The following two seasons saw Santovenia splitting time at catcher with Fitzgerald. On July 28, 1989, Vince Coleman of the St. Louis Cardinals was caught stealing by Santovenia, ending Coleman's Major League streak of 50 consecutive stolen bases. He played in 92 games during the 1988 Montreal Expos season with a .236 batting average and eight home runs, and played in 97 games during the 1989 Montreal Expos season with a .250 batting average. However, by 1990 Santovenia's average had dipped below the mendoza line. He hit .190 that season in 59 games, and in 1991 he split time between Indianapolis and Montreal, hitting .261 and .250, respectively.