Street. LOUIS – The trade away from Jordan Montgomery has really hurt the Yankees.
The left-hander, in his first start with the Cardinals, threw five goalless rounds, but the Yankees have bigger concerns after losing 1-0 on Saturday night.
They have lost four consecutive games for the first time this season, as well as five of their six games overall. While their record is still an impressive 70-38, they’ve gone 6-9 since the All-Star break and have the Astros on their tails for the best MLS record. Houston is just half a rematch at 70-39.
The Yankees’ last defeat came to the largest crowd of this version of Bush Stadium: 48,581. The Yankees finished with a pair of hits, none after the third inning.
Facing Montgomery on his first start since being substituted with injured defensive back Harrison Bader on Tuesday, the Yankees were unable to touch their former teammate.
He only allowed two strokes and walked five stops before being removed for cramping in his 83-degree outing.
Domingo Germain, who has been in Montgomery’s rotation position, with newly acquired Frankie Montas set to make his debut as a Yankee on Sunday, was almost in good shape. The German allowed running once in four strokes and not walking in his five innings.
The Yankees threatened at the top of the first, but came out empty.
After Aaron Judge left alone and Josh Donaldson walked in, Montgomery received a visit from St. Louis coach Mike Maddow.
The left-hander then went to a full count against Torres Gleiber before Torres hit a strongman to third, which was turned into a double play by Nolan Arenado.
The Yankees barely sniffed a scoring opportunity after the first and the Cardinal reached Germany at the bottom of the game. After the Germans retired in the first two, Paul Goldschmidt doubled to the left and Arenado finished a 10-court putter with the RBI singles left.
The German almost gave up two more runs in the third, and again by two runs.
Nolan Gorman scored a midfield goal and Goldschmidt doubled for the right midfield goal, but midfielder Tim Lucastro started a perfect succession for Torres, who smashed a shot into Kyle Higashioka into the net.
Montgomery left by one half, replaced by Jordan Hicks, who threw 1¹/closing innings.
The Yankees barely had any chances to score after the first half, as they got another chance the rest of the way.
Cardinal Matt Carpenter received former left-sided Genesis Cabrera with a shot in the right center, which Dylan Carlson tracked in the warning track for the second time in the seventh season.
On the eighth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa set out for a walk. After Andrew Benintende hit a locastro and popped, Higashioka tore a liner to the shallow right, but Lars Notbar rushed in and made a great dive.
Another former Yankee, Giovanni Gallegos, came in ninth and got the judge to fly to center, hitting Donaldson swinging and swinging Torres to finish with the Hot Cardinals, who won six in a row and eight of nine.
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