Cardinals rookie pitcher has taken turn for the worst in second half

The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Kansas City Royals by a final score of 8-3 on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.

The offense struggled to produce, and the bullpen wasted a strong start from Andre Pallante as the Cardinals failed to sweep their two-game series with their cross-state rivals.

Right-hander Ryan Fernandez took the loss. He's been one of St. Louis' most reliable relievers this season, but Cardinals writer Bernie Miklasz pointed out a troubling trend.

"Rough night for rookie Cards reliever Ryan Fernandez, and it's hardly been an isolated case," Miklasz tweeted. "He had an incredible June, wasn't as good in July. And it's gotten worse since the All-Star break."

Fernandez had a 2.08 ERA prior to the All-Star break. Since the second half began however, things have only gone downhill. The young right-hander has an 11.10 ERA since the break.

This is certainly troubling for the Cardinals, who have relied heavily on their core of relievers to win games. Fernandez has been used in high-leverage spots for most of the season, but he faltered on Saturday.

If the Cardinals want to avoid back-to-back seasons out of the playoffs, they'll need Fernandez to regain his first-half form. The team is 60-58, eight games back in the National League Central and two back in the Wild Card race.

Fernandez was selected from the Boston Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason and has become a solid relief option for St. Louis.

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