photo: Matt Carpenter (Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports)
A 2-4 week at home by the St. Louis Cardinals dropped the club’s overall record to 42-40 as the mathematical second half is underway. Matt Carpenter has emerged from his early-season slump. In our history feature, the 1996 NLCS is remembered.
Game Recaps
Monday, June 25 – Cardinals 4, Indians 0
The St. Louis Cardinals took on the Cleveland Indians in a three-game interleague series in St. Louis. The Redbirds blanked the Indians in Game 1 behind excellent pitching by John Gant. Gant replaced Michael Wacha in the rotation following the latter’s oblique injury. Gant pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. The only blemish for the right hander was five walks to go along with four strikeouts. Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless eighth. Austin Gomber began the ninth, but after giving up two hits, he was replaced with no outs by Bud Norris. Norris tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 15th save.
Marcell Ozuna doubled in two in the third to put the Cardinals on the board. In the sixth, Kolten Wong drove in Dexter Fowler on a double. Finally, in the eighth, an RBI single by Harrison Bader plated the fourth and final run. Bader and Ozuna were both 2-for-4. Matt Carpenter was 3-for-4.
Bader stole his seventh base of the season.
Tuesday, June 26 – Cardinals 11, Indians 2
The Cardinals shelled Indians pitching in Game 2 of the series. Indians ace Corey Kluber had a terrible night, as the Cardinals knocked him around for six runs in less than two innings. Matt Carpenter’s solo home run in the first inning opened the scoring. In the second, Carlos Martinez helped himself by plating Yairo Munoz on a sac fly. Carpenter then drove in Harrison Bader on a single. Jose Martinez followed with a three-run blast to left center field to bring the score to 6-2. Kolten Wong added a two run home run in the third. Yadier Molina’s sac fly in the fourth scored Carpenter. Carpenter crossed the plate again in the sixth on Marcell Ozuna’s single. Finally, Carpenter homered again in the eighth, a solo shot. Carpenter went 5-for-5 with three RBI and five runs scored. Martinez and Wong were 2-for-4. Ozuna was 2-for-5.
Carlos Martinez won his fourth game, pitching six innings and giving up two runs on six hits. The right hander fanned eight and walked one. Brett Cecil, Greg Holland, and Mike Mayers each added a scoreless inning of relief.
Wednesday, June 27 – Cardinals 1, Indians 5
The Cardinals were unable to complete the sweep, falling to the Indians 5-1 in the third game of the series. Jack Flaherty was a little flat following his excellent start against the Brewers. Flaherty pitched only four innings and gave up four runs on six hits. The right hander struck out five, walked two and suffered his third loss of the season. Austin Gomber surrendered one run in two innings pitched. Sam Tuivailala added two scoreless innings, and John Brebbia pitched a scoreless ninth.
St. Louis’ offense managed only one run in the third inning on a RBI single by Jose Martinez. Martinez went 2-for-4 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits. The only extra base hit was a Matt Carpenter double.
Tommy Pham made a fielding error in center.
Thursday, Jun 28 – Off day
Friday, June 29 – Cardinals 1, Braves 5
The Cardinals ended the homestand with three games against the Braves, who are in first place in the NL East. The Redbirds were unable to carry the momentum of the two wins against the Indians into this series, and were swept.
In the opener, Miles Mikolas pitched well but was unsupported by his offense and let down by his defense. Mikolas went 6 1/3 innings and gave up one run on seven hits. The right hander struck out only one and walked one. Austin Gomber relieved Mikolas in the seventh with the bases loaded and hit Ender Inciarte with a curve ball on the helmet on his first pitch to bring in a run. Mike Mayers came in to get the final two outs without damage. In the eighth, Jordan Hicks did not pitch well, allowing three runs to score while only getting one out. Greg Holland finished the inning. Brett Cecil pitched the ninth and surrendered an unearned run. Mikolas took the loss, his third.
St. Louis’ offense was stymied until the ninth inning, when they scored their lone run. Kolten Wong grounded into a force out to plate Marcell Ozuna. The team was held to four hits, with the only extra base hit a double by Harrison Bader.
The Cardinals defense committed three throwing errors, by Greg Garcia, Bader, and Cecil.
Saturday, June 30 – Cardinals 4, Braves 11
If Friday’s game wasn’t bad enough, Saturday’s contest was worse. Luke Weaver started but didn’t make it past 4 2/3 innings. Weaver gave up eight runs on 10 hits and took his seventh loss of the season. John Brebbia allowed two more runs in his 1 1/3 innings of relief. Brett Cecil pitched a scoreless seventh, Austin Gomber redeemed himself with a run-free eighth, and Bud Norris surrendered a run in the ninth.
The offense scored all four of its runs in the ninth, after being stymied again by Braves for a majority of the night. Jose Martinez began the with a solo home run. Jedd Gyorko plated Dexter Fowler on a sac fly. Harrison Bader doubled to drive in Francisco Pena. Yairo Munoz brought Bader home on a double. Bader went 2-for-3.
Tommy Pham made his second fielding error of the week.
Sunday, July 1 – Cardinals 5, Braves 6
The Braves took out the brooms on the Cardinals in the final game of the weekend series, St. Louis’ fourth consecutive loss. Offense again didn’t come until the later innings, after the Braves had already taken a 6-0 lead. The five runs the Cardinals put on the board in the seventh inning was too little, too late. Francisco Pena singled to score Jedd Gyorko and and Kolten Wong. Tommy Pham’s three run home run to center field completed the five-run burst. Pham was 2-for-4 in the game, a welcome relief after an 0-for-31 slump.
John Gant did not pitch as well as he did against the Indians earlier in the week. The right hander went 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on four hits. Gant struck out two and walked three and was tagged with the loss. Mike Mayers struggled in relief, allowing two additional runs in the sixth. Greg Holland pitched a scoreless seventh, and Jordan Hicks handled the eighth and ninth in scoreless fashion.
Kolten Wong stole his second base of the season.
Big Picture
The Cardinals began the week with two wins against the Indians to extend the winning streak to four games. A loss in the third game of the series led into a three-game series sweep by the Braves. The team ended the week 2-4 to bring their season record to 42-40.
Offense continues to be the major issue, with defense a close second. While the Cardinals scored plenty in the first two games, the offense fell off significantly over the last four, especially in the Braves series, when the offense was virtually nonexistent until late in the game when it was too late. The defense made five errors this week, this time spread across the infield, outfield, and pitching.
Luke Weaver continues to struggle, but overall the starting pitching has been fine and the bullpen has been good. The Cardinals can’t seem to sustain anything for long, and the hitters have not been consistent enough.
The Cardinals continue a tough schedule with seven games on the road with the Diamondbacks and Giants, and two games in Chicago against a poor White Sox team which the Cardinals swept earlier in the season in St. Louis. The team desperately needs to win all three series to even hope of gaining significant ground before the break, as both the Brewers and the Cubs are playing well, while the Cards have not won two consecutive series in two months.
NL Central Standings
| W | L | Pct | GB | |
| Milwaukee | 48 | 35 | 0.578 | – |
| Chicago | 47 | 35 | 0.573 | 0.5 |
| St. Louis | 42 | 40 | 0.512 | 5.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 40 | 43 | 0.482 | 8 |
| Cincinnati | 36 | 48 | 0.429 | 12.5 |
Who’s Hot
- Over the past six games (does not contain recent Sunday game results):
- Matt Carpenter has an OPS of 1.625. He has two HRs, three doubles, and five RBI.
- Harrison Bader has an OPS of 1.179. He has two doubles and three RBI.
- Jose Martinez has an OPS of .920. He has three HRs and eight RBI.
- Kolten Wong has an OPS of .808. He has one HR, one double, and four RBI.
- Dexter Fowler has an OPS of .819. He has two doubles.
- Miles Mikolas has an ERA of 1.42 and a WHIP of 1.26.
- John Gant has an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.86.
- Greg Holland has an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.75.
- Mike Mayers has an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.00.
- Brett Cecil has an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.00.
- Bud Norris has an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.50.
- Sam Tuivailala has an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.50.
Who’s Not
Over the past six games (does not contain recent Sunday games):
- Jedd Gyorko has an OPS of .000.
- Tommy Pham has an OPS of .176.
- Yadier Molina has an OPS of .477.
- Luke Weaver has an ERA of 8.71 and a WHIP of 1.84.
- Jack Flaherty has an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.00
- Jordan Hicks has an ERA of 20.25 and a WHIP of 3.00.
A Look at Cardinals Lineups
The lineups over the last six games (does not contain recent Sunday game):
- The leadoff hitter has been Matt Carpenter.
- The number two hitter has been Tommy Pham for three games and Greg Garcia for three games.
- The number three hitter has been Jose Martinez.
- The cleanup hitter has been Marcell Ozuna.
- The fifth hitter has been Yadier Molina.
- The sixth hitter has been Dexter Fowler for two games, Jedd Gyorko, Yairo Munoz, Pham, and Garcia for one game each.
- The seventh hitter has been Harrison Bader for four games, Fowler and Kolten Wong for one game each.
- The eighth hitter has been Wong for four games, and Bader and Munoz for one game each.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 6/29 The Cardinals transferred RHP Alex Reyes from the 10 day disabled list to the 60 day disabled list. Right lat strain.
- 6/29 The Cardinals sent RHP Matt Bowman on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/29 The Cardinals sent SS Paul DeJong on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/29 The Cardinals claimed LHP Tyler Webb off waivers from the San Diego Padres.
- 6/29 The Cardinals optioned LHP Tyler Webb to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/1 The Cardinals sent RHP Luke Gregerson on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- RHP Dominic Leone (right upper arm nerve irritation) was transferred from the 10 day DL to the 60 day DL. Leone is expected to be out for an indefinite period. Leone is expected to begin a throwing program the week of July 2.
- RHP Alex Reyes (right lat strain) had surgery on June 6 to reattach a tendon in his right lat. The right hander was transferred from the 10 day DL to the 60 day DL. Reyes is expected to be out for the remainder of the season.
- RHP Adam Wainwright (right elbow inflammation) continues on the 60 day DL. Wainwright is expected to begin a throwing program the week of July 2.
- RHP Luke Gregerson (right shoulder impingement, knee surgery for torn meniscus) was sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis on July 1.
- SS Paul DeJong (fractured left hand) continues to recover from hand surgery. DeJong was sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis on June 29.
- RHP Matt Bowman (blisters on right middle finger) was sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis on June 29.
- LHP Tyler Lyons (left elbow sprain) was placed on the 10 day DL retroactive to June 6. Lyons is expected to begin a rehab assignment the week of July 2.
- RHP Michael Wacha suffered a left oblique strain during his last start on June 20. Wacha was placed on the 10-day DL on June 21. The pitcher had an MRI as part of a second opinion and is awaiting the results. Will be reevaluated in mid-July.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals begin a road trip on Monday with a three-game series against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Carlos Martinez is scheduled to make the Monday start. Jack Flaherty will start on Tuesday, and Miles Mikolas on Wednesday.
The Cardinals leave Phoenix and travel to San Francisco to play the Giants for four. Luke Weaver will make the Thursday start. Probable starters for the remaining games are John Gant on Friday, Carlos Martinez on Saturday, and Jack Flaherty on Sunday.
After a travel day on Monday, the Cardinal begin a two-game interleague series in Chicago against the White Sox. The team has another travel day on Thursday and return home to St. Louis for a weekend series with the Reds. That will be the final series before the All-Star Break.
Post-break, the Cardinals will travel to Wrigley Field to play the Cubs in a five-game set. One of the games is a makeup of a rained out game from April.
The Cardinals’ regular season schedule can be found here.
Blast from the Past
The series with the Braves this week in which the Cardinals were swept is reminiscent of the 1996 post-season, when the Cardinals lost in seven games to the Braves in the NLCS. That was a tough loss, in that the Cardinals were up 3-1 and the Braves came back to outscore the Cardinals 32-1 over the last three games. It was the first time a team had overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NLCS, though it happened to the Cardinals again in 2012 against the Giants.
1996 was the first season under the new ownership of Bill DeWitt Jr. and the first season with new manager Tony La Russa. The Cardinals went 88-74 in the regular season and defeated the San Diego Padres in the NLDS to advance to the NLCS with the Braves.
The Braves won the first game in Atlanta 4-2 behind winning pitcher John Smoltz. The Cardinals came back to win Game 2 in Atlanta 8-3, then came home to St. Louis to take Game 3 by the score of 3-2, and Game 4 by the score of 4-3. St. Louis’ winning pitchers were Todd Stottlemyre, Donovan Osborne, and Dennis Eckersley.
A grand slam by Gary Gaetti off Greg Maddux highlighted Game 2. In Game 3, Ron Gant homered twice off Tom Glavine. Brian Jordan’s home run in Game 4 was the winner for the Cardinals. The Braves came back with a vengeance in Game 5 in St. Louis, knocking Stottlemyre out early, and blanking the Cardinals 14-0.
The series went back to Atlanta, and both Maddux and Glavine secured their revenge. The Cardinals lost Game 6 by the score of 3-1. Then came Game 7, which was a massacre in the same vein as Game 5. Glavine held the Cardinals scoreless and the Braves went on to the World Series after beating the Cardinals 15-0 in Game 7. The Braves would lose the World Series that year to the Yankees and go on to win only one more NL Pennant, in 1999, when they dropped the World Series again to the Yankees.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, were on the way up. They went on to win the NL Pennant in 2004, 2006, 2011, and 2013 and the World Series in two of those seasons, 2006 and 2011. The Braves have three World Series titles, while the Cardinals have 11. In the end, the 1996 loss to the Braves would usher in over a decade of postseason dominance for the Cardinals, while the Braves had to settle for Division titles only in the years following 1999.
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