ST. LOUIS _ Alex Reyes' much-anticipated first big league start came up one out short of having a chance at a win, saw him finally allow a run and, with him long gone, the Cardinals lose, 3-2, to the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night at Busch Stadium.
Reyes threw 42/3 innings and gave up just two hits but walked four, leading him to need 89 pitches to get that far. He struck out three and gave up a run when reliever Zach Duke issued a bases-loaded walk that forced in a runner that Reyes had put on base after Reyes had taken a seat in the dugout.
The Cardinals could have used Reyes out of the bullpen on Saturday. They carried a 2-1 lead into the eighth, when the Athletics scored two runs off reliever Matt Bowman. A single by Khris Davis and double by Ryon Healy gave the A's runners on second and third with one out.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny brought in Seung Hwan Oh for a two-inning save and he got Max Muncy to hit a hard grounder to first. Brandon Moss made a diving stop and threw home, but his throw was late and away from the plate, tying the game and putting runners on first and third with one out. Brett Eibner flew out to deep enough center field that Healy was able to score the go-ahead run. Stephen Vogt popped out to end the inning.
The Cardinals got their first run in the second on a home run by Randal Grichuk, his 18th of the season, and another in the third on two singles, a fly out and an error. After Grichuk's single in the fourth, the Cardinals didn't get a baserunner the rest of the game. Eight of those final 18 at-bats were strikeouts. Only three times did the Cardinals get the ball out of the infield.
Oakland got its first run, and the first run off Reyes, in the fifth. Catcher Bruce Maxwell was on first with two outs when Marcus Semien walked. Matheny lifted Reyes and brought in Duke, who hit the first batter he faced, Yonder Alonso, on the foot to load the bases. He then walked Davis on five pitches to force in a run, ending Reyes' career-starting scoreless streak at 14 innings.
