The Major League baseball season is a marathon and not a sprint. During the last nine games, the Cardinals have looked like a team that has “hit the wall” and needs a second wind.

St. Louis went 1-8 against three of the top four teams in the American League Central. They were swept by the White Sox and Tigers and barely pulled out the final game of the series with the Indians. The eight game losing streak the Cardinals went through was the longest for the team since 1988.

It all started with a 20-6 blowout loss to the White Sox on June 20. Not all the games were as lopsided as that one. Rookie starter Anthony Reyes pitched a one-hitter in game three of the ChiSox series. The only problem was St. Louis didn’t score any runs and the one hit given up was a solo homer by Jim Thome. The Redbirds had several other chances to end the skid. Half of the losses were by three runs or less.

If the Cardinals want to look at the glass as half-full, they can take solace in the fact that they still have the lead in the National League Central. The lead was five when the streak started. It has dwindled a bit, but they still enjoy a one-game lead over the Reds. Cincinnati had a hard time making a major dent in the lead because they were playing the same AL Central teams St. Louis was struggling with. In Interleague play this year, the AL is 25-51 against the NL Central.

The Royals had a chance to make June a very positive month. A win over the Reds Thursday would’ve given them a chance for a winning month for the first time since 2003, would’ve given them four straight series wins, and removed them from being the worst team in the Majors.

The Royals can start planning for July because none of those things happened; Kansas City fell to the Reds 6-5 Thursday, ending all chances of accomplishing those feats this month.

The Royals had every opportunity to win the game. They fell behind 5-2 after four innings but tied the game at five with three runs in the eighth. Mark Grudzielanek drove in a run with a single right after David DeJesus led off with a double to center field. Emil Brown’s single chased reliever David Weathers from the game. New pitcher Todd Coffey immediately gave up a single to pinch-hitter Reggie Sanders. The rally continued on back-to-back RBIs by Tony Graffanino and Paul Bako that tied the game.

Adam Dunn made sure the game didn’t stay tied for very long, lining a 0-2 slider past right fielder Reggie Sanders for an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth.

Coffey pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the game and give the Reds a 2-1 series win.

With the Cardinals having the night off, Cincinnati was able to pick up a half game, and now trails St. Louis in the NL Central by just one game.