photo: Paul DeJong (Wendell Cruz/Imagn)
The St. Louis Cardinals gained ground in the division in a 5-2 week in Miami and New York. Over the weekend, Mets killer Paul DeJong had three homers and two game-winning hits. In our weekly history feature, several oddities in Albert Pujols’ 19-year career are noted.
Game recaps
Monday, June 10 – Cardinals 4 at Marlins 1
The Cardinals defeated the Marlins in Miami on Monday in the first of a three-game series. Michael Wacha made the start, returning to the rotation from two rotation turns spent in the bullpen. Wacha pitched six scoreless innings and allowed five hits while fanning four and walking two. John Gant allowed the sole Marlins run in two innings of relief. Jordan Hicks hurled a scoreless ninth. Wacha earned his fourth win of the season.
The offense put up the first run in the fourth inning. Marcell Ozuna doubled to left, and scored on a double to left by Yairo Munoz.
The final three Redbirds runs were scored in the sixth. Paul Goldschmidt singled and Ozuna walked. A throwing error by the Marlins catcher on Kolten Wong’s sac bunt resulted in both runners scoring and Wong advancing to third. Harrison Bader’s sac fly plated Wong.
Ozuna had two hits, the only Cardinal with multiples.
Matt Carpenter committed a throwing error. Wacha picked a runner off second base.
Tuesday, June 11 – Cardinals 7 at Marlins 1
The Cardinals were the victors in the second game of the road series. Again the Marlins were held to one run by Cardinals pitching. Dakota Hudson went seven innings, giving up the one tally on four hits. The right hander fanned six and walked two. Giovanny Gallegos and John Brebbia each tossed a scoreless inning of relief. Hudson earned his fifth win of the season.
St. Louis’ offense got on the board in the second inning when Kolten Wong drew a walk and Harrison Bader drove him in on a triple to center field. The Marlins tied the score in the fourth.
The game remained 1-1 until the sixth inning when the Cardinals added two more runs. Paul Goldschmidt doubled and scored on a throwing error on Yadier Molina’s line out to short. Harrison Bader later drew a bases loaded walk.
In the eighth, Molina doubled, and Wong and Dexter Fowler singled back to back. Molina scored on the Fowler single. Jose Martinez singled to plate Wong and Fowler to increase the lead to 6-1. Marcell Ozuna finished the scoring with a solo home run in the ninth.
Ozuna, Molina, Wong, and Fowler each had two hits. Ozuna and Wong stole a base – Ozuna’s sixth and Wong’s 11th. Goldschmidt committed a missed catch error.
Wednesday, June 12 – Cardinals 0 at Marlins 9
The Cardinals were seriously blanked by the Marlins in the third and final game of the series. St. Louis’ offense was completely shut down by Marlins pitching, managing only three hits. Paul DeJong had the only extra base hit, a double, and Paul Goldschmidt and Kolten Wong singled.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas pitched five innings, giving up five runs on eight hits. The right hander struck out one and walked one. Ryan Helsley allowed one run while recording only one out in the sixth. Tyler Webb followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. John Brebbia surrendered three runs in the ninth. Mikolas suffered his seventh loss of the season.
Wong was charged with a missed catch error.
Thursday, June 13 – Cardinals 5 at Mets 4 (10 innnings)
The Cardinals traveled to New York to play the Mets in a four game series with the opener on Thursday. Due to weather, the game was suspended in the ninth inning and concluded on Friday.
The Cardinals scored first with one run in the top of the third on Matt Carpenter’s RBI single. The Mets took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the frame. The score remained 2-1 until the top of the sixth, when St. Louis tied it up on Paul DeJong’s solo home run.
The Mets again responded immediately with two runs in the home sixth. The score stayed at 4-2 in favor of the Mets until the ninth inning. The rain had already started and the Mets grounds crew attempted to keep the field playable because the Mets asked not to delay the game. So, the game continued on a messy field. The Mets in hindsight should have allowed the game to stop because the Cardinals tied the game in the top of the ninth on a double by Kolten Wong that plated a run, followed by Harrison Bader’s double that scored Wong from first base. Bader was tagged out when he slipped running between second and third and that ended the top half of the ninth.
The game was suspended at that point and resumed on Friday. As the game went into the 10th, Paul DeJong’s RBI single scored Yairo Munoz, who had singled and stole second, to give the Cardinals the 5-4 lead. The Mets failed to score in the bottom of the 10th and that was the ballgame.
Starter Jack Flaherty went 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on six hits. The right hander fanned eight and walked two. Giovanny Gallegos, Andrew Miller, Carlos Martinez, and Jordan Hicks combined to cover the final 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Martinez, who was the pitcher of record when the game was suspended, got the win. Hicks earned his 14th save.
Bader stole two bases and Yairo Munoz had one. Bader had an outfield assist at third base.
Friday, June 14 – Cardinals 9 at Mets 5
The regularly scheduled Friday game was played after the suspended game ended, with the Cardinals victorious.
St. Louis’ offense scored nine runs on eight hits, with the majority of the scoring occurring in the later innings. The Redbirds put up a run in the third, tying the score at 1-1. Tommy Edman doubled, was bunted to third and scored on Matt Carpenter’s sac fly.
St. Louis took the 4-1 lead in the fifth on Jose Martinez’ three-run home run to right center field. The Mets got one run back in the bottom half of the fifth, and added three in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead.
The Cardinals came back with a four-run eighth. Paul DeJong hit another solo home run and Dexter Fowler thumped a two run shot. Kolten Wong added a solo home run in the ninth to bring the score to the final 9-5.
Daniel Ponce de Leon was called up to make the start in place of the injured Adam Wainwright. Ponce de Leon pitched four innings and gave up one run on two hits. The right hander struck out three and walked four. Tyler Webb surrendered a run while recording only one out. John Brebbia followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Miller started the sixth but was replaced after three runs, one unearned, without recording an out. John Gant finished with three scoreless innings to get the win, but was also charged with a blown save for allowing all three of Miller’s runners to score.
Matt Carpenter stole his fourth base of the season. Wong made a throwing error.
Saturday, June 15 – Cardinals 7 at Mets 8
The Cardinals were edged by the Mets in a Saturday slugfest, the third in the four game set. Both teams had double digit hits.
The Cardinals scored in the top of the first on a solo home run by Dexter Fowler. The Mets came right back in the bottom half with five runs off Michael Wacha. The Mets added a sixth run in the bottom of the second.
From there, it was claw back time for the Redbirds. Marcell Ozuna singled to plate a run in the third and in the fifth, Fowler’s sac fly made it 6-3.
The Mets scored twice in the sixth to increase the lead to 8-3. The Cardinals came back in the seventh with three. Matt Carpenter drove in a run on a double, Fowler did the same on a single, and Paul DeJong’s sac fly brought in another.
Yadier Molina singled to score a run in the ninth, but the rally stopped one run short.
Starter Michael Wacha did not repeat his good start earlier in the week. Wacha pitched four innings and gave up six runs, five earned, on seven hits, including two long balls. He struck out four and walked one. Genesis Cabrera surrendered two runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Giovanny Gallegos, Tyler Webb, and John Brebbia combined for the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Wacha took the loss.
Tommy Edman, Yairo Munoz, Ozuna, and DeJong each stole a base. Kolten Wong stole two, but committed a fielding error.
Sunday, June 16 – Cardinals 4 at Mets 3
The Cardinals took the Mets series with a 4-3 win on Sunday. Starter Dakota Hudson did not have his best stuff but managed to pitch a quality start anyway. Hudson threw six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits, while striking out three and walking three and took a no decision. Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless seventh to get the win. Carlos Martinez tossed the final two scoreless innings to earn his second save.
St. Louis’ offense got on the board in the first via a two-run home run by Paul Goldschmidt. The Mets got one back in the home first and added two more in the third to take a 3-2 lead.
St. Louis tied it up in the fourth. Goldschmidt walked, Jose Martinez walked, and Dexter Fowler reached on a fielder’s choice. Yadier Molina then grounded into a double play as Goldschmidt scored.
Paul DeJong’s solo home run in the eighth became the winning run.
Fowler had an outfield assist at second base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a winning week, going 5-2 with series wins against the Marlins and the Mets. St. Louis remains in third place in the NL Central but only 3.5 back of the first place Brewers and 2.5 back of the Cubs. The Cardinals gained ground from last week.
There are still some issues with both the starting pitching and the offense. Miles Mikolas continues to struggle, Jack Flaherty hasn’t been consistent, and Michael Wacha had one good start and one bad start since returning to the rotation. Adam Wainwright went on the IL with a mild hamstring strain and was replaced by Daniel Ponce de Leon on Friday. Wainwright may be able to make his next start. Dakota Hudson has been fine for the most part.
The inconsistent offense managed to score more runs than the prior 2-5 week. In one game against the Marlins, the offense completely fell asleep at the wheel. In Sunday’s game, even though the Cardinals won, they did so with only three hits, compared to the Mets’ 10. Matt Carpenter has an OPS of .718 and on OBP of .333, which is not good for a leadoff hitter.
The only starting players with an OPS of .800 or above are Marcell Ozuna and Paul DeJong. The latter hit three home runs in New York and had two game-winning hits, building on his reputation as a Mets killer. Harrison Bader has a higher OPS than both Carpenter and Paul Goldschmidt and that isn’t saying much for Bader.
The offense must fire on all cylinders or at least be more consistent to have a chance at the Division. There are some signs of improvement, but they are rather faint at the present time.
The Cardinals do have the luxury of a soft schedule continuing. This week they play the Marlins again, followed by what should be an emotional weekend series with Albert Pujols and the Angels.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Milwaukee | 40 | 31 | 0.563 | |
| Chicago | 39 | 32 | 0.549 | 1 |
| St. Louis | 36 | 34 | 0.514 | 3.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 32 | 39 | 0.451 | 8 |
| Cincinnati | 31 | 38 | 0.449 | 8 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 6/10 The Cardinals placed RHP Adam Wainwright on the 10-day injured list. Left hamstring strain.
- 6/10 Outrighted RHP Merandy Gonzalez (Springfield) cleared waivers.
- 6/10 The Cardinals recalled RHP Ryan Helsley from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/11 The Cardinals activated C Yadier Molina from the 10 day injured list.
- 6/11 The Cardinals optioned C Andrew Knizner to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/13 The Cardinals placed RHP Ryan Helsley on the 10-day injured list. Right shoulder impingement.
- 6/13 The Cardinals recalled LHP Genesis Cabrera from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- LHP Brett Cecil (wrist) continues on the 60-day injured list. Cecil had been shut down from throwing for an indefinite period since spring training after surgery to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome. The left hander has begun a throwing program. Cecil could begin a rehab assignment in early July and possibly return to the roster by the end of that month.
- RHP Mike Mayers (right shoulder lat strain) was placed on the 10 day injured list on April 16. Mayers has reportedly begun a throwing program, progressing to bullpen sessions.
- 3B Jedd Gyorko (lower back strain) was placed on the 10 day injured list on Saturday. Infielder Tommy Edman called up from Memphis to replace him. Gyorko has run the bases and fielded grounders and could return to the roster by June 18.
- RHP Adam Wainwright (left hamstring strain) was placed on the 10 injured list on June 10. The strain is a mild Grade 1 strain. Wainwright will miss at least one start but could return when the 10 days are up.
Looking Ahead
The Redbirds will take on the Marlins in a four-game series at Busch Stadium beginning on Monday, June 17. On Friday, June 21, the Angels and Albert Pujols come to Busch Stadium for a weekend interleague series.
After taking Monday June 24 off, the Cardinals will welcome the Oakland Athletics for the first half of a two-game home and home series. The Cardinals will go to Oakland later in the season.
Thursday, June 27 is another off day. The team will travel to San Diego to play the Padres in a weekend series beginning Friday, June 28.
The team has another off day on Monday, July 1 and heads to Seattle to take on the Mariners in a three game interleague series. The Cardinals move to San Francisco for a weekend series beginning Friday, July 5.
The Cardinals’ regular season schedule can be viewed here.
Blast from the Past
The Angels and Albert Pujols come to town next weekend for a three-game series. This will be the first appearance at Busch Stadium for Pujols since he signed with the Angels in 2011. While most if not all Cardinals fans know his tremendous record with St. Louis, some things about Pujols’ career may not be as well known. This week’s Blast from the Past takes a brief look at several interesting Pujols facts.
As many know, Pujols was drafted by the Cardinals in the 13th round in 1999. What some may not know is that he was drafted as a third baseman. He did play some third base for the Cardinals, 55 games in 2001, his debut year, and 41 games in 2002. Pujols also played some corner outfield in those first few years but was primarily a first baseman from 2004 on. In a surprising twist, Pujols also played two innings at shortstop in 2002 and 3 1/3 innings at second base in 2008. He played about 22 innings at third base for the Angels but again was primarily a first baseman or a DH.
Pujols is well known for his tremendous offensive numbers, leading the league in many offensive categories over his Cardinals career. He also unfortunately has a penchant for grounding into double plays. Pujols only led the league in that category, however, twice in his 11 seasons as a Cardinal. In 2007, he grounded into a NL leading 27 double plays, and in 2011 he started 29 double plays. He has led in twin killings twice with the Angels also, 28 in 2014, and 26 in 2017. All total, over 19 seasons in the major leagues, Pujols has grounded into 386 double plays, the all-time MLB record.
Another quirky stat in Pujols’ career cries out for attention. Over his 19 major league seasons, in 11,295 plate appearances, Pujols has just one sacrifice bunt. Yes folks, one. It was during first major league season, on June 16, 2001, in a game against the Chicago White Sox. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with two men on base and a 6-3 lead, Pujols sacrifice bunted. One wonders why he did it even then, with a three-run lead in the seventh.
Over 2 1/2 more years remain on Pujols’ contract with the Angels, followed by a 10-year personal services agreement that led to a ban of such clauses in later MLB contracts. Maybe Albert will one more time feel the urge to bunt before he hangs up his cleats.
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