St. Louis Cardinals MLB Notebook – Week of September 13 – September 19

Photo: Paul Goldschmidt (Billy Hurst/USA TODAY Sports)

The St. Louis Cardinals went 6-0 this week, earning sweeps of the New York Mets and San Diego Padres. As a result, the Cardinals have jumped out to a three game lead over the second wild card spot. The lineup made major contributions in these games, highlighted by Paul Goldschmidt (1.405 OPS) and Tyler O’Neill (1.308 OPS). Our history feature looks at the youngest player on each Cardinals team from 2011-2021

Game Recaps

Monday, Sept 13 – Cardinals 7 at Mets 0

The Cardinals blanked the Mets by the score of 7-0 in the first game of a three-game series at Citi Field.  Adam Wainwright got the start against Rich Hill for the Mets.  The duo was called the “AARP matchup”, as it was the 40-year-old Wainwright versus the 41-year-old Hill.

Wainwright won the battle, pitching six scoreless innings.  The right-hander allowed four hits, struck out four and walked three. T.J. McFarland, Alex Reyes, and Kodi Whitley each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.  Wainwright picked up his 16th win of the season.

The Cardinal offense put up three runs on the 41-year-old Hill, one each in the second, third, and fifth innings.  A Dylan Carlson RBI double drove in the first run in the second.  Paul Goldschmidt plated the second run on a single in the third, and a solo home run by Nolan Arenado in the fifth made the score 3-0.

The offense increased the lead to 7-0 with a four-run inning in the ninth.  Each of the four runs scored on singles by Arenado, Yadier Molina, Edmundo Sosa, and Harrison Bader.

Molina was 3-for-5 on the night with an RBI and two runs scored.  Bader was 3-for-4 with an RBI.  Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.  Tyler O’Neill was 2-for-4.

Yadier Molina

On the base paths, O’Neill, and Goldschmidt both stole their 12th bases of the season.  In field, Molina had a passed ball.

Tuesday, Sept 14 – Cardinals 7 at Mets 6 (11 innings)

The Cardinals were the winners in the second game of the season, but this one took some work.  The Redbirds squeaked out a one-run victory in extra innings.

The Mets scored first in the first inning with two runs on two singles.  The Cardinals tied it up in the fourth.  Paul Goldschmidt led off with a double and Tyler O’Neill drove him home on a single. Yadier Molina singled to move O’Neill to third and Dylan Carlson brought O’Neill home on a sac fly.

The Mets took a 3-2 lead in the fifth.  The score remained 3-2 until the eighth inning, when O’Neill blasted a two-run bomb to center field to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.  In the bottom of the ninth, Javier Baez hit a solo home run to send the game into extra innings.

Neither team could score in the 10th, but in the 11th the Cardinals put up three runs.  Molina began the inning on second base.  Jose Rondon singled and Edmundo Sosa singled to score Molina.  Harrison Bader advanced Sosa and Rondon to second and third on a ground out.  Andrew Knizner then singled to plate both Rondon and Sosa.

Andrew Knizner

The Mets fought back in the home half of the 11th, and was able to score two runs, one run short of a tie.  The Cardinals prevailed to win the series.

Jake Woodford took the mound for the Cardinals.  The right-hander pitched four innings, gave up two runs on four hits and walked two.  Daniel Ponce de Leon began the fifth but couldn’t finish it.  The right-hander got the first out, then walked three straight batters to load the bases.  Kodi Whitley relieved Ponce de Leon.  One run that was charged to Ponce de Leon scored on a sac fly, but Whitley retired the next batter to end the inning.  Whitley tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings and was relieved by Genesis Cabrera.

Cabrera followed Whitley by pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Luis Garcia got the final out of the eighth.  Giovanny Gallegos gave up the tying run in the ninth and was tagged with a blown save.  Alex Reyes threw a scoreless 10th. Kwang-Hyun Kim pitched the 11th and yielded two runs.  Reyes was awarded the win, his eighth of the season and Kim earned his first save.

In the field, Kim made a throwing error and Woodford had a fielding miscue.

Wednesday, Sept 15 – Cardinals 11 at Mets 4

The Cardinals pummeled the Mets in the final game of the three-game series at Citi Field to earn the sweep.  Jon Lester got the start for the Cardinals, pitched six innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits and fanned seven.  Andrew Miller surrendered one run in the seventh and did not record an out.  T.J. McFarland relieved Miller and tossed two scoreless innings.  Justin Miller threw a scoreless ninth.  Lester earned his sixth win of the season.

The Cardinals quickly took a 5-0 lead in the first inning.  Tommy Edman led off the inning with a walk.  Paul Goldschmidt doubled, and Tyler O’Neill followed with a double to score Edman and Goldschmidt.  Dylan Carlson singled to score O’Neill.  Edmundo Sosa singled, and Harrison Bader singled to plate Carlson and Sosa.

The Mets got one run back in the second and another run in the third to make it 5-2.  The Redbirds increased their lead to 6-2 on a solo home run by Bader in the fourth.

The Mets scored one run in the sixth, but the Cardinals answered in the top of the sixth with two more runs on solo home runs by Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.  The Mets again added a run in the home half of the seventh and the Cardinals led 8-4.

Paul Goldschmidt

In the eighth, Sosa hit a solo home run to make it 9-4.  Tommy Edman doubled and scored on a single by Goldschmidt.  Goldschmidt scored on a single by Arenado.

The Cardinal offense scored 11 runs on 16 hits.  Edman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Goldschmidt was 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored.  O’Neill was 2-for-5 with two RBI, and Arenado was 2-for-4 with two RBI.  Sosa was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.  Bader was 2-for-5 with three RBI.

In the field, Sosa made a fielding error.

Thursday, Sept 16 – Off day.

Friday, Sept 17 – Cardinals 8, Padres 2

The Cardinals returned home to St. Louis to take on the San Diego Padres in a weekend series at Busch Stadium.  While the Cardinals were sweeping the Mets, the Reds lost 2 of 3 to the Pirates and the Padres lost 2 of 4 to the Giants.  The Redbirds began the Padres series on Friday in the second Wild Card spot, one half game ahead of the Padres and one game ahead of the Reds.

The Cardinals blew the Padres away in the first game of the series 8-2.  Miles Mikolas got the start and he pitched 5 2/3 innings scoreless innings, allowed three hits, struck out three and walked two to earn his first win of the season.  T.J McFarland relieved Mikolas in the sixth and got the final out.  He returned to start the seventh and surrendered two runs in that inning without recording an out.  Luis Garcia finished the inning without further damage.   Alex Reyes and Genesis Cabrera combined to throw a scoreless eighth.  Kodi Whitley pitched a scoreless ninth.

The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.  Tommy Edman led off with a double and Paul Goldschmidt plated him on a single.  Tyler O’Neill followed with a two-run home run to left field.

St. Louis increased the lead to 4-0 in the fourth on a solo home run by Dylan Carlson.  The Mets finally got on the board with two runs in the seventh inning.

The Cardinals came back in the eighth with a four-run surge.  Paul Goldschmidt doubled to lead off.  Nolan Arenado drew a walk and Yadier Molina was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Dylan Carlson came to the plate and hit a grand slam to center field, and the Redbirds had an 8-2 lead.

Dylan Carlson

Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.  Carlson was 2-for-4 with five RBI and two runs scored.  O’Neill drove in two.

The Cardinals moved to 1.5 games ahead of the Padres for the Wild Card and remained 1 game ahead of the Reds, who beat the Dodgers.

Saturday, Sept 18 – Cardinals 3, Padres 2

The Cardinals edged the Padres in win that happened in one inning with one hit.  The Padres led 2-0 from the fourth inning on until the eighth, when one hit gave the Cardinals the game.

The game was a pitching duel for the first three innings, between Adam Wainwright and Yu Darvish.  The Padres got to Wainwright in the fourth with two runs on singles by Tommy Pham and Victor Caratini.

The Padres took the 2-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning.  The inning began with a leadoff double by Harrison Bader.  Bader eventually scored on a sac fly by Tommy Edman.  Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk, and Tyler O’Neill came to the plate with one on and two outs.  In a six-pitch battle with Padres reliever Emilio Pagan, O’Neill was the victor, blasting pitch number six, an 85-mph cutter, for a two-run home run to left center field.  The Cardinals went ahead 3-2.  The Padres went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.

Tyler O’Neill

Wainwright pitched six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out two.  Wainwright later said his stuff was “average”.  Darvish on the other hand was very good, pitching seven scoreless innings before Pagan gave up the lead in the eighth.  Wainwright was relieved by Kodi Whitley, who tossed a scoreless seventh.  Justin Miller pitched a scoreless eighth and Giovanny Gallegos threw a scoreless ninth to earn his ninth save. Miller got the win, his first.

In the field, Carlson had an outfield assist at second base.

Sunday, Sept 19 – Cardinals 8, Padres 7

The Cardinals won a hard-fought game three to sweep the Padres in the series.  The Cardinals broke out to an early lead, but the Padres fought back. The game came down to the last inning, but the bullpen held on.

The Redbirds rocked Padres starter Jake Arrieta for five runs in the first inning, before he left the game with an injury.  Tommy Edman led off with a double, and Paul Goldschmidt followed with a single.  Tyler O’Neill walked to load the bases.  Nolan Arenado hit a pop up into center field that Fernando Tatis Jr dropped, and Edman scored.  Goldschmidt scored on a sac fly by Dylan Carlson.  Edmundo Sosa doubled to plate O’Neill.  After Arrieta exited, Harrison Bader hit a double off reliever Craig Stammen that scored Arenado and Sosa.

Dylan Carlson made a fantastic catch in the first inning, bringing down a hard fly ball to right field off the bat of Fernando Tatis Jr at the wall.  The hit would have likely been a double or a triple if not caught.  The Padres instead did not score.

The Padres scored one run in the third to cut the lead to 5-1, then added two more in the fourth to make it 5-3.  The Cardinals widened the lead in the fifth with two runs scored to make it 7-3. Goldschmidt doubled and scored on a single by O’Neill.  O’Neill then scored on a double by Edmundo Sosa.

The Padres answered with a run in the sixth, but the Cardinals got the run back in the seventh on a walk by O’Neill, a stolen base and a single by Dylan Carlson.

The 8-4 lead shriveled away in the eighth when the Padres surged for three runs to make it a one run lead.  The Cardinals held on with a terrific ninth inning performance by Giovanny Gallegos.

J.A. Happ got the start but lasted only four innings.  The left-hander gave up three runs on four hits, struck out two and walked one.  Alex Reyes relieved Happ and surrendered one run in two innings of relief.  T.J McFarland pitched a scoreless seventh and returned to start the eighth.  The left-hander gave up a lead off single and was replaced by Luis Garcia.  Garcia allowed the inherited runner to score then surrendered two additional runs with only one out recorded.

Genesis Cabrera then came in as the third pitcher of the inning and got the final two outs.  Giovanny Gallegos was brilliant in the ninth, striking out the first two batters and retiring the third on a fly out to center field.  Reyes got the win and Gallegos earned his 10th save.

Giovanny Gallegos

On the base paths, Lars Nootbaar stole his first base of the season and O’Neill stole his 13th.  In the field, Sosa made a throwing error.

Big Picture

The Cardinals had arguably the best week of the season this past week in their run to the playoffs.  They swept the Mets in three games at Citi Field and followed that with a three-game sweep of the Padres at Busch Stadium, for a 6-0 week.  Both the Mets and the Padres are teams in the hunt for the Wild Card spot.

The Reds, who began the week in the second spot, fell out after losing 2 of 3 to the Pirates.  The Padres came into the series this weekend having lost 2 of 4 to the Dodgers.  As the series began the Cardinals were a half game ahead of the Padres and one game ahead of the Reds.  The Reds lost 2 of 3 to the Dodgers while the Cardinals swept the Padres.  The Cardinals now sit in the second spot, 3 games ahead of the Reds, and 3.5 games ahead of the Padres.  The Phillies, who were 2.5 back of the Wild Card on Friday and Saturday by beating the Mets, lost to the Mets on Sunday and are now 3.5 games back, tied with the Padres.

The Cardinals now face two series with the Brewers and two series with the Cubs to end the regular season.  The Reds and the Phillies face lesser opponents in the Pirates and the Orioles in the coming week, while the Padres will be playing the NL West leading Giants.  Over the weekend the Reds play the Nationals, and the Phillies play the Pirates, while the Padres face the Braves.  Given the strength of the schedules, the Cardinals position in the second spot is precarious.

The offense must continue to produce as they have over the last two weeks.  Production up and down the lineup is crucial.  The top offensive performers over the last seven days by OPS are Paul Goldschmidt (1.405), Tyler O’Neill (1.308), Harrison Bader (.828), Tommy Edman (.826), and Dylan Carlson (.821).   Nolan Arenado (.708) and Edmundo Sosa (.738) need to pick it up a little bit.  Yadier Molina (.649) also needs to improve at the plate.

The starting pitching must continue to keep the offense in games and go as deep as possible to preserve a tiring bullpen.  The usually stalwart Adam Wainwright only pitched 6 innings in his last start and hopefully this was just a minor hiccup.  J.A. Happ had a four inning start on Sunday, also not ideal.  The bullpen must be able to hold any leads late in the game, and as we have seen in the past, this has been a continuing problem.

As for the bullpen, things are better than they have been in the not too distant past, but there have still been some issues in individual cases.  A return of Jack Flaherty and possibly Dakota Hudson to pitch out of the bullpen would be a big help, but their returns are not set in stone.  The current bullpen must be reliable with the tough schedule the Cardinals have in these last two weeks.

NL Central Standings

Team                                        W                              L                       Pct                           GB                     WCGB 

 

Milwaukee

 

           91

 

             58

 

         .611

 

         ——

 

——

 

St. Louis

 

           79

 

             69

 

         .534

 

         11.5

——
 

Cincinnati

 

           77

 

             73

 

         .513

 

         14.5

 

           3

 

Chicago

 

           67

 

             83

 

         .447

 

         24.5

 

          13

 

Pittsburgh

 

           56

 

             93

 

         .376

 

          35

 

         23.5

 Busch Stadium showcases the 2011 World Series team in a ten-year reunion.

During the weekend series with the Padres, the Cardinals celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the 2011 World Championship.  More than 30 players from the 2011 team were in attendance over the weekend and were showcased in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday.  Included in the celebration was NLCS and World Series MVP David Freese.

Freese, along with NLDS Game 5 starter Chris Carpenter threw out the ceremonial first pitches on Saturday, with Nolan Arenado and Jack Flaherty receiving the pitches.  The 2011 team members were brought out in trucks that came around the track, just as is done on the Opening Day ceremonies.

Three players from the 2011 team still playing for the Cardinals, Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Matt Carpenter, were also showcased.  Understandably missing were manager Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols, and Lance Lynn, all who are still playing for or managing other teams.  Also with another team but at the ceremony was Skip Schumaker, who is the bench coach for the San Diego Padres, the team the Cardinals were playing that weekend.  He was introduced and came out on the field for the team photo.

Bally Sports Midwest featured interviews with several of the former Cardinals on the telecast of Saturday’s game, who talked about that 2011 run and what it was like for them.  Featured were Lance Berkman, Jon Jay, Allen Craig, and several others.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors.

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

  • 9/13 The Cardinals sent RHP Dakota Hudson on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.

Injury Report

  • RHP Jordan Hicks (right elbow inflammation) remains on the 60-day injured list. Hicks was sent to the Cardinals Spring Training complex in Jupiter on Sept 11 to begin facing live hitters.  The right-hander will continue that process while the team looks for opportunities to get him into live action, either in minor league games or in winter ball.  Hicks will not return to the major league roster in 2021.
  • 2B Max Moroff (left shoulder subluxation) remains on the 60-day injured list after suffering a shoulder injury in a batting practice session. Moroff had surgery on the shoulder and is out for the rest of the season.
  • RHP Dakota Hudson (Tommy John surgery) remains on the 60-day injured list. He made a rehab start in Memphis on Friday, and manager Mike Shildt announced on Sunday that the right-hander will pitch another rehab assignment on Wednesday.  No decision has been made on whether Hudson will pitch at all in 2021.
  • RHP Carlos Martinez (right thumb ligament sprain) had surgery on July 16 to repair his thumb ligament. Martinez has begun some light throwing, but he is not expected to return this season.  If that is the case, Martinez may have thrown his last pitch as a Cardinal.  Martinez is on the final year of his contract, and though the team holds options for 2022 and 2023, they are not expected to pick them up.
  • LHP Wade LeBlanc (left elbow pain) remains on the 10-day injured list. The left-hander is set to undergo a procedure on his left elbow, making a return this season impossible.  LeBlanc will be a free agent at season’s end.  The Cardinals may offer LeBlanc a minor league deal to return in 2022 if he does not sign a major league deal elsewhere.
  • RHP Ryan Helsley (right elbow stress reaction), was placed on the 60-day injured list on Sept 1. The move signaled an end to Helsley’s season.
  • RHP Jack Flaherty (right shoulder strain) remains on the 10-day injured list.  The right-hander threw bullpen sessions on Sept 16 and Sept 18 without any setbacks.  Flaherty will throw another bullpen in Milwaukee on Tuesday.  The team has not decided on if/when Flaherty will return to pitch.  If he does pitch in 2021 it will likely be as a reliever, but no decision has been made either way.
  • RHP Junior Fernandez (right lat strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Sept 12. Scans revealed a Grade 2 lat strain and the injury is serious enough that his season is most likely over.

Looking Ahead

The Cardinals finish a series at home against the Padres on Sunday and then travel to Milwaukee to play the Brewers in a four-game series.  Jake Woodford is scheduled to make the start on Monday, followed by Lester on Tuesday, Mikolas on Wednesday, and possibly Wainwright on Thursday, though that decision has not been made.

The Cardinals leave Milwaukee following the game on Thursday and go to Chicago to play the Cubs in a weekend series at Wrigley Field.  The series includes a doubleheader on Friday.  The team has an off day on Monday following that series.

The Cardinals return to St. Louis for the final week of the regular season for a six-game homestand.  The team will play the Brewers in a three-game series beginning Tuesday.  The Cubs will arrive on Friday to play a weekend series to end the regular season of play.

The Cardinals regular season schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past.

This week’s Blast from the Past covers the second part of two-part series on the youngest players on each roster from the years 2000 through 2021.  Last week we looked at the 2000 through 2010 seasons.  This week we look at the seasons from 2011 through the present season.

2011 season – The youngest players on the 2011 roster were pitchers Eduardo Sanchez (22) and Maikel Cleto (22).  Sanchez pitched in 26 games that season as a reliever to a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 1.80.  Cleto made only three appearances that season.  The next youngest player on the roster was Pete Kozma (23), who played in 16 games and had 22 plate appearances.

2012 season – P Shelby Miller made his debut late in the 2012 season at the age of 21. Miller pitched in six games, one as a starter.  Trevor Rosenthal (22) debuted in July of 2012.

2013 season – Two 21-year-olds debuted in 2013, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez.  Wacha debuted in May and pitched in 15 games, nine as a starter. Martinez also debuted in May and pitched 21 games, one as a starter.  Kolten Wong (22) debuted in August.

2014 season – Sam Tuivailala (21) made a September 28 debut and pitched in only two games. Oscar Taveras (22), Randal Grichuk (22), and Marco Gonzalez (22) also debuted in 2014.

2015 season – Same Tuivailala was again the youngest player on the roster at 22.   Wacha, Martinez, Grichuk, and Gonzalez all returned for the 2015 season at the age of 23.  Oscar Taveras tragically died in an automobile accident in October of 2014.

2016 season – C Carson Kelly (21) and P Alex Reyes (21) both made their debuts in 2016.  Kelly debuted in September and Reyes in August.  P Luke Weaver (22) also made his debut in August.  Reyes made five starts that season and Weaver started eight games.  Kelly played in 10 games.

2017 season – OF Magneuris Sierra (21), P Jack Flaherty (21) and P Sandy Alcantara (21) all made their debuts in 2017.  Sierra debuted in May and played 22 games that season.  Flaherty debuted in September and made five starts.  Alcantara also debuted in September and pitched in 8 games out of the bullpen.  Also making his debut in 2017 was CF Harrison Bader (23), who debuted in July and played in 23 games.

2018 season – P Jordan Hicks (21) made his debut on the Opening Day roster on March 29.  Hicks appeared in 73 games, 20 as the closer.  SS Edmundo Sosa (22) debuted in September and appeared in three games.  P Dakota Hudson (23) debuted in July and pitched in 26 games.

2019 season – P Genesis Cabrera (22) and P Junior Fernandez (22) joined Hicks in 2019.  Cabrera debuted in May and Fernandez in August.  Cabrera pitched in 22 games, two as a starter. Fernandez pitched in 13 games out of the bullpen.

2020 season – In the 60-game 2020 season, Dylan Carlson (21) debuted in August and played in 35 games.  Johan Oviedo (22) also debuted in August and made five starts for the Cardinals.  P Jake Woodford (23) and P Ricardo Sanchez (23) joined Cabrera, Fernandez, and Hicks.  Woodford made one start and 11 appearances out of the bullpen.  Sanchez pitched in three games out of the bullpen.

2021 season – Dylan Carlson (22) is again the youngest Cardinal and is now the starting RF for the Cardinals.  Lars Nootbaar (23) debuted in June and quickly became a fan favorite.  Angel Rondon (23) also debuted in June but pitched in only two games.


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