photo: Adam Wainwright (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
The losses and injuries mount for the last-place Cardinals, which dropped both series this past week. The highlight of the week and season is Adam Wainwright’s 200th career win. Our history feature revisits the .314 winning percentage 1903 Cardinals.
Game Recaps
Monday, September 18, 2023 – Cardinals 1, Brewers 0
The St. Louis Cardinals blanked the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers in the first of a four-game series at Busch Stadium. Starter Adam Wainwright pitched a seven-inning scoreless gem to reach his 200th career win. The right hander allowed four hits, struck out three and walked two.
John King relieved Wainwright and threw 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his 12th save.
The Cardinals scored the only run of the game in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Willson Contreras.
No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense scattered five hits, with the only extra base hit Contreras’ home run. They were 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023 – Cardinals 3, Brewers 7
The Cardinals fell to the Brewers by a 7-3 score on Tuesday. Starter Drew Rom pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up five runs on six hits, struck out three and walked two. Rom took the loss.
Jake Woodford threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Drew VerHagen surrendered one run in the seventh. Andre Pallante hurled a scoreless eighth. Casey Lawrence relinquished one run in the ninth.
The Cardinals scored first with two runs in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar singled and came home on a double by Alec Burleson. Burleson was driven in by a sac fly from Nolan Arenado.
The Brewers cut the lead to 2-1 in the third and added four runs in the fourth to go up 5-2. St. Louis made it 5-3 in the fifth on a solo home run by Richie Palacios.
The Brewers added single runs in the eighth and ninth for the final score of 7-3.
Nootbaar was 2-for-4 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits. The offense scored three runs on eight hits, was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
On the base paths, Nootbaar stole his 11th bag. Burleson swiped his third.
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 – Cardinals 2, Brewers 8
The Cardinals dropped the third game of the series on Wednesday. Starter Zack Thompson pitched five innings, gave up four runs on five hits, struck out four and walked one. Thompson took the loss.
Jacob Barnes threw two scoreless innings of relief. Casey Lawrence surrendered four runs in the final two innings pitched.
The Brewers took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. The Cardinals scored one run in the home half of the first to cut the lead to 3-1. Lars Nootbaar doubled and came home on a single by Paul Goldschmidt
Milwaukee made it 4-1 in the fourth. St. Louis shrunk the lead to 4-2 in the eighth. Jordan Walker singled and later scored on a single by Richie Palacios.
The Brewers scored four in the ninth to get to the final score of 8-2.
Nootbaar was 2-for-4 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits. The offense was 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
Thursday, September 21, 2023 – Cardinals 0, Brewers 6
The Cardinals were defeated in the fourth and final game on Thursday, dropping the home series three games to one. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched five innings, gave up six runs, five earned, on nine hits, struck out four and walked one. Mikolas took the loss, his seventh of the season.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Suarez hurled three scoreless innings.
The Brewers dominated, starting with one run in the third to take a 1-0 lead. Milwaukee added one run in the fifth and four runs in the sixth to lead 6-0.
The Cardinals offense scattered six hits and were held scoreless. Paul Goldschmidt and José Fermin were each 2-for-3.
In the field, Jordan Walker made two errors, one fielding and one throwing.
Friday, September 22, 2023 – Cardinals 2 at Padres 4
The Cardinals fell by a 4-2 score in San Diego on Friday. Starter Dakota Hudson pitched six innings, gave up two runs on nine hits, struck out two and walked one.
Drew VerHagen relieved Hudson and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Liberatore surrendered two runs in 2/3 innings and took the loss.
San Diego took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Masyn Winn. The Padres pulled ahead again, 2-1, in the home half of the sixth.
St. Louis tied it again in the top of the eighth. Paul Goldschmidt singled and came home on a triple by Jordan Walker. San Diego plated two runs against Liberatore in the bottom of the eighth to lead 4-2.
Tommy Edman was 2-for-5. The offense scored two runs on eight hits, was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
On the base paths, Edman and Richie Palacios each stole a base. In the field, Lars Nootbaar had an outfield assist at third base.
Saturday, September 23, 2023 – Cardinals 5 at Padres 2 (11 innings)
The Cardinals beat the Padres in extra innings of the second game of the series on Saturday. Starter Jake Woodford pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out one and walked two.
Andre Pallante relieved Woodford and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Jacob Barnes and John King each hurled a scoreless inning. Drew VerHagen pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings, taking his fifth blown save. Casey Lawrence tossed the final two scoreless innings to earn the win.
The Padres scored one run in the first. The Cardinals were held scoreless until the seventh, when they put up two runs. Luken Baker walked. Andrew Knizner doubled. Masyn Winn plated Baker and Knizner on a single.
San Diego tied the game in the ninth. In the 11th, St. Louis scored three runs to lead 5-2. The inning began with Tommy Edman on second base. Paul Goldschmidt was intentionally walked. Jordan Walker singled. Edman came home on a sac fly by Richie Palacios. Baker plated Goldschmidt on a single. Walker scored on a sac fly by Knizner.
Edman was 2-for-5. Winn had two RBI.
On the base paths, Walker and Michael Siani each stole a base. In the field, Walker had an outfield assist at second base. Helsley picked a runner off first base.
Sunday, September 24, 2023 – Cardinals 2 at Padres 12
On Sunday, the Cardinals were walloped by the Padres, losing the series. Starter Drew Rom pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up eight runs, six earned, on 11 hits, struck out four and walked one. Rom took the loss.
Casey Lawrence surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Andrew Suarez relinquished three runs in the final three innings.
The Padres teed off on Cardinals pitching throughout, with three runs in the first, two in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth, and three runs in the sixth.
The Cardinals finally got on the board in the seventh on a two-run home run by Luken Baker.
Richie Palacios was 2-for-4. Baker had two RBI. The offense was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
The defense was particularly bad Sunday. Irving Lopez made a throwing error. Jordan Walker had a fielding miscue. There were other instances of poor defense where errors were not recorded. Palacios had an outfield assist at home plate.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished the week with a record of 2-5, losing both series. They won just one game each from the Brewers and Padres. St. Louis remains in last place in the NL Central, and will stay there, as they are six games back of the fourth place Pirates with six games remaining in the season. They are 20 games behind the first-place Brewers with a mirror image record of 68-88 vs. 88-68 for the Brew Crew.
As the long and disappointing season winds down, the majority of the Cardinals regular starting lineup is on the injured list. This includes Willson Contreras, Nolan Gorman, Nolan Arenado, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Carlson, Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan. The remaining games will be played by Paul Goldschmidt, Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker and a bevy of Memphis Redbirds call ups.
The original starting rotation is also mostly gone. Two were traded (Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty) and one is on the IL (Steven Matz). Only Miles Mikolas and Adam Wainwright remain. Mikolas has been slumping and Wainwright may have started his last game.
Many of the bullpen members are also gone. Jordan Hicks, Genesis Cabrera and Chris Stratton were traded. Giovanny Gallegos is on the IL. Ryan Helsley, Andre Pallante, and Drew VerHagen still remain.
The 2023 team has been a disappointment in the context of Cardinals history. There have been worse results, but not many with the promise of this team, a promise that was unfulfilled. Specifically, this is currently the worst record posted any Cardinals team since 1978.
As for the week’s performance, Adam Wainwright shined in what may be his final start. Dakota Hudson was the only other starter with an ERA for the week under 4.00. The pitching remains the major flaw, as it has been all season. That goes for the bullpen as well.
The depleted offense is also struggling. Only three hitters had an OPS above .800 for the week, and only one, Jordan Walker, is not done for the season. Walker had an OPS for the week of .820. The other two were Burleson (1.250) and Contreras (1.133). At the bottom was Andrew Knizner (.404) and Ivan Herrera (.222).
The team will limp through the final six games with the Brewers and the Reds. The most one can look forward to is what will likely be an emotional sendoff for the retiring Wainwright before the final game against the Reds. If there has been any light in this season it is that Wainwright reached 200 wins for his career. For many, that milestone is the only good thing about the season as a whole.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 88 | 68 | 0.564 | ||
| Chicago | 82 | 74 | 0.526 | 6 | WC3 |
| Cincinnati | 80 | 77 | 0.510 | 8.5 | 2.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 74 | 82 | 0.474 | 14 | 8 |
| St. Louis | 68 | 88 | 0.436 | 20 | 14 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 9/18 The Cardinals recalled RHP Jake Woodford from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/18 The Cardinals placed RHP Giovanny Gallegos on the 15-day injured list. Right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis.
- 9/20 The Cardinals recalled C Ivan Herrera from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/20 The Cardinals placed OF Alec Burleson on the 10-day injured list. Left thumb fracture.
- 9/22 The Cardinals recalled OF Michael Siani from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/22 The Cardinals selected the contract of 2B Irving Lopez from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/22 The Cardinals placed C Willson Contreras on the 10-day injured list. Left wrist tendinitis.
- 9/22 The Cardinals placed 3B Nolan Arenado on the 10-day injured list. Lower back spasms.
- 9/22 The Cardinals transferred OF Dylan Carlson from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
Injury Report
- RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder strain) went on the 60-day injured list after May arthroscopic surgery. He had been on a rehab assignment with Memphis and is working toward returning for the final series of the season against the Reds.
- LHP Packy Naughton (left forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 17. Naughton underwent season ending surgery on June 26.
- LHP Steven Matz (left lat strain) remains on the 15-day injured list and is done for the season.
- INF/OF Brendan Donovan (right elbow) was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on September 1. He had season ending internal brace surgery on August 2 to repair a damaged ligament. Donovan is out for the remainder of the season but is expected to be fully ready for Spring Training in 2024.
- CF Dylan Carlson (left oblique strain and left ankle sprain) was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on September 22. Carlson had season-ending ankle surgery on September 13, but is expected to be ready to go for Spring Training 2024.
- RHP Guillermo Zuñiga was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right forearm strain. The right hander is out for the remainder of the season.
- LHP JoJo Romero (left knee tendonitis) was placed on the 15-day injured list on September 4, retroactive to September 2. Romero threw in the bullpen during the Padres series and a decision will be made as to whether he will pitch again this season.
- LF Tyler O’Neill (right foot sprain) was placed on the 10-day injured list on September 17. The injury will likely end the outfielder’s season. O’Neill has been plagued with injuries all season and has played in only 72 games.
- 2B Nolan Gorman (right hamstring strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list on September 12. Gorman sustained the injury running to first base. It is unclear whether the injury is season-ending.
- 3B Nolan Arenado (low back spasms) was placed on the 10-day injured list on September 22. The third baseman has been plagued with low back pain for weeks and the decision was made to shut him down. Arenado will not return this season.
- C Willson Contreras (left wrist tendinitis) was placed on the 10-day injured list on September 22. Contreras has been banged up for much of the second half of the season. The catcher had an MRI on his left wrist and the recommendation was that he be shut down for the rest of the season.
- RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right rotator cuff tendinitis) was placed on the 15- day injured list on September 18. Like many of his teammates, Gallegos has been shut down for the remainder of the season.
- IF/OF Alec Burleson (left thumb fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on September 20. The injury occurred when Burleson stole third base and jammed his thumb on the base during the September 19 game against the Brewers. An x-ray revealed the thumb was fractured and surgery was done to insert a stabilizing pin. Burleson is done for the season.
Looking Ahead
Following the series in San Diego, the team travels to Milwaukee to play the Brewers in the final three games of the road trip beginning on Tuesday. Zack Thompson is scheduled to make the Tuesday start, followed by Miles Mikolas on Wednesday and Dakota Hudson on Thursday.
The season ends with a three-game homestand with the Reds. A special program honoring Adam Wainwright is planned for the final game on Sunday.
The Cardinals will not make the postseason, and they will likely finish in last place in the Division for the first time since 1990.
The postseason begins on Tuesday, October 3 with four best-of-three Wild Card Series, two in each Division. As of today, the Cubs hold the third Wild Card with the Reds 2 ½ games back.
Blast from the Past
St. Louis is having one of the franchise’s worst seasons in 50 years. The Cardinals have been one of the most consistent franchises in terms of 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 15th and final installment in the series showcasing the worst seasons in the franchise’s long history.
The current Cardinals are 68-88 with a win percentage of .436. This final installment will look at the worst Cardinals team, regardless of games played, since 1900 – the 1903 Cardinals.
The 1903 Cardinals finished the season with a record of 43-94-2 with a win percentage of .314 in 139 games. They ended in last place of eight teams in the National League.
The 1903 team was owned by Frank and Stanley Robison. There was no GM, as no MLB team had a GM until 1927. The manager was Patrick a/k/a “Patsy” Donovan. Over his career, Donovan played for eight teams, including the Cardinals, and managed five teams. Donovan managed the Cardinals from 1901-1903 as a player/manager.
The primary position player starters for the 1903 squad were C Jack O’Neill, 1B Jim Hackett, 2B John Farrell, SS Dave Brain, 3B Jimmy Burke, and outfielders Homer Smoot, George Barclay, and Donovan.
Donovan was the best offensive player on the team, with a slash line that season of .327/.370/.378. He had no home runs and 39 RBI. The next best was Smoot, who had the most home runs on the team with four.
The rotation consisted of Chappie McFarland, Mordecai “Three Fingers” Brown, Clarence Currie, Mike O’Neill, Bob Rhoads, and Jack Dunleavy. Brown had the best ERA (2.60) and McFarland had the best FIP (2.91).
The 1903 Cardinals finished 46.5 games back of the first place Pirates in the National League. The next closest team to the Cardinals was the Phillies.
The 1903 team spent one day in first place, on April 16. Their high water mark all season was only one game over .500, last on April 28.
The team’s longest winning streak was four games. The longest losing streak was 11 games. They had no comeback wins, no blown leads, no walk off wins or losses.
The 1903 team was shut out by an opponent six times and shut out their opponents four times.
They did not have a winning record against any team. They tied one team, the Phillies.
The 1903 Cardinals barely outperformed their Pythagorean Expectation, which was 42-95.
After reviewing the worst team in Cardinals franchise history, the 2023 Cardinals have been much better in comparison. However, the number of teams that performed worse than the current Cardinals are profoundly less than the number of teams that performed better.
Next week, we will summarize the performance of the 2023 Cardinals in comparison to all other teams since 1900.
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Contreras and Arenado Grow Cardinals Injured List to 13 Players
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