photo: Michael McGreevy (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The 4-3 week for the St. Louis Cardinals was defined by a pair of one-run wins on Sunday over the Mets. Up from Memphis, right-hander Michael McGreevy won the nightcap with 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball. We remember four notable MLB debuts during this week in team history.
Game recaps
Monday, April 28, 2025 – Cardinals 1 at Mets 3
The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Reds in the first of a four-game series on Monday at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. Starter Andre Pallante pitched six innings, gave up three runs on six hits, fanned four and walked two. Pallante took the loss.
Riley O’Brien relieved and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. John King tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals scored their only run of the game in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar doubled and later came home on a double by Nolan Arenado.
The Reds plated single runs in the third, fourth and sixth to lead 3-1.
The Cardinals scored one run five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Extra base hits were three doubles by Nootbaar, Arenado, and Pedro Pagés.
The offense was 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left three men on base.
On defense, Jordan Walker had an outfield assist at first base.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 – Cardinals at Reds (postponed)
Tuesday’s game was postponed due to inclement weather and was played as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 – Cardinals 6 at Reds 0 (game one)
The Cardinals shut out the Reds by the score of 6-0 in the opener of the twin bill on Wednesday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed three hits and fanned four to earn his first win of 2025.
Kyle Leahy relieved Mikolas and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero and Matt Svanson each tossed a scoreless inning.
The Cardinals went up in the first inning on a solo home run by Masyn Winn. The score remained 1-0 until the ninth inning, when St. Louis put up five runs. Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch. Yohel Pozo singled. Victor Scott launched a three-run home run to right center field. Lars Nootbaar added a solo home run to right center field before Winn hit his second solo home run of the day.
The offense scored six runs on seven hits. Winn was 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored. Scott was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Pozo was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Scott stole his 10th base of the season. Winn swiped his second bag. Winn was also caught stealing.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 – Cardinals 9 at Reds 1 (game two)
The Cardinals defeated the Reds in the second game of the twin bill on Wednesday. Starter Steven Matz pitched four scoreless innings, allowed five hits, and struck out six.
The 27th man for the doubleheader, Gordon Graceffo, relieved Matz and surrendered one run in five innings to earn his first big-league win.
St. Louis posted a three-run first inning to take the lead. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk. Masyn Winn singled. Willson Contreras blasted a three-run home run to center field.
The Cardinals added a run in the second on a solo home run by Pedro Pagés. In the third, the Cardinals put up five runs to widen the lead to 9-0. Winn doubled. Brendan Donovan singled to score Winn. Contreras singled. Nolan Gorman walked. Jordan Walker plated Donovan and Contreras on a double. Gorman came home on a fielder’s choice by Pedro Pagés. Victor Scott drove in Walker on a single.
Cincinnati tallied their only run in the sixth.
The Cardinals scored nine runs on eight hits. Contreras was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Walker and Pagés each drove in two.
Thursday, May 1, 2025 – Cardinals 1 at Reds 9
The Reds flipped the 9-1 script to a Cardinals defeat on Thursday as the clubs split the series at two games apiece. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched three innings, gave up two runs on two hits, struck out two and walked one. Liberatore took the loss.
None of the three relievers escaped unscathed, either. Matt Svanson followed Liberatore and surrendered two runs in two innings. Riley O’Brien yielded three runs in 1 2/3 innings. John King allowed two runs, one earned, in the final 1 1/3 innings.
The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. St. Louis scored their only run in the third when Brendan Donovan singled and came home on a single by Nolan Arenado with a fielding error.
Cincinnati added two runs in the fourth, one in the sixth, three in the seventh, and a final run in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored one run on three hits, all singles. In addition to Donovan and Arenado, Yohel Pozo had the third hit. The offense was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
On defense, Willson Contreras made a throwing error.
Friday, May 2, 2025 – Cardinals 3, Mets 9
The Cardinals again lost to the Mets, their ninth straight to the New Yorkers, in the first of a three-game weekend set at Busch Stadium. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up six runs, four earned, on nine hits, fanned six and walked three. Gray took the loss.
Chris Roycroft relieved Gray and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. John King surrendered one run in the sixth. Roddery Muñoz yielded one run in two innings. Infrequently used Ryan Helsley, pitching in a 8-3 game, allowed the final Mets run in the ninth.
The Cardinals took the initial lead. In the first inning, Lars Nootbaar doubled, stole third base, and scored on a single by Masyn Winn.
New York immediately answered with two runs in the second. St. Louis added two runs in the third to regain the lead 3-2. Victor Scott singled and advanced to second on a ground out by Nootbaar. Scott stole third base and scored on a throwing error. Winn singled and later came home on a single by Willson Contreras.
The Mets stormed back with four runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.
The Cardinals scored three runs on nine hits. Winn was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
On the bases, Nootbaar stole his fourth base of the season. Scott swiped his 11th bag. Winn was caught stealing.
On defense, Contreras had a costly missed catch error at first base that opened the gates for the Mets’ fifth inning rally.
Saturday, May 3, 2025 – Cardinals vs. Mets (postponed)
Saturday’s game was postponed due to inclement weather, St. Louis’ second rainout of the week. It was played as part of a doubleheader on Sunday.
Sunday, May 4, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Mets 5 (game one)
The Cardinals edged the Mets by the score of 6-5 for their first win against the New Yorkers in six head-to-head contests in 2025. Starter Erick Fedde pitched five innings, gave up three runs on six hits, struck out four and walked five but received the win.
Kyle Leahy relieved Fedde and threw two scoreless innings. Phil Maton surrendered two runs in 1/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his fifth save.
The Mets scored one run in the first inning. The Cardinals tied the game in the second on a solo home run by Willson Contreras.
New York regained the lead 2-1 in the top of the third. The Cardinals re-tied the score in the home third. Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado and Contreras singled. Nolan Gorman flied into a sacrifice double play as Donovan scored.
St. Louis increased their lead with four runs in the fourth. Victor Scott singled. Jose Barrero was hit by a pitch. Alec Burleson walked. Donovan plated Scott and Barrero on a single. Arenado walked. Contreras drove in Burleson and Donovan on a single.
The Mets almost overtook the Cardinals with one run in the sixth and two in the eighth to make it a one run game. Helsley held the line for the win.
The offense scored six runs on 11 hits. Contreras was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Donovan was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Scott was 2-for-3.
On defense, Barrero made a throwing error. Pedro Pagés had a passed ball.
Sunday, May 4, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Mets 4 (game two)
The Cardinals beat the Mets in a second one-run win of the day. In the process, St. Louis swept the Sunday doubleheader and took the home series.
Andre Pallante did not fare well in his start. The right-hander pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up four runs on nine hits, struck out one and walked four.
Newly recalled Michael McGreevy relieved Pallante and pitched the remainder of the game. The right hander threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed one hit, fanned five and walked one to earn the win.
The Cardinals took a second-inning lead on a two-run home run by Alec Burleson. The Mets answered in the top of the third, taking a 4-2 lead.
St. Louis came back in the home third to tie the game at 4-4. Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn walked. Nolan Arenado plated Nootbaar on a single. Willson Contreras drove in Winn on a single.
In the sixth, the Cardinals broke the tie to lead 5-4. Yohel Pozo singled and Victor Scott doubled to drive him in.
The Cardinals offense scored five runs on nine hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Pozo was 2-for-4. Burleson had two RBI.
Shortstop Masyn Winn left the game in the fifth inning with a left ankle sprain. He had twisted his ankle two innings earlier in a running play at third base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals played four in Cincinnati against the Reds, and three at home with the Mets. They split the Reds series 2-2 and won the Mets series 2-1, for a 4-3 week. The Cardinals remain in fourth place in the NL Central with a record of 16-19. They are five games back of the first place Cubs.
The offense slacked off from the previous week and a couple of the stalwarts had a rougher week than usual. The top performers by OPS for the week were Masyn Winn (1.185), Victor Scott (1.111), and Willson Contreras (1.089)
At the bottom were Alec Burleson (.468), Jordan Walker (.445), Jose Barrero (.311), Luken Baker (.250), and Nolan Gorman (.200).
Lars Nootbaar (.583) and Brendan Donovan (.650) have cooled from recent weeks.
On the pitching side, only two starters had ERAs for the week under 4.00, Miles Mikolas (0.00) and Steven Matz (0.00). The remaining starters struggled. Sonny Gray in particular had a tough start with an ERA of 8.31 against the Mets. Erick Fedde and Andre Pallante also struggled in their starts against the Mets. Pallante also had a start against the Reds and finished the week with an ERA of 6.75. Pallante lasted only 3 1/3 innings in his Mets start on Sunday but recent callup Michael McGreevy was stellar in his 5 2/3 innings in relief of Pallante.
Bullpen bombs were Phil Maton (54.00) and Riley O’Brien (11.57). O’Brien has been optioned to Memphis. The rest of the bullpen was good to decent.
The pitching and the offense need to improve going forward. In the coming week, the team plays three versus the Pirates, then heads out on a road trip, starting with a weekend series in Washington against the Nationals following Thursday’s off day.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Chicago | 21 | 14 | 0.600 | |
| Cincinnati | 18 | 17 | 0.514 | 3 |
| Milwaukee | 17 | 18 | 0.486 | 4 |
| St. Louis | 16 | 19 | 0.457 | 5 |
| Pittsburgh | 12 | 23 | 0.343 | 9 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 4/28 The Cardinals selected the contract of SS Jose Barrero from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/28 The Cardinals optioned SS Thomas Saggese to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/28 The Cardinals designated RHP Ryan Loutos for assignment.
- 4/30 The Cardinals recalled RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds (27th man doubleheader)
- 5/1 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/1 The Cardinals traded RHP Ryan Loutos to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash.
- 5/1 The Cardinals sent C Iván Herrera on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/2 The Cardinals optioned RHP Riley O’Brien to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/2 The Cardinals recalled RHP Roddery Muñoz from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/2 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/2 The Cardinals optioned RHP Matt Svanson to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/3 The Cardinals optioned RHP Roddery Muñoz to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/3 The Cardinals recalled RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/4 The Cardinals recalled RHP Roddery Muñoz from the Memphis Redbirds (27th man doubleheader).
- 5/5 Muñoz returned to Memphis.
Injury Report
- LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. He is now throwing from 100 feet but will need a full build up before returning to the mound. No return date has been reported.
- C Iván Herrera (left knee bone bruise) was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds and has played in four games, batting .429. Herrera could return sometime this week.
- SS Masyn Winn was removed from Sunday’s game after the fourth inning against the Mets with a left ankle sprain. The injury was labeled “mild” by manager Oli Marmol, and Winn is considered day to day for the time being.
Looking Ahead
Following the Mets series win, on Monday, the Pirates come to town for three. Miles Mikolas is scheduled for the Monday start, followed by Matthew Liberatore on Tuesday and Sonny Gray on Wednesday.
After a travel day on Thursday, May 8, the Cardinals play the Washington Nationals in a three-game series. The road trip continues with three at the Phillies followed by a travel day on Thursday, May 15. The Cardinals finish the road trip with a weekend series against the Royals in Kansas City.
The team then returns to St. Louis to begin a homestand starting with a three-game set with the Detroit Tigers beginning Monday, May 19. That homestand will continue with a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast of the Past continues the series that began last season here, the Debut Series. In this series, we chronicle the major league debuts of notable current and former Cardinals during a relevant period in franchise history.
This week the installment looks at Cardinals players who made their major league debuts during the period April 28 through May 4.
April 28, 2014 – Two Cardinals made their debuts on this day in 2014. The first was Greg Garcia, who entered as a pinch hitter in a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Hitting for reliever Pat Neshek in the seventh inning, Garcia drew a walk. He was stranded when Matt Carpenter and Jon Jay struck out.
Garcia’s first major league hit came two days later in a 9-3 win over the Brewers at Busch Stadium. Garcia was in the starting lineup, hitting seventh and playing second base. He went 1-for-5 with a run scored. The hit was a double to right in the fifth inning. He scored on a double by starting pitcher Shelby Miller.
April 28, 2014 – The second player to debut on this day was Randal Grichuk. Grichuk came into the game in the top of the ninth inning (the game was an extra innings loss) to play in right field. He hit ninth in place of starting pitcher Carlos Martinez.
In the bottom of the ninth, Grichuk popped out to the shortstop. He struck out swinging in the 11th. Grichuk’s first hit came the next day in a 5-4 extra inning loss to the Brewers. Grichuk started in center field and hit seventh in the lineup. He went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts. After a single to left in the second inning, he was stranded.
April 30, 2009 – Shortstop Tyler Greene made his major league debut with the Cardinals, called up to replace the injured Brendan Ryan.
Greene was in the starting lineup playing shortstop and hitting eighth in a 9-4 win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Greene went 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Greene’s first major league hit came in the ninth inning, an infield single to third that scored Rick Ankiel and Joe Thurston. Greene only received one RBI on the play (Ankiel) because Thurston came home on an error.
May 3, 2013 – Pitcher Carlos Martinez made his major league debut at Miller Park in a 6-1 win over the Brewers. Martinez relieved starter Shelby Miller in the seventh inning. The right-hander pitched the entire inning and gave up one hit but no runs. The hit was a line drive single between short and third. Martinez then induced a double play and secured the final out on a ground out to short.
Two days later, on May 5 against the Brewers, Martinez pitched in relief of Jaime Garcia and recorded his first major league strikeout in the ninth inning, punching out Carlos Gomez.
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