Presenting the top of the fourth inning, Cardinals vs. Giants, July 1:

Yes, the Cardinals loaded the bases with two hits and a hit-by-pitch off Tim Lincecum. No outs. Great opportunity! Then one out. Two outs. Three outs. No runs. Three left on base.

There it is, your 2014 Cardinals in a nutshell.

Even Timmy sounded a little surprised:

“I was hoping I could make them hit a double-play ball,” Lincecum added, “But they struck out, so it worked out.”

Yep, the 2014 Cardinals. Helping out opposing pitchers everywhere, as they lost again last night 5-0.

Speaking of opposing pitchers, the Cardinals finished their “Games Against The Guys Who Threw No-Hitters This Season” tour last night against Lincecum.

And the total offense against Josh Beckett last Thursday, Clayton Kershaw on Sunday and Timmy last night?

No runs in those 22 innings, 13 hits, 6 walks (each walked 2, coincidentally), 23 strikeouts, 21 left on base.

Some further fun facts, from Rick Hummel in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Over their last three games, all of which they have lost, the Cardinals have scored one run, on Matt Carpenter’s home run in the third inning of a 9-1 loss on Saturday. To be fair, the Cardinals have run into previous no-hit pitchers at nearly every turn of the West Coast part of their trip but they also have been outscored, 20-1 in the last three games. They haven’t had a lead since Friday and they haven’t scored in their last 24 innings.

Of course, maybe just pointing out the headline to Hummel’s article would have been enough:

Yep.

Just three words left to say after that.