The struggling Cardinals were desperate for something familiar to hopefully return them to their traditional winning ways.
They found themselves in a very unfamiliar position of being 13 games below .500 at the start of the day with the worst record in the National League and playing in front of a home crowd that has become increasingly vocal about their dismay with the club’s performance.
Before the game, manager Oliver Marmol cited a need for “familiarity” when he announced the club’s top offseason free-agent acquisition and starting catcher Willson Contreras would serve primarily as a designated hitter and possibly an outfielder in coming weeks.