Shildt defends bullpen after 4-walk meltdown with bases loaded
St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt supported his bullpen Thursday after it issued four walks with the bases loaded during a six-run meltdown versus the Atlanta Braves.
The Cardinals led 4-2 entering the top of the eighth. Giovanny Gallegos recorded a pair of outs to start the frame before surrendering a single, two-run homer, and double. Alex Reyes relieved him, only to plunk Adam Duvall and walk the next four batters - three with the bases loaded. Justin Miller replaced Reyes and gave out another free pass to score a run before finally getting the third out.
"Both those guys have been the reason we've been as competitive as we are - it's because of Giovanny Gallegos and Alex Reyes," Shildt said, according to Zachary Silver of Cardinals.com. "It always hurts at the end when you have a lead and you don't bring it home, but we haven't had that happen very often this year at all, and it happened tonight. Those guys are hurting, but I can tell you this, I'd put them in that situation any day of the week and take my chances. It just wasn't their night."
Gallegos and Reyes saw their ERAs move to 3.36 and 2.40, respectively. Miller, who's more of a journeyman, has an 8.03 ERA.
The Cardinals have struggled to pitch with the bases loaded all year. They've walked 26 batters in these situations, which is the most of any team since the 1999 Seattle Mariners, who did it 28 times, per STATS.
"It's been by far the most frustrating thing with this club because it's the one thing that we haven't done very well but more or less you can somewhat control - no pun intended," Shildt said.
The Cardinals fell to 53-55 with the loss, and are now eight games back of the second wild card in the National League.