Walker Streak Reaches 15 in Miami Loss

The Cardinal Chronicle
Walker Streak Reaches 15 in Miami Loss
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

MIAMI — The streaks didn’t all survive the night, but one of them refuses to slow down.

Jordan Walker extended his hitting streak to 15 games Monday night, but the St. Louis Cardinals saw their five-game winning streak come to an end in a 5-3 loss to the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park. It was a game that slipped away gradually, built on missed chances and just enough timely hitting from Miami.

For a while, it looked like Michael McGreevy might be in complete control.

The right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced and kept the Marlins quiet through the early innings. But Miami found a way to chip away. A run in the fourth, another in the fifth, and then a two-run sixth inning turned a tight game into a 4-1 deficit. McGreevy’s final line — five-plus innings, five hits, four runs, two walks, three strikeouts — told the story of a solid start that unraveled just enough at the wrong time.

The Cardinals had opportunities to answer, but couldn’t deliver the big swing.

St. Louis put traffic on the bases throughout the night but went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. During their recent winning streak, those chances were turning into crooked numbers. Monday night, they stalled out before the damage could be done.

Walker, meanwhile, continues to be the constant.

The young outfielder went 2-for-4 with a double, stretching his hitting streak to 15 games — the longest active run in the National League. Nolan Gorman added two hits as well, but the offense never found the rhythm needed to climb all the way back.

J.J. Wetherholt added another unusual chapter to his early season.

The rookie infielder was hit by a pitch for the fifth straight game and sixth time overall, setting a new Cardinals franchise record. It’s a tough way to reach base, but he continues to show he’s not backing off the plate.

Out of the bullpen, the Cardinals couldn’t stop the momentum.

Matt Svanson worked around two walks in the seventh to keep the game within reach, but the eighth inning created trouble. Ryan Fernandez walked the first two batters he faced, and Miami capitalized, pushing across an insurance run that proved to be the difference.

That was enough.

No single inning broke the Cardinals — just a steady series of small losses across the night. A missed hit here, a free pass there, and the margin slipped away.

Even with the loss, St. Louis remains in a strong position at 13-9 and 7-3 over its last 10 games. But Monday served as a reminder that momentum in this game is earned every night, not carried over from the last one.

The Cardinals will look to respond Tuesday as Dustin May takes the ball in the middle game of the series.

The Cardinal Chronicle in association with Gateway Sports