photo: Kyle Leahy (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
As the offense slowed, the St. Louis Cardinals went 2-5 last week against two last-place teams and a makeup game and are just 3-7 since the break. In 12 innings, Kyle Leahy allowed just three runs on nine hits with 13 strikeouts. Our history feature identifies the five Ford Frick Award winners prior to Joe Buck with ties to the team.
Former Cardinal broadcaster Joe Buck honored with Ford C. Frick Award
Joe Buck, well-known sports broadcaster, is the recipient of the annual Ford C. Frick Award. Named after the former MLB Commissioner, it is given annually to baseball sportscasters for their “major contributions to baseball.” The award is given out by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but it does not give inductee status to the winner.
Buck gave his acceptance speech on Saturday, July 25, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
Buck is well known by Cardinals fans for his broadcasting, as well as for being the son of the iconic Jack Buck, longtime Cardinal radio broadcaster on KMOX. Joe Buck began his broadcasting career with the Cardinals, first calling games for the Cardinals’ AAA affiliate Louisville Redbirds in 1989-90 and then joining his father on KMOX in 1991.
Buck has had a long and storied career as a sportscaster after leaving the Cardinals in 1994. He worked for FOX, calling both MLB and NFL games and teamed with former Cardinal catcher Tim McCarver to call World Series games from 1996 through 2021. He left FOX in 2022 to join ESPN/ABC to broadcast NFL Monday Night Football exclusively.
Buck took a nostalgia break to join Cardinals’ play by play man Chip Caray for a Cardinals/Rangers game on July 29, 2024. It was a tribute to Buck’s father and Caray’s grandfather Harry Caray, who partnered to call Cardinal games for many years on KMOX. It was Buck’s first time broadcasting a baseball game since 2021.
Congratulations to Joe Buck.
Note: Former Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran (2012-2013) was inducted into the Hall on Saturday.
Game Recaps
Monday, July 20, 2026 – Cardinals 2 at Angels 3
The Cardinals fell to the Angels by a 3-2 score at Angels Stadium on Monday.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched six innings, gave up one run on three hits and fanned four.
Ryne Stanek relieved Leahy and threw a scoreless seventh. George Soriano hurled a scoreless eighth. Riley O’Brien surrendered two runs while only getting one out in the ninth for the loss.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the second inning. Jordan Walker doubled. Lars Nootbaar singled. Nathan Church singled to score Walker. Nootbaar came home on a ground out by Blaze Jordan.
The Angels cut the lead to 2-1 in the third. In the bottom of the ninth, Los Angeles put up two runs to win in a walk off 3-2.
The Cardinals scored two runs on four hits. Church was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Wetherholt stole his 10th base. Walker swiped his 14th bag.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 – Cardinals 1 at Angels 5
The Cardinals lost the second game of the three-game series by the score of 5-1. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up five runs on nine hits, walked two and fanned seven. Liberatore took the loss.
Matt Svanson relieved Liberatore and finished the sixth Scott Blewett tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Angels scored all five of their runs in the first inning.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the fifth. Blaze Jordan and Bryan Torres singled. Jordan scored on a force out by JJ Wetherholt.
The Cardinals scored one run on seven hits. Alec Burleson was 3-for-4.
Lars Nootbaar had an outfield assist at third base.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 – Cardinals 1 at Angels 0
The Cardinals avoided the sweep in the final game of the series, beating the Angels 1-0.
Spot starter Hunter Dobbins pitched six scoreless innings, allowed six hits and fanned five. Dobbins earned his second win.
Luis Gastelum relieved Dobbins and threw a scoreless seventh. George Soriano hurled a scoreless eighth. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 26th save.
The Cardinals scored the only run of the game in the sixth on a solo home run by JJ Wetherholt.
St. Louis scored one run on three hits. Masyn Winn and Blaze Jordan had the other two hits, both singles.
Thursday, July 23, 2026 – Cardinals 6, Diamondbacks 10
In a Thursday makeup game, the Cardinals played the Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium. St. Louis’ pitching was pounded as they lost the game 10-6.
Starter Michael McGreevy pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up four runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out three. McGreevy took the loss.
Justin Bruihl relieved McGreevy and surrendered two runs in one inning. Matt Svanson relinquished three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Gordon Graceffo yielded one run in the ninth.
St. Louis went up 2-0 in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt singled. Jordan Walker doubled to score Wetherholt. Alec Burleson singled. Lars Nootbaar singled to plate Walker.
Arizona put up three runs in the fourth and added a run in the fifth to make it 4-2
In the eighth, the Diamondbacks scored five times to run up the lead to 9-2. They added a run in the top of the ninth.
The Cardinals partially rallied in the bottom of the ninth with four runs to shrink the gap to 10-6. Nathan Church and Wetherholt singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Bryan Torres singled to plate both runners. Burleson doubled. Nootbaar singled to drive in Torres and Burleson.
The Cardinals scored six runs on 13 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Walker was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Burleson was 3-for-5. Wetherholt was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Torres had two RBI.
Friday, July 24, 2026 – Cardinals 2, Reds 4
The Cardinals were defeated by the Reds in the 4-2 weekend series opener at Busch Stadium on Friday.
Starter Dustin May pitched six innings, gave up one run on seven hits, walked one and fanned eight.
George Soriano relieved May and surrendered two runs in the seventh for the loss. Ryne Stanek threw a scoreless eighth. Luis Gastelum yielded a Reds insurance run in the ninth.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning.
The Cardinals answered with two runs in the fifth to lead 2-1. Iván Herrera was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Nathan Church walked. Blaze Jordan doubled to plate Herrera and Church.
Cincinnati regained the lead with two runs in the seventh and added a run in the ninth to win 4-2.
The Cardinals scored two runs on just two hits. Jordan had two RBI. The offense was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left three men on base.
Herrera stole his sixth base of the season.
Saturday, July 25, 2026 – Cardinals 7, Reds 0
The Cardinals blanked the Reds by a 7-0 score on Saturday at Busch Stadium.
Starter Andre Pallante pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked one and fanned eight to earn his 11th win.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Pallante and threw two scoreless innings of relief.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt reached on an error. Jordan Walker singled. Alec Burleson singled to score Wetherholt.
In the sixth inning, St. Louis put up six runs to extend their lead to 7-0. Wetherholt walked. Burleson singled. Iván Herrera doubled to plate Wetherholt and Burleson. Lars Nootbaar walked. Masyn Winn singled. Bryan Torres singled to score Herrera. Blaze Jordan drove in Nootbaar and Winn on a single. Torres came home on a sac bunt by Nathan Church.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 10 hits. Herrera was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Burleson was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Jordan had two RBI. Walker was 2-for-4. Wetherholt scored two runs.
Sunday, July 26, 2026 – Cardinals 3, Reds 5 (10 innings)
The Cardinals were beaten by the last place Reds in the extra innings rubber match on Sunday.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched six innings, gave up two runs on six hits, walked one and fanned nine.
Luis Gastelum relieved Leahy and threw a scoreless seventh. Ryne Stanek and George Soriano each hurled a scoreless inning. Matt Svanson surrendered three runs, two earned, while securing just one out. Justin Bruihl tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Alec Burleson doubled. Masyn Winn singled. Burleson scored on a sac fly by José Fermín.
The Reds tied the game in the top of the third.
St. Louis took a 2-1 lead in the home third on a solo home run by Iván Herrera.
Cincinnati tied the game in the fifth but there was no further scoring through the ninth.
In the 10th inning, the Reds put up three runs to go ahead 5-2.
The Cardinals managed just one run in the bottom of the inning. JJ Wetherholt was the tiebreaker runner. Herrera singled. Burleson singled to score Wetherholt.
The Cardinals scored three runs on seven hits. Burleson was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Herrera was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Winn was 2-for-4.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a bad week with an offense that has slowed, averaging fewer than three runs per game. The Cardinals went just 2-5, winning one game each in series with the Angels and the Reds, teams that are in last place in their divisions.
At just one game over .500 for the season, St. Louis has now slipped to fourth place behind the Pirates in the NL Central and is 13 games back of the Brewers. Both the Pirates and the Nationals are now ahead of the Cardinals in the Wild Card race by a half game with the Padres nipping at their heels.
The Cardinals have not looked good since the All-Star break, losing seven of 10. Whether this decline will continue remains to be seen. There are still two months left in the season, but the longer this slump continues, the less likely the team can recover.
The dire straits the offense is in are reflected by their stats for the week. By OPS only two players are above .900, Alec Burleson (.950), and Bryan Torres (.929 in seven ABs). By the same token, only two other players have an OPS above .500, Iván Herrera (.615), and Jordan Walker (.562). Those who are below .500 is a list too long to enumerate.
As for the rotation, two starters had an ERA for the week above 4.00, Matthew Liberatore (8.44) and Michael McGreevy (5.68). McGreevy just had a bad start, and it appears to be an outlier. This is a continuing saga for Liberatore, however. He will have one decent start among a stretch of bad ones.
Hunter Dobbins was brought up again for a spot start and he was very good. He remains on the roster for now and may make another start or will piggyback Liberatore when he next starts. The latter seems more likely given Liberatore’s track record.
Kyle Leahy had a 1.80 ERA in two starts. Andre Pallante threw seven scoreless, Dustin May yielded just one run in six innings, yet the team won just one of those four games.
Another reason why is the bullpen. Nothing has changed with respect to the team’s relief pitching. While one or more relievers will pitch well for a few outings, there are always one or two others who will crash and burn, especially if the Cardinals have a lead. There is no telling who will be the villain(s) at any given time. Consistency is not a word that can be attached to the Cardinals’ bullpen.
As has been stated many times, relief for the relievers is not in sight. Any trades that are made between now and August 3 will be for younger players who are most likely headed to the minor leagues. The Cardinals will be sellers, not buyers. Any changes in the roster will be players called up from the current AAA roster, and any impact relief arms do not appear on the radar.
The Cardinals begin the week at home against the second place Cubs for four games. Then they go on the road to play the Toronto Blue Jays.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Milwaukee | 66 | 39 | 0.629 | |
| Chicago | 59 | 46 | 0.562 | 7 |
| Pittsburgh | 54 | 52 | 0.509 | 12.5 |
| St. Louis | 53 | 52 | 0.505 | 13 |
| Cincinnati | 49 | 55 | 0.471 | 16.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 7/22 The Cardinals recalled RHP Hunter Dobbins from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/22 The Cardinals designated RHP Scott Blewett for assignment.
- 7/23 C Yohel Pozo was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
- 7/26 The Cardinals traded Blewett to the A’s for cash considerations.
Injury Report
- 3B Ramón Urías was placed on the 60-day injured list on June 12. He has elbow lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) in both elbows. Urias began a rehab stint with Memphis over the weekend.
- RHP Max Rajcic had right UCL reconstruction surgery (Tommy John) on July 23, 2026. Rajcic will miss the remainder of the 2026 season and likely all of 2027.
- LHP JoJo Romero (appendicitis) was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 14. Romero had an emergency appendectomy on July 16. A timeline for his return has not been established.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals begin a four-game series with the Cubs at Busch Stadium on Monday.
A road trip begins on the final day of July to Toronto with a weekend series versus the Blue Jays. The road trip concludes in New York with three games against the Yankees.
Following an off day on Thursday, August 6, the Cardinals return to Busch Stadium for a three-game series against the Rockies.
The homestand ends with three versus the Phillies.
After a travel day on Thursday, August 13, the Cardinals go to Wrigley Field to play a weekend series with the Cubs. The road trip continues with four games against the Reds at Great American Ballpark.
The road trip concludes in Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park for a weekend set with the Phillies.
Blast from the Past
On Saturday, July 25, Joe Buck, the son of legendary broadcaster Jack Buck, and former Cardinal broadcaster, was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award. The award is given each year to a broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball.” The Award was created in 1978 and is named after the former MLB Commissioner who was a baseball writer and broadcaster before becoming Commissioner.
Joe Buck’s famous father, Jack Buck, long time broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals, received the award in 1987.
In addition to the father and son duo, other broadcasters affiliated with the Cardinals have won the award. Some were broadcasters for the team, while others were former Cardinal players who became broadcasters.
Below is a list of the individuals affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals who have won the Ford C. Frick Award. The list gives the name of the person, the year they won, and how they were affiliated with the Cardinals. The list begins with the first award winner and continues in descending order.
Jack Buck – Jack Buck, long-time broadcaster for the Cardinals on KMOX Radio, received the Frick Award in 1987. Buck began his career as a Cardinal broadcaster in 1954 to 1959, then again from 1961 until 2001. The legendary “Voice of the Cardinals” also broadcasted NFL games for all three national TV Networks (CBS, ABC, and NBC). He was the original broadcaster for St. Louis Blues games for one season, as well.
Harry Caray – Caray was a broadcaster for the Cardinals from 1945-1969. Caray is the grandfather of current Cardinal broadcaster Chip Caray, who is the current television play by play man for the team. Harry Caray was Jack Buck’s partner for many years, until he was dismissed and moved to broadcast games for several other teams, most notably the Chicago Cubs. Caray received the Frick Award in 1989.
Joe Garagiola – Garagiola was a catcher for the Cardinals from 1946-1951. After he retired, he began his broadcasting career calling Cardinal games on KMOX from 1955-1962. He went on to broadcast baseball elsewhere, most notably for NBC. Garagiola was the Frick Award recipient in 1991.
Milo Hamilton – Hamilton’s broadcast career with the Cardinals was short. Hamilton was a broadcaster in 1954 along with Buck and Caray. Hamilton was dismissed to create a spot for Garagiola. He went on to broadcast for the Cubs and the White Sox. Hamilton received the Frick Award in 1992.
Tim McCarver – McCarver, like Garagiola, was a catcher for the Cardinals before he was a broadcaster. McCarver played for the Cardinals from 1959-1961, and then again from 1963-1969. McCarver was most noted for his association with Joe Buck, calling World Series games for FOX. He began with NBC in 1980. He had stints with both ABC and CBS. McCarver ended his broadcast career as the color analyst for Cardinals games on Fox Sports Midwest, alongside Dan McLaughlin. He left Fox Sports Midwest after the 2019 season. McCarver was the Frick Award winner in 2012 and is a member of the Cardinals team Hall of Fame.
Joe Buck – Son of Jack Buck, Joe has had a varied career, calling games for the minor league Louisville Redbirds before joining his father calling games for KMOX Radio in 1991. Buck was hired by FOX to call NFL games in 1994. He moved to baseball for FOX in 1996. He is most noted for teaming with Tim McCarver on many World Series games. Buck did both baseball and football until 2022, when he left FOX for ESPN/ABC for NFL Monday Night Football exclusively. He returned to baseball for one game, a Cardinals-Rangers game on July 29, 2024, along with Chip Caray, the grandson of his father’s former partner at KMOX. Buck received the Frick Award in 2026.
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