Jun. 23—DETROIT — What should have been a 0-0 game nearly halfway through Tuesday night at Comerica Park turned into an unmitigated disaster in the fourth inning as the Detroit Tigers scored six runs after Cardinals rookie pitcher Johan Oviedo, messing up what should have an been an out, fired a throw nowhere near third baseman Nolan Arenado.

By the time rookie left fielder Lars Nootbaar corralled the ball in the corner, the Tigers had one run. By the time Oviedo had finished unraveling, Jonathan Schoop’s long, three-run homer had made it an untenable deficit for the Cardinals’ often MIA offense to overcome.

The first of 13 games against under-.500, fourthor fifth-place teams, the Cardinals’ best chance to right a foundering ship, got off to a bumpy start in an 8-2 loss to the Tigers.

Manager Mike Shildt, discussing the time being now for a winning streak to ensue, had said before the game, “I couldn’t agree more.”

But again, the Cardinals dipped under .500 at 36-37. The only time they have gained ground on the clubs ahead of them in the National League Central Division in the last week or so has come when they haven’t played, as on Saturday and Monday.

Oviedo’s winless streak as a starter reached 13 although hopes had been high after he had spun seven scoreless innings vs. Miami this past week. The Cardinals’ starters are 2-10 since staff ace Jack Flaherty suffered an oblique strain some three weeks ago, with both wins having been scored by soon-to-be-40-year-old Adam Wainwright.

Jeimer Candelario walked and Miguel Cabrera singled with two out in the Detroit first but the Cardinals caught a break when Akil Baddoo’s liner hit high on the back of Oviedo, who had turned his body. The ball ricocheted to shortstop Paul DeJong, who flipped to second baseman Edmundo Sosa for the forceout.

Nomar Mazara singled to start the Detroit second and got as far as second but Oviedo retired Jake Rogers on a fly to left for the final out of the inning. That was the last time they got Rogers out for a while.

Oviedo shot himself in the foot in the fourth. With one out, Baddoo singled to right and went to second on a wild pitch.

Mazara rapped a bouncer to the mound where Oviedo made a good stab. Baddoo was headed for third, which is where Oviedo threw it. Sort of. The throw went well over the head of Arenado, who was playing off the line and was on the run toward the bag, Baddoo scored and Mazara went all the way to third.

“Lot of damage,” said Shildt. “Untimely, clearly. Tough play because Nolan was off the line and (Oviedo) had to hit him on the run.

“But it was a big play that cracked open a big inning.”

To the theory that Oviedo had lost some concentration after the error, Oviedo dismissed it but Shildt said, “Potentially. Yes, it’s very possible.”

Oviedo walked Willi Castro. Pitching coach Mike Maddux went to the mound at this point but Oviedo, after getting ahead of Harold Castro at 1-2, walked him, also, to fill the bases. Then, ninthplace hitter Rogers lined a two-run double into left and it was 3-0.

“I hung a slider to the catcher (Rogers) and that was when things went a little out of control,” said Oviedo.

Oviedo (0-3) caught a break when a 3-2 changeup which looked like a ball was called a strike. But Schoop rendered that rather meaningless by rocketing a 2-0 slider 418 feet to deep left center for his 14th homer.

Shildt said, “He didn’t get the slider where he wanted to and he got punished for it.”

A single by Jeimer Candelario finished Oviedo for Daniel Ponce de Leon. “I really believe things will be better,” said Oviedo.

The Cardinals managed two runs in the fifth on singles by DeJong, Tommy Edman and Paul Goldschmidt and a sacrifice fly by Nootbaar but once starter Tarik Skubal had reached 97 pitches, he was yanked for Kyle Funkhouser, who retired Arenado on a tapper.

But there was too much ground to make up, ultimately, after the six-run gut punch in the fourth. “That’s not a good recipe,” said Shildt.

Nootbaar’s parents, who were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary, weren’t able to be on hand on Wednesday.. Nootbaar’s sister and brother were here, though, and saw their sibling make contact in each of his four at-bats.

“I wish it would have come in a win . . . but it’s something I’ll remember forever,” said Nootbaar.

Ponce de Leon was replaced with a right shoulder injury after allowing a leadoff double to Baddoo in the home fifth. The righthander had faced only two of the normally required three batters he was supposed to face but he encountered shoulder discomfort for the second time this season, the first time landing him on the injured list.

He said the injury was similar to his first one and he didn’t seem all that happy, even though the Cardinals won’t consider replacing him on the roster until the team returns home after Wednesday afternoon’s game.

“It’s been a very frustrating season for me,” said Ponce de Leon. “I’ve been fighting it left and right. I just couldn’t get rid of it.”

He said he didn’t hurt himself on a particular pitch. “It was every throw, really,” said Ponce de Leon.

Shildt, discussing the possible severity of the injury, said, “You’re always worried. He was like, ‘I feel OK. I can still pitch.’ At the moment, that wasn’t what we wanted to say or hear.

“You’re cautiously optimistic he won’t miss any time. But it’s been something that’s been a little recurring.”

Andrew Miller entered but before he recorded three outs, Rogers had knocked in two more runs with a triple to make it 8-2. And word then came that Lane Thomas, just dispatched to Memphis, had homered in his first game for the Redbirds at Toledo, just down the road.

Which did no good here.

The Cardinals have scored two or fewer runs in eight of their past 10 games and in four of the games didn’t even have an extra-base hit. Somehow, the Cardinals mustered four wins in that 10-game stretch.

Shildt, ever hopeful, says he expects that every day will be the day things turn around.

“I do,” said Shildt. “I’m on record with my belief in this club.

“I’m just frustrated about the result tonight. But I just know this group is right there, where it can take off. We’ve got to be consistent. And I’ve got do my part.”

Asked what that was, Shildt said, “I’ve got to do what I can — when I can.”

One of few things that went without a hitch was umpire Joe West’s inspection of the various pitchers for illegal substances. Everyone cleared.

“I asked Joe coming back from making a (pitching) change if he wanted to check me,” said Shildt, finding some humor on this evening.

“He said he would pass. And I won’t reveal if I had anything or not.”