“It was a good time to give (Rangel) Ravelo his first major-league start. And a good day to give Bader a blow. It just made sense all across the board.”

Jose Martinez, who had sat out two games - he has missed just three all season - was in right field, Ravelo at first, Tommy Edman at second and Matt Wieters, nothing for 21 himself, behind the plate.

Either Ravelo or Edman, who was making his second start, will go back to Class AAA Memphis on Thursday when Yairo Munoz returns from the Dominican Republic where he had been on paternity leave for the birth of a daughter.

GOLDSCHMIDT HAD BEEN IN EVERY GAME

Goldschmidt, who popped up with the bases loaded and struck out twice on Tuesday, was the only player to have played in each of the Cardinals' 72 games this season although he had missed two previous starts. He was down to .255 and only 19 extra-base hits and Shildt said, “Today was, ‘Take a blow, man. Take a little bit of a reset.’"

Shildt said that Goldschmidt just needed “a break from the game. We have a young man (Ravelo) who has done nothing but have success and who is a really, really good hitter. He's earned his way up here. Hey, I’d like to give this guy a start. And this might be a good day to give Goldy a day off.''