After another 2-4 week, the St. Louis Cardinals have the same 9-13 record as in 2023. The struggling offense scored just 15 runs in the six games. Baseball mourns the passing of Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog. Our history feature highlights Cardinals happenings this week in prior years.
Whitey Herzog passes away
Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog, one of the most popular managers in St. Louis Cardinals history, passed away on Tuesday, April 16, at the age of 92. Herzog managed the Cardinals to the World Series Championship in 1982, and took them to two other World Series, in 1985 and 1987. His managing style, which emphasized small ball, defense and stolen bases, was dubbed “Whitey ball’ in his name.
Herzog was born Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog on November 9, 1931 in New Athens, IL. Herzog played in the major leagues for eight seasons, beginning with the Washington Senators in 1956. He played three seasons for the Senators and followed that with three years with the Kansas City Athletics, two with the Baltimore Orioles, and one with the Detroit Tigers. Whitey was an outfielder/first baseman.
Following his playing career, Herzog joined the Athletics as a scout and then a coach. He moved on to coaching and working in player development for the New York Mets for seven seasons.
Herzog’s first managing job was with the Texas Rangers on a two-year contract. From there he went to the California Angels as a third base coach and as interim manager for four games.
The Kansas City Royals hired Herzog as their field manager in 1975. He managed the Royals through 1979, during which he led the Royals to three straight AL West Division titles.
The Cardinals hired Herzog to manage in 1980. After 10 years including three trips to the World Series and one World Series Championship, Herzog decided he was done. He resigned on July 9, 1990 and never managed again. He did spend two seasons, from 1993-1994, as the general manager of the Angels.
Whitey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager by the Veteran’s Committee in 2009. His number 24 was retired by the team in 2010 and he was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014 as part of the inaugural class.
Whitey became a fixture at Cardinals home openers and was present for the 2024 Opening Day but did not participate in the annual parade into the stadium but was recognized from a booth above the action.
Herzog passed away at home surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Mary Lou, daughter Debra, and sons David and Jim, nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Game recaps
Monday, April 15, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Athletics 1
The Cardinals beat the Athletics by a 3-1 scoore on Monday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched six scoreless innings, allowed four hits and struck out six to earn his second win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Gray and threw a scoreless seventh. JoJo Romero surrendered one run in the eighth and Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his sixth save.
St. Louis went up 1-0 in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt walked and later scored on a single by Nolan Arenado.
The Cardinals made it 3-0 in the sixth. Lars Nootbaar doubled. Nootbaar scored on a double by Willson Contreras. Jordan Walker plated Contreras on a double.
Oakland scored their only run in the eighth.
Arenado and Contreras were each 2-for-4 with an RBI. Masyn Winn was 2-for-3. Walker drove in a run.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Athletics 2
The Cardinals took the series against the Athletics with a 3-2 win in Oakland on Tuesday. Starter Lance Lynn pitched seven innings, gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits, struck out one and walked one to earn his first win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Lynn and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his seventh save.
Oakland took the lead 1-0 in the second inning. St. Louis quickly tied it up in the third. Masyn Winn walked and stole second base. Jordan Walker walked. Michael Siani sac bunted to advance the runners. Winn scored on a ground out by Brendan Donovan.
The Athletics regained the lead at 2-1 in the fifth. The Cardinals added two runs in the sixth for a 3-2 lead and the win. Nolan Arenado singled. Ivan Herrera drew a walk. Lars Nootbaar walked. Arenado came home on a sac fly by Winn. Herrera crossed the plate on a sac fly by Walker.
The Cardinals scored three runs on four hits. Arenado was 2-for-4. Donovan, Winn, and Walker each had an RBI.
On the base paths, Winn stole his third base of the season. Donovan was caught stealing. In the field, Winn made a throwing error.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Athletics 6
The Cardinals failed to sweep the road series, as they lost 6-3 to Oakland on Wednesday. Starter Steven Matz pitched five innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked three. Matz took the loss.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Matz and surrendered one run in the sixth. Matthew Liberatore threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos got the final out of the eighth.
The Athletics took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The Cardinals came back with three runs in the fourth to lead 3-2. Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Arenado singled. Willson Contreras doubled and Nootbaar scored. Ivan Herrera singled to plate Arenado and Contreras.
Oakland put up three runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth to retake the lead 6-3.
Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Herrera had two RBI.
On the basepaths, Nootbaar stole his first base of the season.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 – Off day
Friday, April 19, 2024 – Cardinals 1, Brewers 2 (10 innings)
The Cardinals fell to the rival Brewers in a 2-1 extra innings loss on Friday at Busch Stadium. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched six innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out three and walked four.
Giovanny Gallegos secured two outs in relief. Matthew Liberatore and Ryan Fernandez combined to hurl 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley surrendered the winning run in the 10th and took the loss.
Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. St. Louis was held scoreless until the bottom of the ninth, when they tied the game 1-1 and sent the game into the 10th. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Alec Burleson singled and Winn advanced to third. Ivan Herrera was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brendan Donovan walked and Winn scored.
The Brewers scored a run in the top of the 10th to lead 2-1, but the Cardinals could not respond.
St. Louis scored one run on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The only run was scored on a walk.
On the base paths, Willson Contreras stole his first base of the season.
Saturday, April 20, 2024 – Cardinals 5, Brewers 12
The Cardinals were clobbered by the Brewers in a lopsided defeat on Saturday at Busch Stadium. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on nine hits and struck out five. Mikolas suffered his third loss of the season.
No Cardinals pitcher was unscored upon. Zach Thompson surrendered three runs while securing just two outs. Giovanny Gallegos yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning. Andre Pallante allowed three runs, two earned, over the final three innings.
Milwaukee went up 2-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1 in the home half of the first when Willson Contreras walked and scored on a double by Nolan Arenado.
St. Louis scored three in the second to lead 4-2. Lars Nootbaar doubled. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Michael Siani singled. Nootbaar came home on a sac fly by Brendan Donovan. Walker scored on a ground out by Paul Goldschmidt. Siani crossed the plate on a single by Contreras.
The Brewers regained the lead 5-4 in the fourth. Milwaukee continued to pile on runs with four in the sixth, one in the seventh, and two in the top of the ninth.
The Cardinals plated one more run in the bottom of the ninth. Siani singled. Goldschmidt walked. Contreras was hit by a pitch. Siani came home on a sac fly by Arenado.
Siani was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. No other Cardinal had multiple hits.
In the field, Winn made a throwing error.
Sunday, April 21, 2024 – Cardinals 0, Brewers 2
The Cardinals were swept in the home series with the first place Brewers after a final game shutout on Sunday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out 12 and walked one. Gray took the loss.
JoJo Romero threw a scoreless inning of relief. Andrew Kittredge hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Matthew Liberatore tossed a scoreless ninth.
The game was scoreless until the seventh inning when Milwaukee put up two runs. The Cardinals were unable to push anyone across the plate despite several opportunities. The offense managed six hits that included a double by Masyn Winn. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
The loss put the Cardinals at 0-7 in the final game of a series this season.
On the base paths, Michael Siani stole his first base of 2024.
The Big Picture
For the second consecutive week, the Cardinals posted a record of 2-4. They took two of three from the Athletics and were swept in three games by the Brewers. The team remains mired in last place in the NL Central with a record of 9-13, six games back of the Brewers. The Cardinals were 9-13 after 22 games in 2023, which is not a good sign considering how that season ended.
The offense continues to stumble and bumble. Former MVP Paul Goldschmidt is hitting poorly enough to be dropped to sixth in the lineup on Sunday. Nolan Gorman has struck out 30+ times so far this season and was dropped to eighth.
There are only two top hitters this week by OPS. They are Willson Contreras (1.071) and Nolan Arenado (.912). The next in line is Masyn Winn, with an OPS over the last seven days of .770. In the basement are Ivan Herrera (.424), Paul Goldschmidt (.423), Jordan Walker (.331), Alec Burleson (.286), Brendan Donovan (.244), and Nolan Gorman (.000). Victor Scott also had an OPS of (.000) but he has been optioned to Memphis.
In 17 at-bats over four games, Gorman had no hits, no walks, and 10 strikeouts. Scott had no hits, no walks and three strikeouts in eight at-bats in four games.
The offense finally scored more than three runs on Saturday. Unfortunately, the pitching failed, so it didn’t matter.
As for pitching, three of the five starters, Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson each had an ERA under 4.00 for the week. Steven Matz (9.00) and Miles Mikolas (9.64) had bad weeks. Zach Thompson (40.50), Andre Pallante (6.00 and sent down to Memphis) and Giovanny Gallegos (5.40) were bullpen stumbles.
The Cardinals play the Diamondbacks at home this coming week for three games. The Cardinals lost two of three to Arizona a week ago in Phoenix. St. Louis finishes the week in New York for a three-game series with the Mets.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Milwaukee | 14 | 6 | 0.700 | |
| Chicago | 13 | 9 | 0.591 | 2 |
| Cincinnati | 12 | 9 | 0.571 | 2.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 11 | 11 | 0.500 | 4 |
| St. Louis | 9 | 13 | 0.409 | 6 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 4/21 The Cardinals optioned RHP Andre Pallante to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/21 The Cardinals optioned CF Victor Scott II to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/21 The Cardinals recalled C Pedro Pagés from the Memphis Redbirds
- 4/21 The Cardinals recalled RHP Nick Robertson from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) has been on the 10-day injured list since March 25. Edman has begun hitting off a tee but his projected return remains at least a month away.
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. Middleton has progressed through a throwing program with the aim of beginning a rehab assignment soon. Early May is the target for return.
- LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. The left hander will need several rehab assignments before he returns to the roster. No further updates are available.
- CF Dylan Carlson (left AC joint sprain) has been on the 10-day injured list since an outfield collision on March 26. Carlson has resumed swinging by hitting off a tee. The next steps will be throwing a baseball and taking batting practice off a pitching machine. Carlson’s return is still several weeks away at the least.
- RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 29. O’Brien has started a throwing program. A potential early May return continues to be the expectation.
- DH Matt Carpenter (right oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 2. Carpenter took batting practice with the team over the weekend. His next step will be a rehab assignment.
Looking Ahead
The homestand continues with the Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium starting Monday. Lance Lynn is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Steven Matz on Tuesday and Kyle Gibson on Wednesday.
The Cardinals begin a road trip following the homestand with a weekend series in New York against the Mets beginning on Friday, April 26. The Cardinals then travel to Detroit to play the Tigers in a three-game series.
The team travels home on Thursday, May 2 to play a weekend set with the Chicago White Sox. The homestand continues with a series with the Mets beginning Monday, May 6
The next road trip begins with a four-game series in Milwaukee against the Brewers beginning Thursday, May 9. The team then travels to Los Angeles for three contests with the Angels.
Blast from the Past
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we look back at the period April 15 through April 21 to highlight unique events in Cardinals history. Some happened in a game and others may be team related events that are odd or just notable.
The following are a list of the happenings in Cardinals history during the period April 15 through April 21.
April 15, 1959 – RHP Bob Gibson makes his major league debut at L.A. Memorial Coliseum against the Dodgers. Gibson, at the age of 23, gave up a home run to the first batter, 3B Jim Baxes. Gibson was the first future Hall of Fame pitcher to give up a home run to the first batter he faced in the major leagues.
April 15, 2018 – The Cardinals swept the Cincinnati Reds in a four games in Cincinnati. This was the first time the Cardinals swept the Reds in four games at home since 1949.
April 16, 1913 – A game against the Reds was called at the end of the seventh inning, not for rain, but because the Reds had to catch a train to Pittsburgh for their next series. The Reds were leading 5-0.
April 16, 1962 – In a Cardinals vs. Phillies game, both starting pitchers, Bob Gibson (STL) and Cal McLish (PHI) were pulled in the first inning because each had given up six runs before the inning was finished.
April 16, 2006 – Albert Pujols hit three consecutive home runs against the Reds, then hit his fourth one to begin a game the next day. Stan Musial accomplished the same thing on July 7 and 8, 1962.
April 17, 2010 – The Cardinals lost a 20-inning game to the Mets that took 6 hours and 53 minutes to play. The day game started at 3:14 pm at Busch Stadium. Joe Mather, a position player, was the losing pitcher. The game was televised nationally on FOX.
April 18, 1987 – Tom Herr hit a walk off grand slam in the 10th inning against the Mets. The fans threw their giveaway seat cushions like frisbees onto the field to celebrate. The game has been referred to as “The Seat Cushion Game” ever since. Seat cushions have been banned as a promotional item ever since.
April 19, 1915 – Pitcher Lee Meadows makes his major league debut wearing eyeglasses. He was the first player ever to do so. He forever after was nicknamed “Specs”.
April 19, 1997 – The Cardinals and the Padres play the first major league game ever in Hawaii. It was the first of a three-game series at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu with San Diego as the home team. The series was called the Padres Paradise Series. The Cardinals won two of three including the opening game, which they won 1-0.
April 19, 2017 – The Cardinals defeated the Pirates, 2-1. Both Cardinals runs came on solo home runs by Dexter Fowler. This was the first time in team history when the only runs scored were on solo home runs by the same player.
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