photo: Paul Goldschmidt (Billy Hurst/USA TODAY Sports)
Amid controversy surrounding catcher Willson Contreras’ role, the last-place St. Louis Cardinals snapped their eight-game losing streak on Sunday behind three home runs by Paul Goldschmidt. Our history feature is a profile of pitching coach Dusty Blake.
Game Recaps
Monday, May 1, 2023 – Off day
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 – Cardinals 1, Angels 5
The St. Louis Cardinals floundered in the opener of a three-game home series with the Angels on Tuesday. Starter Steven Matz continued to be ineffective on the mound. The left hander pitched five innings, gave up four runs on six hits, struck out four and walked two. Matz is now 0-4 on the season.
Drew VerHagen surrendered one run in the sixth. Chris Stratton threw two scoreless innings. In his MLB debut, Guillermo Zuniga tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Angels immediately went up 4-0 in the first inning on a grand slam. The Cardinal offense failed to put up any runs until the fifth inning when they scratched their only run across the plate. Tyler O’Neill singled and advanced to third on a Paul DeJong single with a throwing error. O’Neill scored on a ground out by Andrew Knizner.
St. Louis’ offense scored one run on four hits. They were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 – Cardinals 4, Angels 6
The Cardinals again lost to the Angels in a 6-4 contest on Wednesday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on eight hits and struck out five.
Jordan Hicks threw one scoreless inning of relief. Ryan Helsley followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos surrendered three runs in the ninth for his first loss of the season.
The Cardinals got on the board first with a run in the first inning on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman. The Angels tied it in the second, then took the lead in the third with two more runs.
The Cardinals regained the lead 4-3 in the fourth on a double by Willson Contreras and a two-run long ball from Dylan Carlson.
With a one-run lead going into the ninth, the Cardinal bullpen in the form of Gallegos gave up the lead by surrendering three Angels runs. The offense was unable to answer.
Gorman and Contreras were each 2-for-4 with an RBI. Nolan Arenado was 2-for-3. Carlson drove in two.
Thursday, May 4, 2023 – Cardinals 7, Angels 11
The Cardinals and starter Jack Flaherty were pummeled by the Angels in the final game of the series on Thursday. The right hander pitched only 2 1/3 innings, gave up 10 runs on nine hits, struck out three and walked one. Flaherty took his fourth loss of the season.
In his first relief appearance of 2023, Jake Woodford surrendered one unearned run in 1 2/3 innings. Chris Stratton threw two scoreless innings. JoJo Romero and Drew VerHagen tossed three scoreless innings between them.
St. Louis put up an early lead in the first inning on a two-run double by Willson Contreras. The Angels quickly responded with four runs in the second, six more in the third and one additional run in the fourth to take a commanding 11-2 lead.
The Cardinals began a comeback in the home half of the fourth on a three-run home run by Tommy Edman. The lead was cut to 11-5. A two-run double by Paul Goldschmidt further cut the lead to 11-7, but the comeback stopped there.
Edman was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Contreras was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Lars Nootbaar was 4-for-5.
In the field, Edman committed his fourth error of the season.
Friday, May 5, 2023 – Cardinals 4, Tigers 5
The losing streak extended to seven with a 5-4 loss to the Tigers in the first game of the home weekend series. Starter Jordan Montgomery pitched six innings, gave up two runs on six hits, struck out six and walked one.
Jordan Hicks relieved and surrendered three runs in 2/3 innings pitched. Giovanny Gallegos followed with 2/3 scoreless innings. Genesis Cabrera threw a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley got the final two outs of the game. Hicks took the loss.
Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1 in the third on a solo home run by Andrew Knizner. St. Louis took the lead in the fourth. Paul Goldschmidt led off with a double. Willson Contreras singled. Goldschmidt scored on a ground out by Nolan Arenado. Dylan Carlson reached on an error and Contreras scored.
The Tigers regained the lead 5-3 in the seventh. The Cardinals answered with one run in the eighth on a double by Lars Nootbaar. St. Louis failed to score in the ninth.
Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Arenado was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Saturday, May 6, 2023 – Cardinals 5, Tigers 6 (10 innings)
The Cardinals once again suffered a one-run loss to the Tigers, extending their losing streak to eight games. Adam Wainwright, pitching for the first time this season following an injury, pitched five innings, gave up four runs on eight hits and struck out five.
Drew VerHagen relieved Wainwright and threw a scoreless sixth. Genesis Cabrera surrendered a run while recording only one out. Chris Stratton tossed two scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos pitched the final two innings and allowed one run, unearned, the winning run. Gallegos took the loss, his second of the season.
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a three-run home run by Dylan Carlson. The lead lasted until the fifth inning, when the Tigers tied the game with a three-run inning.
In the home half of the fifth the Cardinals regained the lead on a two-run long ball by Nolan Arenado. Detroit scored one run in each of the sixth and seventh to tie the game again.
The game went into extra innings and Detroit pushed one run across to take the lead. The Cardinals were unable to answer in the bottom of the inning.
Lars Nootbaar was 3-for-4. Carlson had three RBI and Arenado drove in two.
On the base paths, Nootbaar stole his third base of the season. In the field, Alec Burleson had an outfield at third base and Nootbaar had an outfield assist at home plate.
Sunday, May 7, 2023 – Cardinals 12, Tigers 6
The snake-bit Cardinals finally ended their losing streak with a 12-6 win over the Tigers in the final game of the series on Sunday. Starter Steven Matz pitched better than he has in previous starts, even though he couldn’t notch the win. The left hander went 5 1/3 innings, gave up one run on five hits, and struck out two.
James Naile and JoJo Romero combined to surrender five runs in a combined 2/3 innings in relief of Matz. Drew VerHagen stopped the bleeding with two scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth. VerHagen earned the win, his second.
The Cardinals scored one run in the first inning on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt. A second run scored in the second inning to increase the lead to 2-0. Willson Contreras reached on an error and Brendan Donovan singled. Both runners advanced on a Dylan Carlson ground out. Tommy Edman plated Contreras on a sac fly.
Goldschmidt thumped his second solo home run in the third inning to make it 3-0. The Tigers got on the board in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1.
In the sixth, the Cardinals bullpen coughed up the lead, allowing five runs.
With a possible ninth straight loss looming, the Cardinals offense had had enough and went on a scoring rampage in the home half of the sixth. Goldschmidt singled and Nolan Gorman was hit by a pitch. Both runners executed a double steal. Arenado reached on an error and Goldschmidt scored. Brendan Donovan then gave the Cardinals the lead with a three-run home run.
The Cardinals didn’t stop there. Carlson singled. Edman reached on an error. Andrew Knizner doubled to plate Carlson. Knizner scored on a single by Lars Nootbaar. The Cardinals led 10-6.
St. Louis added to their lead with two runs in the eighth on a third home run by Goldschmidt.
Goldschmidt was 4-for-5 with four RBI and four runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Knizner was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Nootbaar drove in two.
On the base paths, Goldschmidt stole his fourth base of the season. Gorman swiped his third bag. In the field, Edman made his fifth error of 2023.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals continued to play poorly, as they went 1-5 for the week against two American League teams at home. A sweep by the Angels was followed by losing 2 of 3 to the Tigers. The Cardinals won the final game of the series, ending an eight-game losing streak. Nevertheless, the Cardinals have the worst record in the National League by far. Across both leagues, only the Athletics and the Royals have worse records.
The Cardinals are 11-24 and are in last place in the NL Central, nine games back of the Pirates. It would be much worse if the Pirates hadn’t gone on a seven-game losing streak after a hot start in April. The Cardinals are 8.5 games back of the second place Brewers.
Even with the majority of the season still ahead, catching up to be in contention for the Division, not to mention the postseason, would require the Cardinals to go on an extended if not record-breaking run. Every aspect of the game must get much better.
The top performers by OPS for the offense in the last seven games are Paul Goldschmidt (1.314), Andrew Knizner (1.000), and Lars Nootbaar (.920). At the bottom are Tyler O’Neill (.222) and Alec Burleson (.222). O’Neill is now on the IL.
Then there is the pitching, which continues to be a major problem. The front office’s failure to improve the pitching, especially the rotation, has come back to bite the team. The only starting pitcher with an ERA below 4.00 over the last seven days is Jordan Montgomery (3.00). Montgomery is the only below 4.00 ERA starter, period, yet he has just a 2-4 record..
The worst performance to date came from Jack Flaherty on Thursday against the Angels. Adam Wainwright made his first Saturday and was cruising until the fifth inning. Wainwright ended up giving up four runs in his final innings. Steven Matz has yet to post a win, though his final start on Sunday was much better than his previous appearances.
The bullpen has had one implosion after another after a fairly decent start to the season. Genesis Cabrera, Drew VerHagen and Chris Stratton have been decent. Ryan Helsley has improved after a slow start. Giovanny Gallegos blew a 4-3 lead for the Cardinals in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s game.
The Cardinals’ stellar defense of previous years has disappeared so far this season. Gold Glove winner Tommy Edman has made five errors already. The outfield remains a free-for all. After Jordan Walker was sent down to provide “clarity’’ for the outfield, the clarity has remained elusive. A call up of Juan Yepez to replace the injured O’Neill has left the team with two of the four being below average defenders. The sparkling outfield of the past is gone.
The Cardinals leave for another road trip with three games against the Cubs at Wrigley and three games with the Red Sox at Fenway. Avoiding another extended losing streak seems the best outcome for which to hope at this point.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| Pittsburgh | 20 | 15 | 0.571 | |
| Milwaukee | 19 | 15 | 0.559 | 0.5 |
| Chicago | 17 | 17 | 0.500 | 2.5 |
| Cincinnati | 14 | 20 | 0.412 | 5.5 |
| St. Louis | 11 | 24 | 0.314 | 9 |
Cardinals make surprising move with Contreras
In a shocking turn of events, the Cardinals announced on Saturday that their new catcher, Willson Contreras, will not catch for the foreseeable future. The move has left fans and the media, both local and national, scratching their heads.
In the initial announcement, the team stated that Contreras will primarily be the designated hitter with some appearances in the outfield as well. Contreras had only played around 39 games in the outfield in his career and his addition there would muddy an already discombobulated outfield situation. The move places Andrew Knizner as the primary catcher, with Memphis catcher Tres Barrera promoted to serve as the backup.
The announcement was criticized by many, including those on the national stage. This included ESPN’s Buster Olney, who posted a series of tweets outlining the issues the decision would create. These issues included blocking prospects and the sacrifice of lineup flexibility.
What followed afterward, however, was some purported “explanations” by Manager Oli Marmol that begged more questions than they answered.
The main issue it seems is that the Cardinals were judged to be losing in large part because of poor pitching performances by the staff, especially with two strike counts. In one case, Jack Flaherty was quoted as saying after his disastrous last start that part of the problem was “throwing pitches that don’t make sense”. This was interpreted as criticism of Contreras’ pitch-calling skills.
Marmol initially insisted that Contreras was not being blamed for the Cardinals’ streak of losses. However, Marmol’s subsequent explanations questioned the preparation of Contreras and his inability to follow their ‘internal game plan”. The statements appeared to be assigning blame to the catcher.
Then, to add more apparent dysfunction to the situation, President of Baseball Operations’ John Mozeliak told the Athletic’s Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal on Sunday, that Contreras would not in fact see time in the outfield, after all. Contreras would serve as the primary DH only. This latest change was reportedly made at Contreras’ request.
Mozeliak cited the events as being intended to improve “inefficiency behind the plate and an underperforming pitching staff”. He also said that there is “light at the end of the tunnel” regarding Contreras return behind the plate.
Again, this has the connotation of blame for the losses due to poor performance by the pitching staff, poor performances for which the pitchers themselves should bear some responsibility.
Contreras for his part has said in essence he has no choice in the matter and will work to be the best DH he can be while wanting to be returned to the position he signed to play.
The lingering question is whether this move will damage the relationship between Contreras and the team. The fact that the details of this unexpected decision have been dissected in public on the heels of a similar incident earlier in the season with Tyler O’Neill, leads one to wonder whether the potential alienation of two key players are wise moves on the part of the organization.
The Cardinals have $87 million dollars invested in a catcher who is not allowed to catch. Is that money being used judiciously?
Only time will tell whether this move will hurt or help an already floundering team in the long run.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors.
Transactions
- 5/2 The Cardinals recalled RHP Guillermo Zuniga from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/2 The Cardinals optioned LHP Zack Thompson to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/5 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP James Naile from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/5 The Cardinals recalled 1B Juan Yepez from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/5 The Cardinals placed OF Tyler O’Neill on the 10-day injured list. Lower back strain.
- 5/5 The Cardinals placed RHP Jake Woodford on the 15-day injured list. Right shoulder inflammation.
- 5/6 The Cardinals optioned RHP Guillermo Zuniga to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/6 The Cardinals recalled C Tres Barrera from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/6 The Cardinals designated INF Taylor Motter for assignment.
- 5/6 The Cardinals activated RHP Adam Wainwright from the 15-day injured list.
Injury Report
- RHP Adam Wainwright (groin strain) was activated from the 15-day injured list.
- RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the roster for James Naile. Rodriguez is out for the season with shoulder surgery.
- LHP Packy Naughton (left forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 8. Naughton has begun a throwing program. A late May return is possible.
- OF Tyler O’Neill was placed on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain. O’Neill may be ready to return when the 10-day period is up on May 15.
- RHP Jake Woodford was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Woodford experienced pain while pitching in relief on May 4. Woodford could return by late May.
Looking Ahead
The series with Detroit ended on Sunday as did the rough homestand. The team goes on the road again, beginning with three games at Wrigley Field. Miles Mikolas is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Jack Flaherty on Tuesday, and Jordan Montgomery on Wednesday.
After a travel day on Thursday, May 11, the Cardinals play the Red Sox in a weekend series at Fenway Field. A seven-game homestand follows with three games against Milwaukee and a four-game series against the Dodgers.
Another road trip begins on Monday May 22 with four games in Cincinnati and ends with three games in Cleveland. The month of May will conclude with a two-game set with the Royals at Busch Stadium.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues a series showcasing the major league coaching staff of the Cardinals. Each week we present a brief biography of one member of the coaching staff as well as a summary of the member’s playing career if applicable.
This eighth installment profiles Pitching Coach Dusty Blake. The duties of the Pitching Coach are to instruct pitchers on pitching mechanics, pitch selection, and preparation while also providing information on the weaknesses of opposing hitters. The Pitching Coach also assists the manager in making decisions regarding starting pitchers and the bullpen.
Dusty Blake was born on April 26, 1982, in Candor, North Carolina. He attended Appalachian State University and played baseball there while earning both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. He pitched for the Appalachian State Mountaineers from 1999-2003.
Blake became a pitching coach for Catawba College in 2006. From there he went to Wolford College in the same role from 2008-2011. He was pitching coach at the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2012.
Blake was hired as the Head Coach at Pfeiffer University in 2013. He was both the Head Coach and Associate Athletic Director at Pfeiffer through 2017. He became the Pitching Coach at Duke University in 2018 where he remained through 2020.
The Cardinals hired Blake as a Pitching Strategist for 2021 and 2022, assisting Pitching Coach Mike Maddux. When Maddux left after the 2022 season, the Cardinals named Blake the Pitching Coach for 2023.
Blake resides in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Amy, and daughters Mia and Macy.
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