ST. LOUIS – Arriving at the St. Louis team hotel at 4:03 a.m. Friday morning after an emotional series in New York, the Cincinnati Reds needed to find a spark.
Drury, batting with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth inning, lined a 100-mph fastball to center field, but St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Dylan Carlson caught it with his back against the wall for the final out.
"I didn't know," Drury said after the 7-3 loss at Busch Stadium. "I hit it pretty good, but I was just trying to barrel something up, so I didn't know. I thought it had a chance, but I wasn't sure."
Before the ninth inning, the Reds had one hit in their last 16 at-bats. After creating several late-inning comebacks over the past week, it felt like they were due for a letdown game.
They opened the ninth inning with three consecutive singles. All-Star closer Ryan Helsley earned his save by retiring pinch-hitter Max Schrock, Jonathan India and Drury.
"I think all teams should be tired at this point in the season," Reds Manager David Bell said. We're no different than any other team. It's not really an option to think about it anyway."
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