ST. LOUIS -- Iván Herrera’s face said it all.
Despite his first-career All-Star Game appearance landing in the middle of it, the Cardinals catcher has been mired in one of the most challenging skids of his Major League career for more than a month.
He came into Saturday’s game against the Reds at Busch Stadium batting .163 with a .436 OPS since June 23. The ordinarily disciplined on-base machine had racked up 25 strikeouts in those 26 games, posting just two extra-base hits in that span.
So, when the Cards’ embattled batsman roped a two-run double to kickstart what became a decisive rally in the sixth inning of a 7-0 Cardinals win, he let out the dictionary definition of a sigh of relief while standing atop second base.
With the team’s recent form at the plate having mirrored the struggles of its All-Star designated hitter, the Cardinals needed Herrera’s breakthrough just as much as he did. Herrera’s double catapulted the Cards to a six-run inning as St. Louis chased Reds starter Hunter Greene from the game.
In a miserable stretch like the Cardinals have seen of late, you take your runs any way you can get them.
The first St. Louis tally on Saturday came courtesy of the defensive misadventures of Elly De La Cruz, as the Reds' star shortstop committed a fielding error and misjudged a grounder to help the Cards scratch across a first-inning run.
But that has been a hallmark of several Cardinals losses lately: come into an isolated instance of scoring, followed by leaving some meat on the bone before retreating back into a scoring lull that ultimately proves costly over the course of nine innings.
On Saturday, the Cardinals were able to flip that trend on its head.
Adding to the vibes of the outburst offensively was starter Andre Pallante delivering his best outing of the season.
Herrera was on the receiving end of the gem behind the plate as Pallante -- who entered Saturday’s start with a better lifetime ERA against the Reds (2.41) than against any other National League foe -- carved up the Cincinnati lineup for seven scoreless innings.
Pallante’s eight strikeouts tied a season high (April 24 vs. Seattle) as he produced his third scoreless start of the year, and his first such start spanning six or more innings.