Michael McGreevy delivered a strong performance for the St. Louis Cardinals, but the team lost its third consecutive game in a 13-inning contest against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night. The defeat completed a series sweep by Seattle.
McGreevy pitched six innings, allowing one run on five singles and striking out four without issuing a walk. His only run allowed came in the second inning after Josh Naylor reached base and was driven in by Dominic Canzone’s sacrifice fly. Despite facing pressure with runners on base, McGreevy managed to escape several jams, including retiring nine of his last ten batters.
“I thought my stuff was really good,” McGreevy said. “I felt really good going into the outing. It’s always a nice challenge to bounce back. It was a point of emphasis we made this last month, to … put up a zero in the first inning. So I was happy to do that.”
The 25-year-old right-hander has been consistent since joining the rotation in late July, finishing August with an undefeated record and maintaining a 3.50 ERA over six starts, each lasting exactly six innings—the longest such streak for any Cardinals pitcher this season. He had struggled in his previous start but rebounded against Seattle.
“Coming off a rough one in his last one [and facing] a really, really good team, that’s just part of the growth that you’re looking for,“ Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Those are the adjustments we’re talking about. He did a nice job with that.”
Offensively, St. Louis could not capitalize on several opportunities despite an early home run from Iván Herrera off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert in the first inning. The Cardinals loaded the bases in the second but failed to score as Gilbert struck out three consecutive batters to end the threat.
Additional scoring chances slipped away throughout the game: runners stranded on second and third in the fourth inning; Saggese’s leadoff double wasted in the sixth; and baserunning mistakes removed threats late in extra innings.
Herrera acknowledged his mistakes after being doubled off second base during an extra-inning opportunity: “I [screwed] up,” Herrera said. “And I kept thinking about that, and just I [screwed] up again. It’s part of the game. I’ll just try to be better.”
Reliever Riley O’Brien provided another highlight for St. Louis by escaping a bases-loaded situation with key strikeouts while pitching before family and friends near his hometown.
“It was pretty fun,” O’Brien said. “It felt good to just be in competition mode and just doing everything I can to get the hitters out.
“I feel like being in those situations just kind of brings out the best in me, and felt like I was able to rise to the occasion today.”
The loss keeps St. Louis fighting for position as they remain involved in September’s Wild Card race.
