photo: Matt Morris (USA TODAY Sports)

The St. Louis Cardinals went 4-2 on the week but fell short in two chances for series sweeps. Despite the loss of Willson Contreras, the offense is improving, but the starting pitching has not. Matt Morris, Whitey Kurowski and Dave Duncan are new team Hall of Famers. Our history feature looks at notable events during these dates in team history.

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Hall of Fame class announced

The inductees for the 11^th Cardinals Hall of Fame class were announced on Friday. The winner of the fan vote was former starter Matt Morris. Chosen as the organizational selection was former pitching coach Dave Duncan. The final selection was Whitey Kurowski, third baseman during and after the World War II years. Kurowski was chosen by the Red Ribbon Committee. The induction ceremony is set to take place on September 7.

Morris was the 1995 first round draft pick by the Cardinals and made his St. Louis debut on April 4, 1997. The right hander pitched for eight seasons with St. Louis, posting a record of 101-62 and an ERA of 3.61. Morris is tied for 11^th in total wins in franchise history.

Duncan is known as the pitching coach during the Tony La Russa years when the Cardinals won two of their 11 World Series titles. The Cardinals produced such pitchers as Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, as well as co-inductee Morris under Duncan’s tutelage.

The late Whitey Kurowski played for the Cardinals’ 1940s dynasty that won three World Series Championships during the World War II years. In addition to hitting the clinching ninth inning home run in the 1942 Series, Kurowski was selected to five straight All-Star Games from 1943-1947.

The September 7 ceremony will be held at Ballpark Village, adjacent to Busch Stadium.

Buck-Caray redux

Set your calendars for Friday, May 24, the first game of the season in which the Cardinals play their fierce rival the Chicago Cubs. In the broadcast booth calling the game will be none other than Buck and Caray.

No, you will not be witnessing the past via a time machine, but the present. Those of us over a certain age will remember the years when Harry Caray and Jack Buck, both legends, called Cardinals games together on KMOX Radio.

In a blast from the past moment in baseball history, Joe Buck, son of Jack, and Chip Caray, grandson of the Cardinals and Cubs broadcasting icon Harry, will cover the game together for Bally Sports Midwest.

Buck and Caray, both St. Louis natives, have forged their own broadcasting careers and will join forces for one night of Cardinals/Cubs baseball.

Buck, 54, is best known on the national broadcasting level, calling World Series games with Fox Sports alongside the late Tim McCarver.  Buck left baseball for NFL football in 2022 but returns to baseball for this unique opportunity.

Caray, 59, started his baseball broadcasting career with the Cubs, first alongside his grandfather, and continuing after Harry’s death for seven seasons. He then moved on, with his late father Skip Caray, to broadcast for the Atlanta Braves, with TBS and Fox/Bally Sports South.

Chip Caray left the Braves for St. Louis, following the departure of long time Cardinals play by play man Dan McLaughlin.  Caray is in his second season with Bally Sports Midwest.

Game recaps

Monday, May 13, 2024 – Cardinals 10 at Angels 5

The Cardinals beat the Angels in the first of a three-game series in Anaheim on Monday.  Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up four runs on five hits, struck out one and walked two.

Kyle Leahy threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn his first MLB win. John King hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez surrendered one run without recording an out. Andrew Kittredge secured the final out of the eighth. Nick Robertson tossed a scoreless ninth.

The Angels took a 4-0 lead in the third inning. The Cardinals rallied in the seventh for eight comeback runs. Nolan Arenado led off with a solo home run. Nolan Gorman, Ivan Herrera and Brendan Donovan singled to load the bases. Masyn Winn followed with a single to plate Gorman. Herrera and Donovan came home on a single by Matt Carpenter. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk. Paul Goldschmidt was hit by a pitch and Winn scored. Gorman walked and Carpenter crossed the plate. With his second single of the inning, Herrera drove in Nootbaar and Goldschmidt.

Iván Herrera

The Angels cut the lead to 8-5 in the eighth. The Cardinals added two more runs in the ninth to lead 10-5. Arenado reached on an error. Gorman singled. Herrera walked. Brendan Donovan reached on fielder’s choice and Arenado and Gorman scored.

Herrera went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Gorman was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Carpenter had two RBI.

On defense, Arenado made a throwing error. Nootbaar had an outfield assist at first base.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 – Cardinals 7 at Angels 6

The Cardinals edged the Angels in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched six innings, gave up five runs on eight hits, struck out nine and walked two for his fifth win of the season.

John King surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning of relief to conclude the Angels scoring. Ryan Fernandez secured one out. JoJo Romero and Ryan Helsley each tossed a scoreless inning.

St. Louis took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Dylan Carlson singled. Nolan Gorman walked. Carlson scored on a wild pitch. Gorman came home on a fielder’s choice by Michael Siani.

The Cardinals added three runs in the top of the third inning to lead 5-0. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Alec Burleson singled. Goldschmidt and Burleson executed a double steal. Carlson walked to load the bases. Pagés doubled for three RBI.

Pedro Pagés

The Angels scored one run in the home third, then cut the lead with three runs in the fourth to make it 5-4. They tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth.

The Cardinals regained the lead with two runs in the top of the seventh. Nolan Arenado singled and Burleson followed with a two-run home run to right field.

Alec Burleson

Los Angeles added one run in the bottom of the seventh to shrink the lead to 7-6.

The Cardinals scored seven runs on 12 hits. Burleson was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5. Pagés had three RBI.

The Cardinals were active on the bases. Siani stole his fourth base. Goldschmidt swiped his second bag. Burleson stole his first base. Masyn Winn stole his seventh base.

On defense, Pagés was charged with catcher interference. Donovan had an outfield assist at second base.

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – Cardinals 2 at Angels 7

The Cardinals failed to complete the sweep, losing to the Angels by the score of 7-2 on Wednesday. Starter Lance Lynn pitched five innings, gave up four runs on eight hits, struck out five and walked two. Lynn took the loss, his second of the season.

Nick Robertson surrendered three runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Chris Roycroft tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Angels went up 4-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals scored the first of their two runs in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt.

Los Angeles added a run in the bottom of the sixth and two in the seventh to lead 7-1.

St. Louis plated their second and last run in the eighth. Alec Burleson doubled and came home on a single by Brendan Donovan.

The offense scored two runs on nine hits. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Burleson and Lars Nootbaar were each 2-for-4.

On defense, Masyn Winn made a throwing error. Burleson had an outfield assist at first base and Michael Siani had an outfield assist at second base.

Thursday, May 16, 2024 – Off day

Friday, May 17, 2024 – Cardinals 10, Red Sox 6

The Cardinals were the victors over the Red Sox in Friday’s opener of a three-game series. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched six innings, gave up five runs on eight hits, struck out three and walked three to receive his third win of the season.

JoJo Romero relieved Gibson and threw a scoreless seventh. Andrew Kittredge hurled a scoreless eighth. John King surrendered an unearned run in the ninth.

The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Lars Nootbaar. The Red Sox tied the game in the top of the second.

Lars Nootbaar

In the home half of the second, Nolan Gorman’s solo home run gave St. Louis a 3-2 lead. Boston knotted up the score again in the third.

In the fourth, Alec Burleson led off with a solo home run. St. Louis added on with a run in the fifth to increase the lead to 5-3. Brendan Donovan doubled and came home on a single by Paul Goldschmidt.

In the sixth, a two-run long ball by Masyn Winn widened the lead to 7-3.

In the top of the seventh, Boston shrunk the lead to 7-5. St. Louis came right back in the bottom of the seventh to plate two runs. Nootbaar drew a walk. Goldschmidt singled. Burleson singled and Nootbaar came home. Goldschmidt crossed the plate on a single by Ivan Herrera.

The Cardinals made it 10-5 in the eighth. Nootbaar and Goldschmidt walked. Nootbaar scored on a single by Nolan Arenado.

The Red Sox managed one final run in the ninth for the 10-6 final score.

The Cardinals scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Arenado was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Burleson was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Goldschmidt and Herrera were each 2-for-4 with an RBI. Donovan was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Nootbaar had two RBI and three runs scored. Winn had two RBI.

On defense, King made a throwing error.

Saturday, May 18, 2024 – Cardinals 7, Red Sox 2

The Cardinals prevailed over the Red Sox in the second of the three-game series on Saturday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched five innings, gave up one run on two hits, struck out four and walked one.

Miles Mikolas

John King and Andrew Kittredge followed Mikolas with a scoreless inning each of relief. JoJo Romero surrendered one run in the eighth but received the win, his first of the season. Kyle Leahy tossed a scoreless ninth.

The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman. Boston tied the game in the fourth.

St. Louis broke the tie with a run in the seventh to lead 2-1. Masyn Winn and Dylan Carlson singled and Brendan Donovan walked to load the bases. Winn scored on a ground out by Lars Nootbaar.

The Red Sox tied the game again in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinals rallied for five small ball runs to go ahead 7-2. Nolan Arenado and Alec Burleson singled. Ivan Herrera plated Arenado on a single. Burleson came home on a Gorman single. A sac fly by Winn brought Herrera home. Donovan singled. Nootbaar singled to score Gorman and Donovan.

Nolan Gorman

The offense scored seven runs on 14 hits. Gorman was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4. Arenado was 2-for-3.

On the bases, Michael Siani was caught stealing for the second time. On defense, Gorman made a fielding error. Donovan had an outfield assist at second base.

Sunday, May 19, 2024 – Cardinals 3, Red Sox 11

Once again, the Cardinals failed to complete a sweep, instead suffering an 11-3 drubbing by the Red Sox. Starter Matthew Liberatore lasted only three innings, gave up four runs on six hits, struck out three and walked one. Liberatore took the loss, his second.

All four Cardinals pitchers allowed multiple Red Sox runs. Chris Roycroft relieved Liberatore and surrendered three runs in the fourth. Ryan Fernandez yielded two runs in two innings. Nick Robertson allowed two runs in the final three innings.

The Red Sox put up single runs in the first and second and added two runs in the top of the fourth to increase the lead to 4-0.

The Cardinals produced one run in the home half of the fourth on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar. Boston immediately answered with three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to blow up the lead to 9-1.

St. Louis added two runs in the seventh. Paul Goldschmidt doubled, and Nolan Arenado and Alec Burleson singled to load the bases. Brendan Donovan plated Goldschmidt on a single. Arenado scored on a wild pitch.

The Red Sox topped their score with two additional runs in the ninth for the final whooping of 11-3.

The meager Cardinal offense scored three runs on six hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.

On defense, Pedro Pagés made a throwing error and had a passed ball.

The Big Picture

Despite the Cardinals failure to complete two sweeps and despite the horrendous mauling they took on Sunday, the team had a decent week overall. The Cardinals went 4-2 and won both series – over the Angels and the Red Sox.

The Cardinals have briefly climbed out of the cellar in the NL Central and are now in fourth place, seven games back of the Brewers. The Reds are the current basement dwellers, with a record of 19-28, 8.5 games back of first.

The offense has been slowly improving, though in some games the offense failed to materialize (notably the final game of both series). The top performers by OPS over the last seven days are Alec Burleson (1.218), Lars Nootbaar (1.090), Nolan Gorman (1.015), Dylan Carlson (.985 in 7 ABs), and Brendan Donovan (.909)

Brendan Donovan

At the bottom are Brandon Crawford (.000 in 3 ABs), Matt Carpenter (.297), and Michael Siani (.301).

If there is a fix for the team’s inability to win the final game of a series it would be wise to look for it and apply it. One can only guess what the issue is, but hopefully it is not complacency after winning the first two games.

Starting pitching has hit a rough patch lately. Only Miles Mikolas had an ERA under 4.00 over the last seven days. Double digit ERAs were the result for three pitchers, one starter and two relievers. They are Matthew Liberatore (substituting for the injured Steven Matz) with an ERA of 11.37 over two games, and relievers Ryan Fernandez (11.57) and Chris Roycroft (11.57).

There were good relief performances from Andrew Kittredge (0.00), Kyle Leahy (0.00), Ryan Helsley (0.00), John King (2.08) and JoJo Romero (3.00).

The Cardinals need to improve the starting pitching and be more consistent on offense to have a chance of getting over .500, much less climb the ladder to the top of the NL Central. The fifth starter spot has been an Achilles heel. Either Steven Matz needs to return quickly or the Cardinals need to try a different option at that spot.

The Cardinals have a tough week coming up, with six games at home, three with the Orioles and a weekend set against the Cubs.

NL Central Standings

Team	W	L	Pct	GB
Milwaukee	27	19	0.587
Chicago	26	22	0.542	2
Pittsburgh	22	26	0.458	6
St. Louis	20	26	0.435	7
Cincinnati	19	28	0.404	8.5

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 5/14 The Cardinals sent RHP Keynan Middleton on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals
• First reported by his alma mater Washington University on Sunday evening, RHR Ryan Loutos will be added to the 40-man roster on Monday and assigned to St. Louis. The corresponding 26-man and 40-man transactions are to be announced.

Ryan Loutos

Update

Monday afternoon, reliever Chris Roycroft was optioned to Memphis and Triple-A infielder/outfielder Alfonso Rivas was designated for assignment to make roster room for Loutos.

Chris Roycroft

Roycroft, 26, spent two weeks with St. Louis in his MLB debut stint. In six innings over five games, the right-hander allowed four runs (6.00 ERA) on seven hits and four walks (1.83 WHIP). Roycroft fanned six.

Alfonso Rivas

Rivas, 27, was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on January 29, 2024. With Memphis, the left-handed hitter slashed .246/.364/.323/.684.  Rivas has 39 strikeouts against 20 walks and 32 hits in 156 at-bats.

Rivas could be claimed by another organization or he can opt for free agency. He could also be traded, released or if unclaimed, could choose to remain in the organization.

Injury Report

• CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman is swinging off a tee from both sides with no issues, but he is not ready for rehab games.
• RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. Middleton has begun a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals.
• LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
• RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien has been throwing from 90 feet along with teammate Giovanny Gallegos.
• LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. Matz has had a setback in his recovery and has been shut down from throwing. Matz felt pain after a mound session on Friday. The left hander was given a pain-killing injection. His return is now likely not until at least June.
• RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement). Gallegos was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 6. Gallegos is now throwing from 90 feet. Expected return is late May at the earliest.
• C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras’ arm was fractured by a swing from Mets DH J.D. Martinez that resulted in a catcher’s interference call. Contreras had surgery on the arm and already has had the cast removed. The time for his return has been shortened to before the All-Star break.

Looking Ahead

After the Red Sox series ended on Sunday, the homestand continues with three with the Baltimore Orioles. Sonny Gray is set to make the Monday start, followed by Lance Lynn on Tuesday, and Kyle Gibson on Wednesday.

After a Thursday off day, the final series of the homestand is against the Cubs beginning on Friday.

The month of May ends with three in Cincinnati with the Reds, followed by a weekend set with the Phillies in Philadelphia. The road trip concludes with a three-game series against the Astros in Houston.

The Cardinals return home for a six game homestand with the Rockies and the Pirates. They then head out on another road trip that begins at Wrigley Field for three and ends at Loan Depot Park in Miami against the Marlins for three.

Blast from the Past

In this week’s Blast from the Past, we look back at the period May 13 through 19 to highlight unique events in Cardinal history. Some happened in a game, or they may be team related events that are odd or just notable.

May 13, 1958 – Cardinals’ legend Stan Musial collected his 3000^th hit, serving as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning of a game between the Cardinals and the Cubs. The Cardinals won the game 5-3.

May 14, 1916 – Against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cardinal icon Rogers Hornsby hit the first of his career 301 home runs. It was an inside-the-parker in a 3-2 loss.

May 14, 1988 – In a 19 inning 7-5 loss to the Braves, Jose Oquendo became the first non-pitcher to get a major league decision. Oquendo was the final pitcher of six to take the mound for St. Louis.

May 16, 1913 – Shortstop Alfredo Cabrera became the first person from Spain to appear in a major league game. Cabrera started and had two at bats, both ground outs. He was pinch hit for in the fifth inning of the 6-5 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was the only major league game in which Cabrera played.

May 18, 1950 – In a 13-8 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers, 3B Tommy Glaviano made four errors, three on consecutive plays in the ninth inning.

May 18, 1996 – 1B John Mabry hit for the cycle in order in a 9-8 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Mabry singled to lead off the second inning, doubled in the fourth, tripled in the fifth (with an RBI) and launched a two-run home run in the seventh.

May 18, 2000 – Mark McGwire passed Mickey Mantle into eighth place on the all-time home run career list. The long ball was his 539^th and he hit two more home runs in the 7-2 win over the Phillies.

May 19, 1962 – Stan Musial established a National League record with his 3,431^st career hit, a single in the ninth inning of a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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TCN’s Monthly Cardinals Top 50 Prospect Rankings – May 2024

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