photo: Jordan Hicks (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
Following six consecutive losses, St. Louis Cardinals finished the 2-4 week with two wins, taking a series for the first time in almost a month. Jordan Hicks saved both wins over the weekend. Our history feature highlights the worst-ever seasons by a Cardinal team.
Game Recaps
Monday, June 12, 2023 – Cardinals 3, Giants 4
The St. Louis Cardinals were the victims once again in a one run game in a 4-3 loss to the Giants. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six innings, gave up two runs on seven hits, struck out five and walked two.
Andre Pallante relieved and surrendered one run in the seventh. Chris Stratton relinquished one run in the eighth and took the loss. Steven Matz tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The Cardinals cut the lead in the fifth on a solo home run by Paul DeJong.
St. Louis took a 3-2 lead in the sixth on a two-run home run by Paul Goldschmidt. The Giants answered with one run to tie in the seventh and another in the eighth to go up 4-3.
DeJong was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jordan Walker, Nolan Arenado, and Brendan Donovan were each 2-for-4. Goldschmidt had two RBI.
On the base paths, Tommy Edman stole his 10th base of the season. Walker was caught stealing for the second time.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – Cardinals 3, Giants 11
The Cardinals followed Monday’s close loss with a blowout defeat to the Giants in the second game of the series. Starter Jack Flaherty pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up six runs on 10 hits, struck out three and walked three. Flaherty took the loss, his fifth of the season.
Genesis Cabrera surrendered three runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Jake Woodford relinquished two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Drew VerHagen got the final two outs of the ninth.
The Giants scored two runs in the top of the first. The Cardinals quickly responded with two runs in the home half. Brendan Donovan doubled and scored on a single by Paul Goldschmidt. Nolan Gorman walked and Nolan Arenado singled. Goldschmidt came home on a force out by Dylan Carlson.
In the third, the Giants took a 3-2 lead. San Francisco continued to pile on with three runs in the fifth, and three more in the sixth to lead 9-2.
St. Louis pushed one more run across in the eighth when Willson Contreras walked and crossed home plate on a double by Jordan Walker.
The Giants pushed the lead to 11-3 in the ninth.
Goldschmidt was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Nolan Arenado was 2-for-3.
In the field, Walker made a fielding error but also had an outfield assist at third base.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 – Cardinals 5, Giants 8 (10 innings)
The Cardinals were swept by the Giants with an 8-5 loss in extra innings on Wednesday. Starter Jordan Montgomery pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out seven and walked two.
Jordan Hicks threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Giovanny Gallegos surrendered two runs in the ninth and was tagged with his third blown save. Steven Matz relinquished three runs, two earned, in the 10th to take the loss, his seventh of the season.
Once again, the Giants took the early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning. The Cardinals answered with four runs in the second to take the 4-2 lead. Nolan Arenado, Dylan Carlson, and Paul DeJong each singled. Tommy Edman then hit a grand slam to right field.
St. Louis tallied their fifth run in the third when Nolan Gorman walked and later came home on a single by Jordan Walker.
The Giants scored one run in the seventh and two runs in the ninth to tie the game at 5-5. In the 10th, Matz gave up three runs as the Giants took an 8-5 lead, from which the Cardinals failed to answer.
Walker was 2-for-5 with an RBI and Carlson was 2-for-4. Edman had four RBI.
Thursday, June 15, 2023 – Off day
Friday, June 16, 2023 – Cardinals 1 at Mets 6
The Cardinals went to the Big Apple to play the Mets in a weekend series. In Friday’s opener, they had a poor showing, losing 6-1. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up six runs on eight hits, struck out one and walked one. Mikolas took the loss, his fourth of the season.
Genesis Cabrera relieved and threw a scoreless seventh. Drew VerHagen tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Mets took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, then added two in the third. The Cardinals scored their lone run in the fifth on a solo home run by Willson Contreras.
The Mets added their final tally in the sixth.
Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI and was the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
On the base paths, Jordan Walker was caught stealing for the third time.
Saturday, June 17, 2023 – Cardinals 5 at Mets 3
The Cardinals took the second game of the series, ending their six-game losing streak. Starter Adam Wainwright pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked two to earn his third win of the season.
Andre Pallante relieved and got the final two outs of the seventh. Giovanny Gallegos threw a scoreless eighth, and Jordan Hicks tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of 2023.
The Mets got on the board first with one run in the first inning. The Cardinals scored three runs in the second to take a 3-1 lead. Tommy Edman doubled and was driven in on a single by Brendan Donovan. Paul Goldschmidt thumped a two-run home run.
In the third, Jordan Walker’s solo home run increased the lead to 4-1. The Mets cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth.
In the ninth, the Cardinals added an insurance run to make it 5-3. Paul DeJong singled but was eliminated on a force out by Edman. Edman stole second base and scored on a Dylan Carlson single.
Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Donovan was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Edman stole his 11th base of the season.
Sunday, June 18, 2023 – Cardinals 8 at Mets 7
The Cardinals finally won a series after losing six straight. The 8-7 win over the Mets marked the first series win since playing the Dodgers in mid-May. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched four innings, gave up five runs on four innings, struck out two and walked two.
Chris Stratton relieved and surrendered two runs in the fifth. Andre Pallante threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Drew VerHagen hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings and received the win. Jordan Hicks tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his second save in as many days, suggesting a new bullpen hierarchy.
The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the first on a two-run home run by Nolan Arenado. The Mets answered in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to 2-1.
In the top of the second the Cardinals put up three runs to increase the lead to 5-1. Andrew Knizner reached on an error and scored on a single by Brendan Donovan. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a two-run double.
The Mets responded in the home half of the second with three runs to make it 5-4. St. Louis added a run in the third to make it 6-4 on a solo home run by Paul DeJong.
The Mets made it a one run game once again in the fourth. The Cardinals took a 7-5 lead in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by Jordan Walker.
This seesaw scoring continued with the Mets tying the score at 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth. The game remained tied until the ninth, when Arenado’s second home run of the day, a solo shot, made it 8-7.
Arenado was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Goldschmidt plated two.
On the base paths, Edman stole his 12th base of the season. Walker stole his third base. In the field, Walker had an outfield assist at third base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week with a record of 2-4. The team was swept by the Giants in three games and won 2-of-3 from the Mets. The series win against the Mets was the first since the Dodgers in mid-May.
The Cardinals remain in last place in the NL Central, 8.5 games back of the Brewers. While this gap is daunting, it is not so large that it cannot be overcome in the time left in the season. Nevertheless, the Cardinals’ performance issues remain.
The offense has been meager over the last few weeks but improved somewhat in the final two games against the Mets. The top performers by OPS over the last seven days are Jordan Walker (1.242), Paul Goldschmidt (.917), Brendan Donovan (.858), and Nolan Arenado (.807). At the bottom are Andrew Knizner (.000), Alec Burleson (.000), and Nolan Gorman (.228). Gorman is more disappointing because he plays every day, whereas Knizner and Burleson do not.
The pitching is getting worse instead of better. Out of the entire pitching staff, both starters and relievers, only three pitchers had an ERA below 4.00 over the last seven days. They are Jordan Hicks (0.00 – and saved both wins), Drew VerHagen (0.00), and Andre Pallante (3.00). The best starter ERA belonged to Jordan Montgomery and Adam Wainwright (both 4.26). The worst starter ERA was Jack Flaherty (12.46).
This team is never getting out of the basement if the pitching continues on this trajectory. An answer needs to come soon, whether that is changes in the composition of the staff, or major improvement in performance.
The outfield defense is still an issue, though the problem is now mostly left field. Jordan Walker has been playing there and not performing well defensively. One has to assume the team has decided he must learn at the major league level and the team will just have to deal with the consequences, at least until Tyler O’Neill returns (assuming he does). Walker is hitting the ball, at least for the time being, so it has become a tradeoff.
The Cardinals play the Nationals to begin the week and then head to London for two games with the Cubs on Saturday and Sunday.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| Milwaukee | 37 | 34 | 0.521 | |
| Cincinnati | 37 | 35 | 0.514 | 0.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 34 | 36 | 0.486 | 2.5 |
| Chicago | 33 | 38 | 0.465 | 4 |
| St. Louis | 29 | 43 | 0.403 | 8.5 |
David Freese declines induction to the Cardinals Hall of Fame
Over the weekend, the Cardinals announced that former third baseman David Freese informed them that he has declined the honor of induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in August.
Freese was voted in via the annual fan vote that occurred at the beginning of the season. The 2011 World Series hero was the overwhelming choice by fans over other nominees that included Steve Carlton, Joaquin Andujar, Matt Morris and Edgar Renteria.
Here is the statement from Freese about why he declined the honor.
Essentially, Freese felt that the totality of his career in St. Louis was not worthy of the honor. Freese thanked the fans for their support and apologized to those who took the time to vote for him.
Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr stated that he was disappointed that Freese has declined but respects his decision.
The induction ceremony in August will honor Jose Oquendo and Max Lanier, but there will be no fan chosen Modern Era inductee for 2023.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors.
Transactions
- 6/12 The Cardinals recalled RHP Jake Woodford from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/12 The Cardinals placed RHP Ryan Helsley on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 10. Right forearm strain.
- 6/16 The Cardinals acquired SS Richie Palacios from the Cleveland Guardians for cash.
- 6/16 The Cardinals transferred OF Tyler O’Neill from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Lower back strain.
Injury Report
- RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder strain) is on the 60-day injured list, out for the season with shoulder surgery.
- LHP Packy Naughton (left forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 17. Naughton was sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis on Sunday, June 11 but suffered a setback.
- LF Tyler O’Neill (low back strain). The outfielder has been out since May 5 with low back pain. O’Neill’s planned rehab has been cancelled at least once and the outfielder was sent for new testing on his back. The result was “no new findings”. There is no timetable for O’Neill’s return. O’Neill was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL on June 16.
- OF Lars Nootbaar (low back contusion) was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 2, retroactive to May 30. Nootbaar began a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds on June 17 and player Saturday and Sunday. It is hoped that Nootbaar will be able to join the team in Washington, DC on Monday for the series with the Nationals.
- RHP Ryan Helsley was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 10 due to a right forearm strain. Helsley felt tightness in his right forearm on June 11 and was sent for an MRI. The MRI revealed a tendon strain. Helsley will not travel to London with the team, and it is hoped he will be ready to return at the end of the 15 days.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals continue their road trip in Washington, DC to play the Nationals for a three game series beginning Monday. Monday’s scheduled starter is Jack Flaherty, followed by Jordan Montgomery on Tuesday and Miles Mikolas on Wednesday.
The Cardinals have two travel days after Washington to fly to London to play a two-game series with the Cubs. The Cardinals will be the home team. They will fly back on Monday, June 26.
The final series in the month of June will be three games with the Astros at Busch Stadium. Following, the Yankees will come to town on June 30 for hree.
Following the Yankees set, the team goes on the road to play four games with the Marlins in Miami, followed by a three game set with the White Sox in Chicago.
Blast from the Past
St. Louis has suffered one of the worst starts to a season in 50 years. The Cardinals have been one of the most consistent franchises as measured by winning seasons over the history of Major League Baseball. Nevertheless, St. Louis had had periods of underperforming.
This week’s Blast from the Past is the first installment in an upcoming series showcasing the worst seasons in the franchise’s long history.
A professional baseball team has represented the city since 1875. The first team, from 1875-1881, was known as the Brown Stockings. In the latter part of 1881, Chris van der Ahe purchased the team and renamed it the Browns. The team subsequently became the Perfectos for a brief time and then permanently became the Cardinals in 1900.
The Cardinals teams of the early 1900s were not very good. It wasn’t until Sam Breadon bought the team in 1917 and hired Branch Rickey to run it in 1919 that the franchise began a renaissance. From that time on the team was on its way to becoming the franchise it is today.
Nevertheless, the Cardinals have had periods of futility. We begin this series with the teams during the early 1900s. This series will focus on seasons during which the team played at least 154 games, eliminating any shorter seasons.
The worst team during that era was the 1908 Cardinals. That team was managed by a man named John McCloskey. McCloskey never played in the major leagues, and managed only two major league teams, the Louisville Colonels from 1895-96, and the Cardinals from 1906-08.
McCloskey was known for compiling one of the worst managerial records by winning percentage in major league history. That was the case for the 1908 Cardinals, which finished the season with a record of 49-105, dead last in the National League. The team’s average attendance of 2,500 per game is to this day the lowest peacetime attendance level for a Cardinals team since 1901.
Other records held by the 1908 team include the fewest walks taken by a team in a season with 282, and the fewest runs scored with 372.
Though the 1908 team may be considered the worst team in franchise history, other seasons between 1900-1920 were also bad. The following are the seasons and W-L records of a few teams during that two-decade period.
- 1907 Cardinals: 52-101-2
- 1906 Cardinals: 52-98-4
- 1909 Cardinals: 54-98-2
- 1905 Cardinals: 58-96
- 1916 Cardinals: 60-93
- 1919 Cardinals: 54-83-1
As you can see, the Cardinals of the early 20th century were not good. In comparison, the current 2023 Cardinals are barely playing above the level of the 1919 team, who finished the season with a .394 winning percentage. (The 2023 Cardinals are .403 as of this writing.)
The good news for the 2023 Cardinals is that much of the season remains to improve their current trajectory.
Upcoming installments will feature individual poor seasons in further depth.
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