Pujols and Cards may have kissed the Wild Card good-bye (photo courtesy STLcardinals.com The St. Louis Cardinals gave up 24 runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in this three game series as the Bucs swept the Cards following Sunday’s 7-2 final.  The loss was the Cardinals’ fifth in a row and at this point may be all but done. 

Brad Thompson making a spot start got touched for six runs in his first two innings of work, something the Cards were unable to recover from.  The Cardinals got single runs in the third and fourth innings as they tried to scrap their way back, but Randy Flores gave up a solo home run as the Pirates increased their lead.

Albert Pujols went 2 for 4, his average is .360 and he trails Chipper Jones who is at .362.  With the loss, the Cardinals, the Cards don’t lose any ground, staying five back, but Philadelphia closes to one of struggling Milwaukee and Houston inches closer to two games out of the Wild Card. 

The road trip continues after an off day on Monday with a three game series in Cincinnati.