If a single facial expression could capture these Cardinals, it was the exasperated look Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado wore following his final strikeout Sunday night at Busch Stadium.
After Machado had struggled to slow his swing enough to catch starter Adam Wainwright’s crafty curveball, he failed to catch up to rookie reliever Jordan Hicks’ blistering triple-digit heat. Actually, he didn’t even try. Machado watched two 100-mph sinkers for strikes before taking Hicks’ 88 mph slider for the K. Machado frowned, then started arguing with the umpire about the zone.
A loaded Dodgers lineup that had looked like World Series winners through the first three games left town with a 5-0 loss, the same season record as the Cardinals, and the same place in the National League’s wild-card race.