On Thursday afternoon, the St. Louis Cardinals failed to sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. 17 times during the 6-3 loss, a St. Louis hitter was sat down on strikes. Despite pitching just five innings, Bucs starter Erik Bedard collected 11 of the Ks, including a Pittsburgh-record seven in a row.
The 17 strikeouts is just one off the Cardinals’ worst nine-inning showing ever in this category. On September 10, 1989, 18 Cardinals were fanned by Chicago Cubs pitching in a 4-1, nine-inning loss at Wrigley Field. (link to boxscore)
Researcher Tom Orf pulled the following table, which indicates the Cardinals had just two 16-strikeout nine-inning games prior to Thursday. It was their 30th game of at least 14 strikeouts.
Strikeouts in a nine-inning game, St. Louis Cardinals hitters, history
| Date | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
| 9/10/1989 | CHC | L 1-4 | 35 | 32 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
| 5/3/2012 | PIT | L 3-4 | 41 | 34 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| 9/29/2000 | CIN | L 1-8 | 36 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16 |
| 8/20/1997 | MON | W 6-3 | 44 | 35 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
| 4/22/2001 | HOU | L 3-4 | 34 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 15 |
| 9/12/1998 | HOU | L 2-3 | 35 | 32 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| 5/13/1997 | PHI | L 2-3 | 32 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| 5/21/1996 | HOU | W 8-2 | 42 | 40 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 15 |
| 6/25/1966 | HOU | L 2-3 | 35 | 32 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15 |
| 9/1/2011 | MIL | W 8-4 | 38 | 37 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| 4/13/2008 | SFG | L 4-7 | 42 | 37 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| 9/26/2004 | COL | W 9-3 | 45 | 40 | 9 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 14 |
| 7/18/2001 | HOU | L 11-17 | 47 | 44 | 11 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 14 |
| 8/27/1999 | ATL | L 1-2 | 35 | 35 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| 6/25/1999 | ARI | W 1-0 | 32 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 4/26/1998 | PHI | L 3-9 | 36 | 34 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 9/27/1995 | CHC | L 3-5 | 41 | 37 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| 9/25/1988 | NYM | L 7-9 | 40 | 37 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 14 |
| 8/22/1984 | CIN | W 6-3 | 37 | 35 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 14 |
| 6/24/1984 | CHC | L 0-5 | 33 | 31 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 5/21/1984 | HOU | L 2-3 | 37 | 32 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| 9/23/1983 | PHI | L 2-6 | 36 | 34 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
| 9/21/1982 | PHI | L 2-5 | 38 | 35 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 4/19/1980 | PIT | W 2-1 | 41 | 34 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| 6/9/1978 | HOU | L 7-11 | 43 | 35 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 9/9/1977 | PHI | L 4-11 | 33 | 31 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 14 |
| 8/31/1971 | NYM | W 2-1 | 32 | 30 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 5/20/1966 | CIN | L 3-5 | 37 | 34 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| 5/31/1959 | LAD | L 3-5 | 39 | 33 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 14 |
| 9/6/1941 | CIN | L 0-2 | 32 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
Note the big bulge in the 1980s and 1990s of such games.
| Decade | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s |
| # | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
The Cardinals have nothing to be ashamed of or be worried about. Bedard’s career best game was even better – 15 strikeouts. Further, even after the bad day, the Cardinals still only rank fourth in the National League in strikeouts.
Even more importantly, the 2012 Cards are first in the NL in runs scored at 138, with only one club within 20 runs of their total. Further, their league-best batting average of .286 is 20 points higher than the second-place club.
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