Watkins (0-1) took the loss against St. Louis on Wednesday, completing 3.2 innings and allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three.
The right-hander pitched a clean first inning before the Cardinals got to him for three runs in the second. Watkins was fine in the third frame, but he allowed four straight batters to reach base with two outs in the fourth before being mercifully pulled. All told, the 29-year-old gave up a season-high eight hits and seven runs, pushing his ERA from a respectable 3.22 to 5.19 on the campaign. Things are unlikely to get easier for Watkins, as he's tentatively slated to face the Yankees in his next start.