In between the sniffs and the coughs caused by the bug he’d been battling for four days, Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez chose the direct approach when addressing his first loss of the season — and the unpleasant legal allegation against him that surfaced earlier.
“I’m not going to use any excuse. Today I got beat,” said Martinez, through translator and teammate Brayan Pena, after the Cardinals’ 6-1 loss to the Nationals in Sunday’s series finale at Busch Stadium.
Down five to 10 pounds from his normal weight because of a flu-like illness that has slowed multiple Cardinals this season and perhaps a bit road weary following a trip to Miami to address a legal matter now hanging over his head, Martinez left the ballpark Saturday unsure if he would make his first career start against the Nationals.