Reds held scoreless night after big series-opening win

ST. LOUIS -- Taking the first game is usually a good tone-setter and often a harbinger for winning a series. That fact somehow keeps passing the Reds by.

One night after handily beating the Cardinals, Cincinnati was a 1-0 loser to St. Louis in its 15th one-run loss of the season. The Reds have not won back-to-back games since June 12-14.

“It sucks. Not a good feeling, obviously. We keep doing the same thing," second baseman Jonathan India said.

The first game of a series was won by the Reds in each of their past three series, including this St. Louis set, and 12 of their past 15 since May 10. In seven of those, Cincinnati dropped the remaining games to lose the series.

Thursday's game saw the Reds score 11 runs with 16 hits. On Friday, they notched only four hits while going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

"We’ve still got two more [games]. We can still win the series," said India, who had two of his team's hits. "Find a way. We can’t keep doing what we’re doing.”

The Reds best chance came in the fifth inning vs. Cardinals starter Andre Pallante.

With two runners on and two outs, Pallante pitched around the Reds' hottest hitter -- India -- to walk him, load the bases and face Elly De La Cruz. The rally ended when De La Cruz hit a broken-bat grounder to first base.

It's games like this where even the smallest detail in the margins is crucial. That was crystal clear on Alec Burleson's pop fly to shallow center field in the third inning. Stuart Fairchild ran in for the ball but pulled off when De La Cruz ran from shortstop to make the catch as his momentum carried him further out.

That enabled speedy Michael Siani to tag up from third base and score the game's lone run.

"It wasn’t like an infield popup where [De La Cruz] could camp under it," said Siani, who was drafted by and began his big league career with the Reds. "As he continued to move it out further, I knew he had the arm strength, but I had to go when he kept going out further.”

"We teach the same thing," Reds manager David Bell said. "If Stu is able to read that and charge and make the play, it probably does shut down that run.”

That made Reds starter Frankie Montas an undeserving losing pitcher despite one earned run allowed over six innings. Montas gave up only two hits with three walks and five strikeouts. He retired his last seven batters in a row.

"Great pitching, both sides," Montas said. "Guys are going up there trying to put up good at-bats. This is baseball. You win some, you lose some. When you lose like that, there’s really not much to say other than it was a good game on both sides. They came out on top.”

It was also a night where the Reds were burned by being short-handed. Jake Fraley (right calf contusion) and Jeimer Candelario (right knee tendinitis) have missed the last couple of games with injuries. Another player, TJ Friedl (right hamstring strain) is on the injured list. Fraley is expected to return on Saturday, while Candelario is being targeted for Sunday.

All three hitters likely would have batted against Pallante and most certainly against the right-handers from the St. Louis bullpen -- including at the end of the game.

“That would be a huge help, a big boost for our lineup to get some guys healthy," India said. "We’re just going through a rough stretch, I guess. It’s not clicking like it usually does for us.”

In the ninth inning against closer Ryan Helsley, righty-hitter Santiago Espinal would likely have been lifted for a pinch-hitter and perhaps so would Fairchild, who ended the game being robbed of a game-tying home run at the left-field wall by Brandon Donovan's catch.

Fairchild could only spike his helmet to the dirt in frustration. Fraley was on deck to bat for Luke Maile.

"To a man in the clubhouse, we believe we’re going to find a way to win the game," Bell said. "It has created opportunities for other players. That experience is going to pay off at the end because it’s going to take our entire roster. But there’s no question we want our entire team out there. We’re stronger when we have everyone healthy.”