The Cardinals defense couldn't make the plays it needed to in a 10-6 loss to the Mets at Busch Stadium on Thursday.
Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright allowed seven runs, but only two of them were earned and there were plays not made that figured as large as the team's two errors, though one of those errors, Greg Garcia's fumbled grounder in the fifth, cost them four runs and effectively took them out of the game.
The Marlins lost to Kansas City, meaning the Cardinals hold on to a 1 1/2 game lead for the second wild card spot.