Unable to push a run across over the final six innings, the Desert Dogs were edged by the Mesa Solar Sox by a 2-1 score on Wednesday. For the first time all season, no Cardinals participated in the game. In fact, Cardinals priority player Thomas Saggese has not played since Saturday’s Fall Stars Game.
Glendale is 16-13 for the AFL season and is tied with the Salt River Rafters for second place. Thursday’s final game will decide the playoffs, with Scottsdale the third competito.
The teams with the second and third best records, will meet in Friday’s Play-In Semifinal Game at 6:30 pm Arizona time at Scottsdale Stadium. The semifinal winner will face Surprise, the league’s No. 1 seed, in the AFL Championship Game on Saturday at 6:00 pm local time at Salt River Fields. The latter contest will be nationally televised on MLB Network.
Dodgers right-hander Jerming Rosario, who was scheduled to start for the Desert Dogs on Thursday, was instead used for the fifth through eighth innings on Wednesday. He fanned seven while allowing just one baserunner. That leaves Thursday’s starter for Glendale as TBA.
Thursday’s game: vs. Scottsdale Scorpions, TBA vs. Cale Lansville RHP (0-2, 2.92) 2:30 CT.
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photo: Nathan Church (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Glendale Desert Dogs held their playoff position by defeating the Surprise Saguaros on Tuesday. Nathan Church singled, doubled and walked with two runs scored. Alex Cornwell threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Cardinals Leonardo Bernal and Brycen Mautz also played.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Tuesday, November 12.
The Desert Dogs beat the Saguaros by a 9-5 score on Tuesday. Four Cardinals participated. Nathan Church hit sixth in the starting lineup and played left field. Catcher Leonardo Bernal started in the seventh spot in the lineup. Alex Cornwell and Brycen Mautz pitched in relief.
Church singled, doubled and walked with two runs scored. In his first at bat in the second inning, he flied out to left field. In the fourth, Church doubled to center field and came home on a single by Bernal. He drew a walk in the fifth but was stranded.
Church hit an infield single to third base in the eighth and scored on a triple by Jake Gelof of the Dodgers organization. In his final at bat, Church struck out swinging to end the top of the ninth inning.
Bernal was 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. In his first at bat in the second inning, Bernal lined out to second base. Bernal’s single to right field scored Church in the fourth inning. He was thrown out trying to advance to second base. In the fifth, Bernal lined out to the shortstop.
Bernal drew a walk in the eighth in his final at bat, and along with Church, scored on Gelof’s triple.
With two outs in the third inning and Glendale up by one, Cornwell entered with a runner on base. He walked the first batter, then retired the next one on a force out to end the inning and strand the inherited runner.
Cornwell returned for the fourth. He retired the first two hitters, on a ground out and fly out. He gave up a double to the next batter but retired the final hitter on a strikeout looking to end the inning. He received his fourth AFL hold.
Mautz entered the game to open the fifth inning, replacing Cornwell, with the Dogs up 6-1. He gave up a single to the first hitter and walked the next batter. The third hitter singled to plate a run. The next batter was retired on a ground out, but a run scored. Mautz allowed a double as a third run crossed the plate. He finished the inning by retiring the next two batters on a strikeout looking and a ground out to the shortstop.
Mautz was replaced for the sixth, with the Glendale lead reduced to 6-4.
Cornwell and Mautz each threw 25 pitches with 15 going for strikes. Cornwell gave up no runs but Mautz surrendered three.
No other Cardinal saw action.
Riding a three-game winning streak, Glendale is 16-12, tied with the Salt River Rafters for second place, one game behind Surprise with two games to play. Two games separate the two second place teams from fourth place and no playoff berth.
Wednesday’s game: at Mesa Solar Sox, Christian McGowan RHP (2-0, 5.40) vs. Grant Kipp RHP (2-2, 6.59) 7:30 CT.
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The St. Louis Cardinals renegotiated their TV contract to stay with FanDuel Sports Midwest. Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray are remaining, but Nolan Arenado may not. Ken Boyer is up for the Hall of Fame again. We remember Cardinals who previously won Silver Slugger Awards.
Position change for Contreras
Multiple media sources reported from this past week’s General Manager Meetings that the St. Louis Cardinals have informed Willson Contreras that they want him to switch positions from catcher to first base in 2025.
President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said he discussed this change of position with Contreras and he was open to the idea. The switch is ostensibly for multiple purposes, first to give playing opportunities to two younger catchers, and second to safeguard the health of Contreras, who missed significant time in 2024 with two serious injuries.
The plan is for Contreras to man first base plus designated hitter at other times during the season. Contreras hasn’t played first base since limited action with the 2019 Cubs.
St. Louis signed the 32-year-old to a five-year, $87.5 million contract in 2022 to be the starting catcher following the retirement of Yadier Molina. Since the Cardinals announced they would be reducing the major league payroll in 2025 to focus more resources on improving and updating the Player Development system, the rumors were that Contreras might be a trade candidate.
However, the reports out of the GM Meetings were that Mozeliak discussed the idea of a trade with Contreras, who has full no-trade protection in his contract, and he expressed a desire to remain with the Cardinals.
With Contreras moving to first base to replace free agent Paul Goldschmidt, the catching duties will be assumed by Iván Herrera, 24, and Pedro Pagés, 26.
Cardinals reach new deal with Diamond Sports Group
On Thursday, the Cardinals announced via a press release that the organization has reached a multiyear deal with Diamond Sports Group to retain the TV rights to broadcast Cardinals games. Diamond is the parent company for the former Bally Sports Network, now rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network.
Diamond Sports Group is currently in bankruptcy proceedings. As part of those proceedings the company had previously indicated they would discontinue their current contracts with all teams with which they had 2025 deals in place except for the Atlanta Braves and the Miam Marlins, unless the remaining teams renegotiated their contracts with the Group.
The Cardinals indeed did just that, allowing the FanDuel Sports Midwest Network to continue broadcasting Cardinals games. Per Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch, the team took a 23% reduction or about $17.3 million from their 2025 rights fees previously contracted to be $75 million.
The agreement also contains a direct-to-consumer TV service for Cardinals fans regardless of location without blackouts. This direct-to-consumer opportunity will provide streaming via a subscription service to the FanDuel Sports Network app without requiring the consumer to have a cable provider.
Those consumers who watch games on cable TV will be able to continue that option or stream on the app by authenticating their cable TV account as they have done in the past.
The price and details about the subscription service will be provided later, prior to the start of the 2025 season.
Classic Era Hall of Fame Ballot includes former Cardinal All-Star and MVP
The National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was announced on Monday and contained eight names for consideration by the Classic Era Committee. It covers the period prior to 1980 and includes the Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues.
Ken Boyer
One of the eight players on the ballot is a former Cardinal, Ken Boyer. Boyer, a Missouri native, was signed by St. Louis in 1949. He made his major league debut in 1955 and during his 11 seasons with the club, Boyer was an 11-time All Star, the NL MVP in 1964, and won five Gold Glove Awards as a third baseman. He led the majors in RBI in 1964 and played a pivotal role in the Cardinals World Series Championship that year.
Boyer was first on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1975 and was dropped from the ballot in 1979 after receiving less than 5% of the vote for five consecutive years. Boyer, Curt Flood and Cubs third baseman Ron Santo were restored to the ballot in 1985. Boyer peaked at 25.5% of the vote in 1989 before again falling off the ballot.
Boyer has been a candidate multiple times since, on the Veterans Committee ballot for three years and on the Golden Era ballot. He fell short every time.
Boyer passed away from cancer at the age of 51 in 1982. The results of the vote will be announced on December 8 at 6:30 pm CT on MLB Network.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Derrick Goold of the Post Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are expected to gauge trade interest for third baseman Nolan Arenado and what they might get in a return. Goold states that if there are any compelling opportunities, Mozeliak will talk to Arenado about his interest in waiving his no-trade clause for a specific trade location.
There had been speculation that the Cardinals might shop some of their high dollar players this offseason to reduce the major league payroll in preparation to spend more resources on an upgrade of the Player Development system.
Multiple reports coming out of last week’s GM Meetings indicate that two players, Contreras and pitcher Sonny Gray, have expressed a desire to remain in St. Louis and may be held out of any trade discussions. It appears that is not the case for Arenado.
Transactions
There are no transactions to report.
Injury Report
There are no new injuries to report.
Looking Ahead
The offseason is underway. The month of November is when free agency begins and rosters are adjusted for the upcoming season. It is also the month for the annual awards to be given out.
The winners of the Gold Glove Awards, the first to be announced, were disclosed last week. The Cardinals had three finalists for Gold Gloves, Masyn Winn at shortstop, Nolan Arenado at third base, and Brendan Donovan at the utility position. None of the three were winners.
Other awards will be given out in the coming weeks. Dates for other key awards this month:
November 11 – Finalists (top three finishers) for Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award, and Most Valuable Player by league are announced.
November 12 – Winners of the Silver Slugger Awards are announced.
November 18-21 – Winners of the Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award and MVP are announced.
Other key dates in November:
November 19 –Decisions to accept or reject qualifying offers and filing of Reserve Lists (adding eligible minor leaguers to 40-man rosters)
November 22 – Non-tender deadline.
As expected, the Cardinals did not make the qualifying offer to any of their free agents.
Teams must add back to the 40-man roster players who ended the season on the 60-day injured list by November 19. Only one player, Drew Rom, needs to be added back. Once that occurs, the 40-man roster will be at 36 players.
Decisions as to players to be added to the roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft will be made by November 19.
On or before November 22, the team must decide what players, if any, will not be tendered contracts for the 2025 season. This group includes both arbitration eligible and pre-arb players. There have been no indications at this time if any players will be non-tendered.
Blast from the Past
The offseason is upon us. November is when the winners of the major awards are announced, beginning with the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards.
This week’s Blast from the Past begins a series that will showcase the offseason awards, specifically the history of Cardinals players who have won the various awards over their history.
Silver Slugger Awards (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The focus of this installment is the Silver Slugger Awards, to be given out on Tuesday, November 12. We begin with a brief history of the award and follow with a list of Cardinals who have won the award.
The Silver Slugger is for the best offensive player at each position in each league. The outfield awards are given to three outfielders respective of position. The awards include pitchers, designated hitter and a utility player. It is voted upon by major league coaches and managers. The award has been given out annually since 1980.
The voters consider offensive statistics such as batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage and includes the “general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value”.
30 Silver Slugger Awards have been won by 23 different Cardinals since 1980. The following lists the players who have won the award, beginning with those with more than one and in descending order.
Albert Pujols (USA TODAY Sports Images)
Albert Pujols – Pujols won six (6) Silver Slugger Awards at three different positions. He won four (4) at the first base position in the years 2004, and 2008-2010. He won the award at third base in 2001, and in the outfield in 2003.
Edgar Renteria – Renteria received three (3) Silver Slugger Awards, all at shortstop, in 2000, 2002, and 2003.
Bob Forsch – Forsch earned two (2) Silver Sluggers as a pitcher, in 1980 and 1987.
Jack Clark – Clark won two (2) Silver Sluggers at first base in 1985 and 1987.
George Hendrick – Hendrick received two (2) Silver Slugger Awards at two different positions. He won in the outfield in 1980 and at first base in 1983.
Jason Marquis and Adam Wainwright – Pitchers Marquis and Wainwright each took home the award, in 2005 and 2017, respectively.
Yadier Molina (USA TODAY Sports Images)
Ted Simmons and Yadier Molina – The two catchers each earned the award once, Simmons in 1980 and Molina in 2013.
Keith Hernandez, Mark McGwire, and Paul Goldschmidt – Each of these first baseman have won one (1) Silver Slugger as a Cardinal. Hernandez’ award was in 1980, McGwire in 1998 and Goldschmidt in 2022.
Matt Carpenter – Carpenter is the only Cardinal to receive the Silver Slugger at second base. He was honored in 2013.
Scott Rolen and Nolan Arenado –The two third basemen have taken the award as a Cardinal once each, Rolen in 2002 and Arenado in 2022.
Ozzie Smith – Smith took the Silver Slugger at shortstop in 1987.
Willie McGee, Jim Edmonds, Ryan Ludwick, and Matt Holliday – The outfielders each received the Silver Slugger once, McGee in 1985, Edmonds in 2004, Ludwick in 2008 and Holliday in 2010.
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photo: Matt Svanson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Glendale Desert Dogs were shut out by the Surprise Saguaros on Wednesday. Two Cardinals pitchers appeared in relief. Matt Svanson threw two scoreless innings on two hits, no walks and three strikeouts. Brycen Mautz was charged with no runs but three inherited runners scored.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Wednesday, November 6.
The Desert Dogs fell to the Saguaros in a 5-0 shutout on Wednesday. Two Cardinals participated with Brycen Mautz and Matt Svanson pitching in relief.
Mautz entered during the fifth inning in a tough situation, with no outs and the bases loaded. Surprise led 2-0, but the lefty couldn’t work through the trouble without more damage.
To the first batter he faced, Mautz gave up a single as an inherited run scored. He next allowed a single, with the other two inherited runners crossing the plate. Mautz retired the next three batters on a ground out, a line out and a pop out.
Mautz returned to pitch the sixth and retired all three hitters via two fly outs and a pop out.
Svanson followed, taking over to begin the seventh inning. He retired the first batter on a ground out, then gave up a single. Svanson struck out the final two hitters to end the inning.
Svanson returned to pitch the eighth. He struck out the first hitter and retired the next on a fly out to left field. Svanson gave up a double to right then retired the final batter on a fly out to left field.
Mautz and Svanson each faced eight batters and threw 30 pitches, with 18 strikes by Mautz and 20 by Svanson.
No other Cardinal appeared on Wednesday.
Glendale is 13-12 for the AFL season. After losing three straight, the Desert Dogs have fallen to four games behind Surprise (16-7).
Thursday’s game: at Surprise Saguaros, Grant Taylor RHP (2-0, 9.39) vs. Josh Stephan RHP (1-1, 0.54) 8:30 CT.
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photo: Thomas Saggese (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Glendale Desert Dogs split a seven-inning twin-bill with the Scottsdale Scorpions on Tuesday. Thomas Saggese went 2-for-6 including a double, plus a walk and a run scored. Leonardo Bernal and Nathan Church also appeared.
Results from the Arizona Fall League games played Tuesday, November 5.
The Desert Dogs beat the Scorpions by the score of 5-3 in the first game of a twin bill on Tuesday. This was the resumption of Sunday’s game suspended due to rain. Two Cardinals participated. Second baseman Thomas Saggese hit third in the lineup. Leonardo Bernal entered at catcher and hit eighth.
In four plate appearances, Saggese doubled with a walk and a run scored. He struck out swinging in the first inning on Sunday.
In the third, Saggese grounded out to the shortstop. He drew a walk in the sixth and scored on a grand slam by Otto Kemp of the Phillies.
Saggese was 1-for-3. In the first inning, he grounded into a double play.
In the third, Saggese singled to left field, but was caught stealing for the final out of the inning. In his final at bat in the fifth, he struck out swinging.
No other Cardinal appeared in Game 2.
Glendale is 13-11 for the AFL season.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Surprise Saguaros, Jose Acuna RHP (0-0, 2.70) vs. Zak Kent RHP (2-0, 4.97) 3:30 CT.
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photo: from the St. Louis Cardinals Museum (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals have already said goodbye to six players, with more changes likely ahead. Though the team has no 2024 Gold Glove Award winner, we remember those Cardinals who did in team history.
Cardinals decline options on trio
The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Wednesday, October 31, that the organization declined their contractual club options for 2025 on right-handed pitchers Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Keynan Middleton.
The contracts for Lynn, Gibson, and Middleton had team options worth $11 million, $12 million, and $6 million respectively for the 2025 season. Per their contracts, each pitcher will be paid a $1 million buyout instead.
The decline of the options nets the Cardinals $26 million in savings. The club has for the Cardinals, who have pledged to cut the major league payroll and provide opportunities for younger players already in the system. The payroll cut is part of an announced “reset” to pivot toward spending more resources on an update of the player development system.
The recent hiring of Rob Cerfolio as Assistant GM for Player Development and Performance is the first step in this direction. More hirings are on the horizon.
The departure of Gibson and Lynn leaves the team with a rotation consisting of Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz and Andre Pallante. Michael McGreevy, who was called up late in the season to make some spot starts, is also in contention for a 2025 rotation spot.
It is not inconceivable that Gray, and possibly both Mikolas and Matz, will be made available on the trade market this offseason. Both Gray and Mikolas have contractual no-trade protection, but Matz does not.
Middelton was picked up at the beginning of the 2024 season to be an addition to the bullpen, but never threw a regular-season pitch due to season-ending surgery on his right forearm flexor tendon.
Cardinals minors pitcher named to Premier 12 roster
Cardinals minor league pitcher Zane Mills has been named to the 28-man roster for the US National Baseball Team in the 2024 Premier 12 baseball championship. The roster consists of 15 pitchers and 13 position players who are not currently on a major league 40-man roster.
The Premier 12 features the highest ranked 12 national baseball teams in the world, and the 2024 version is the third edition of the contest. The Premier 12 is sponsored by the World Baseball Softball Confederation and this year’s championship will be held from November 9-24, 2024 in Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan. The event is held every four years, most recently in 2019. It was originally scheduled to be played in 2023 but was delayed due to Covid-19.
For 2024, in addition to the US, the 11 other countries participating are Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Venezuela, Netherlands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Panama, Australia, and Puerto Rico. The difference between 2024 and 2019 is the addition of Panama to replace Canada.
The US team finished second in 2015 and fourth in 2019. The US has never won the gold medal in Premier 12.
The manager of the 2024 USA team is former Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who is joined by Bench Coach Ron Roenicke, Pitching Coach Dave Wallace, Hitting Coach Rick Eckstein, Third Base Coach Dino Ebel, First Base Coach Jemile Weeks, Bullpen Coach LaTroy Hawkins, and Bullpen Catcher Carlos Muñoz.
Mills is the only Cardinal on the USA roster. The 24-year-old was drafted by St. Louis in the fourth round in 2021. Mills finished the 2024 minor league season with the Springfield Cardinals. He posted a record of 8-1 with an ERA of 4.06 in 32 games.
For more information on the tournament and the USA team, follow @USABaseball on social media or visit USABaseball.com.
Cardinals Have No Gold Glove Winners
On Sunday, the 2024 Gold Glove Award winners for fielding excellence in the American and National Leagues were announced.
Despite having three finalists (top three finishers), the Cardinals had no winners. Finalists were Nolan Arenado at third base, Masyn Winn at shortstop and Brendan Donovan (utility player).
The Cardinals were also shut out in 2023.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
10/31 DH Matt Carpenter elected free agency.
10/31 RHP Andrew Kittredge elected free agency.
10/31 1B Paul Goldschmidt elected free agency.
10/31 RHP Keynan Middleton elected free agency.
10/31 RHP Lance Lynn elected free agency.
10/31 RHP Kyle Gibson elected free agency.
11/1 The Cardinals claimed RHP Roddery Muñoz off waivers from the Miami Marlins.
The postseason has concluded, and the offseason has officially begun. The five-day window for teams to exercise or decline club options, negotiate with their free agents if they so choose, or make qualifying offers to free agents, is underway and concludes as of 4 pm CT on Monday, November 4.
The Cardinals have announced they are declining the options of right-handed pitchers Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Keynan Middleton.
The Cardinals are not expected to make the qualifying offer, which is $21.05 million for a one-year contract, to any of their free agents.
The annual General Manager Meetings are being held beginning Monday, November 4 through Thursday, November 7 in San Antonio, TX. The GM Meetings are typically where potential transactions are first discussed. Groundwork for trades to be made at a later date is often laid at this time.
November is awards month. The first of the awards to be announced were the Gold Glove Awards.
Important dates for other key awards in November are:
November 11 – Finalists for Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player are announced.
November 12 – Winners of the Silver Slugger Awards are announced.
November 18-21 – Winners of the Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and MVP are announced.
Other key November dates include:
November 19 –Decisions to accept or reject Qualifying Offers and filing of Reserve Lists (adding eligible minor leaguers to 40-man rosters) are to be made on this date.
November 22 – Non-tender deadline.
Blast from the Past
The month of November is when the winners of the major awards are announced, beginning with the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards.
This week’s Blast from the Past begins a series to showcase offseason awards, specifically Cardinals players who have previously won the various awards.
In this first installment, we start with the Rawlings Gold Gloves. We begin with a brief history of the Awards and end with the Cardinal players who won the awards and how the Cardinals as a team have fared with respect to this award.
The Rawlings Gold Glove awards were created in 1957 to commemorate the best fielding performances in Major League Baseball. In the first year, one award was given out to the best fielder at each position overall in MLB. In 1958, the awards were expanded to the best fielders at each position in each league.
Specifically for outfielders, the first three years the awards were designated specifically for left, right and center field. Then, from 1961 through 2010, the awards were given to three outfielders regardless of position. In 2011, the awards were switched back to their beginnings with designations for left, center, and right field.
More recent changes include an award for team defense introduced in 2020 and an award for Utility Player added in 2022. The Platinum Glove Award was introduced in 2011 which goes to the best defensive player overall in each league.
The Cardinals have amassed the most Gold Glove Awards of any of the 30 MLB teams. St. Louis players/team have won 99 Gold Gloves over the history of the award.
We will not itemize all 99. The following is the list of players who have won the award beginning with the most won by a single player, then in descending order.
Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith – Smith has won the most Gold Gloves with the Cardinals with 11 at shortstop. He received the award every year in the NL from 1982-1992.
Yadier Molina – Molina has won nine Gold Glove Awards as a catcher. He is tied with our next recipient for that amount. Molina received the Award each year in the NL from 2008-2015, then once more in 2018.
Bob Gibson – Pitcher Bob Gibson won nine Gold Gloves, tied with Yadier Molina. Gibson received the award every year from 1965-1973.
Curt Flood – Flood won seven Gold Gloves as an outfielder every year from 1963-1969.
Bill White – White received six Gold Gloves at first base from 1960-1965.
Keith Hernandez – Hernandez received six Gold Gloves as a Cardinal at first base from 1978-1983. He won five more while later playing for the Mets.
Jim Edmonds – Edmonds received six Gold Gloves as an outfielder from 2000-2005.
Ken Boyer – Boyer won five Gold Gloves at third base, four from 1958-1961, and one in 1963.
Scott Rolen – Rolen received four (4) Gold Gloves at third base, three from 2002-2004 and one in 2006.
Bobby Shantz, Tom Pagnozzi, Mike Matheny, and Wille McGee – These four players each won three Gold Glove Awards as a Cardinal.
Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Fernando Vina, Kolten Wong, Terry Pendleton, Nolan Arenado, Edgar Renteria, and Tyler O’Neill – Each of these players received two Gold Glove Awards while playing for the Cardinals.
Joaquín Andujar, Paul Goldschmidt, Tommy Edman, Ken Reitz, Dal Maxvill, Jason Heyward, Harrison Bader, and Brendan Donovan – Each one of these players won one Gold Glove Award as a Cardinal.
Two players have won the Platinum Glove Award while playing for the Cardinals. They are Yadier Molina, who has four Platinum Gloves, and Nolan Arenado, who has two Platinum Gloves.
The 2021 Cardinals received the award for team defense and also set the record for most individual Gold Gloves for a team in a single season with five.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
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photo: Matt Svanson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Four Cardinals contributed to Glendale’s Friday home win over Mesa. Matt Svanson dominated, taking over with the bases loaded and striking out all four batters faced. Thomas Saggese had three hits including a double and stole a base. Leonardo Bernal singled and hit a two-run home run. Nathan Church had an RBI single.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Friday, November 1.
At home on Friday afternoon, the Desert Dogs defeated the Solar Sox by the score of 5-2. Four Cardinals contributed. Second baseman Thomas Saggese hit second. Catcher Leonardo Bernal batted seventh. Center fielder Nathan Church hit eighth. Matt Svanson pitched in relief.
Saggese went 3-for-4 including a double with an RBI and a stolen base. In his first at bat in the bottom of the first, Saggese struck out swinging.
In the third, Saggese smacked an RBI double to left field. He was stranded at third base. Saggese singled to center in the fifth but was eliminated on a double play.
Saggese hit his second single and third hit of the game in his final at bat in the seventh. He stole second base but was left there.
In the third inning, Saggese made the defensive play of the game. On a chopper down the line past first base, Saggese dived to knock down the ball and threw the runner out at first base.
Bernal was 2-for-4 including a home run and two RBI. In his first at bat in the third, Bernal popped out to the shortstop. In the fourth, he singled to right field but was later eliminated in a double play.
Bernal thumped a two-run home run to right field in the sixth. His first longball in the AFL gave the Dogs a four-run cushion.
Church hit an RBI single to left field in the fourth inning. He grounded out to second base in the sixth, his last at bat of the game.
Svanson entered in the seventh inning, with one runner already in and the Dogs’ lead reduced to 5-2. The bases were loaded and two out. Svanson struck out the first batter faced, who represented the potential lead run, to escape the jam.
Svanson returned for the eighth and struck out the side. He allowed no hits, no runs, and struck out four in 1 1/3 total innings. With a lot of swing and miss from the Mesa batters, 14 of his 18 pitches went for strikes. Svanson received his first hold of the AFL campaign.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF or printed book copy today!
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Three Cardinals played for the Glendale Desert Dogs as they beat the Surprise Saguaros on Wednesday. Lefty reliever Brycen Mautz tossed 1 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Right-fielder Nathan Church and lefty reliever Alex Cornwell also appeared.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Wednesday, October 30.
At Surprise, the Desert Dogs defeated the Saguaros by the score of 8-7 on Wednesday. Three Cardinals participated. Nathan Church was in the starting lineup at leadoff and playing right field. Alex Cornwell and Brycen Mautz both pitched in relief.
Church went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. To open the game, Church grounded out to first base.
In the third inning, Church lined out to third base. He flied out to right field in the fifth.
Church drew a walk in the seventh and scored on a three-run home run by Tim Elko of the Chicago White Sox.
In his final at bat, Church popped out to third base for the final out of the eighth inning.
Church picked up an outfield assist as he threw a runner out at home to close the fourth inning.
Alex Cornwell came in to pitch in relief in the bottom of the sixth inning with Glendale up 4-2. He allowed a single and retired three batters on a strikeout, pop out to third, and a ground out to second.
Cornwell returned to start the seventh with the Dogs’ lead having grown to 8-2, but he ran into trouble. He gave up two runs on a single and two doubles. He retired one hitter on a ground out to second but was then replaced by Mautz.
Mautz walked the first batter he faced to put two on, then buckled down and retired the next two on a strikeout and a lineout to third.
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photo: Thomas Saggese (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Three Cardinals appeared as the Glendale Desert Dogs fell to the Salt River Rafters on Tuesday. Thomas Saggese reached base in all five plate appearances, drove in one and scored three times. Leonardo Bernal had a hit. Matt Svanson took the loss in relief.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Tuesday, October 29.
The Desert Dogs were defeated by the Rafters at Salt River on Tuesday. Three Cardinals participated. Thomas Saggese hit fourth in the lineup and played second base. Leonardo Bernal hit eighth and was the starting catcher. Matt Svanson pitched in relief.
Saggese went 3-for-3, all singles, with a hit-by-pitch, a walk, an RBI and three runs scored. In the process, his AFL batting average grew to .412.
In his first at bat in the top of the second, Saggese was hit by a pitch and he later scored on a double by Sean McLain of the Dodgers.
In the third, Saggese singled to right field and scored on a double by Gabriel Rincones Jr of the Phillies. Saggese singled to center field in the fifth but was left stranded at second base.
In the seventh inning, Saggese drew a walk, then stole second base. He advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch. In his final at bat in the ninth, Saggese singled to center field, then was eliminated in a double play.
Bernal was 1-for-4, raising his batting average to .214. In his first at bat in the top of the second, the catcher popped out to the shortstop.
With the Dogs holding a narrow 7-6 lead to open the seventh, Svanson entered the game. The right-hander had a rough outing, charged with five runs on five hits – a home run and four singles. All three outs Svanson collected were via strikeout. He took the blown save and the loss, his first AFL decision, as his ERA inflated to 10.38.
No other Cardinals saw action.
Glendale is 10-8 in the AFL season.
Wednesday’s game: at Salt River Rafters, Andrew Painter RHP (1-0, 3.86) vs. Jose Fleury RHP (1-0, 3.38) 3:30 CT.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF or printed book copy today!
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Masyn Winn is the top defensive shortstop in MLB, having received the Fielding Bible Award. The St. Louis Cardinals have three new staff members for 2025. We highlight four memorable post-season games that occurred during this week in Cardinals history.
Fielding Bible honors Cardinals rookie
St. Louis Cardinals rookie shortstop Masyn Winn was honored again this week for his defensive work at the shortstop position during the 2024 season. As reported here two weeks ago, Winn is a finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award at shortstop.
The annual Fielding Bible Awards for defensive performance were announced with Winn named the top defensive shortstop for 2024.
The Fielding Bible Award, unlike the Gold Glove, is given out for the best defensive performance at each position in Major League Baseball, not by league. Thus, Winn was named as the best defensive shortstop ahead of all other shortstops in both leagues.
Winn, 22, and third baseman Wilyer Abreu of the Red Sox, were the only rookies to receive the award and the fifth and sixth rookies to win in the history of the Fielding Bible award.
Winn led MLB in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with 14. He also was first in turning double plays. His six Double Play Runs Saved tied Andrelton Simmons for the most by a shortstop in a season since this stat began being tracked in 2003.
This award by Winn is the 21st Fielding Bible award given to a Cardinal, more than any other team in MLB. Winn is the first Cardinal shortstop to win the award.
Congratulations to Masyn!
Cardinals make three new staff hires
This past week, the Cardinals announced three new hires to the organization in preparation for the upcoming 2025 season.
Two of the additions are to the major league coaching staff. As previously reported here, the Cardinals did not retain hitting coach Turner Ward for 2025.
Brant Brown (USA TODAY Sports)
His replacement was announced as Brant Brown, a former player with the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Florida Marlins from 1996 through 2000. Brown also played briefly for the Memphis Redbirds before retiring from baseball in 2001.
Brown, 53, has coaching experience on the major league level with the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins. He was the hitting coach for the Marlins in 2023 and was a pitching strategist/bench coach with Seattle for part of 2024. Brown came with the strong recommendation of former Marlins manager and Cardinal player Skip Schumaker.
John Jay (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
In addition to Brown, the Cardinals hired former Cardinal Jon Jay to the major league coaching staff. Jay, 39, played major league baseball for 12 seasons, six with the Cardinals. Jay was a key contributor to the Cardinals 2011 World Series Championship season.
Jay joins former teammate Daniel Descalso, who was his 2011 teammate, to the current staff. Jay’s duties will be primarily as an outfield defense instructor, replacing Willie McGee, who was promoted to be a Special Assistant to John Mozeliak.
Mozeliak stated that in addition to his outfield defense duties, Jay will receive exposure in other aspects of the game as well. Jay has prior major league coaching experience as the first base coach for the Miam Marlins over the past two seasons.
McGee’s elevation to the front office follows a six-year stint with the Cardinals coaching staff as outfield coach. In his front office duties, he will work with minor league players throughout the system and will take on other duties as assigned.
Rob Cerfolio (second from left)
The Cardinals made one more major addition to the front office, the hire of Rob Cerfolio as Assistant General Manager for Player Development and Performance.
The 32-year-old Cerfolio spent the last decade with the Cleveland Guardians in various roles that included Director of Player Development from 2022-2024. Cerfolio played an important role in the Guardians elevation to one of several perennial pennant contenders over the last few years.
Cerfolio’s hire is the first of many that will take place over the offseason, as the Cardinals switch gears to focus primarily on the player development system as part of the organization’s announced “reset”.
The first step was the ascension of Chaim Bloom to oversee the revamping of the system and in 2026, to the role of President of Baseball Operations, replacing Mozeliak, who will step down after the 2025 season.
The Cardinals will also replace retiring Gary LaRocque as Director of Player Development/Farm Director and fill the open Director of Performance spot, both reporting to Cerfolio.
Matt Slater, Chen-Wei Lin (St. Louis Cardinals)
Longtime front office staffer leaves
Special Assistant to the GM for Player Procurement, Matt Slater, is leaving the Cardinals organization to pursue other opportunities in baseball.
Slater, 53, joined the team in 2007, and was elevated to his present position in December 2017. Prior to that he served as Director of Player Personnel for seven seasons. In his capacity in player procurement, Slater was particularly instrumental in the Cardinals’ acquisition of players on the international market.
Before joining the Cardinals, Slater served in management capacities for the Los Angeles Dodgers for nine years. He also worked as administrator of scouting for the Baltimore Orioles from 1995-98. Slater started in baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers at the age of 19. In 1991, he was named Scouting and Player Development Assistant with the Brewers.
Slater is an Indiana native and graduated from Marquette University in 1993. He received a law degree from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California in 2010. He is married and has three children.
Slater leaves after 17 years serving the Cardinals. Good luck to Matt!
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
There are no transactions to report.
Injury Report
SS Masyn Winn (hand) had a cyst removed from his hand, though it was not reported which hand. The procedure was minor and will not affect his offseason.
RHP Sonny Gray (right forearm inflammation). POBO John Mozeliak revealed in a press conference this past week that Gray, who ended the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right arm, is expected to have a normal offseason. Gray, who is currently signed to a three-year contract with a no trade clause, has been rumored to perhaps be available on the trade market this offseason.
LHP JoJo Romero (left flexor tendon inflammation). POBO John Mozeliak reported in a recent press conference that Romero is just now progressing to a throwing program. The outcome of this throwing program will dictate how the rest of Romero’s offseason will play out. Romero finished the season on the injured list.
Looking Ahead
The postseason is in its final stages, as the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers moves into Game 3 of the best of seven series.
The postseason will continue through the month of October and end with a potential World Series Game 7 on Saturday, November 2.
After the end of the World Series, the offseason officially begins. As of 9 am on the day after the end of the World Series, all eligible free agents will officially become free agents. During a period of five days beginning with the day after the end of the World Series, all free agents may negotiate exclusively with their parent club.
Also, during that five-day window, teams must decide whether to pick up or decline any player option. For the Cardinals, those players are pitchers Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Keynan Middleton.
During the five-day window is also when teams must make any qualifying offers to departing free agents. The QO for this offseason is set at $21.05 million for a one-year contract. The Cardinals’ eligible free agents are Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter and Andrew Kittredge. Lynn, Gibson and Middleton will become free agents if the team declines their option.
It is not expected that the Cardinals will make the QO to any of their free agents.
Blast from the Past
Though the Cardinals are not participating in this postseason, there have been many Cardinals October successes in the history of the franchise.
This week’s Blast from the Past is a recall of some memorable postseason events that occurred in the past for the period October 21 through 27.
They begin with the date of the event and description of some memorable occasion that occurred on that date.
October 22, 2011 – In Game 3 of the World Series, Albert Pujols connected for three home runs, driving in six to tie the World Series record for home runs and RBI in a game. Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson in holding the home run record. The Cardinals routed the Rangers 16-7.
Don Denkinger, Todd Worrell, Tommy Herr
October 26, 1985 – In Game 6 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, first base umpire Don Denkinger flubbed a call at first base in the ninth inning. On a grounder to first baseman Jack Clark, he threw to relief pitcher Todd Worrell. Denkinger called the runner, Jorge Orta, safe when he was clearly out as shown by the video (there was no instant replay in 1985).
The missed call gave the Royals an extra out that eventually led to Dane Iorg hitting a walk off two-run single to give Kansas City the Game 6 victory. The Royals won Game 7 and their first World Series title.
Denkinger later admitted he had made the wrong call after seeing the video, but it was too late for the Cardinals.
Allen Craig
October 26, 2013 – In Game 3 of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, the Cardinals pulled off a 5-4 walk off win due to an obstruction call.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the game was tied 4-4. Yadier Molina singled. Allen Craig was brought in to pinch hit for Trevor Rosenthal. Craig doubled on the first pitch from Koji Uehara, sending Molina to third. Next up was Jon Jay, who hit a ground ball to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who threw home to get Molina out at home plate.
Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia then threw to third base to get Allen Craig, who was running to third. The throw was wide, and third baseman Will Middlebrooks was pulled to the second base side trying to corral the ball, which went into foul territory. Craig slid into third and popped up to run toward home, but Middlebrooks was on the ground in the way with his feet in the air.
Craig tripped over Middlebrooks then got up to run home and was tagged by Saltalamacchia who received the throw from foul territory. Craig was seemingly out, but the third base umpire called obstruction on the play, and the home plate umpire determined that Craig would have safely scored except for the obstruction by Middlebrooks.
The Cardinals won in a walk off, 5-4. This was the first World Series game to end on an obstruction call.
David Freese, center (USA TODAY Sports Images)
October 27, 2011 – The Cardinals were playing the Texas Rangers in Game 6 of the World Series. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Rangers were ahead 7-5. A win in Game 6 would have given the Rangers their first World Series title.
With two outs and two men on (Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman), David Freese came to the plate. With two strikes, Ranger reliever Neftali Feliz threw Freese a middle away pitch that Freese hit for a fly ball to right field. Texas RF Nelson Cruz watched the ball go over his head and hit the wall, scoring Pujols and Berkman on the triple by Freese to tie the game, 7-7.
The game went into extra innings. The Rangers came back to take the lead 9-7 on a two-run home run by Josh Hamilton. In the bottom of the 10th, Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay hit back-to-back singles. Pitcher Kyle Lohse bunted the runners over, putting them both in scoring position. Descalso scored on a ground out by Ryan Theriot. Albert Pujols was intentionally walked. With two outs and two on, Lance Berkman came to bat. Once again, the Rangers were one strike away from a World Series win, but Berkman slapped a single into center field, scoring Jay for the 9-9 tie.
Into the 11th, the Rangers failed to score. Freese came to the plate to lead off the bottom of the 11th. Reliever Mark Lowe threw a 3-2 pitch to Freese that he sent over the fence into the grass in dead center field for the walk off 10-9 win as Fox broadcaster Joe Buck called, “We will see you tomorrow night!”.
The Cardinals won Game 7 the next day 6-2 for their 11th World Series title.
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The Glendale Desert Dogs lost to the Salt River Rafters on Friday as four Cardinals saw action. Alex Cornwell threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Thomas Saggese, Leonardo Bernal and Matt Svanson also played.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Friday, October 25.
At home, the Desert Dogs fell to the Rafters by a 7-6 score on Friday. Four Cardinals participated in the game. Second baseman Thomas Saggese and catcher Leonardo Bernal were in the starting lineup. Matt Svanson and Alex Cornwell pitched in relief.
Saggese hit third and went 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. in the first inning, Saggese drew a walk but was left stranded on third base.
Bernal flied out to center field for the last out of the fourth inning. In the sixth, he hit an infield single to third and scored on a triple by Bryan Rincon of the Phillies.
In his final at bat in the eighth, Bernal struck out swinging.
The Rafters stole 10 bases with Bernal catching, including at least one with all six Desert Dogs pitchers on the mound.
Svanson pitched 1/3 of an inning, as he came into the game to get the final out of the third with two runners on base. He pitched to two batters, allowing one hit. The first hitter singled, scoring an inherited run and the second flied out to right field.
Cornwell threw 1 1/3 innings. The lefty pitched to two batters in the sixth, entering with the bases empty after Salt River had scored four to take a 6-3 lead. Cornwell yielded a single to the first batter and retired the second on a ground out to first base.
Cornwell returned for the seventh and faced four batters. After securing a fly out to right, he walked a batter, who stole second base on a strikeout. Cornwell threw a wild pitch to put the runner on third but buckled down and ended the inning on a ground out to first base.
No other Cardinals saw action.
Glendale is 9-6 in the AFL season.
Saturday’s game: vs. Mesa Solar Sox, Griff McGarry RHP (2-0, 0,00) vs. Samy Natera Jr LHP (0-0, 0.00) 8:30 CT.
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The Glendale Desert Dogs defeated the Peoria Javelinas on Tuesday. Two Cardinals were in the starting lineup. Second baseman Thomas Saggese had two hits, drove in one and scored. Leonardo Bernal was the catcher and had a hit.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Tuesday, October 22.
The Desert Dogs beat the Peoria Javelinas on Tuesday by the score of 8-1. Two Cardinals participated. Second baseman Thomas Saggese batted third. Leonardo Bernal was the catcher and hit eighth.
Thomas Saggese went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Saggese hit an infield single in the first inning and scored on a single by Zyhir Hope of the Dodgers. In the second, Saggese flied out to left field.
In the sixth, Bernal struck out looking. He singled on a fly ball to center field in the eighth in his final at bat of the game but was stranded at third base.
Bernal threw a runner out at second base in the second inning.
No other Cardinals saw action.
Glendale is 8-4 in the AFL season.
Wednesday’s game: at Mesa Solar Sox, Grant Taylor RHP (2-0, 11.25) vs. Cooper Adams RHP (1-0, 8.44) 3:30 CT
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF or printed book copy today!
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The St. Louis Cardinals have three 2024 Gold Glove Award finalists. We highlight four memorable Cardinals post-season games that occurred during this week in team history.
Cards with Three Gold Glove finalists
This time of the year, MLB prepares for its annual awards season which begins in November after the postseason concludes. Many honors are given out, including the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for the best defensive player at each position in each league.
The Gold Glove Award winner announcement is preceded by an announcement of three finalists who are the top three vote-getters for this coveted award.
The Gold Glove finalists were announced this past week, and three Cardinals were named. They are SS Masyn Winn, 3B Nolan Arenado and utility player Brendan Donovan. Of the three, only rookie Winn has not won the award previously.
Prior to 2023, Arenado had been the recipient of the Gold Glove in 10 consecutive seasons. In fact, Arenado is the only infielder to win the award in each of his first 10 MLB seasons. Back among the finalists in 2024, Arenado is vying for his 11th career Gold Glove.
Donovan received the utility player Gold Glove in 2022. It was the first year that utility player became a category for the award. Donovan, who played in only 95 games in 2023 due to an injury, was not a finalist then.
He returns to the top three in 2024, competing against Kiké Hernandez of the Dodgers and Jared Triolo of the Pirates.
Winn, 22, who just completed his first full season in the big leagues, appears as a finalist for the first time.
Winn led NL shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and is vying for the award along with Dansby Swanson of the Cubs and Ezequiel Tovar of the Rockies. Swanson won in 2022 and 2023.
Votes were cast by all 30 managers and up to six coaches from each team. The manager and coaches vote comprises 75% of the total score. The remaining 25% comes from the stat-driven SABR Defensive Index.
The winners of the Gold Glove Award will be announced live on ESPN at 7:30 pm CT on November 3, 2024.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
There are no transactions to report.
Injury Report
There are no new injuries to report.
Looking Ahead
The postseason continues without the participation of the Cardinals. The World Series entrants are the Yankees for the American League and the Dodgers for the National League. The first game of the World Series begins on Thursday, October 25.
The postseason will continue through October and end with a potential World Series Game 7 on Saturday, November 2.
After the end of the World Series, the offseason officially begins. As of 9 am on the day after the end of the World Series, all eligible free agents will officially become free agents. During a period of five days beginning with the day after the end of the World Series, all free agents may negotiate exclusively with their parent club.
Also, during that five-day window, teams must decide on whether to pick up or decline any player option. For the Cardinals, those players are pitchers Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Keynan Middleton.
During the five-day window is when teams must make any qualifying offers to departing free agents. The QO for a one-year contract this offseason is set at $21.05 million. The Cardinals’ eligible free agents are Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter and Andrew Kittredge. Lynn, Gibson, and Middleton will become free agents if the team declines their option.
It is not expected that the Cardinals will make the QO to any of their impending free agents.
Blast from the Past
The postseason is upon us and though the Cardinals are not participating, there have been many Cardinals postseasons in the history of the franchise.
This week’s Blast from the Past is a recall of some memorable Cardinals postseason events that occurred during the period October 14 through October 20.
The following is a list of notable postseason happenings beginning with the date and a description of the memorable event that occurred.
October 14, 1985 – The Cardinals played the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS. The Cardinals would go on to take the Series 4-2 in six games.
Game 5 was memorable for the walk off home run by Ozzie Smith that led St. Louis broadcaster Jack Buck to utter his famous line, “Go crazy folks! Go crazy!”
This home run was Smith’s first home run from the left side all season. The Cardinals won the game 3-2, which was followed two days later by a 7-5 victory in Los Angeles to give the Cardinals the National League Pennant.
Ken Boyer
October 15, 1964 – On this day, the Cardinals won Game 7 over the New York Yankees to earn their seventh World Series Championship.
A notable thing about this World Series win was that the Cardinals became the first team to come back from a losing record after the All-Star break and capture a World Series title.
Another point of note was that it featured brothers, one on each side of the contest, who each hit a home run in their last at bat of the Series. The brothers were Ken Boyer of the Cardinals and Clete Boyer of the Yankees.
October 17, 2005 – The notable postseason event that occurred on this day is well known to most if not all current Cardinals fans.
The Cardinals were playing the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the NLCS. The Astros were leading three games to one coming in.
At Minute Maid Park, the Astros were ahead 4-2 as the top of the ninth began. The crowd was anticipating a celebration on the horizon of the Astros taking the National League pennant.
With the Astros one strike away from their goal, David Eckstein singled off Houston closer Brad Lidge. Jim Edmonds followed with a walk. With two outs and two men on base, Albert Pujols came to bat and hit a massive three-run home run off Lidge that bounced off the Minute Maid Park roof and landed on the railroad tracks in left field. The Astros crowd was silenced as the Cardinals went on to take the game 5-4.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Astros won Game 6 and took the pennant anyway but had to play one more game to accomplish it.
October 19, 2006 – This was a day of three memorable events, all in the same postseason contest. The Cardinals were playing the Mets in Game 7 of the NLCS.
The score was tied 1-1 entering the sixth inning. With one runner on and one out, Scott Rolen hit a long fly ball to left field that looked sure to go over the fence and give the Cardinals the lead. The Mets left fielder, Endy Chavez, miraculously reached over the fence and snagged the ball in a snow cone catch to pull it back and then throw out Jim Edmonds in a double play.
In the top of the ninth, with the score still tied 1-1, Yadier Molina hit another long fly ball to left field with one runner on. This ball was too high for Chavez to grab, and it put the Cardinals ahead 3-1.
With the National League pennant within their grasp, the Cardinals sent rookie closer Adam Wainwright in to pitch to the Mets in the bottom of the ninth. Wainwright gave up two singles. He managed to get two outs on a strikeout and a fly out. Then Wainwright issued a walk to load the bases.
With the bases loaded and Carlos Beltran at the plate, Wainwright got Beltran down 0-2 in the count. After a mound visit by Molina, Wainwright threw a perfect curveball to Beltran, who stood and watched it go for the third strike.
The Cardinals won the pennant and subsequently defeated the favored Detroit Tigers in five games to win their 10th World Series title.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
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photo: Matt Svanson (P.J. Maigi/Springfield Cardinals)
The Glendale Desert Dogs shut out the Salt River Rafters 1-0 in seven innings on Saturday. Nathan Church tripled and scored the only run. Trent Baker and Ixan Henderson combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings and Matt Svanson earned his first AFL save.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Saturday, October 19.
The Desert Dogs shut out the River Rafters by a 1-0 score on Saturday.
Four Cardinals participated. Nathan Church was in the starting lineup hitting leadoff and playing in center field. Three Cardinals pitchers took the mound. Trent Baker started with Ixan Henderson and Matt Svanson pitching out of the bullpen.
Church went 2-for-3 with a run scored. In the bottom of the first inning, Church grounded out to the shortstop. He singled to right field in the third inning but was caught stealing second base.
Church came to the plate again in the sixth and hit a triple on a fly ball to center field. He scored the game’s only run on a single by teammate Colson Montgomery of the White Sox.
Baker started and pitched three scoreless innings with one hit allowed. In the first inning, he induced two ground outs and a fly out. In the second inning, all three batters were retired, on a ground out, a fly out, and a lineout.
Baker’s final inning consisted of one single and three hitters retired on a lineout, a ground out and a pop out.
Henderson threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings of long relief. He allowed three hits, struck out four and walked one. In the fourth, the lefty struck out one, walked one, gave up a single and induced a fly out and a force out.
In the fifth, Henderson struck out two, allowed a single and induced another force out. In the sixth, he gave up a leadoff single, then committed a disengagement violation that advanced the runner from first to second. He struck out the next batter and was then replaced.
Svanson pitched the seventh and was asked to get the final three outs. He struck out the first two hitters, then retired the final hitter on a ground out for his first AFL save after saving 27 games in 27 opportunities for Springfield in 2024.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF or printed book copy today!
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The Glendale Desert Dogs beat the Mesa Solar Sox, 9-7, on Friday. Three Cardinals appeared. Thomas Saggese singled, was hit by a pitch and blasted a two-run home run. Nathan Church had two hits, stole a base, scored twice, and had an outfield assist. Alex Cornwell allowed a run in one relief inning.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Friday, October 18.
The Desert Dogs defeated the Solar Sox at home on Friday. Three Cardinals participated. Second baseman Thomas Saggese hit third, center fielder Nathan Church batted seventh and Alex Cornwell pitched in relief.
Saggese went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. in his first at bat in the bottom of the first inning. Saggese struck out swinging.
In the third, Saggese was hit by a pitch and left stranded on the bases. He drew a walk in the fifth and was again left on the bases.
In the sixth, Saggese hit a two-run home run to left center field. He singled to the pitcher in the eighth and was eliminated in a double play.
Saggese made a throwing error on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning.
Church was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The outfielder lined out to first base in his first at bat in the second inning. He hit an infield single to second base in the fourth, stole his fourth AFL base and scored on a single by teammate Michael Turner of the White Sox.
With Glendale up 9-1, Cornwell took the mound for the seventh and gave up one run on three singles with a walk and a strikeout. The lefty’s other two outs were on a force out at home plate and a pop out to third.
No other Cardinals saw action.
Glendale is 6-4 in the AFL season.
Saturday’s game: vs. Salt River Rafters, Ixan Henderson LHP (StL) (0-0, 3.00) vs. Carlos Lagrange RHP (1-0, 0.00) 2:30 CT.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF or printed book copy today!
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Nathan Church (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Glendale Desert Dogs lost to the Scottsdale Scorpions in a 13-11 slugfest on Wednesday. Cardinals centerfielder Nathan Church started. The seventh-place hitter went 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Wednesday, October 16.
The Desert Dogs fell to the Saguaros in a high scoring home loss on Wednesday. One Cardinal saw action. Nathan Church hit in the seventh spot and played in center field for the entire nine innings.
Church went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. The left-handed hitter came to the plate for the first time in the bottom of the second inning and popped out to second base.
In the third, Church flied out to left field and did the same for the third out of the home fifth.
In the seventh, Church hit an RBI fly ball single to left field. He scored on a grand slam by teammate Jake Gelof.
Down by three in the ninth, the Dogs threatened but only scored one. In his final plate appearance, Church singled to right field. He made it to third base before a double play groundout with the bases loaded ended the game.
In the field, Church committed a fielding error that led to a third inning run for Surprise.
No other Cardinals saw action.
Glendale is 5-3 to date as the second week of the AFL season continues.
Thursday’s game: vs. Surprise Saguaros, Jerming Rosario RHP (LAD) (1-0, 3.00) vs. Jose Fleury RHP 0-0, 9.00) 8:30 CT.
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photo: Daniel Descalso (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals may lose another coach as Daniel Descalso is reportedly among candidates to be the manager of the Chicago White Sox. We highlight key Cardinals post-season events during this week in team history.
Descalso to be considered for White Sox managerial opening
Daniel Descalso (Jim Rassol/USA TODAY Sports)
If anything is predictable in major league baseball, it is that losing teams often fire managers as the first step in changing their course. The 2024 season is no exception.
The Seattle Mariners fired manager Scott Servais before the season even ended. Just a few days after the end of the regular season, the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox respectively let David Bell and Pedro Grifol go.
The Reds have since hired Terry Francona to be their new manager. The Mariners hired former catcher Dan Wilson shortly after Servais was given his walking papers.
Chicago is the remaining team currently looking for a new skipper. According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, among those on the “long list” of potential candidates is current St. Louis bench coach Daniel Descalso.
Other notable names on this list include former Angels manager Phil Nevin and Texas Rangers’ bench coach Will Venable.
Descalso was hired by the Cardinals at the end of 2023 after Joe McEwing was shifted to a position in the front office. The former player with four teams began with the Cardinals, who drafted him and elevated him to the big leagues. Descalso spent the 2023 season as a baseball operations assistant with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Though Descalso is viewed favorably in the industry as a future manager given his reputation as being strong in analytics, both Venable and Nevin have longer resumes. Nevin is the only one of the three with major league managerial experience. Venable has seven years of coaching experience in contrast to one year for Descalso.
Should Descalso get the gig with the White Sox, the Cardinals will have to fill two roles on the major league staff instead of one, given the recent departure of hitting coach Turner Ward.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
There are no transactions to report.
Injury Report
There are no new injuries to report.
Looking Ahead
The postseason proceeded without the participation of the Cardinals. The participants have been whittled down to four as the Championship Series began Sunday, October 13.
The postseason will continue through October and end with a potential World Series Game 7 on Saturday, November 2.
After the end of the World Series, the offseason officially begins. As of 9 am on the day after the end of the World Series, all eligible free agents will officially become free agents. During a period of five days following, all free agents may negotiate exclusively with their parent club.
Also, during that five-day window, teams must make a decision on whether to pick up or decline any player option. For the Cardinals, those players are pitchers Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Keynan Middleton.
The five-day window is also when teams must make any qualifying offers to departing free agents. This off-season’s QO for a one-year contract is projected to be $21.2 million. The Cardinals’ eligible free agents are Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter, Keynan Middleton and Andrew Kittredge. Lynn and Gibson will be free agents if the team declines their options.
It is not expected that the Cardinals will make the QO to any of their free agents.
Blast from the Past
The postseason is upon us and though the Cardinals are not participating in this postseason, there have been many postseasons in the history of the franchise.
This week’s Blast from the Past is a recall of some memorable postseason events that occurred in the past during the period October 7 through 13.
The following is a list of notable postseason happenings beginning with the date of the event and a description of some memorable anecdote that occurred on that date.
Matt Holliday (USA TODAY Sports Images)
October 8, 2009 – The Cardinals played Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers were leading the series 1-0 entering this notable contest in Dodger Stadium.
The Cardinals were leading the Dodgers 2-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. With two outs on the board, James Loney hit a line drive off Ryan Franklin to left field. Matt Holliday sprinted forward to catch it below his waist and the ball hit the glove and popped out, sending Holliday to the ground on his belly. Loney made it to second base on the E7. The error snowballed into a two-run inning and a walk off win for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers won Game 3 and advanced to the NLCS.
Pepper Martin (St. Louis Cardinals)
October 9, 1934 – The Cardinals played the Detroit Tigers in Game 7 of the World Series. The Series was tied 3-3.
The Cardinals held a commanding 7-0 lead as the sixth inning began. With two outs and Pepper Martin on second base, Joe “Ducky” Medwick tripled to right field, scoring Martin. Tigers fans became upset by what they considered a dirty slide by Medwick into third base and began throwing fruit at him. Medwick scored the second run of the inning on a single by Pepper Collins, but as the fruit throwing continued, Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis, who was in attendance, ordered Medwick to leave the game for his own safety. The Cardinals won the game 11-0 and took the Series 4-3.
Curt Flood (AP photo)
October 10, 1968 – The Cardinals were once again playing the Detroit Tigers in a World Series Game 7. Several notable happening occurred in this game that the Cardinals lost 4-1.
First, starter Bob Gibson set the record for total strikeouts in a World Series with 35. Second, Dal Maxvill, with a pop out to second base in the fifth inning, became the first player to go 0-for-22 in the World Series.
But the incident most remembered was a misplay by CF Curt Flood. With the score 0-0 in the top of the seventh inning and two men on for the Tigers, Detroit outfielder Jim Northrup hit a deep fly ball to center field that went over Flood’s head and became a two-run triple.
Flood and some of his teammates insisted that he had no chance to catch that ball, but history remembers it as a misplay as Flood came in briefly to catch it and realized he needed to retreat. Flood slipped on the grass trying to reverse course and could not catch up to the ball.
Pete Kozma (USA TODAY Sports Images)
October 12, 2012 – The Cardinals played the Nationals in Game 5 of the NLDS in Washington.
The Cardinals dug themselves a 6-0 hole in the first three innings and seemed well on their way to losing the game and not advancing to the NLCS.
However, the Cardinals clawed their way back, scoring nine runs over the final innings to win the game 9-7. A four-run ninth inning was the clincher, as Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma each drove in two runs on two singles to put the Cardinals on top.
Vince Coleman
October 13, 1985 – The notable event on this date was not the game itself, but what happened before it started.
The Cardinals were down two games to one entering Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. It was a rainy day in St. Louis and the tarp was set to be deployed two hours before game time. Cardinals left fielder Vince Coleman was standing next to the automated tarp doing stretches. As the tarp began to unroll, he became trapped under it, and the tarp had to be lifted by several of his teammates to free him. Coleman fractured his ankle in the accident and missed the remainder of the postseason.
The Cardinals routed the Dodgers 12-2 and eventually won the series 4-2, advancing to the World Series against the Kansas City Royals.
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The Glendale Desert Dogs defeated the Scottsdale Scorpions by a 6-1 score on Friday. Two Cardinals participated. Nathan Church started in center field and singled in four at-bats. Ixan Henderson threw three one-run innings.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Friday, October 11.
The Desert Dogs were the winners over the Scorpions in Friday’s AFL contest. Nathan Church was the only Cardinal to start.
Church was in center field and hit eighth in the lineup. He went 1-for-4 with a single in his first plate appearance in the second inning. Church was left stranded.
Ixan Henderson entered in long relief and pitched the third, fourth and fifth innings. The High-A left-hander allowed one run on two hits and a walk and fanned three. 24 of his 41 pitches went for strikes. In his first AFL action, Henderson, The Cardinal Nation’s 26th-ranked prospect, received a hold.
Glendale is 3-1 in the first week of the AFL season.
Saturday’s game: at Scottsdale Scorpions, Andrew Painter RHP (0-0, 0:00) vs. Jake Miller LHP (0-0, 0:00) 5:30 CT.
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photo: Nathan Church (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Glendale Desert Dogs lost to the Salt River Rafters on Wednesday. Over nine plate appearances, Cardinals Nathan Church singled and Thomas Saggese walked.
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Wednesday, October 9.
The Glendale Desert Dogs (1-1) fell to the visiting Rafters from Salt River by a 4-2 score on Wednesday.
Two St. Louis Cardinals players participated. Nathan Church started the game in center field and hit leadoff. Second baseman Thomas Saggese was in the starting lineup in the second spot.
Church went 1-for-5, with a first inning infield single to the shortstop. Saggese followed and lined into a double play.
Church struck out swinging in the third inning. He lined out to left in the fifth, grounded into a double play in the seventh, and grounded out to the pitcher in the ninth.
Saggese went 0-for-3 with a walk. After he lined into an unassisted double play to first base in the first inning, he flied out to center field in the third, lined out to left in the fifth, and drew a walk in the seventh. Saggese was left stranded.
On defense, Saggese participated in a 6-4-3 double play in the sixth inning.
No other Cardinals saw action.
Thursday’s game: vs. Peoria Javelinas, Jerming Rosario RHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Ryan Bergert RHP (0-0, 0.00) 8:30 CT.
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photo: Alex Cornwell (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
In their season opener on Tuesday, the Glendale Desert Dogs outslugged the Peoria Javelinas. Three Cardinals saw action in the later innings. Leonardo Bernal entered as a defensive replacement in the sixth, followed by Nathan Church in the eighth and Alex Cornwell pitched a scoreless eighth in relief.
The Desert Dogs prevailed over the Javelinas in a 15-13 slugfest on Tuesday at Camelback Ranch. Three Cardinals participated in the season opener. Leonardo Bernal and Nathan Church entered as defensive replacements and Alex Cornwell pitched out of the bullpen.
Bernal replaced starting catcher Michael Turner in the top of the sixth inning in the ninth spot in the lineup. The catcher had one at bat and popped out to first base in the home seventh.
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photo: Bill DeWitt III, Bill DeWitt Jr., John Mozeliak, Chaim Bloom (Bally Sports Midwest)
The St. Louis Cardinals held their (almost) annual season-ending press conference, announcing a shift in focus to player development as the franchise “resets”. Amid the uncertainty, our history feature highlights the overall positive results during the ownership period of the DeWitt group.
End of season press conference
On Monday, September 30, the St. Louis Cardinals organization held their annual end of season press conference. This conference was skipped in 2023 after the club completed its worst season in decades.
Seated at the table on Monday were Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak and Senior Advisor Chaim Bloom.
The conference was called expressly to announce a change in the focus of the organization. This had been hinted at prior to the end of the season. Chairman DeWitt Jr. told the assembled media that the organization was going to conduct a “reset”.
This “reset” will involve putting more funds into reorganizing and upgrading the Cardinals player development system. Several days prior to the end of the season, on September 27, Katie Woo of the Athletic published an article outlining what she had been told by “anonymous sources”, was a serious degrading of the player development system that had slowly been allowed to occur over recent years.
The article mentioned regression in the teaching of the fundamentals in some cases, a shortage of coaches and instructors on every level of the system and the lack of currently available technology compared to other MLB organizations.
Chaim Bloom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Chairman DeWitt told the media that to make these necessary changes, some cuts in the major league payroll would have to occur. DeWitt announced that Bloom, who was hired in January as an advisor to Mozeliak, will oversee the reorganization. DeWitt also announced that Bloom will be taking over as President of Baseball Operations after Mozeliak’s contract expires following the 2025 season. Bloom has signed a five-year contract that will take effect in 2026.
DeWitt III noted the team is working on a direct to consumer offering which may be especially needed since Bally Sports Midwest will be looking to renegotiate their broadcast rights deal with the team. This plays into the revenue uncertainty for 2025 and beyond.
Turner Ward (USA TODAY Sports)
Both Mozeliak and manager Oliver Marmol will retain their positions for 2025 but some coaching changes may occur. Several days after the conference ended, it was disclosed that hitting coach Turner Ward will not return in 2025.
In a side discussion with the media after the formal presser ended, Mozeliak told the reporters that the extent of the major league payroll cuts would depend on projected revenue, which he had not yet received.
He did acknowledge the possibility that cuts could come at the expense of one or more of the team’s higher salaried players, which include Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. Mozeliak stated that given that all three players have full no-trade contract protection, he would need to have conversations with these players before any decisions were made.
The potential trade of any these players will make a difference in the major league team to the extent that the Cardinals may not contend for the Division or the postseason for one or more seasons to come. The team has already let it be known that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who becomes a free agent after the postseason concludes, will not be brought back. Under the present circumstances the likelihood that all three of Gray, Arenado and Contreras will remain with the team appears remote.
Mozeliak also said that the player development budget may increase in the 8-12% range for 2025, but that is not final.
The offseason will reveal what the future holds for the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals.
End of season Big Picture
The Cardinals completed the 2024 season with a record of 83-79, tied for second place in the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals prevailed over the Cubs in head-to-head games, 7-6, with the tiebreaker giving second place to the Cardinals.
Though the season ended in a winning record, the overall performance of the team was severely lacking, especially the offense. This is not breaking news to Cardinals fans.
Across the 30 MLB teams, here are the rankings of the Cardinals in key offensive categories.
AVG: 11th
OBP: 14th
SLG: 19th
OPS: 16th
RISP: 27th
Run Differential: 20th
The final two are the most glaring. That the team underwhelmed and underperformed is unmistakable. That they did this when two of the players in the everyday lineup were the NL MVP and the third-place finisher just two seasons ago, is galling.
The pitching was adequate, which is to say if the offense had been better this team may be in the playoffs right now instead of sitting at home watching it.
The Cardinals ranked 17th in pitching ERA. If you break it down by starters and relievers, the bullpen was significantly better. Cardinals relievers ranked seventh overall by ERA while the starters ranked 20th.
In pitcher WAR, the Cardinals ranked 12th. Position player WAR by contrast ranked 21st (note: this number includes defense).
Speaking of defense, the Cardinals ranked eighth in Outs Above Average and 12th in UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating). They also ranked sixth-best in Errors Per Game (ranking is least to most), so defense was not their problem.
In conclusion, the 2024 team was disappointing to say the least. Attendance was down by a double-digit percentage as were the television ratings, which no doubt was the result of two consecutive seasons of underperformance. Cardinals fans expect better than what they received.
As a result, the organization is conducting a “reset”. Fans can draw their own conclusions about the meaning that squishy word intends to convey. I suspect many fans think “rebuild” instead.
Whatever nomenclature is used, the organization is not planning to spend to win at the major league level in the usual way. Major league payroll will be cut, though by how much remains to be seen.
The 2025 team is likely going to look remarkably different. From the perspective of many fans, unfortunately the operations team running it will not.
NL Central Final Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
WCGB
Milwaukee
93
69
0.574
St. Louis
83
79
0.512
10
6
Chicago
83
79
0.512
10
6
Cincinnati
77
85
0.475
16
12
Pittsburgh
76
86
0.469
17
13
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
In their end of season press conference, the Cardinals made clear that due to the organization’s announced “reset” they will be reducing the major league payroll to put more funding into a reorganization of the Player Development System.
However, taking the overall environment into account, one would be naïve to assume that the two dollar amounts will be anywhere near equal.
Though Mozeliak was not specific, he indicated that trades of several veteran players may be occurring in the offseason. The likelihood of several high salary players being offered for trade depended, he said, on projected revenues.
Mozeliak noted that the veteran players that may or may not be available for trade, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, all have full no trade clauses in their contracts. Any trades of these players, according to Mozeliak, could not be considered until after he had conversations with them individually.
Several sources, including Katie Woo of the Athletic, have indicated that closer Ryan Helsley may be on the trading block as well. Helsley, who this season broke the franchise record for saves set by Trevor Rosenthal, enters his final year of arbitration. The right-hander is likely to command a salary approaching $7 million, but could also fetch a nice return via trade if the Cardinals decide to move in that direction.
Transactions
The Cardinals made their end of season transactions to prepare the 40-man roster for the upcoming offseason. These are the transactions that occurred:
10/1 The Cardinals activated RHP Sonny Gray, C Willson Contreras, LHP JoJo Romero and RHP Lance Lynn from the 10- and 15-day injured lists.
10/1 The Cardinals recalled CF Victor Scott, LHP Zack Thompson, RHP Ryan Loutos, 2B Nolan Gorman, RHP Sem Robberse, RHP Adam Kloffenstein and RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds. (These were all the 40-man players who finished the season in Triple-A.)
Injury Report
There are no new injuries to report. All 40-man players who were on a 10 or 15 day injured list as of the end of the season, have all been activated and returned to the roster.
Two players on the 60-day injured list, Keynan Middelton and Drew Rom, will be activated at a later date.
Looking Ahead
The postseason has begun without the participation of the Cardinals. The Wild Card round has ended, which included the elimination of the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. The Division Series round began on Saturday, October 5.
The postseason will continue through October and conclude with a potential World Series Game 7 on Saturday, November 2.
After the end of the World Series, the offseason officially begins. As of 9 am on the day after the end of the World Series, all eligible free agents will officially become free agents. During a period of five days, all free agents may negotiate exclusively with their current club.
Also, during that five-day window, teams must decide whether to pick up or decline any player options. For the Cardinals, this affects pitchers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.
The five-day window is also when teams must make any qualifying offers to departing free agents. This offseason’s QO is projected to be $21.2 million for a one-year contract. The Cardinals’ eligible free agents are Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter, Keynan Middleton and Andrew Kittredge. Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson will be free agents if the team declines their club options.
It is exceptionally unlikely that the Cardinals will make the QO to any of their free agents. In fact, it may be a long shot for any to return in 2025 at any price.
Blast from the Past
The Cardinals finished the 2024 season without making the postseason for two consecutive seasons, though they narrowly avoided a second straight losing year. Though the situation is understandably frustrating to fans, postseason droughts are not uncommon and have occurred throughout the history of this storied franchise.
The case can be made that under the current ownership regime, the team has been more successful in reaching the postseason than in other periods in the 120+ history of the Cardinals franchise.
But the most recent years have been much tougher, with the team missing the postseason in five of the last nine years. During that time, they have won just one playoff series.
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we review the postseason history of the St. Louis Cardinals and how it developed over time. We begin with a brief outline of how the postseason structure has changed since its inception.
Since 1903, major league baseball has had a final series, called the “World Series”, which was used to determine a “champion” of the sport. This Series featured one team from each of the two leagues, the winners of the “pennant”. These pennant winners were the team with the best record in each league at the end of the season.
The two pennant winners then faced off in a multi-game World Series to determine the champion. The Series was the best of seven, except for the years 1903 and 1919-21, when it was best of nine.
This was the postseason format until 1969 when the two leagues expanded from eight teams each to 12. At that time, the “Championship Series” was established. Each league had an East and West Division. The winners of each Division played a best of five series to determine which two teams would move on to the World Series.
The format changed again in 1994, when a Central Division was added to each league and the “Division Series” was born. To avoid the unbalanced number of Division winners, a Wild Card team was added to each league.
In 2012, the Wild Card teams were expanded to two per league. A third Wild Card team was added in 2022 as the postseason expanded to 12 teams.
Under the present system, there are more opportunities for teams to get into the postseason than ever before. As a result, the expectation of each team’s fans has expanded as well.
After 1903, when the first World Series was played, the Cardinals did not win a pennant until 1926. That was a 23-year drought. From 1927 until 1946, the Cardinals went to the World Series seven more times.
It was 18 more years, until 1964, before the Cardinals again played in the World Series. They went again in 1967 and 1968 – three times in a five-year span.
The Cardinals won their Division and went to the Championship Series in 1982, 1985 and 1987. They won all three and advanced to the World Series, winning once in 1982. This was after a 14-year drought, from 1969 until 1982.
When the Division Series was added in 1994, the Cardinals went to the postseason again in 1996, after the team was purchased by a group led by Bill DeWitt Jr.
Under the ownership of the DeWitt group, the Cardinals have gone to the postseason 17 times – in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Granted, the opportunities have greatly expanded over time and the Cardinals have had varied degrees of success in advancing beyond the first round. However, the success rate of postseason advancement in a sport that has expanded from 16 teams in the early years to 30 at the present time, has clearly improved with the current regime.
That is not to say that there isn’t space for improvement, but it is important that we all maintain perspective and take for granted that the Cardinals as a franchise have been more successful in the last 29 years than in any other period in franchise history. The Cardinals have the second most World Series titles in the sport, behind only the Yankees. We all should take a breath and be grateful.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
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The St. Louis Cardinals finished another disappointing season with a 4-2 road trip. Closer Ryan Helsley set a franchise record with his 49th save. Our history feature highlights four former Cardinals who each played for nine different MLB teams.
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Colorado Rockies in the first of a three-game series on Tuesday. Michael McGreevy took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on four hits, fanned five and walked one.
John King relieved McGreevy and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge hurled a scoreless seventh to earn his fifth win. Matthew Liberatore and Ryan Fernandez each tossed a scoreless inning.
The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the third inning on a two-run home run by Masyn Winn. The Rockies cut the lead to 2-1 in the home third and took a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
St. Louis added a run in the seventh to tie the game. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk. Matt Carpenter doubled. Winn reached on a fielder’s choice. Nootbaar came home on a force out by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals put up a four-run eighth inning to lead 7-3. Nolan Arenado singled. Nootbaar walked. Jordan Walker drove in Arenado on a single. Nootbaar came home on a single by Victor Scott. Winn plated Walker and Scott on a double.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 11 hits. Winn was 2-for-5 with four RBI.
The Cardinals secured the series win by taking Game 2 at Coors Field on Wednesday. Erick Fedde was on the bump for St Louis. The right-hander pitched seven innings, gave up one run on six hits, fanned 10 and walked one to earn his ninth win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Fedde and threw a scoreless eighth. Matthew Liberatore surrendered one run in the ninth. Ryan Helsley secured the final two outs of the ninth for his 48th save.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Iván Herrera singled and scored on a double by Thomas Saggese.
St. Louis added a run in the top of the third. Masyn Winn tripled and scored on a sac fly by Brendan Donovan. Colorado cut the lead to 2-1 in the home third.
St. Louis made it 3-1 in the fourth. Arenado singled. Jordan Walker grounded into a force out and Arenado was out at second. Saggese singled. Walker scored on a single by Pedro Pagés.
In the fifth, the Cardinals extended their lead to 4-1. Winn doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Paul Goldschmidt. St. Louis scored again in the sixth after Herrera doubled and later scored on a single by Pagés.
The Rockies shrunk the final score to 5-2 in the ninth.
The offense scored five runs on nine hits. Pagés was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Saggese was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Herrera was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
The Cardinals were defeated by the Rockies in the final game of the series on Thursday. Kyle Gibson started and pitched four innings, gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits, struck out five and walked three.
Steven Matz relieved Gibson and threw two scoreless innings of relief. John King hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Fernandez surrendered four runs in one inning pitched and took the loss. Kyle Leahy yielded one run in 1/3 of an inning.
St. Louis put up two runs in the top of the first as Lars Nootbaar and Paul Goldschmidt hit solo home runs.
Colorado tied the game in the home first. The Cardinals answered with three runs in the top of the second to lead 5-2. Victor Scott singled and scored on a double by Masyn Winn. Nootbaar plated Winn on a double. Goldschmidt drove in Nootbaar on another two-base hit.
The Rockies responded with two runs in the bottom of the second to bring the score to 5-4 and tied the game at 5-5 in the fourth.
The Cardinals regained the lead 6-5 in the fifth on a solo home run by Iván Herrera. They extended their lead to 8-5 in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run by Pedro Pagés.
The Rockies fought back with five runs in the bottom of the eighth to win 10-8.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on 14 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Pagés had two RBI. Jordan Walker was 2-for-4. Scott was 2-for-4.
Scott was picked off and caught stealing. Thomas Saggese made a fielding error.
The Cardinals beat the Giants in the first game of the final series of the 2024 season for both teams. Miles Mikolas was on the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked one to earn his 10th win.
John King relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge and Matthew Liberatore each hurled a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 49th save of the season, breaking the franchise record for saves previously held by Trevor Rosenthal.
St. Louis went up 1-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson drew a walk. Nolan Arenado singled to plate Winn.
San Francisco scored three runs in the second to take the lead. The Cardinals answered with a run in the top of the third on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar.
The Cardinals added four runs in the fourth to take the lead at 6-3. Jordan Walker singled. Michael Siani grounded into a force out and Walker was out at second. Siani advanced to second on a balk. Masyn Winn doubled to plate Siani. Winn scored on a single by Alec Burleson. Nolan Arenado hit a ground-rule double. Nootbaar drove in Burleson and Arenado on a triple.
The offense scored six runs on 13 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Walker and Iván Herrera were both 2-for-4.
The Cardinals lost Game 2 of the series to the Giants on Saturday. Andre Pallante started for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits and struck out four.
Chris Roycroft relieved Pallante and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Liberatore yielded one unearned run in the eighth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Alec Burleson singled, advancing Winn to third. Winn came home on a sac fly by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Giants took a 2-1 lead in the home first. They added two runs in the fourth to extend their lead.
St. Louis put up one run in the fifth to cut the gap to 4-2. Winn singled. Burleson singled and Winn advanced to third. Goldschmidt drove in Winn on a ground out.
San Francisco increased their lead to 5-2 in the sixth but the Cardinals responded with three runs in the seventh to tie the game. Burleson walked. Goldschmidt doubled. Brendan Donovan plated Burleson and Goldschmidt on a double. Nootbaar drew a walk. Jordan Walker plated Donovan on a single.
The Giants scored one run in the eighth to regain the lead 6-5.
The Cardinals scored five runs on 13 hits. Goldschmidt was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Donovan was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4. Pedro Pagés was 2-for-4.
Liberatore made a throwing error. Winn had a fielding miscue.
The Cardinals were the winners in the final game of the series and the season against the Giants on Sunday. Michael McGreevy was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched eight innings, gave up one run on five hits and fanned six to earn his third win of the season.
St. Louis opened scoring in the third inning via a solo home run by Brendan Donovan. The Cardinals extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Thomas Saggese and Pedro Pagés walked. Donovan singled to score Saggese. Pagés came home on a single by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals increased the lead to 6-0 in the sixth. Michael Siani walked. Jordan Walker singled. José Fermín plated Siani on a single. Donovan walked. Burleson drove in Walker and Fermín on a single.
The Giants scored their only run in the seventh.
The Cardinals scored six runs on seven hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Donovan was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Burleson was caught stealing. Thomas Saggese made a fielding error.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished their final week of the season with a record of 4-2. They won 2 of-3 from both the Rockies and the Giants on the road. The team finished the season with a record of 83-79, identical to final record of the Cubs.
Because the Cardinals won the season series with the Cubs 7-6, they end up in the second place in the NL Central, 10 games back of the Brewers and six games out of the final Wild Card.
In the final week of the season, seven players were the top offensive performers by OPS. They are Iván Herrera (1.243), Victor Scott (1.200 in 5 ABs), Lars Nootbaar (1.113), Masyn Winn (1.026), Pedro Pagés (1.012), Paul Goldschmidt (.918) and Brendan Donovan (.907).
At the bottom were Michael Siani (.371) and Luken Baker (.000 in 3 ABs).
For the final week of the season, two starting pitchers had an ERA under 4.00. They were Erick Fedde (1.29), and Michael McGreevy (2.77).
Those with ERAs over 4.00 were Miles Mikolas (5.40), Andre Pallante (5.40) and Kyle Gibson (9.00). Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn ended the season on the injured list and did not pitch in the final week.
The bullpen hiccups were Chris Roycroft (13.50) and Ryan Fernandez (18.00).
The Cardinals’ final run differential was -47. The Cubs, with the same record as the Cardinals, had a final run differential of +67.
The primary area of improvement for the 2025 Cardinals has to be offense, with an emphasis on hitting with runners in scoring position.
The 2025 roster will very likely be vastly different from the 2024 one. An end of season press conference is scheduled for Monday, September 30 at 2 pm. The organization has signaled that “major changes” are coming. These changes are expected to include a lower major league payroll for 2025. This likely means that the payroll cuts will come from jettisoning higher paid players.
It has already been leaked that the Cardinals are very likely not re-signing Paul Goldschmidt, who was playing out the final year of his contract in 2024. Other high-dollar players include Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. Ryan Helsley is entering his final year of arbitration in 2025 and is expected to command a substantial salary.
The future of these players is in question given the organization’s stated goal of lowering payroll to invest more heavily in the player development system. Then again, the costs to make these investments in the farm system are unknown.
It is quite likely that the 2025 Cardinals will consist of younger players and a leaner payroll. How the changes will be rolled out in the system are to be determined.
NL Central Final Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
WCGB
Milwaukee
93
69
0.574
St. Louis
83
79
0.512
10
6
Chicago
83
79
0.512
10
6
Cincinnati
77
85
0.475
16
12
Pittsburgh
76
86
0.469
17
13
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that the Cardinals are unlikely to re-sign Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt is concluding the five-year contract he signed in 2020. The first baseman will officially become a free agent on the day after the end of the World Series.
Woo reported that according to multiple sources, the Cardinals will also not retain any of their other pending free agents. They are relievers Andrew Kittredge and Keynan Middleton. Due to injury, Middleton missed the entire season.
Whether the organization will pick up the 2025 options on pitchers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson is unknown.
Transactions
9/24 The Cardinals recalled CF Victor Scott II from the Memphis Redbirds.
9/24 The Cardinals placed 1B Luken Baker on the paternity list.
9/25 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
9/25 The Cardinals placed LHP JoJo Romero on the 15-day injured list retroactive to September 23. Left forearm flexor inflammation.
9/27 The Cardinals optioned CF Victor Scott II to the Memphis Redbirds.
9/27 The Cardinals activated 1B Luke Baker from the paternity list.
Injury Report
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season ending forearm surgery. The right-hander did not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
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 and did not return.
RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list. After coming off the injured list for the same injury and making one start, Lynn returned to the injured list for the remainder of the season.
C Willson Contreras (fractured right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 25. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand. Contreras was recently evaluated and it was determined that the catcher required more healing time, ending his season.
RHP Sonny Gray (right forearm flexor tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 19. The right-hander ended the season on the injured list. An MRI showed no structural damage, but the precautionary move was made once the Cardinals were formally eliminated from postseason contention.
Looking Ahead
Following the final games of the regular season on Monday, September 30, the postseason begins on Tuesday, October 1. The Wild Card games will be played this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The postseason continues through the month of October and ends with a potential World Series Game 7 on November 2.
The Cardinals will hold their end of season press conference on Monday, September 30 at 2 pm CT. The event’s purpose is to announce what has been described as “major changes” coming to the organization. These changes are due ostensibly to the poor performance of the team over the last two seasons and the reduction in attendance that flowed from the poor performance.
It is expected that the focus of the organization will shift away from the major league team roster construction and toward rebuilding an outdated player development system. These changes are likely to require a reduction of an unknown amount in the major league payroll, which in return signals there will be big changes to the makeup of the major league roster.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to the series that showcases former Cardinals who played for many teams in their career.
This series began and was influenced by the Cardinals acquisition of Tommy Pham at the trade deadline on July 30, 2024 in a three-way trade with the Dodgers and the White Sox. Pham, who played for multiple teams since the Cardinals traded him away originally in 2018, made a very brief return to St. Louis in August before moving on to his ninth career team, the Kansas City Royals.
This series looks at players who at one time played for the Cardinals and also played for at least eight teams in their career. These players did not necessarily start with the Cardinals nor play for the Cardinals more than one time. A career arc like that of Tommy Pham is a rare feat.
This next installment in the series looks at former Cardinals who played for nine teams in their major league career. We highlight four former Cardinals, two who are no longer playing, one who is currently playing for another team, and one who was recently released.
The following individuals played for the Cardinals and multiple franchises in their career. His name, the dates he played for the Cardinals, and his other teams are noted.
Cesar Izturis
César Izturis – The shortstop played in St. Louis for one season, 2008. The Cardinals signed him to a one-year contract on November 16, 2007.
Izturis began his major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays, who signed him as an international free agent in 1996.
The 2008 season was a down year for the Cardinals, who finished fourth in the NL Central Division with a record of 86-76. Izturis was the Cardinals primary shortstop and played in 135 games with a final slash line of .263/.319/.309.
Izturis was not retained by the Cardinals and moved on to the Baltimore Orioles after the 2008 season.
Izturis played for these teams in his 13-year MLB career – the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds.
His final major league season was 2013.
Dave LaPoint
Dave LaPoint – LaPoint was drafted by Milwaukee Brewers in 1977 and began his major league career there in 1980. The Cardinals acquired LaPoint in a trade with the Brewers in December of 1980 along with others for Ted Simmons, Rollie Fingers, and Pete Vucovich.
LaPoint played for the Cardinals from 1981-1984. The left-handed pitcher began as a reliever and ended as a starter. He made two 1982 World Series appearances, one as a reliever and one as a starter, in Games 1 and 4 against the Brewers.
The Cardinals traded LaPoint to the San Francisco Giants on February 1, 1985, along with others, for Jack Clark.
LaPoint played for these teams – the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.
Dominic Leone (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)
Dominic Leone – Leone was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2012. The Cardinals acquired him in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for Randal Grichuk in 2018.
Leone was a reliever for St. Louis for two seasons. He was designated for assignment on November 20, 2019. Leone, who logged 64 2/3 innings in total, missed time with injury and was sent down to the minor leagues multiple times.
Leone is currently on the roster for the Chicago White Sox.
Leone played for the Seattle Mariners (twice), Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox.
Shelby Miller (Getty Images)
Shelby Miller – The Cardinals drafted Miller in the first round in 2009. He made his major league debut on September 5, 2012.
Miller pitched for three seasons in St. Louis. He was traded after the 2014 season to the Atlanta Braves for Jason Heyward.
With the Cardinals, Miller posted a record of 26-18 and an ERA of 3.33. Miller’s most notable game was a 3-0 shutout of the Colorado Rockies on May 20, 2013. Miller pitched a near perfect game, giving up one hit in the first inning, and then retiring the next 27 batters for a game score of 98.
The well-traveled Miller was placed on release waivers by the playoff-bound Detroit Tigers on September 29, 2024.
To date, Miller played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
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It was too little, too late, as the St. Louis Cardinals were eliminated from the post-season despite going 5-2 for the week. Andre Pallante starred, allowing just one run in 14 innings. Our history feature highlights four former Cardinals who had rare feats during this week in the past.
The St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a four-game series at Busch Stadium on Monday. Andre Pallante started for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits, fanned nine and walked one to earn his seventh win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the fourth inning. Alec Burleson singled. Burleson advanced to second on disengagement by Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. Nolan Arenado drove in Burleson on a single.
St Louis added a run in the seventh to lead 2-0. Brendan Donovan drew a walk. Lars Nootbaar reached on throwing error and Donovan advanced to second. Jordan Walker took a free pass. Donovan scored on a single by Pedro Pagés.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 4-0 with two runs in the eighth. Paul Goldschmidt walked. Arenado singled. Donovan plated Goldschmidt on a double. Arenado came home on a sac fly by Nootbaar.
The Cardinals scored four runs on seven hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Cardinals defeated the Pirates in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Lance Lynn made what may be his final start at Busch Stadium as a Cardinal. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, fanned five and walked two to earn his seventh win.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Lynn and threw a scoreless seventh. Matthew Liberatore hurled two scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates scored first with one run in the second. The Cardinals answered with a run in the third to tie the game. Michael Siani doubled. Luken Baker tripled to plate Siani.
The Cardinals extended the lead to 2-1 in the fourth on a solo home run by Jordan Walker. In the eighth, a third run came home for the final score of 3-1. Masyn Winn reached on an error. Alec Burleson drew a walk. Nolan Arenado plated Winn on a sac fly.
The Cardinals scored three runs on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
Brendan Donovan stole his fifth base of the season. Michael Siani swiped his 19th bag. Paul Goldschmidt stole his 10th base.
The Cardinals pounded the Pirates for a 10-5 win in the third game of the series on Wednesday. Sonny Gray started and pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up four runs on nine hits and fanned eight. This became Gray’s final start of the season.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Gray and surrendered one run in 1/3 of an inning. Michael McGreevy tossed the final three scoreless innings to earn his second major league win.
The Cardinals took the first lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by Brendan Donovan. St. Louis extended the lead to 4-0 in the third. Alec Burleson singled. Paul Goldschmidt drove in Burleson on a triple. Goldschmidt came home on a single by Nolan Arenado.
In the fourth inning, the Pirates cut the lead to 4-2. They took the lead 5-4 with three runs in the sixth.
In the seventh, the Cardinals roared back with six runs to retake the lead 10-5. Masyn Winn tied the game with a solo home run. Goldschmidt reached on an error. Arenado drew a walk. Donovan walked. Iván Herrera plated Goldschmidt on a single. Arenado came home on a single by Lars Nootbaar. Jordan Walker cleared the bases with a double.
The Cardinal offense scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Arenado was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Herrera was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Walker had three RBI. Burleson was 2-for-5.
The Cardinals fell to the Pirates in the finale of the four-game series on Thursday. Erick Fedde took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out three and walked one.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Fedde and surrendered one run in the seventh. JoJo Romero yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. Ryan Fernandez threw 1/3 of a scoreless inning. John King tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates scored one run in the top of the fourth. The Cardinals answered to tie the game in the home fourth. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Nolan Arenado drew a walk. Brendan Donovan singled to score Goldschmidt.
St. Louis put up one run in the sixth to take the lead 2-1. Goldschmidt singled and stole second base. Donovan plated Goldschmidt on a double.
Pittsburgh came back to tie the game at 2-2 in the seventh. They took the lead 3-2 in the eighth. The Cardinals did not answer.
St. Louis scored two runs on six hits. Donovan was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Cardinals lost the opener of a three-game series with the Guardians at Busch Stadium. Kyle Gibson was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on six hits, struck out two and walked three. Gibson took the loss.
Steven Matz relieved Gibson and surrendered one run in the final three innings.
Cleveland went up 1-0 in the third inning. The Guardians added a run in the top of the fourth to increase the lead to 2-0.
In the home fourth, the Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1. Alec Burleson doubled. Brendan Donovan walked. Lars Nootbaar drove in Burleson on a double.
Cleveland added one run in the fifth to extend the lead to 3-1. They scored single runs in the sixth and eighth for the final score of 5-1.
The Cardinals were held to one run on seven hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Thomas Saggese was 2-for-4.
The Cardinals edged the Guardians for a 6-5 win on Saturday. Miles Mikolas started for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out four to earn his ninth win.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless seventh. JoJo Romero surrendered four runs in 1/3 of an inning. Matthew Liberatore hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 46th save.
The Cardinals took a the lead in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Jordan Walker. Cleveland answered with one run in the fifth.
In the seventh, St. Louis put up four runs to extend the lead to 6-1. Michael Siani singled. Masyn Winn reached on a fielder’s choice. Alec Burleson popped into a double play and Siani was out at third. Winn advanced to second. Paul Goldschmidt reached on an error and Winn scored. Nolan Arenado was hit by a pitch. Herrera followed with a three-run home run.
The Cardinals defeated the Guardians to take the series with a 2-1 win on Sunday. Andre Pallante pitched his second gem of the week. The right-hander went seven innings, gave up one run on one hit, struck out four and walked two to earn his eighth win.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 47th save.
The game was scoreless until the sixth inning when Cleveland put up one run. St. Louis quickly answered with a run in the home sixth to tie the game. Masyn Winn singled. Nolan Arenado singled on a pop fly to shallow right field. Winn scored from first base.
The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the seventh. Lars Nootbaar was hit by a pitch. Pedro Pagés walked. Winn walked and Nootbaar scored on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals scored two runs on five hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Pallante picked a runner off first base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week with a record of 5-2. They won 3 of 4 games from the Pirates, and 2 of 3 games from the Guardians. Their current record is 79-77 and they remain in third place in the NL Central, 10 games behind the Brewers, and one game back of the second place Cubs. The Cardinals have been eliminated from a spot in the postseason.
The Cardinals have six games left in the regular season. They have a chance to finish above .500 and take the second-place spot away from the Cubs in this final week. These should be the goals at this point, ending their disappointing season on a positive note.
The offense wasn’t particularly great against the Pirates and Guardians, but they scored enough to win five games. The top offensive performers by OPS over the last seven days are Iván Herrera (1.792 in 8 ABs) and Brendan Donovan (1.140). Next were Nolan Arenado (.865) and Jordan Walker (.802).
At the bottom were Alec Burleson (.499), Michael Siani (.478), Thomas Saggese (.417), Matt Carpenter (.333 in 2 ABs), and Pedro Pagés (.192).
The pitching was adequate, though the team lost two starters, Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn, to the injured list for the remainder of the season.
Starting pitchers who finished the week with an ERA under 4.00 were Andre Pallante (0.64), Erick Fedde (1.50), Lance Lynn (1.50) and Miles Mikolas (1.50).
Starters with an ERA over 4.00 were Kyle Gibson (4.50) and Sonny Gray (6.34).
Michael McGreevy was recalled from Memphis this past week and will take Gray’s next start in Colorado.
The bullpen was good, with only JoJo Romero (45.00) having an off week. Matthew Liberatore (4.50) was the only other reliever with an ERA over 4.00 for the week.
The last two series of the season begin on Tuesday with three games in Denver against the Rockies. The team ends their season in San Francisco with three against the Giants.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
WCGB
Milwaukee
89
67
0.571
Chicago
80
76
0.513
9
6.5
St. Louis
79
77
0.506
10
7.5
Cincinnati
76
81
0.484
13.5
11
Pittsburgh
73
83
0.468
16
13.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
9/18 The Cardinals recalled RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
9/18 The Cardinals placed RHP Lance Lynn on the 15-day injured list. Right knee inflammation.
9/21 The Cardinals placed RHP Sonny Gray on the 15-day injured list. Right forearm flexor tendinitis.
9/21 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season ending forearm surgery. The right hander did not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
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 and missed the remainder of the season.
RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) came off the injured list and after making one start, he was returned to the injured list for the remainder of the season. Lynn’s last start against the Pirates is potentially his last start at Busch Stadium as a Cardinal.
C Willson Contreras (fractured right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 25. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand. Contreras was evaluated and it was determined that the catcher required at least two weeks more of healing, effectively ending his season.
RHP Sonny Gray (right forearm flexor tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 19. The right hander has made his last start and will end the season on the IL. An MRI showed no structural damage, but the precautionary move was made, as the Cardinals have been eliminated from postseason contention. Gray’s final start of the season on Tuesday will be made by Michael McGreevy.
On Wednesday, September 18, Brendan Donovan was announced as the Cardinals winner of the 2024 Heart and Hustle Award.
Presented by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, this award recognizes one player on each team who demonstrates a passion for the game and best embodies their values, spirit and traditions.
Of the 30 winners from each team, one player will be chosen as the final Heart and Hustle Award recipient after the season.
Looking Ahead
The final week of the regular season is a road trip for the Cardinals. They will first play three games with the Rockies beginning Tuesday, September 24. Starters will be Michael McGreevy, Erick Fedde and Kyle Gibson.
The team will then travel to San Francisco to play the Giants in a weekend series that ends the season for the Cardinals, who have officially been eliminated from a postseason berth. The Milwaukee Brewers will be the only NL Central team to advance to the postseason.
Following the final game of the regular season on Sunday, September 29, the postseason begins on October 1. The Wild Card games will be played on October 1-3. The postseason continues through October and ends with a potential World Series Game 7 on November 2.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the Rare Feats Series with four players who accomplished rare feats during the period September 16 through 22.
The four players include two pitchers and two position players all of whom played in the 20th Century. One is a frequent flyer in this series.
A rare feat is defined as one of the following: (1) a pitcher or pitchers throwing a no-hitter; (2) A batter hitting for the cycle, which is hitting at least one single, one double, one triple, and one home run in a single game; (3) A batter recording six hits in one game; (4) a player, either a position player or a pitcher, hitting a home run in their first major league at bat; and (5) a player hitting three or more home runs in a single game.
During the period September 16 through 22, the following rare feats are featured. For each rare feat, the type of feat, the date it occurred, and some details of each occurrence are listed below.
Ray Washburn
Ray Washburn – The right-hander pitched for the Cardinals from 1961-1969. On September 18, 1968, Washburn tossed a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. The Cardinals won 2-0.
Washburn struck out eight and walked five in his complete game no-hit shutout. Washburn ended the season with a record of 14-8 and an ERA of 2.26.
Ironically, the Giants’ Gaylord Perry no-hit the Cardinals the day before, making it the first time in MLB history that back-to back no-hitters were pitched in the same series.
Washburn was traded to the Cincinnati Reds after the 1969 season. He pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Reds, who were defeated by the Orioles in the 1969 World Series in five games. Washburn’s last major league appearance was the final game of that World Series.
Dizzy and Daffy Dean
Paul Dean – Nicknamed “Daffy”, the brother of Cardinals pitcher “Dizzy” Dean, Paul Dean pitched for the Cardinals from 1934-1939.
Dean spun a no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field on September 21, 1934. The Cardinals won 3-0.
Dean struck out six and walked one in his complete game no-hit shutout. This was Dean’s rookie season with the Cardinals. His brother Dizzy pitched a three-hit shutout in the first game of the doubleheader. Dizzy was quoted as saying after his brother’s no-hitter, “Shoot! If I’da known Paul was going to pitch a no-hitter, I’da pitched me one too.”
Paul Dean ended his rookie season with a record of 19-11 and an ERA of 3.43. The Cardinals won the 1934 World Series over the Detroit Tigers in seven games. Paul and his brother pitched in the Series for a combined record of 4-1 (each won two games) with 28 Ks and a combined ERA of 1.43.
Paul Dean pitched for the Cardinals for six seasons, though he never matched his rookie season performance. The New York Giants selected Dean in the Rule 5 Draft in 1939. His career ended with the St. Louis Browns in 1943.
Jim Bottomley (Getty Images)
Jim Bottomley – Bottomley has been featured in the series multiple times previously. On September 16, 1924, Bottomley accomplished the rare feat of six hits in a single game.
Bottomley went 6-for-6 with 12 RBI and three runs scored in a 17-3 rout of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Bottomley’s major league record of 12 RBI in a game was matched by another Cardinal, Mark Whiten in 1993. Whiten’s 12 RBI game was featured in a previous installment of this series.
Bottomley played first and hit cleanup in the Cardinals starting lineup on his big day. Bottomley’s six hits were as follows: a two RBI single to center in the first inning; an RBI double to left in the second inning; a grand slam in the fourth inning; a two run home run in the sixth inning; a two RBI single to right in the seventh inning; and an RBI single to right in the ninth inning.
Bottomley played for 11 seasons with the Cardinals, from 1922-1932. He was traded at the end of the 1932 season to the Cincinnati Reds.
George Harper
George Harper – Harper was an outfielder who played for six teams in his major league career. He played for the Cardinals for only one season, 1928.
Harper’s rare feat was hitting three or more home runs in a single game, which he accomplished on September 20, 1928 in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. The Cardinals won 8-5.
Harper hit home run #1 in the second inning. It was a solo shot. He hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning. His final long ball was a solo shot in the eighth inning.
Harper went 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored.
The Cardinals won the pennant that year but were swept by the Yankees in the World Series.
The Boston Braves purchased Harper from the Cardinals on December 8, 1928.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-0 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, shortstop Arquímedes Gamboa, was 2-for-4 with four RBI in Memphis’ shutout win. Other standouts include Zack Thompson, Connor Thomas, Matt Koperniak and Nolan Gorman.
Behind shutout pitching and three long balls, the Triple-A Redbirds blanked the Bulls by the score of 8-0 on Saturday afternoon at AutoZone Park.
Zack Thompson started for Memphis in the contest delayed one hour by rain. The left-hander pitched six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, struck out four and walked two to earn the win. It was just his fourth victory of the season in his 20th start.
In the fifth, Memphis scored five times to run the score up to 7-0. Alfonso Rivas walked. Nick Dunn singled. Chance Sisco walked. Chandler Redmond walked and Rivas scored. Number nine hitter Arquímedes Gamboa followed with a grand slam.
Memphis scored eight runs on 11 hits. Gamboa was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Dunn was 2-for-4. Koperniak was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Hitting .312 for the season, Koperniak is just three points short of the International League batting title with just one game remaining.
Scott stole his 30th base with the Redbirds in 2024.
Memphis is 73-74 on the season, including 35-37 in the second half. They are in sixth place in the International League West, 12.5 games back of Columbus.
With a win in Sunday’s finale, Memphis can clinch .500, which would be its best year since the championship season of 2018.
Sunday’s game: vs. Durham, TBD vs. RHP Cole Wilcox 1:05 CT.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-0 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is Palm Beach LF Bryce Madron, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored as the Beach Birds claimed the Florida State League Championship. Other standouts include Ian Petrutz, JJ Wetherholt, and Arquímedes Gamboa.
The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Bulls by a 5-4 score at AutoZone Park on Wednesday.
Sem Robberse started for Memphis. The right-hander pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits, struck out two and walked one.
Ryan Loutos relieved Robberse and threw two scoreless innings to earn the win. Chris Roycroft tossed the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his fifth save.
Durham went up 1-0 in the first inning. They added three runs in the top of the second to lead 4-0. Memphis answered with two runs in the home half of the second to cut the lead to 4-2. Matt Koperniak was hit by a pitch. Chandler Redmond hit a ground-rule double. Arquímedes Gamboa doubled to plate Koperniak and Redmond.
In the sixth, Memphis took the lead 5-4. Ramon Mendoza singled. Redmond drew a walk. Wade Stauss drove in Mendoza on a double. Redmond came home on a sac fly by Scott.
The Redbirds scored five runs on eight hits. Gamboa was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Gamboa made a throwing error.
Memphis is 71-73 on the season, 33-36 in the second half. They are in sixth place in the International League West, 12.5 games back of Columbus.
Thursday’s game: vs. Durham, Quinn Mathews LHP (0-1, 7.59) vs. TBD (DUR) 6:45 CT.
Springfield Cardinals – Off
The Double-A Cardinals, up 1-0, entertain the Arkansas Travelers in Game 2 of the Texas League Division Series at Hammons Field on Thursday evening. If the Cardinals do not sweep, Game 3 will be in Springfield on Friday night.
Thursday’s game: vs. Arkansas, Max Rajcic RHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Brandyn Garcia LHP (0-0, 0.00) 6:35 CT.
The Palm Beach Cardinals defeated the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the final game of the Florida State League Championship Series. The Cardinals are the 2024 Florida State League Champions.
Chin Wei-Lin started for Palm Beach. The right-hander pitched one scoreless inning with one hit allowed and one strikeout. Leonel Sequera followed Lin and surrendered one run in 2 2/3 innings. Gerardo Salas yielded two runs in 1 1/3 innings and was tagged with a blown save. Nolan Sparks allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings and earned the win. Luis Gastelum tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the save.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Bryce Madron singled and advanced on an error. Josh Kross drew a walk. Ian Petrutz doubled to score Madron and Kross.
Palm Beach added a run in the second to lead 3-0. Ryan Campos singled. Jon Jon Gazdar singled. Christian Martin was hit by a pitch. Campos scored on a force-out by Madron.
Lakeland put up one run in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1. The Flying Tigers tied the game at 3-3 with two run scored in the fifth.
In the seventh, the Cardinals produced a three run rally to take the lead 6-3. Campos reached on an error. Gazdar walked. Madron plated Campos on a double. JJ Wetherholt drove in Gazdar and Madron on a triple.
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photo: Chase Davis (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-1 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is Springfield LF Chase Davis, who was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Other standouts include Brandon Komar, Matt Lloyd, Bryce Madron, Christian Martin, Lizandro Espinoza and Josh Kross.
The Triple-A Redbirds lost to the Bulls in a 3-1 contest at AutoZone Park on Tuesday.
Nick Raquet was on the mound for Memphis in a bullpen game. The left-hander pitched two innings, gave up two runs on six hits, struck out one and walked one. Raquet took the loss.
Andre Granillo relieved Raquet and surrendered one run in two innings. Connor Thomas and Kyle Leahy threw two scoreless innings each. Jacob Bosiokovic tossed a scoreless ninth.
Durham took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Memphis answered with one run in the home second. Matt Koperniak drew a walk. Gavin Collins singled. Koperniak scored on a double play by Alfonso Rivas.
The Bulls added a run in the fourth to lead 3-1 and that score held the rest of the way.
Memphis scored one run on four hits. No player had multiple hits. The offense was quiet, going 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and leaving two men on base.
Mike Antico stole his 14th base. César Prieto made a throwing error.
Memphis is 70-73 on the season, 32-36 in the second half. They are in sixth place in the International League West, 12.5 games back of Columbus.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Durham, Sem Robberse RHP (5-4, 4.52) vs. TBD (DUR) 12:05 C T.
The Double-A Cardinals beat the Travelers by a score of 4-1 in Game 1 of the Texas League North Division Series at Dickey Stephens Park in North Little Rock on Tuesday.
Brandon Komar started for Springfield. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on five hits, fanned seven and walked two to earn his first playoff win.
Nathanael Heredia relieved Komar but did not record an out. He hit the first batter, gave up a single, and walked his third batter before he was replaced by Ryan Shreve. In his first outing since being sent down from Memphis, Shreve struck out his first batter and induced a double play to get out of the inning without damage. Shreve threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Jack Ralston followed with a scoreless 1/3 of an inning. Matt Svanson tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save in the playoffs.
Springfield went up 2-0 in the top of the second inning. Noah Mendlinger doubled and scored on a single by Chase Davis. Leonardo Bernal singled. Davis came home on a single by Bryan Torres.
The Low-A Cardinals defeated the Flying Tigers in Game 2 of the Florida State League Championship Series at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday. The best-of-three series is now 1-1.
Jose Davila started for Palm Beach. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on three hits, struck out four and walked one to earn his second win of the playoffs.
Jason Savacool relieved Davila and surrendered one run in two innings. Angel Cuenca threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Michael Watson tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the save.
Lakeland took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Beach Birds tied the game in the second on Ian Petrutz’ solo home run. Joshua Baez and Ryan Campos each drew a walk. Campos was out at second in a double play by Jon Jon Gazdar. Lizandro Espinoza drove in Baez on a single.
Lakeland retook the lead with one run in the fourth. Palm Beach answered with four in the fifth on Bryce Madron’s RBI single and a three-run home run by Josh Kross to lead 6-3.
The Flying Tigers made it 7-4 in the top of the eighth. Palm Beach increased the lead to 8-4 in the home eighth. Baez walked and Campos singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Espinoza was hit by a pitch. Baez scored on a sac fly by Martin.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on 10 hits. Madron was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Martin was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Espinoza was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Kross had three RBI.
Espinoza stole two bases and was also picked off first base. Gazdar made a fielding error.
The Cardinals are 1-1 in the Championship Series. The final and deciding game of the 2024 Florida State League will be played on Wednesday evening at Roger Dean Stadium.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Lakeland, RH Chen-Wei Lin (10-5, 2.79) vs. TBD (Division Series Game 3) 5:30 CT.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF or printed book copy today!
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The St. Louis Cardinals went 2-4 for the week. Utility man Brendan Donovan led the team with a .935 OPS, recording a hit in five of the six games in the past week. Our history feature looks at players who have made their major league debut from September 9-15.
The Cardinals were blanked by the Reds in the first game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Andre Pallante got the start for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on six hits, fanned six and walked five. Pallante took the loss.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless 1/3 of an inning. John King followed with two scoreless innings. Chris Roycroft tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Reds put three runs on the board to lead 3-0.
The Cardinals were held scoreless for nine innings. The offense scattered eight hits but went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. They left eight men on base.
A double by Goldschmidt was the only extra-base hit. Goldschmidt was 2-for-3. Brendan Donovan was 3-for-4. Nolan Arenado was 2-for-4.
The Cardinals came back to defeat the Reds by the score of 2-1 in the second game of the series on Wednesday. Lance Lynn was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up one run on five hits, fanned seven and walked one.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge hurled a scoreless inning, and JoJo Romero followed with a scoreless 2/3 of an inning to earn the win. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 44th save.
The Reds scored their first and only run in the top of the fourth inning. The Cardinals answered with one run on a solo home run by Arenado in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
The Cardinals pounded the Reds in a 6-1 contest on Thursday in the final game of the series. Sonny Gray took the start and pitched six innings, giving up one run on two hits, fanning nine and walking two to earn his 13th win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Gray and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first save this season.
In the home half of the sixth, St. Louis scored one run to take back the lead 2-1. Winn singled. Alec Burleson singled. Nolan Arenado drew a walk. Winn scored on a sac fly by Lars Nootbaar.
The Cardinals added two runs in the seventh to extend the lead to 4-1. Thomas Saggese singled and Brendan Donovan followed with a two-run pinch-hit home run.
St. Louis made it 6-1 in the eighth. Nootbaar hit a ground-rule double. Saggese drove in Nootbaar on a single. Saggese later scored on a fielder’s choice by Winn.
The Cardinals scored six runs on 10 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Saggese was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan had two RBI.
The Cardinals were edged by the Blue Jays in a 4-3 loss in the first game of a weekend series in Toronto. Erick Fedde was the St. Louis starter. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on six hits, struck out three and walked one.
John King relieved Fedde and threw a scoreless sixth. Matthew Liberatore hurled three scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez surrendered one run in the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings and took the loss.
St. Louis went up 2-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson singled. Paul Goldschmidt singled to load the bases. Nolan Arenado drove in Winn on a single. Burleson scored on a force out by Thomas Saggese.
Toronto scored three runs in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals came back to tie the game in the eighth on a solo home run by Saggese.
The game went into extra innings and in the home half of the 11th, the Blue Jays walked it off with one run scored for a 4-3 win.
The Cardinals scored three runs on 12 hits. Winn was 2-for-6. Burleson was 2-for-5. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4. Pedro Pagés was 2-for-5. Saggese had two RBI.
The Cardinal lost to the Blue Jays again, this time by a score of 7-2 on Saturday. Kyle Gibson took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up five runs, one earned, on four hits, struck out one and walked three. Gibson took the loss.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Gibson and threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Riley O’Brien surrendered two runs in the final two innings.
St. Louis put up one run in the top of the third on a solo home run by Jordan Walker to lead 1-0. Toronto quickly tied it in the home half of the third.
The Cardinals suffered the sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays in the final game of the series in Toronto. Miles Mikolas was the starter and he pitched five innings, gave up two runs on three hits and struck out four.
Steven Matz relieved Mikolas and threw two scoreless innings of relief. Andrew Kittredge surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. JoJo Romero got the final out of the eighth.
St. Louis went up 1-0 in the top of the fifth inning. Iván Herrera singled and scored on a double by Jordan Walker. Toronto answered with two runs in the home half of the fifth to lead 2-1.
The Cardinals tied the game in the seventh on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar. The Blue Jays retook the lead 3-2 in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored two runs on seven hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Michael Siani stole his 18th base of the season.
Big Picture
The Cardinals did not have a good week. They went 2-4 for the week, winning 2 of 3 from the Reds, and got swept by the Blue Jays in three games. They remain in third place in the NL Central, 12 games back of the Brewers and two games back of the Cubs. They have a record of 74-75 and are 7.5 games out of the Wild Card.
For all intents and purposes, the team is out of the playoff picture. The goal now should be to win enough of the remaining games in the season to at least have a winning record.
There were, as always, good and bad games for both offense and pitching. On the offensive side, there was very little offense for most of the games. The Cardinals’ run differential is currently -67.
The top offensive performers over the last seven days were Brendan Donovan (.935) and Lars Nootbaar (.931). Close behind was Paul Goldschmidt (.855).
The list at the bottom is much longer. Those at the bottom are Thomas Saggese (.478), Alec Burleson (.465), Pedro Pagés (.462), Michael Siani (.368), Luken Baker (.222), Matt Carpenter (.000 in one AB), and José Fermín (.000 in 2 ABs).
The pitching was better than the offense, though it wasn’t good enough. Four starters had ERAs under 4.00. They are Sonny Gray (1.50), Kyle Gibson (1.69), Lance Lynn (1.80), and Miles Mikolas (3.60). Over 4.00 ERAs belonged to Erick Fedde (5.40) and Andre Pallante (5.40).
The bullpen was good, except for Riley O’Brien (9.00) who continues to struggle since coming off the injured list.
The Cardinals have four series remaining in the season. This coming week they play four games against the Pirates and end the final homestand with a three-game series with the Guardians. In the first game of the Pirate series, they face Paul Skenes, who they defeated in their last encounter. The Guardians are very good and will be tough.
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB WCGB
Milwaukee
86
63
.577
——-
–
——–
Chicago
76
73
.510
10
5.5
St. Louis
74
75
.497
12
7.5
Cincinnati
73
78
.483
14
9.5
Pittsburgh
71
78
.477
15
10.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
9/10 The Cardinals optioned CF Victor Scott II to the Memphis Redbirds.
9/10 The Cardinals selected the contract of 2B Thomas Saggese from the Memphis Redbirds.
9/11 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
9/11 The Cardinals activated RHP Lance Lynn from the 15-day injured list.
Injury Report
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season-ending forearm surgery. The right-hander has not thrown a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
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, and no return date has been given.
RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) was activated from the 15-day injured list.
C Willson Contreras (fractured right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 25. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand. Contreras is out of the splint and will be evaluated on Monday as to the next move.
Looking Ahead
The Toronto Series ends on Sunday, and the team returns home to begin their final homestand on Monday with a four-game series against the Pirates. Andre Pallante will make the Monday start, followed by Lance Lynn on Tuesday and Sonny Gray on Wednesday. Thursday’s starter is unknown at this time.
The homestand concludes with three games against the Guardians.
The final week of the regular season is a road trip for the Cardinals. They will first play three games with the Rockies beginning, Tuesday, September 24. The team will then travel to San Franciso to play the Giants in a weekend series that ends the regular season and more than likely ends the Cardinals’ season.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to the Debut Series and showcases present or former Cardinals who made their major league debuts during a certain period in the past.
From the period September 9 through September 15 at various times in the past, three Cardinals made their major league debut. All are former Cardinals, but one is a former Cardinal more than one time.
The following three former Cardinals all made their major league debut during the relevant period in the past. For each player, the date of his debut, in what game he debuted, and how he performed is outlined.
Tommy Pham – Pham played for the Cardinals two separate times, the second time very recently. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2006 draft.
Pham had an injury history in the minor leagues and a vision impairment that delayed his advancement to the majors for many years. It was late in 2014 when Pham finally got the call.
Pham made his debut on September 9, 2014, in a 9-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.
Pham came into the game in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter for Matt Holliday. Pham struck out swinging. He repeated as a pinch hitter the next day and also struck out. Pham appeared in only six games in 2014 and had only two plate appearances, as he was used as either a pinch runner or a late-inning defensive replacement in those remaining four games.
Pham began 2015 in Memphis. He was called up in July of 2015. On July 4, 2015, in a 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium, Pham got his first major league hit. Pham started the game in CF and hit leadoff.
In his third plate appearance in the sixth inning, Pham hit a double to CF. He scored on a single by Matt Carpenter.
The Cardinals traded Pham on July 31, 2018, to the Tampa Bay Rays for Genesis Cabrera, Roel Ramirez and Justin Williams.
Pham returned briefly to the Cardinals this season in a three-team trade between the Cardinals, Dodgers and White Sox on July 29. A month later, he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Kansas City Royals.
Mike Shannon – The former Cardinal and later long-time broadcaster, made his major league debut on September 11, 1962, in a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium I (formerly Sportsman’s Park).
Shannon was in the starting lineup playing RF and batting sixth. Shannon was 1-for-4 at the plate. In his first at-bat in the second inning, Shannon grounded out to second base.
Shannon got his first major league hit in the fourth inning on a single to LF off Reds starter Bob Purkey.
In the sixth, Shannon grounded out to the shortstop. In his final at-bat in the ninth, he grounded to the pitcher for a force out at second base.
Shannon played for nine seasons with the Cardinals, before a kidney ailment forced him to retire from playing.
Shannon became the voice of the Cardinals in the KMOX radio booth in 1972. He retired from broadcasting in 2021. He passed away from a stroke on April 29, 2023, at the age of 83.
Adam Wainwright – Wainright came to the Cardinals in a 2003 trade with the Atlanta Braves. He began his career with the Cardinals in the minor leagues with the Memphis Redbirds. He missed most of the 2004 season with an injury. He returned in 2005 with the Redbirds and was called up on September 11, 2005. He made his debut in a 7-2 loss to the Mets at Busch Stadium II.
Wainwright made his debut as a reliever. He came into the game in the ninth inning in relief of John Gall. He gave up a single to Kazuo Matsui and walked Carlos Beltran. He induced two lineouts to third base, then gave up a three-run home run to Victor Diaz. A pop fly to short by Mike Jacobs was the final out.
Wainwright made one more relief appearance against the Brewers on September 22. He allowed no runs in that appearance.
Wainwright made the Opening Day roster in 2006 and was again used as a reliever. His first major league strikeout was on April 3, 2006, against the Phillies at Citizen’s Bank Park. He came in to pitch in the eighth inning and struck out his second batter, David Dellucci.
Wainwright spent his entire major league career with the Cardinals and retired after the 2023 season.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF or printed book copy today!
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Wednesday, November 13.
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Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Tuesday, November 12.
Diamond Sports Group is currently in bankruptcy proceedings. As part of those proceedings the company had previously indicated they would discontinue their current contracts with all teams with which they had 2025 deals in place except for the Atlanta Braves and the Miam Marlins, unless the remaining teams renegotiated their contracts with the Group.
The Rawlings Gold Glove awards were created in 1957 to commemorate the best fielding performances in Major League Baseball. In the first year, one award was given out to the best fielder at each position overall in MLB. In 1958, the awards were expanded to the best fielders at each position in each league.
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Results from the Arizona Fall League game played Tuesday, October 22.
Looking Ahead
Springfield Cardinals – Off
Looking Ahead