The Cardinals got the start they needed but didn’t stick with the starter who provided it.
And when they got the hit they craved, it took the unluckiest bounce possible.
Jordan Montgomery, riding a tailwind of five consecutive scoreless innings, left the sixth with a firm grip on the game but did not throw a pitch in the seventh. The game went sideways in his absence as the Cardinals’ bullpen misplaced the lead in seventh inning. A double that would have taken it back bounced over the wall for a rulebook double that stopped the tying run from scoring.