More Dustin May Struggles, Sagging Offense Sink Cards in Series Loss to Pirates

Cardinals’ manager Oliver Marmol discusses the success Dustin May had with his sweeper and cutter before running into major trouble in Thursday’s sixth inning. The Cards lost 6-2 and lost the series to the Pirates. ST.

LOUIS – In losing their first series in nearly a month, the Cardinals emerged from an ugly Thursday performance wondering which issue they should be more concerned about going forward: Dustin May’s continued mid-game troubles or their suddenly disappearing offense? May, who was signed to a one-year, $12. 5 million free-agent deal to provide a veteran presence to the starting staff, held the Pirates in check for the most part over the first 5 1/3 innings of Thursday’s series finale at Busch Stadium.

However, he came unglued in the sixth by allowing four straight Pirates to reach and two of them to score. Making matters worse, a Cardinals offense that was shut out on Sunday and again on Wednesday never figured out much against hard-throwing right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, who allowed just a run and four hits over seven innings. Add it all together and the result was a 6-2 Cardinals loss to the Pirates before 27,705 fans at Busch Stadium.

In losing the series 2-1 to the rival Pirates, the Cards dropped their first series since getting swept by the Mariners at Busch Stadium from April 24-26. They responded to that sweep by going 4-0-2 over the next six series to surge as high as nine games over . 500.