 tying run and the lone run that inning.

The Cardinals turned to their closer, Ryan Helsley, in the ninth inning, but the two-time All-Star allowed a run on two singles. The Braves used a sacrifice bunt, went to the bench to get a pinch-hit single from Drake Baldwin, and scratched across the go-ahead run on a ground out by Jurickson Profar.

鈥淚 went back and watched it, and the stuff felt good and I executed where I wanted to for the most part,鈥� Helsley said. 鈥淚 think hindsight is always 20/20, and stuff like that happens. You wish you would have tried something else. A couple of singles and then a couple of ground balls. I wish one of those would have went to somebody. I could have gotten a double play, but I feel like I threw the ball well. I just wasn't able to get done today.鈥�

To get the lead they eventually lost, the Cardinals received an RBI single from Thomas Saggese and a two-run homer from Nolan Gorman in the second inning. The three-run frame overcame the 3-0 Braves lead powered on homers from Ronald Acuna Jr., Marcell Ozuna, and an RBI from Michael Harris II that all came against Cardinals starter Erick Fedde. Fedde, who allowed 14 total runs in his previous three outings, kept the Braves scoreless through the final 2 2/3 innings of his 4 2/3 innings.

Recalled from the majors on Saturday to provide a fresh bullpen arm, Gordon Graceffo tossed 1 2/3 innings of relief and lefty JoJo Romero completed 2/3 of a scoreless inning as the Cardinals received a go-ahead run on a sixth inning homer from Yohel Pozo and an additional run in the seventh inning on an RBI from All-Star Brendan Donovan.

The Cardinals were without Nolan Arenado (sprained right index finger) and had Lars Nootbaar exit at the start of the sixth inning with discomfort in his left side. Nootbaar's injury is one he's dealt with over the past two weeks and has been reaggravated on check swings.

鈥淚 felt like the guys took their best shot," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of his club's offense. "At the end of the day, we've got some guys down and some guys banged up, and we're taking our best shot. Some days it's going to be good enough. Some days it's not. Today it wasn't. But I can't fault them for the way they competed, that's for sure.鈥�

Owning a 1.83 ERA that ranked 10th among National League relievers and 18 holds that tied him for fifth among that same group, Maton began his outing by allowing a double to Profar on a curveball that hung over the middle of the strike zone. He struck out Matt Olson on seven pitches, ending the at-bat with a curveball, and walked Acuna on six pitches that were all located away to the right-handed hitting outfielder.

Maton fell behind Murphy 2-0 before getting a called strike on a sweeper. The righty went to his curveball and saw Murphy yank the breaking pitch down the left field line and off the netting along the wall in foul territory.

The foul ball gave him some thought on what to offer the right-handed hitting catcher. He leaned on his cutter and saw Murphy hit the first homer he's allowed as a Cardinal.

鈥淚 think standing here right now, it's easy to say we go back to the curveball and maybe get the swing and miss,鈥� Maton said. 鈥淏ut no, you've got to go after those righties. I already kind of pitched around Acuna a little bit. I have to go after some guys.鈥�

Maton, who signed the lone big-league free agent deal the Cardinals struck before this season, allowed three runs (two earned) in his first 21 appearances at Busch Stadium this season. Before the homer, the 32-year-old was one of six relievers in baseball who faced 140 or more batters this season and had not allowed a homer. The 61 1/3 consecutive innings streak gave him the second-longest active streak in the majors coming into Saturday.

It snapped at 61 2/3 innings and on the 253rd batter he faced since his last homer allowed.

鈥淚t's going to happen at some point,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淗e's been really good. You've just got to keep moving when something like that happens. This is a guy that's been incredible for us the entire first half. You think about where this team is at without (Maton) and it gets ugly real quick. I trust him a ton. Baseball happens at times. Murphy took a good swing on him. I got no issues with it.鈥�