In the final 15 games of the season, only three times did they follow a game in which they scored four or more runs with a game of four or more runs.
It’s a tough call for manager Mike Shildt, but starting “Carp” at third would likely mean moving Tommy Edman to right field, Dexter Fowler to center and Harrison Bader to the bench. The righthanded-hitting Bader struck out three times in Game 2, flailing his bat amid failing at-bats. He went 0 for three in the Cardinals’ 3-0 loss Friday at SunTrust Park. And his only hit in the series is a tapped infield hit.