The Cardinals finally ran out of patience with reliever Ryan Franklin, cutting the closer Wednesday after he failed to regain his touch. Franklin was 1-4 with an 8.46 ERA and one save in 16 games. On Tuesday night against the Orioles, the righty gave up two runs and three hits, including a homer, while getting only one out. His inability to be effective, even in a mop-up role, led to the Cardinals giving him his unconditional release.