CINCINNATI -- Opportunities, for the second straight night, came and went. There was less drama, not a lead that they relinquished late, but that doesn’t make the losses any easier, especially at this juncture of the season, with the Trade Deadline looming and with an identity to be found.

The Cardinals stranded nine runners and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position in their 5-3 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, including three stranded in what was a make-or-break eighth inning. Those are identical numbers from Friday’s roller-coaster 6-5 loss. Saturday’s, though, extended the gap behind Cincinnati in the National League Central to 2 1/2 games and nine behind the first-place Brewers, as St. Louis tries to home in on if it’ll add or hold pat at the July 30 Trade Deadline.

• Box score

It’s the Cardinals’ first six-game losing streak to the Reds since 2003.

“We obviously know where we came from last year, so just keeping the perspective with that,” said Harrison Bader , whose second-inning RBI single gave him hits in 14 of 18 games since returning from the injured list. “... Obviously, we got hit in the chin a little bit tonight, but again, it changes nothing for tomorrow, for the approach tomorrow, for how much we're going to get after it. It’s like you said -- we're fighting for lives with the amount of baseball we have left.”

The more wins the Cardinals rattle off, the more momentum builds for a Trade Deadline acquisition. Setting themself up for the stretch run with an additional starter will only be ameliorated by the fact that Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty are nearing returns.

Mikolas threw three perfect innings on 29 pitches in his first rehab outing at Triple-A Memphis just as the Cardinals squared off in Cincinnati. Flaherty is scheduled to join him on Tuesday. Their returns may squeeze Saturday’s starter -- Jake Woodford -- from the rotation, though he navigated traffic through five innings of three-run ball well enough to give his club a chance.

“We understand our position,” said manager Mike Shildt. “... Them coming back, them not coming back, all we can do is play with what we have. There’s a sense of urgency in every game. … Every game is important, regardless of where we are in the standings. We’re 10 up, it’s still important.”

But the Cardinals will have to continue to win some games (or, arguably, lose them) in order to pin down their approach next week. They’ve created a better habit of doing the former this month, and especially since the All-Star break.

The biggest break on Saturday came when Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado opened the eighth with back-to-back doubles to scratch across a run. Paul DeJong cut the deficit to 5-3 with an RBI single, eventually moving the line to Matt Carpenter’s spot in the order -- loading the bases for one of the game’s best all-time hitters when they’re juiced.

But with a lefty coming in from the bullpen, Shildt turned to José Rondón for the lefty-righty matchup. The moment -- like several through two games in Cincinnati -- fizzled.

“I wish I had a better explanation or some magic pixie dust and make a change, but guys were fighting their tail off and beating and taking our best shot,” Shildt said. “That's all we can really do.”

Offensive squandering signified little help for Woodford, making his first start in Cincinnati since he was in the center of a fracas with Nick Castellanos that led to an emptying of the benches and bullpens during the season-opening series. Castellanos, though, landed on the IL with a wrist fracture the day the Cardinals got to Great American Ball Park. There was little ill-will for Woodford from those in attendance on Saturday; few boos (if any) found his way, before he scattered scattered seven hits across his five frames.

The most notable development in his night is that there were no extracurricular developments. Rather, just some career progressions, like learning from one changeup he threw where he wanted it, only to see Jesse Winker connect for a two-run double. And one sinker that caught maybe a tad too much of the plate to Joey Votto and that barely lofted out of the yard.

“There’s definitely some positives to take away today,” Woodford said. “Didn't feel like I had my greatest stuff but kind of took what we had, and we were able to change speeds enough and throw up strikes to gut through five.

“It wasn't exactly the prettiest, five innings, but you’re going to have those days,” he said.