Arenado's big day not enough in loss to White Sox

ST. LOUIS -- Considering the current plight of a Cardinals offense that has had troubles driving balls out of the park and driving in runs, Nolan Arenado’s recent two-game surge might qualify as one of the most encouraging moments of an incredibly uneven season thus far.

Arenado was on base five times on Saturday, including mashing a 412-foot, three-run home run that briefly gave the Cardinals a fifth-inning lead. But not even his resurgence at the plate could wipe out another afternoon of frustration from the Cards’ offense.

After going just three-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven over the game’s first nine innings, the Cardinals came back after a 3-hour, 3-minute rain delay and saw pinch-hitter Iván Herrera get called out on strikes to end the game and strand the bases loaded. St. Louis was unable to push across runners in scoring position in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings before losing 6-5 to the White Sox.

“It’s high, and it should be high,” Arenado said of the rising frustration levels around a Cardinals team that continues to struggle to generate runs. “Guys shouldn’t be OK with what’s going on. I know we have a lot of games left, but that’s an ongoing excuse and we can’t continue to use that. We know that there’s a better feeling there, and we have to continue to push. I don’t know what else to say.”

Arenado, who drove in all three Cardinals runs with two doubles in Friday’s victory, had two singles, two walks and a home run on Saturday. However, the only time he scored was when he hit a 103.4 mph missile into the seats for a three-run home run. He drove in three runs or more in back-to-back games for the first time since last July.

“That’s a complete hitter, swinging at pitches where he can do damage and not trying to do too much,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He took a shot and hit a big homer for us to take the lead. But he continues to do a nice job. He’s in a good spot right now -- the base hit to right and all of it. He’s doing a really nice job.”

The most frustration-filled moments on Saturday came in the eighth and ninth innings. Arenado opened the eighth by walking and moving up to second on a wild pitch, but he didn't score when Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar and rookie Masyn Winn all grounded out to first. In the ninth, José Fermín took a 100 mph pitch off the right hand and then stole second, but he went no further when Paul Goldschmidt grounded out. In the 10th, the Cards couldn't score even after getting the extra-innings runner at second and the first two hitters of the inning reaching base.

“The at-bats, obviously, need to be better,” Marmol said. “They were frustrated with it, and they wanted to come through there, but didn’t. We had an opportunity to wrap that up and we missed it.”

It was the 24th game for the Cardinals that has been decided by three runs or fewer, tying the Yankees for the most such games in that category. The Cardinals are just 12-12 in those games. They are also just 1-4 in extra innings games, tied with the Astros for the worst such record in baseball.

The problem with generating runs is hardly a new one for the Cardinals, who came into the weekend series against the White Sox ranked 30th in home runs, 29th in OPS and runs, 27th in slugging, 26th in average and 25th in on-base percentage. Those numbers are only sinking lower after the Cardinals had six hits and seven runners left on base on Friday, and just five hits and the 10 left on base on Saturday.

At this point, all the Cardinals can do is be patient and hope that their proven middle-of-the-order sluggers join Arenado in feeling good about their swings, Marmol said.

“Goldy is good, he’s determined and cares. It’s a matter of time,” the third-year MLB manager said. “We have to answer the question because the offense hasn’t produced to the degree that we would’ve thought. It sucks to use the word ‘patience’ and I’ve been trying not to use the word ‘patience,’ but there’s no other word to use because this is our group and they’re good.

“It’s a matter of time. Nobody likes hearing that, but that’s the reality. Goldy is going to be good. [Nolan] Gorman is going to be good and Nootbaar is going to be good. You can go down that list, and they just will [be good]. And the only thing you can do until they are is to be patient. That’s just the reality of this.”