Garcia undone by mechanical issues

ST. LOUIS — Jaime Garcia’s mechanics betrayed him a few too many times on Tuesday, leading to a home result that looked quite different than what the Cardinals have become accustomed to seeing from their lone lefty starter.

Garcia never could settle in against the Mets, who took advantage of favorable counts and elevated pitches to race out to a quick lead en route to a 7-4 victory. They snapped Garcia’s three-game winning streak in the process and snuck closer in a Wild Card race that now has three teams bunched within 3 1/2 games of the Cardinals.

“Today,” Garcia said, “was just an overall struggle.”

It started during warmups, when Garcia could feel something slightly awry with his mechanics. He tried not to dwell on it, though the mechanical missteps became an issue when they followed him into his start. With the front side of his body flying open as he finished his delivery, Garcia lacked the ability to create the downhill angle that can make his pitches so tough to time.

This time, …

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