The Phillies simply could not do enough with the opportunity.
Philadelphia managed five hits, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and grounded into four double plays in a 2-0 loss at Busch Stadium, wasting another strong start from Sánchez at a point in the season when games like this are becoming increasingly costly.
Sánchez allowed four hits over six scoreless innings, struck out seven and did not walk a batter. He needed only 89 pitches and rarely appeared to be in serious trouble, continuing a season in which he has developed into one of the most dependable starters in the National League.
But with temperatures hovering in the 90s and the heat taking a toll, manager Don Mattingly turned the game over to the bullpen after six innings with the score still tied.
The decision immediately changed the game.
Alex McFarlane opened the seventh by walking Jordan Walker, who stole second and eventually scored when Masyn Winn lined a two-out single into right field. It was a small rally, but on this night, one run felt enormous.
The Phillies had already spent much of the evening missing chances by inches.
Alec Bohm drove a ball 399 feet to center field in the fifth inning, only to watch Everson Pereira make the catch at the wall. In the seventh, Justin Crawford ripped a 105-mph line drive with two runners aboard, but Jordan Walker was positioned perfectly in right field.
Those outs were frustrating. The eighth inning was worse.
Kyle Schwarber opened the inning with a walk. Trea Turner followed with another, and Bryce Harper reached on a third consecutive free pass. Suddenly, the Phillies had the bases loaded, nobody out and their best opportunity of the night sitting directly in front of them.
They came away empty.
Luis Arraez grounded into a 3-2-3 double play, cutting down the lead runner at the plate and immediately changing the shape of the inning. J.T. Realmuto followed by driving a ball 396 feet to center field, but it stayed in the park.
Three straight Phillies had reached to begin the inning. Not one scored.
That sequence told the story of the night better than anything else.
Philadelphia did not spend nine innings being overmatched. The Phillies put several balls in play with authority and created enough traffic to make St. Louis uncomfortable. But every time they appeared ready to break through, the inning collapsed before a run could cross the plate.
That is the difference between bad offensive nights and frustrating ones.
The Phillies were not without opportunities. They simply failed to finish them.
Arraez's struggles made the eighth-inning double play even more glaring. He is now hitless in his last 16 at-bats, a difficult stretch for a player the Phillies acquired to give the lineup more contact and consistency.
Tuesday presented exactly the kind of situation in which that skill set was supposed to matter.
Instead, the biggest scoring opportunity of the night disappeared in two pitches.
The Cardinals added another run in the eighth when Pereira drove a Tim Mayza pitch 430 feet for a solo homer. That gave St. Louis a 2-0 cushion and left Philadelphia needing a late rally that never came.
Lost in the offensive frustration was another reminder of just how good Sánchez has been.
He lowered his ERA to 2.54 and finished the night with 181 strikeouts in 155 2/3 innings. He has given the Phillies both quality and length throughout the season, and Tuesday was another start that should have ended with something better than a no-decision.
Instead, it became another example of how narrow Philadelphia's margin has become.
The Phillies dropped to 64-57, keeping them packed into a crowded National League wild-card race with Arizona and San Diego. The standings have reached the point where wasting a six-inning scoreless start can no longer be shrugged off as simply one of 162.
There are too many teams nearby and too few games left for that.
There is also Harper's health to monitor. He returned to right field while continuing to manage soreness in his left knee, an issue that has lingered since before the All-Star break. Harper has remained in the lineup, but Philadelphia can ill afford another major health concern as the schedule tightens.
For now, though, the greater concern remains the inconsistency around the pitching staff.
Sánchez did his job Tuesday.
The Phillies had the bases loaded with nobody out in the eighth. They had multiple well-struck balls that came close to changing the score. They had opportunities throughout the game to take control.
What they did not have was a run.
And in August, that is no longer just frustrating.
It is expensive.
Kyle Schwarber opened the inning with a walk. Trea Turner followed with another, and Bryce Harper reached on a third consecutive free pass. Suddenly, the Phillies had the bases loaded, nobody out and their best opportunity of the night sitting directly in front of them.
They came away empty.
Luis Arraez grounded into a 3-2-3 double play, cutting down the lead runner at the plate and immediately changing the shape of the inning. J.T. Realmuto followed by driving a ball 396 feet to center field, but it stayed in the park.
Three straight Phillies had reached to begin the inning. Not one scored.
That sequence told the story of the night better than anything else.
Philadelphia did not spend nine innings being overmatched. The Phillies put several balls in play with authority and created enough traffic to make St. Louis uncomfortable. But every time they appeared ready to break through, the inning collapsed before a run could cross the plate.
That is the difference between bad offensive nights and frustrating ones.
The Phillies were not without opportunities. They simply failed to finish them.
Arraez's struggles made the eighth-inning double play even more glaring. He is now hitless in his last 16 at-bats, a difficult stretch for a player the Phillies acquired to give the lineup more contact and consistency.
Tuesday presented exactly the kind of situation in which that skill set was supposed to matter.
Instead, the biggest scoring opportunity of the night disappeared in two pitches.
The Cardinals added another run in the eighth when Pereira drove a Tim Mayza pitch 430 feet for a solo homer. That gave St. Louis a 2-0 cushion and left Philadelphia needing a late rally that never came.
Lost in the offensive frustration was another reminder of just how good Sánchez has been.
He lowered his ERA to 2.54 and finished the night with 181 strikeouts in 155 2/3 innings. He has given the Phillies both quality and length throughout the season, and Tuesday was another start that should have ended with something better than a no-decision.
Instead, it became another example of how narrow Philadelphia's margin has become.
The Phillies dropped to 64-57, keeping them packed into a crowded National League wild-card race with Arizona and San Diego. The standings have reached the point where wasting a six-inning scoreless start can no longer be shrugged off as simply one of 162.
There are too many teams nearby and too few games left for that.
There is also Harper's health to monitor. He returned to right field while continuing to manage soreness in his left knee, an issue that has lingered since before the All-Star break. Harper has remained in the lineup, but Philadelphia can ill afford another major health concern as the schedule tightens.
For now, though, the greater concern remains the inconsistency around the pitching staff.
Sánchez did his job Tuesday.
The Phillies had the bases loaded with nobody out in the eighth. They had multiple well-struck balls that came close to changing the score. They had opportunities throughout the game to take control.
What they did not have was a run.
And in August, that is no longer just frustrating.
It is expensive.
Loading Phillies schedule...
Loading NL East standings...
