51ºÚÁÏ

McGreevy allowed two runs in a first inning that began with two hits and a walk, limited San Diego to a run between the second and third innings and allowed four runs to cross in the fifth inning before he was lifted from the outing with two outs in the fifth inning in the Cardinals’ 9-2 loss to San Diego.

The nine hits and seven runs McGreevy allowed were his most in any of his eight starts since reaching the majors at the end of last July. He had not allowed a run in the first inning of any of his previous seven big league starts heading into Sunday. That streak snapped three batters into the series final with a double by Manny Machado that produced two runs.

McGreevy, 25, bounced between the majors and minors this season as a spot starter before Erick Fedde was designated for assignment earlier this week to clear a spot for him. McGreevy (2-2) came into the outing with a 3.49 ERA in 28 1/3 innings this season and had a 2.81 ERA in nine big league outings (seven starts) following a brief big league showing at the end of last season. He left Sunday’s start with a 4.91 ERA after getting through 4 2/3 innings on 99 pitches.

While McGreevy worked with traffic, the Cardinals (54-53) were held to two runs by San Diego starter Stephen Kolek. The two runs the Cardinals scratched across against the Padres righty came in the sixth inning on a two-run homer by Alec Burleson, his 13th of the year.Ìý

The loss meant a four-game series split between the two clubs after the Cardinals beat the Padres on Thursday and Friday. It left the Cardinals 3 1/2 games behind San Diego for the third National League wild-card spot.

McGreevy stung by Machado

Facing the Padres for the first time in his career, McGreevy saw three of the runs he surrendered come on swings by San Diego’s star third baseman.

Manny Machado collected two doubles and a single against the Cardinals’ rookie right-hander. All three of the hits McGreevy surrendered to the seven-time All-Star had exit velocities faster than 100 mph. The first of the three hits came in the first inning when McGreevy fell into a 2-0 count to Machado while working with runners on first and third base and no outs.

McGreevy offered Machado a 2-0 sweeper that was hit on a line to center field, allowing Fernando Tatis Jr. to score from third base. Luis Arraez, the runner on first base, scored on the play as center fielder Victor Scott II’s throw back to the infield hit off Machado as he slid into second base for the first of his two doubles.

Machado lined a 104.2 mph single on an 0-2 fastball McGreevy placed at the top of the strike zone in the third inning to advance Tatis to third base, setting up Jackson Merrill to bring him in to score in the next at-bat.

McGreevy’s third and final turn against the slugging third baseman ended with Machado doubling home two runs on a ball he pulled to third base that kicked off Nolan Arenado’s glove and into foul territory.

Bats go quiet

Limited to four runs and eight hits in their past two games vs. the Padres, the Cardinals lineup was mostly grounded by Kolek during his six innings of work.

The right-hander’s knack for inducing ground balls, represented by a 50.4% ground-ball rate, helped him record eight ground outs. The first of which was a double play to end the first inning that marked the 14th time this season Kolek got his opposition to ground into a double play. He entered his start leading the National League in that category.

The only instance in which the Cardinals put multiple runners on base against Kolek came in the second inning.

Back-to-back two-out singles by Masyn Winn and Jordan Walker gave the Cardinals runners on first and third base. Facing Pedro Pages, Kolek ran a sinker in on the hands of Cardinals catcher to get a weak lineout to second base to end the inning.

All the Cardinals could muster against the 28-year-old Kolek before Burleson’s homer in the sixth were two walks as the righty used a slider and cutter to complement the 54 sinkers he threw in the start.

Iglesias goes behind the back

Three innings after he made a spinning throw to nab Arenado at first base on a ball the Cardinals third baseman grounded up the middle, Padres shortstop Jose Iglesias provided another strong defensive play on contact that required him to range to his right.

On a bouncing ground ball Pages chopped up the middle in the fifth inning with a runner on first base, Iglesias raced to his glove side and snagged the ball in the air after it bounced behind the second base bag. With his momentum taking him toward right field and the baseball in his glove, the veteran infielder shoveled a behind-the-back flip to Jake Cronenworth, who covered the base. The flip became a bounce pass angled at the bag for Cronenworth to field it barehanded for the out.