The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-2 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, DSL 3B Yoerny Junco, was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Other standouts include Zack Thompson, Brandon Komar, Chase Davis, Luis Gastelum and Cristofer Lebron.
The Triple-A Redbirds suffered a heartbreaking walk off loss to the Bulls on Friday night. Memphis led the game until the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t stop Durham at the end.
Zach Thompson started for the Redbirds and threw four scoreless innings with no hits allowed and four punchouts.
Nick Raquet relieved Thompson for the next two innings and gave up three runs on four hits. Andre Granillo surrendered a run in the following 1 2/3 innings of work. Chris Roycroft blew the save in the ninth and took the loss.
Memphis took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Victor Scott led off with a single. Jordan Walker drew a walk but was eliminated on a force out by Matt Koperniak. With Scott on third, Iván Herrera grounded out and Scott scored.
The Redbirds advanced their lead to 2-0 in the second inning. César Prieto led off with a double. José Fermín singled. Nick Dunn plated Prieto on a sac fly.
Memphis added a third run in the third. Jordan Walker and Koperniak walked. Herrera grounded into a force out as Koperniak was out at second. Luken Baker walked. Prieto’s sac fly scored Walker.
The Redbirds increased their lead to 5-0 in the fourth. Scott walked. Walker doubled. Koperniak plated Scott on a single and Walker came home on a throwing error.
Durham began to chip away at the 5-0 lead with one run in the fifth. They added two in the sixth and in the eighth they made it 5-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Bulls pushed two runs across to win in a walk off.
Memphis scored five runs on 10 hits. Dunn was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Scott was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Walker doubled, walked twice and scored two runs.
Mike Antico was caught trying to steal. Thomas Saggese made a fielding error.
Memphis is 51-55 on the season, 13-18 in the second half. They are in eighth place in the International League West Division.
Saturday’s game: at Durham, Gordon Graceffo RHP (8-5, 4.27) vs. Ian Seymour LHP (0-1, 2.79) 5:35 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals blanked the Drillers by the score of 3-0 in a Friday night road win. In his second outing since his month-long absence, Tink Hence pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings. The right hander allowed one hit, struck out four and walked one. 28 of his 41 pitchers went for strikes.
But Springfield’s mound star Friday was Brandon Komar, who hurled the next 5 1/3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. Matt Svanson tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals plated the first of their three runs in the second inning on a solo home run by Chandler Redmond.
Springfield added run number two in the fourth. Matt Lloyd singled. Redmond drew a walk. Jacob Buchberger drove in Lloyd on a single.
The Cardinals’ final run of the game came in the sixth. Ramon Mendoza walked. Jeremy Rivas reached on a fielder’s choice with a throwing error. Mendoza went to third on a single by Bryan Torres and scored on a force out by Nathan Church.
The offense scored three runs on nine hits. Church was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Lloyd was 2-for-4.
Buchberger was caught stealing. Jimmy Crooks picked a runner off first base.
Springfield is 56-44 on the season, 19-12 in the second half. They remain in first place in the Texas League North.
Saturday’s game: at Tulsa, Max Rajcic RHP (8-8, 4.79) vs. Kendall Williams RHP (4-9, 6.75) 7:00 CT.
The High-A Chiefs were defeated by the River Bandits by a 6-1 score at Dozer Park on Friday. Hancel Rincon was on the bump to start the game for Peoria. Rincon pitched six innings and gave up three runs on seven hits, fanned seven and walked one. Rincon took the loss.
Tyler Bradt surrendered the final three runs in three innings of relief.
The Chiefs scored their only run in the third inning. At the time that was good for the lead, but Quad Cities surged ahead starting two innings later.
Peoria’s third began with a single by Johnfrank Salazar. Miguel Villarroel followed with a double. Brody Moore flied into a double play and Salazar was out at home. Villarroel wound up at third base. Chase Davis brought him home on a single.
In the fifth, the River Bandits put up three runs to take the lead. They added one run in the seventh and two more in the eighth for the final score of 6-1.
The Chiefs were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded six runners. Their hits totaled eight with Davis going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Villarroel was 3-for-3.
Davis had an outfield assist at third base.
Peoria is 42-57 on the season, 16-18 in the second half. They have dropped to fifth place in the Midwest League West, six games back of Wisconsin.
Saturday’s game: vs. Quad Cities, Pete Hansen LHP (4-6, 3.83) vs. Frank Mozzicato LHP (5-8, 3.26) 7:05 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals edged the Marauders by a 5-4 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Friday. Leonel Sequera took the mound for Palm Beach and surrendered three runs on six hits in three innings. The right hander fanned four and walked two.
Luis Gastelum hurled 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief with just two baserunners allowed. Nolan Sparks yielded one run in the eighth but received his first professional win. Henry Gomez tossed a scoreless ninth for his eighth save.
Bradenton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Beach Birds quickly tied it in the third. Ryan Campos doubled and later scored on a double by Brayden Jobert.
The Marauders came back to regain the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth. The Cardinals added one run in the home half of the inning to shrink the lead to 3-2. J.J. Wetherholt doubled and later scored on a single by Bryce Madron.
Palm Beach tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth. Christian Martin advanced to second on a throwing error on a strikeout. Jon Jon Gazdar was plunked. Ian Petrutz singled to drive in Martin.
Bradenton put up one run in the top of the eighth to break the tie and lead 4-3. In the bottom of the inning the Cardinals pushed two runs across to take a 5-4 lead. Petrutz singled, and Wetherholt followed with a ground-rule double. Jose Cordoba plated Petrutz on a single. After Josh Kross reached on a fielder’s choice, Wetherholt scored on a force out by Campos.
Despite collecting just five hits, the Dominican Cardinals defeated the Yankees by an 11-9 score on Friday. Branneli Franco started for the Cardinals and pitched three innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out four and walked two.
Bernard Mack hurled two scoreless relief innings to earn the win. Jesus Garcia surrendered six runs in 1 2/3 innings. Guanchi Martinez got the final out of the seventh.
The Yankees put up the first run in the top of the first. The Cardinals tied it in the home half. Yairo Padilla reached on an error. Following successive ground outs that moved Padilla to third, he scored on an error.
The Yankees went up 3-1 in the top of the third. Again, the Cardinals responded to tie the game. Yaxson Lucena took a free pass. Yoerny Junco then slammed a two-run home run to right field.
The Cardinals posted a five run fifth to lead 11-3. Walks to Facundo Velasquez, Rainiel Rodriguez, and Saez loaded the bases. Cabrera walked to score Velasquez. Rodriguez stole home. Fernando Roquez walked. Saez came home on a wild pitch. Cabrera scored on a wild pitch. Lucena drove in Roquez on a single.
The Yankees came back with one run in the sixth and five in the seventh to shrink the final score to 11-9.
The Cardinals plated 11 runs on just five hits. Junco was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Lebron drove in three.
Rodriguez stole his first base of the season.
The Cardinals are 20-19 on the season and are in fifth place in the DLS Central Division, nine games behind the Giants Black.
Saturday’s games: vs. DSL White Sox, TBD vs. TBD (completion of July 19 game, game one) vs. DSL White Sox, TBD vs. TBD (game two).
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-1 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, LH Quinn Mathews, pitched six one-run innings with nine strikeouts in Springfield’s win. Other standouts include Victor Scott, Jordan Walker, Jacob Buchberger, Jose Davila and Brayden Jobert.
The Triple-A Redbirds beat the Bulls by the score of 7-4 on Wednesday. On the mound for Memphis was right hander Victor Santos. Santos pitched five innings and gave up two runs on four hits. He fanned six with no walks given.
Four relievers followed Santos. First was Riley O’Brien, continuing his rehab assignment from St. Louis. O’Brien threw a scoreless inning and gave way to Connor Thomas.
Thomas surrendered two runs in his inning of work. Nick Robertson and Andre Granillo each followed with a scoreless inning.
Durham got on the board first, taking a 2-0 lead with single runs in the third and fourth innings.
Memphis put up a five-run fifth to skate past the Bulls and lead 5-2. Matt Koperniak led off with a double. José Fermín singled and Mike Antico was plunked to load the bases. Victor Scott clobbered a baseball over the right field wall for a grand slam. On the next pitch, Jordan Walker followed with a solo shot.
The Redbirds padded their lead with two runs in the top of the seventh. Scott walked and Walker doubled to send Scott home. Thomas Saggese later plated Walker on a fly ball single to left field.
With Memphis leading 7-2, the Bulls answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to shrink the lead to 7-4.
The Redbirds offense contributed 11 hits. Scott drove in four runs on the grand slam for his only hit. Walker was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Koperniak was 3-for-4. Fermín was 2-for-3.
Memphis is 50-53 on the season, 12-17 in the second half. They are in eighth place in the International League West Division.
Thursday’s game: at Durham, LHP Steven Matz (MLB rehab) vs. TBD 5:30 CT
The Double-A Cardinals were the winners by a 5-2 score at the Tulsa Drillers on Tuesday. Quinn Mathews was on the bump to start the game. The left hander pitched six innings with one run allowed, four hits, one walk, and nine punchouts.
Andrew Marrero followed Mathews with a scoreless seventh. Jack Ralston surrendered one run in the eighth but still received the win. Matt Svanson tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 17th save.
Springfield posted one run in the first inning. Nathan Church drew a walk and stole second base. Jimmy Crooks drove in Church on a single.
The Drillers tied the game in the second and the 1-1 score through the next five innings. In the eighth, Tulsa broke through to take a 2-1 lead.
In the ninth. the Cardinals put up four runs to pull ahead, 5-2. The inning started with a free pass to Chandler Redmond. R.J. Yeager pinch ran. Jacob Buchberger then punched a two-run home run to left field. Noah Mendlinger followed with a base hit to right field. Jeremy Rivas was hit by a pitch. Bryan Torres moved the runners over on a sac bunt. Church plated Mendlinger on a single. Rivas came home on a sac fly by Matt Lloyd.
The High-A Chiefs were defeated by the River Bandits by a 4-1 score at Dozer Park on Wednesday.
Brycen Mautz took the mound for Peoria and surrendered four runs in five innings. Quad Cities put up two runs in each of the third and fourth innings against Mautz. Overall, the left hander allowed seven hits, fanned four and issued three free passes. Mautz suffered his 12th loss of the season against just one win.
Roy Garcia relieved Mautz and pitched three scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Tanner Jacobson tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Chiefs scored their lone run in the seventh inning. The sequence began with a base hit by Alec Iadisernia. Miquel Villarroel reached on an error and Iadisernia advanced to second. Chase Davis singled, bringing Iadisernia home.
The Low-A Cardinals and the Marauders played a wild one in Jupiter on Wednesday night. The game was relatively normal for eight innings, but things got very interesting in the ninth, with a total 10 runs scored.
Jose Davila started for Palm Beach. The right hander threw five one-run innings with two hits allowed, five punchouts and four walks.
In his professional debut, in relief of Davila, Michael Watson struck out one, but walked two, then was pulled. Augusto Calderon followed with 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Randel Clemente started the ninth but gave up three runs before recording an out. Henry Gomez replaced Clemente and finished the inning, but not before four more runs had scored. Gomez was given the win when the offense came back.
The Beach Birds scored first with a run in the first inning. The inning began with free passes issued to Brayden Jobert and Bryce Madron. First round draft pick J.J. Wetherholt was then hit by a pitch. Josh Kross grounded into a double play, but Jobert scored.
The Cardinals increased their lead in the second inning with two runs. Again, the inning started with back-to-back walks to Ryan Campos and Jose Cordoba. Jobert’s single to left field and a fielding error allowed Campos and Cordoba to come home.
Bradenton scored in the third inning to shrink the lead to 3-1. Palm Beach made it 6-1 in the fourth. Cade McGee and Jobert walked. Madron’s base hit to center scored McGee. After Wetherholt grounded out, Jobert and Madron came home on a single by Kross.
The game continued until the ninth with the score 6-1. In the top of the ninth, the Marauders shelled the Cardinals bullpen for seven runs and took the lead.
Palm Beach rallied in the bottom of the ninth for three runs to win in walk off fashion, 9-8. The frame began with a walk to Jobert. Ian Petrutz singled to right field. Ross Friedrick drove in Jobert on a single. Chase Adkison doubled to score Petrutz. Friedrick came home on a single by Cordoba.
#cardinals prospect Jose Cordoba fights back B9 to win the game! His single scores Ross Friedrick to beat Bradenton 9-8. Lots of 9th inning action but Cordoba ends it. Thanks to @fsutoby for all the footage all game long #clutch#walkoffpic.twitter.com/lfrvyXCzIK
— Florida Prospect Report (@FLProspectPod) August 1, 2024
It was a hard-fought win for the Cardinals. They scored nine runs on nine hits. Cordoba was 2-for-4 with the final RBI. Kross drove in two. Jobert singled, walked three times, scored three runs and drove one in.
Palm Beach is 57-39 on the season, 20-10 in the second half. They remain in first place in the FSL East by three games over Daytona.
Thursday’s game: vs. Bradenton, RH Chen-Wei Lin (6-5, 3.51) vs. TBD 5:30 CT
DSL Cardinals – Off day
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals are 19-19 on the season. They are in fifth place in the DSL Central Division, 10 games out of first place.
Thursday’s game: at DSL Nationals, RH Jefferson Moran (3-0, 3.10) vs. TBD 10:00 am CT.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-4 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, RH Darlin Saladin, threw seven one-run innings with nine strikeouts in Peoria’s win. Other standouts include Matt Koperniak, Chase Davis and Jason Savacool.
The Triple-A Redbirds were pounded by the Bulls by an 11-6 score on Tuesday. Ian Bedell couldn’t control Durham as they lit him up for 10 runs on nine hits. The right hander struck out four and walked two in five innings.
Ryan Shreve finished the game for Bedell. Shreve surrendered one run in three innings.
The Bulls got on the board early with a vengeance and never looked back. It began with a four-run first inning. Memphis clawed back three runs in the top of the second. Luken Baker walked and Thomas Saggese singled Baker to third. Matt Koperniak then clobbered a three-run home run.
Durham didn’t blink, scoring four more runs in the bottom of the second to pull ahead 8-3. Memphis continued to fight with two runs in the top of the third. César Prieto led off with a walk. Saggese hit a two bagger. Koperniak drove in both runners on a double. The Durham lead shrunk to 8-5.
The Double-A Cardinals took a pounding at the hands of the Drillers by an 8-1 score on Tuesday. Edwin Nuñez was victimized for six runs, three earned, in 3 2/3 innings. The right-hander allowed four hits, fanned three and walked four to get his seventh loss of the season.
Benito Garcia relieved Nuñez and surrendered two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Leonardo Taveras came out unscathed in two scoreless innings.
The Drillers went ahead 2-0 in the first inning. They added on over the next five innings with one run in the third, three in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth for an 8-0 lead.
Springfield scored its lone run in the seventh on a long ball from Jimmy Crooks.
The team was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left six runners stranded. There was no Cardinal with more than one hit, which totaled just four.
Two errors were made on defense, one a throwing error by Noah Mendlinger and the second a fielding miscue by Nathan Church. Crooks had a passed ball.
Springfield is 54-43 on the season, 17-11 in the second half. They remain in first place in the Texas League North.
The High-A Chiefs defeated the River Bandits by a 5-3 score at Dozer Park on Tuesday night. Darlin Saladin made the start and pitched well. The right-hander threw seven one-run innings on six hits, nine strikeouts and two walks to earn his fourth win.
Tyler Bradt relieved Saladin and hurled a scoreless frame. Newcomer Hunter Hayes pitched the ninth and allowed two runs.
Quad Cities took the initial lead 1-0 in the third, but it didn’t last as Peoria put two runs on the board in the bottom of the inning. Darlin Moquete led off with a double. Brody Moore’s base hit moved Moquete to third. A sac fly by Leonardo Bernal plated Moquete. Following a hit-by-pitch of Johnfrank Salazar, another new Chief, Trey Paige, drove in Moore with a single.
The Chiefs added to their lead with a three-run fourth inning. Tre Richardson singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Moquete walked. Moore thumped a base hit. In his first game with the team, Chase Davis brought two runs home on a single. Moore came in on a single by Salazar.
The score remained 5-1 until the River Bandits made it closer with a two-run top of the ninth.
The Chiefs knocked nine hits for five runs. Moore went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Moquete was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Davis had two RBI.
Moore stole his 16th base of the season. Bernal took his ninth bag. Saladin picked a runner off first base. Bernal did the same with a runner on second.
Peoria is 42-54 on the season, 16-15 in the second half. They have climbed to third place in the Midwest League West, 4.5 games back of Wisconsin.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Quad Cities, Brycen Mautz LHP (1-11, 5.78) vs. Ryan Ramsey LHP (1-3, 2.93) 12:05 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals fell to the Marauders by the score of 3-1 in 10 innings on Tuesday at Roger Dean Stadium. Jason Savacool pitched a quality start of six scoreless innings with four hits, six strikeouts and two walks.
Luis Gastelum blew his second save with one run allowed in three innings of relief. Angel Cuenca pitched the 10th and surrendered two runs, one earned, to take the loss.
Palm Beach got on the board with a run in the third to take the lead. Sammy Hernandez punched an infield single to first base and advanced to second on a passed ball. Jose Suarez thumped a ground rule double to bring Hernandez home.
The 1-0 lead remained until the ninth, when Bradenton tied the game and sent it into extra innings.
The Marauders pushed across two runs in the 10th to lead 3-1. The Beach Birds did not answer in the bottom of the inning.
The Cardinals produced one run on five hits. Suarez’ double was the only extra base hit. Palm Beach left 14 men on base for a 1-for-15 tally with runners in scoring position.
Batting third in his first professional game, 2024 first rounder J.J. Wetherholt went 1-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
The Dominican Cardinals were defeated by the Mariners by a 4-3 score on Tuesday. Right hander Andrew Bolivar took the mound for the Cardinals and threw four one-run innings with four hits allowed, eight punchouts and one walk.
Bolivar was relieved by Brailyn Paulino, who pitched a scoreless fifth. Jarol Baez tossed a scoreless sixth inning. In the seventh, Xavier Cruz surrendered a run, and Giovanni Vargas allowed two runs in the eighth. Guanchi Martinez got the final out of the game. Vargas took the loss.
The Mariners scored early, going up 1-0 in the second inning. The Cardinals got it going in the sixth via a two run long ball from Facundo Velasquez.
The Cardinals’ lead went to 3-1 in the top of the seventh. The second batter of the inning, Paulo Asprilla, thumped a single to center field. Andru Arthur walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Asprilla was gunned down at home when Yairo Padilla grounded into a fielder’s choice. After Velasquez was plunked to load the bases, Rainiel Rodriguez took a free pass that scored Arthur.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Mariners put up one run to cut the lead to 3-2. They added two runs in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead.
The Cardinals went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. The three runs scored on only five hits. Asprilla was 2-for-3.
Christian Saez swiped his second base of the season. Padilla was caught stealing. Pitcher Cruz made a throwing error.
The Cardinals are 19-19 on the season. They are in fifth place in the DSL Central Division.
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The St. Louis Cardinals had a disappointing 2-4 week as trade rumors swirl around Tommy Edman and Giovanny Gallegos was removed from the roster. Our history feature highlights notable former Cardinals who debuted during the past week.
The St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Pirates in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. Andre Pallante started for St. Louis and pitched six strong innings with one run allowed on three hits. The right hander struck out three and walked two.
Reliever Chris Roycroft threw one scoreless inning in relief of Pallante. John King surrendered the winning Pirates run in the eighth and took the loss.
The meager offense for the Cardinals came in the fifth inning after the Pirates had taken a 1-0 lead in the third. The tying run was a solo home run by Nolan Gorman. The Cardinals were unable to muster any runs with only three runners in scoring position and seven hits against Mitch Keller.
The Pirates got to King in the eighth and that was the ballgame.
Paul Goldschmidt produced two of the team’s seven hits, both singles.
Alec Burleson attempted a stolen base but was caught.
In a role reversal of the previous day’s game, the Cardinals were the beneficiaries of a 2-1 win over the Pirates in the second game of the series. Lance Lynn took the mound for the Cardinals and kept the Pirates off the board for five innings. He allowed four hits, struck out two and walked three.
John King did a better job in the second game, tossing a scoreless inning in relief. Andrew Kittredge did the same. JoJo Romero allowed the lone Pirates’ run in the eighth inning. He was replaced after one out by Ryan Fernandez, who finished the inning and was awarded the win. Ryan Helsley closed out the ninth to earn his 33rd save.
The Cardinals got on the board in the fifth inning with a solo home run by Nolan Arenado. After the Pirates tied the game in the eighth, St. Louis regained the lead in the ninth.
The top of the ninth began with a double by Michael Siani. Following a ground out by Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson drove in Siani from third on a single to give the team the 2-1 lead.
The long ball from Arenado and the double by Siani were the only extra base hits in the game. This win handed Pirates All-Star starter Paul Skenes his first career loss.
After scoring only three total runs in the first two games of the series, the Cardinals were shut down completely by Pirates pitching – Martín Perez and three relievers.
The Cardinals decided to start Matthew Liberatore in a bullpen game rather than go with a regular starter. It proved to be a disaster.
Liberatore pitched three innings and gave up all five Pirates’ runs on four hits. Three strikeouts and three walks completed the outing.
Chris Roycroft came in to stop the bleeding and did so for three innings, along with Giovanny Gallegos for two more innings.
St. Louis did nothing to help the situation. They scattered six hits, including two by leadoff hitter Masyn Winn. Paul Goldschmidt had the only extra base hit, a double.
The Cardinals returned home to face the Nationals in a weekend series at Busch Stadium. The opener was an extra innings slugfest in which the Cardinals came out the losers. Sonny Gray’s start was not one of his best. The right hander gave up five runs on seven hits in five innings. He did punch out seven Nationals but walked three.
John King relieved Gray and got through the sixth unscathed. He returned to start the seventh and walked the first batter, who later scored with Andrew Kittredge on the mound. Kittredge is credited with 2/3 of a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero got the final out of the seventh and threw a scoreless eighth inning. Ryan Helsley added scoreless ninth. Ryan Fernandez pitched the 10th and gave up four runs, three earned, to take the loss.
This game was wild. The Nationals scored two runs in the second inning to take the lead. In the third, the Cardinals put up five runs to lead 5-2. Michael Siani led off the inning with a walk. Masyn Winn then smashed his sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot. Willson Contreras and Alec Burleson followed with singles. Nolan Arenado then blasted a three-run home run.
In the next inning the Nationals took one run back. The Cardinals, undaunted, got it right back in the bottom of the inning. Three straight singles by Pedro Pagés, Siani, and Winn led to Pagés scoring.
From there, the Nationals chipped away at the 6-3 lead while the Cardinals stopped scoring. Washington produced two runs in the fifth, and the tying run in the seventh.
Extra innings is when the wheels came off the bus. The 10th started out well, with Fernandez getting the first two outs in a row. Then the decision was made to intentionally walk the next hitter, Luis Garcia Jr. After Garcia stole second and Fernandez walked the next hitter, Nationals centerfielder Jacob Young hit a fly ball to right field. Cardinals right fielder Dylan Carlson misplayed it horribly, to the tune of a two-run triple for Young. Young then scored on a ground ball to first base by C.J Abrams that turned into an infield single. The Nationals led 10-6.
The Cardinals clawed back in the bottom of the 10th on a two-run home run by Paul Goldschmidt, but the rally fell short.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on 11 hits. Winn went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Willson Contreras was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Pedro Pagés was 2-for-4. Arenado had three RBI.
If Friday’s game wasn’t bad enough, Saturday’s was even worse. The Cardinals suffered the indignity of a 14-3 blowout. Kyle Gibson started and pitched okay, but not deep enough into the game, and the bullpen failed.
Gibson went five innings and gave up two runs on six hits. He issued three walks and did not strike out anyone.
Chris Roycroft came in for relief and allowed three runs in 1/3 of an inning. Then the loser of the bullpen game from Wednesday, Matthew Liberatore, entered and finished the inning with four more runs on the board for a total of seven in the inning.
Giovanny Gallegos, in what turned out to be his final appearance for the Cardinals, yielded one additional run in the next 1 2/3 innings. By that time, the game was out of hand, so the game was finished on the mound by shortstop Brandon Crawford, who surrendered the final four runs.
The Nationals scored one run in each of the second and third innings. The top of the sixth was the seven run inning and the Nationals were up 9-0.
The Cardinals finally put two runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Alec Burleson singled and Willson Contreras popped a two-run home run.
The indignity continued into the seventh with the Nationals padding the lead with another run. The Cardinals got one more run back in the eighth. Masyn Winn singled and later scored on a single by Matt Carpenter.
The Nationals took batting practice off Crawford in the ninth for the final score of 14-3.
The Contreras home run was the only extra base hit, and the only hit for Contreras. Brendan Donovan was 2-for-4.
The bullpen kept the remainder of the game in hand. John King, Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Helsley each tossed a scoreless frame. Helsley received the win instead of a save.
The scoring began in the first inning on a solo home run by Willson Contreras. The home run came on the first pitch he saw, a middle-in slider. St. Louis added a second run in the second inning. Lars Nootbaar walked and scored on a triple by Pedro Pagés.
The Nationals came back to tie the game in the third. In the sixth, Washington took a 3-2 lead.
The Cardinals tied the score at 3-3 in the seventh. It again began with a walk to Nootbaar. Pagés singled. Michael Siani slapped a ground ball to short that the shortstop couldn’t handle, and it went into left field for an RBI single.
In the bottom of the ninth, Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run to break the tie and give the Cardinals the walk off win.
The Big Picture
Continuing to tread water in what was supposedly an easier part of the schedule, the Cardinals had another down week with a 2-4 record in six games. They lost 2 of 3 to both the Pirates and the Nationals. Despite the poor showing, the Cardinals remain in second place in the Division, six games back of the Brewers and one game ahead of the Pirates.
There was basically little offense the entire week. The run differential is now up to -48. There has been no explanation offered for why this offense has struggled so much all season. There may not be one.
The top offensive performers for the week by OPS were three unexpected leaders – Pedro Pagés (1.115), Michael Siani (.962) and Paul Goldschmidt (.956). At the bottom are Alec Burleson (.382), Dylan Carlson (.222) and Brendan Donovan (.212).
The starting pitching was better than the offense, though not by a whole lot when you factor in the Matthew Liberatore start. Between the one and start and appearances out of the bullpen, Liberatore posted a 22.09 ERA for the week. Three starters posted ERAs under four, Lance Lynn (0.00), Andre Pallante (1.50) and Kyle Gibson (3.60). Miles Mikolas barely missed (4.50) but Sonny Gray missed the mark by a lot (9.00).
The bullpen fared better other than Ryan Fernandez (16.20), Chris Roycroft (6.23) and JoJo Romero (5.40). Giovanny Gallegos has been designated for assignment and Kyle Leahy has been recalled.
Trade deadline update
The Cardinals now have an open 40-man spot for an addition to the roster. All indications are that addition if it materializes will be a pitcher. An argument can be made that offense is more needed now, but that does not appear to be the direction the team is going. This is perhaps because of the lingering absence of Stephen Matz and the workload of the staff taxed by shorter starts and multiple doubleheaders of late.
The trade deadline is less than 48 hours away at the time of this writing. Other than a couple of rumors, there has been mostly silence on the trade front. Per a report from MLB.com’s John Denton, the team is “not positioned” to take on significant additional salary in future seasons.
The Cardinals’ modus operandi has been to look for low cost options if possible, which usually ends up being a reliever, although a starter is indicated as the pressing need. The one starter name that has been circulated is White Sox starter Erick Fedde. Other teams have indicated interest in Fedde, including the NL Central rival Brewers.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
60
45
0.571
St. Louis
54
51
0.514
6
Pittsburgh
53
52
0.505
7
Chicago
51
56
0.477
10
Cincinnati
50
55
0.476
10
As of today, the Cardinals are one game out of a tie for the third wild card.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
A report early in the week indicated that the Cardinals were interested in pitcher Zach Eflin. Eflin was traded several days later to the Baltimore Orioles. The other rumor reported in last week’s Notebook concerned the Cardinals interest in Erick Fedde. Other teams have expressed interest in Fedde as well and as of this writing Fedde has not been traded.
On Sunday, multiple sources indicated that both the Dodgers and the Yankees are interested in Tommy Edman. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic has reported that talks between the Dodgers and the Cardinals concerning Edman are taking place. Rosenthal also indicated that the Yankees have shown interest in Edman and that the Cardinals may consider a trade for Yankees starter Nestor Cortes.
Transactions
7/24 The Cardinals sent IF/OF Tommy Edman on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals. Edman has yet to play in the field and is batting just .207 with a 26.5% strikeout rate at Double-A.
7/28 The Cardinals designated RHP Giovanny Gallegos for assignment.
A member of the Cardinals since 2018, Gallegos has been injured and inconsistent this season (6.53 ERA in 21 appearances). It appears the Cardinals are trying to rid themselves of the remainder of his almost $6 million salary as part of trade deadline maneuvers. This move frees up a 40-man roster spot with a trade for Gallegos a possible next step.
7/28 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman is currently on a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals.
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 will 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. The left hander is expected to be out until September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien has begun a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 28. Matz has thrown two bullpen sessions and is close to a live batting practice session. His return is still hopeful for August, with the caveat that his role will depend on the Cardinals moves at the trade deadline.
Looking Ahead
The week ahead begins with a three-game series at home with the Texas Rangers to end the month of July. Andre Pallante is scheduled to make the start on Monday, followed by Lance Lynn on Tuesday, and Sonny Gray on Wednesday.
August begins at Wrigley Field with four games with the Cubs. The Cardinals return to St. Louis for a rain makeup game with the Mets on Monday, August 5. Next is a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The team leaves for a road trip following the Rays series. The Cardinals meet the Royals in Kansas City for two games to complete the home and home series. They then travel to Cincinnati to play the Reds for three games on August 12-14.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the Debut series for the second consecutive week. This series showcases the major league debuts of notable Cardinals from the past to the recent present.
This week will cover Cardinals from the last 10 years. None of the Cardinals are currently on the roster but some are playing for other MLB teams.
The following list contains the name of the former Cardinal, the date on which he debuted, in what game he debuted, and how he performed.
Mike Mayers (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)
Mike Mayers – Mayers debuted on July 24, 2016 in a 9-6 loss to the Dodgers at Busch Stadium. Cardinal fans may remember this debut for the disaster it turned out to be. Mayers was called up because of an earlier in the week rain out and subsequent 16- inning game that taxed the rotation.
Mayers got the start but lasted only 1 1/3 innings. He gave up six runs to the Dodgers in the first inning and two more in the second inning before he was replaced by Seth Maness.
Mayers pitched in three more games out of the bullpen in 2016 and made three appearances in 2017. He continued to pitch out of the bullpen over the next two seasons and then was put on waivers in November 2019 and claimed by the Angels. He pitched for the Royals in 2022 but has not pitched on the major league level since then. Mayers is currently on a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Kwang-Hyun Kim (St. Louis Cardinals)
Kwan-Hyun Kim –The Cardinals signed Korean pitcher Kim in December 2019. Kim debuted on July 24, 2020, in the first game of the shortened 2020 season. Kim entered as a reliever in the ninth inning of a 9-1 win over the Pirates at Busch Stadium.
Kim allowed the Pirates’ only run. The first batter reached on an error, and then Kim gave up a double and a single for the run. He secured the three outs on a lineout and a double play to the end the game.’
Kim made his first start against the Cubs on August 17 and earned his first win against the Reds on August 22. He made seven total starts in 2020 and made 21 starts in 2021. The lefty became a free agent after the 2021 season and returned to pitch in Korea in 2022 where he remains to the present.
Harrison Bader (Jasen Vinlove/Imagn)
Harrison Bader – Bader made his debut for the Cardinals on July 25, 2017 in a 3-2 win over the Rockies at Busch Stadium. Bader was in the starting lineup in center field and hit seventh. He went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Bader’s first at bat was in the second inning. He led off and grounded out to the shortstop. His second plate appearance was a strikeout swinging in the fourth.
In the sixth, Bader flied out to center field. His final at-bat was his first major league hit, a double to left field off Rockies reliever Jake McGee. Bader later scored the winning run on a sac fly by Jedd Gyorko.
Bader remained with the Cardinals until traded at the deadline on August 2, 2022 to the Yankees for pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Bader was on the injured list at the time of the trade and did not return to the Yankees lineup until September. He played for the Yankees until he was put on waivers in August 2023 and claimed by the Reds. He played in only 14 games for Cincinnati.
Bader is currently on the New York Mets.
Dakota Hudson (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)
Dakota Hudson – Hudson made his Cardinal debut on July 28, 2018 as a reliever in a 6-2 win over the Cubs at Busch Stadium. Hudson came into the game in the seventh inning in relief of Miles Mikolas.
Hudson struck out the first two batters he faced and got the third out on a ground out to third base.
Hudson made no starts in 2018. He made his first start on March 30, 2019 against the Brewers and pitched 4 1/3 innings and was the losing pitcher as the Cardinals were defeated, 4-2.
Hudson’s first major league win was as a reliever in his debut series with the Rockies on July 30, 2018. Hudson received his first major league win as a starter on April 21, 2019 against the Mets at Busch Stadium.
Hudson remained with the Cardinals until he was non-tendered on November 17, 2023. Hudson was recently removed from the rotation and the 40-man roster of the Colorado Rockies, the same team he pitched against in his Cardinal debut, and is now in Triple-A.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-3 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, DSL Cardinals LF Andru Arthur, was 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored. Other standouts include Nick Raquet, Alex Cornwell and Tre Richardson.
The Triple-A Redbirds fell to three games below .500 in their third loss of the series to the Columbus Clippers. Victor Santos was on the bump for Memphis. The right hander threw three innings and relinquished five runs, three earned, to take his seventh loss of the season. Santos struck out two and walked two, while allowing six hits.
Riley O’Brien, pitching on a rehab assignment from St. Louis, hurled a scoreless fourth inning in relief. Nick Raquet took the remaining four innings with no runs allowed on three hits, a walk and six strikeouts.
Memphis could not get traction against Clippers pitching for most of the game. Held scoreless for eight innings, the Redbirds offense perked up in the ninth with three runs. After a leadoff strikeout from Jordan Walker, the bases were quickly loaded with Redbirds. César Prieto got it started with two base knock, followed by a walk to Iván Herrera and a single from Luken Baker. José Fermín knocked in Prieto on a fly ball single to right. Herrera scored on a ground out by Alfonso Rivas and Moisés Gómez got in on the action with an RBI single.
Gómez had a 2-for-3 night with an RBI.
In fielding, the Redbirds both gave and took away. Gómez had an outfield assist at second base. Arquímedes Gamboa made a fielding error.
Memphis is 48-51 on the season, 11-14 in the second half. They are five games back of first place.
Saturday’s game: at Columbus, TBD (MEM) vs. Triston McKenzie RHP (0-1, 6.08) 6:05 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals defeated the Hooks in a late starting game delayed by rain and it ended early, as well. After a delay of several hours, Alex Cornwell took the mound for Springfield. The left-hander pitched a quality start of six innings with two runs given up on three hits. Cornwell fanned nine Hooks and walked two for his fifth win of the season.
Tip your Santa cap Alex Cornwell. What a night as he sets a season-high with nine strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/0BaRYUk1KR
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 27, 2024
Andrew Marrero closed out the win with a scoreless inning for his third save.
The game began with a bang, as Matt Lloyd banged a solo home run in the first inning.
The lead didn’t last as Corpus Christi pulled ahead with a two-run third.
Two and a half innings later, the Cardinals put together a three-run bottom of the sixth comeback. Nathan Church took one for the team on a hit by pitch. Lloyd walked. The Hooks pitcher balked to advance the runners. As luck would have it, another balk brought in Church with the tying run. Two batters later, Chandler Redmond took a free pass and Bryan Torres pinch ran for him. Dakota Harris executed a squeeze and Lloyd came home. A base hit off the bat of Noah Mendlinger plated Torres and the Cardinals led 4-2, a lead they did not relinquish.
Springfield’s four runs came on five hits, one each from five different batters.
Mike Antico swiped his 17th base of the season and 150th of his career.
Springfield is 53-41 on the season, 16-9 in the second half, in first place in the Texas League North.
Saturday’s game: vs. Corpus Christi, Tink Hence RHP (4-2, 3.29) vs. TBD (CC) 6:35 CT.
Like their sister team in Memphis, the Chiefs have suffered three losses in four games in South Bend against the Cubs. Inohan Paniagua was on the bump for Peoria. The right hander gave up four runs in his four-inning outing with six hits allowed, four strikeouts and two free passes. It was his sixth loss of the season.
Reliever Benjamin Arias did not fare any better against the Small Bears in his four-inning appearance. The Cubs tagged Arias for four runs, three earned. Dionys Rodriguez came out unscathed in his scoreless inning to close out the loss.
The game was a scoreless pitching duel for the first three and a half innings. South Bend put up a four spot in the home fourth to take the lead.
Peoria rallied in the fifth to put a halt to the shutout. Two runs crossed the plate, on some small ball. The bases were juiced after Brody Moore walked, Tre Richardson singled, and Leonardo Bernal took a free pass. Chris Rotondo sent a fly ball to right field to bring home the first run. The second run was a stolen base from Bernal and a throwing error that sent Richardson home.
However, the Cubs weren’t done and knocked Arias around for four runs in the seventh.
Behind 8-2 in the ninth, the Chiefs scratched out two more runs for a final tally of 8-4. More small ball ensued with a base hit from William Sullivan. A walk by Moore put Sullivan in scoring position. A wild pitch put both runners in line to score, and Richardson obliged with a two-run single to right field.
As the rally fell short, the Chiefs ended up on the losing end with nine runners left on base and a 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position effort.
Richardson had a two-RBI outing and was 2-for-4.
Two Chiefs, Darlin Moquete and Bernal, stole bases. Moquete was caught in another attempt.
Peoria’s defense made two errors, one throwing and one fielding by Miquel Villarroel and Moquete, respectively.
Peoria is 38-54 on the season, 13-15 in the second half. The Chiefs are in fifth place in the Midwest League West Division, 5.5 games behind Wisconsin.
Saturday’s game: at South Bend, Hancel Rincon RHP (6-5, 4.27) vs. Jaxson Wiggins RHP (0-0, 6.75) 6:05 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals were blanked by the Mets by a 4-0 score on Friday. Hunter Kublick took the mound for the Beach Birds and gave up three runs in his four innings. The right hander ended his outing with three punchouts and three free passes to suffer his second loss.
Leonel Sequera, newly promoted to Palm Beach from the FCL, threw three innings in relief of Kublick with one run allowed. Ettore Guilianelli was the only Palm Beach hurler to toss a scoreless frame.
The Cubs put four runs on the board, one in each of the first, third, fourth, and seventh innings.
The Cardinals’ somnolent offense was held to three hits. Kade Kretzschmar had two, one a two bagger. The other knock was a single from Chase Davis. They left eight runners on base to the tune of a 0-for-5 outing with runners in scoring position.
Kretzschmar was caught stealing for the third time this season. The defense committed two errors, one a pickoff error by Kublick, and the second a fielding miscue from Adari Grant.
Palm Beach is 53-38 on the season, 17-9 in the second half. They maintain their first place standing in the FSL East Division.
Saturday’s game: at St. Lucie, TBD vs. TBD 5:10 CT.
FCL Cardinals – No game
The Florida Complex League Cardinals have concluded their 2024 season. The rookie Birds finished 20-33 (.377), in fifth/last place, 18 1/2 games behind the East Division champion Marlins.
The Dominican Cardinals defeated the Blue Jays by the score of 9-3 on Friday. Starter Branneli Franco pitched four innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out one and walked three.
Jefferson Moran relieved Franco and got the win with two runs surrendered in four innings. Jesus Garcia closed out the victory with a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the first inning starting with a single by Andru Arthur, who was then caught stealing. Two batters later, Facundo Velasquez hit a solo home run to right field.
The team added a run in the second inning. Juan Pablo Cabera, Daniel Rojas and Paulo Asprilla singled to load the bases. Cristofer Lebron grounded into a force out which scored Cabrera but eliminated Asprilla at second. A fly out ended the inning.
After the Blue Jays tied the game with a run each in the fourth and fifth innings, the Cardinals took back the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Lebron singled, then followed with two stolen bases, aided by a throwing error. Arthur then blasted a long ball out to center and the Cardinals led 4-2.
The Blue Jays got a run back in the top of the seventh, but the Cardinals put two more runs on the board in the bottom of the inning to lead 6-3. Arthur drew a free pass. Yoerny Junco singled and Velasquez walked. With a new Blue Jays pitcher on the mound, Arthur raced home on a passed ball. Christian Saez grounded out to plate Junco.
The visitors failed to score in the top of the eighth inning before the Cardinals padded their lead with a three-run bottom frame. Cabrera and Rojas singled. A wild pitch sent both runners up a base. Two batters later, Lebron hit a sac fly to drive in Caberra. Arthur was hit by a pitch. Junco then singled, bringing Rojas home. Arthur scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals totaled nine runs on 14 hits in eight innings. Cabrera and Rojas were both 3-for-4. Arthur was 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored. Junco was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Velasquez was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Lebron stole his third base of the season. Arthur was caught stealing for the third time.
Rojas committed a throwing blunder for his ninth error of the season.,
The Cardinals are 18-17 on the season and are in fifth place in the DSL Central League, eight games behind the Giants Black.
Saturday’s game: at DSL Miami, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am 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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photo: Jose Davila (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-3 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach RH Jose Davila, pitched six scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts. Other standouts include Michael McGreevy, Nathan Church and Arfeni Batista.
The Triple-A Redbirds were edged by the Clippers in a 2-1 road loss on Wednesday afternoon Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out five and walked three.
Connor Thomas relieved McGreevy and surrendered one run in the seventh. Kyle Leahy yielded one run in the eighth and took the loss.
Memphis went up 1-0 in the third inning. Nick Raposo singled. Victor Scott II grounded into a force out as Raposo was out at second. Jordan Walker doubled. Luken Baker drew a walk to load the bases. Thomas Saggese walked to plate Scott.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the eighth when Columbus put two runs on the board. Memphis could not answer in the ninth.
The Redbirds scored one run on seven hits. Walker was 2-for-4. Baker was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Arquímedes Gamboa and José Fermín were both caught stealing.
Memphis is 48-50 on the season, 10-12 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: at Columbus, Ian Bedell RHP (2-1, 2.37) vs. Doug Nikhazy LHP (2-0, 0.86) 6:05 CT
The Double-A Cardinals were walloped by the Hooks in a 10-4 blowout loss at Hammons Field on Wednesday. Starter Edwin Nuñez pitched four innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, struck out seven and walked one. Nuñez fell to 0-6, still looking for his first win after 15 starts in 2024.
Wilfredo Pereira relieved Nuñez and surrendered five runs in 2 2/3 innings. Leonardo Taveras tossed the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Corpus Christi went up 2-0 in the first inning and added three runs in the third to lead 5-0.
Springfield got on the board in the fourth on a two-run home run by Nathan Church.
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 25, 2024
The Hooks made it 6-2 in the top of the sixth. The Cardinals answered with one run in the home half of the inning on a solo home run by R.J. Yeager.
Corpus Christi plated four runs in the seventh to widen the lead to 10-3. Springfield added a final run in the eighth. St. Louis rehabber Tommy Edman drew a walk. Matt Lloyd pinch ran. Wade Stauss doubled, moving Lloyd to third. Lloyd came home on a ground out by Church.
Springfield scored four runs on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Church had three RBI. Batting second as the designated hitter, Edman went 0-for-2 with two walks.
On defense, Aaron McKeithan made a throwing error.
Springfield is 51-41 on the season, 14-9 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: vs. Corpus Christi, Quinn Mathews LHP (0-1, 4.96) vs. Tyler Guilfoil RHP (4-9, 4.14) 7:05 CT.
The High-A Chiefs fell to the Cubs in South Bend by a 5-2 score on Wednesday, taking their fifth consecutive defeat. Starter Darlin Saladin pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up four runs on six hits, struck out four and walked two. Saladin took the loss.
Zane Mills relieved Saladin and surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings. Gustavo Rodriguez tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Chiefs took the early lead in the second inning. Johnfrank Salazar led off with a double. Miguel Villarroel singled. Villaroel was picked off and caught stealing second and Salazar scored on the rundown.
The Cubs tied the game in the fourth. Peoria retook the lead 2-1 in the top of the sixth. Tre Richardson singled, then stole second and third base. Salazar plated Richardson on a sac fly.
South Bend answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead 4-2. They added a fifth run in the seventh.
Peoria scored two runs on five hits. No Chief player had multiple hits. The offense was 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
On the bases, Richardson stole two bases. Villarroel swiped his eighth bag. He was also picked off and caught stealing.
Peoria is 38-53 on the season, 12-14 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: at South Bend, Brycen Mautz LHP (0-11, 6.08) vs. Will Sanders RHP (1-5, 4.65) 6:05 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals defeated the Mets by a 5-3 score at Port St. Lucie on Wednesday afternoon. Starter Jose Davila pitched six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, struck out 11 and walked two.
Luis Gastelum relieved Davila and surrendered three runs in two innings. Angel Cuenca threw a scoreless ninth to earn the win. Zack Showalter tossed a scoreless 10th for his eighth save in 10 opportunities.
The Beach Birds took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Lizandro Espinoza singled. Trey Paige drove in Espinoza on a triple. Paige scored on a ground out by Chase Davis.
The Mets came back to tie the game against Gastelum in the seventh. Palm Beach answered with one run in the top of the eighth to retake the lead 3-2. Jose Cordoba walked, went to second on a ground out by Davis and advanced to third on a passed ball. Cordoba came home on a ground out Kade Kretzschmar.
St. Lucie tied the game again with one run in the home eighth. Neither team scored in the ninth.
The game went into the 10th and the Cardinals put up two small ball runs to gain the lead 5-3. Espinoza began the inning on second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Paige drew a walk. Davis grounded into a force as Paige was out at second as Espinoza scored. Kretzschmar walked. Davis and Kretzschmar advanced on a passed ball. Ross Friedrick was hit by a pitch and Davis scored.
The rookie Cardinals beat the first-place Marlins by a 7-1 score on Wednesday. Starter Nelfy Ynfante pitched four innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out four and walked two.
The Cardinals added three runs in the fifth to lead 5-1. Miguel Vargas doubled. Yaisel Ramos singled. Arfeni Batista plated Vargas on a single. Jonathan Mejia drove in Ramos on a single. Batista scored on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals made it 7-1 in the sixth on a two-run home run by Batista.
The offense scored seven runs on seven hits. Batista was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Guerrero had two RBI.
On the bases, Luis Pino was caught stealing.
The Cardinals are 20-32, in last place in the FCL East and are eliminated from the playoffs. Their season ends on Thursday.
Thursday’s game: at. FCL Marlins, TBD vs. TBD 11:00 am CT
DSL Cardinals – Off
The 16-17 Dominican Summer League Cardinals are in fifth place in the eight-team Central Division. The Cards are nine games behind first-place Arizona Red.
Thursday’s game: vs. DSL Cubs Red, TBD vs. TBD 10:00 am 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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photo: Rainiel Rodriguez and Yairo Padilla (St. Louis Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-2 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, DSL Cardinals All-Star SS Yairo Padilla, went 4-for-6 with three RBI, a steal and two runs scored. Other standouts include Rainiel Rodriguez, Keiverson Ramirez, Trent Baker, Pete Hansen and Luken Baker.
Despite three home runs, the Triple-A Redbirds fell to the Clippers by the score of 8-6 on Tuesday. Starter Gordon Graceffo pitched five innings, gave up six runs, five earned, on 10 hits, struck out two and walked one.
St. Louis rehabber Riley O’Brien relieved Graceffo and threw a scoreless sixth. Nick Robertson surrendered two runs in the seventh and took the loss. Jacob Bosiokovic tossed a scoreless eighth.
Columbus plated two in the first inning and added one in the second to lead 3-0. The Redbirds scored their first two runs in the top of the fifth on solo home runs by Thomas Saggese and Moisés Gómez to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Clippers answered with three runs in the home half fifth to widen the lead to 6-2. Memphis answered with three runs in the sixth to shrink the lead to 6-5. Iván Herrera drew a walk. César Prieto singled. Luken Baker followed with a three-run home run to left field.
The Double-A Cardinals also hit three long balls Tuesday but had better pitching as Springfield defeated the Hooks by the score of 5-1 at Hammons Field on Tuesday. Starter Trent Baker pitched four scoreless, no-hit innings, struck out three and walked two.
Brandon Komar relieved Baker and surrendered one run in three innings for his fourth win. Jack Ralston threw a scoreless eighth. Andrew Marrero tossed a scoreless ninth.
Springfield scored in the fourth on a solo home run by Jimmy Crooks. The Cardinals added to their lead with three runs in the fifth. Jacob Buchberger reached on an error and scored on a double by Dakota Harris. Mike Antico followed with a two-run home run.
The High-A Chiefs were topped by the Cubs in a 10-inning road loss on Tuesday. Starter Pete Hansen pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out five and walked one.
Tyler Bradt relieved Hansen and threw two scoreless innings. Osvaldo Berrios surrendered one run in the final 1 1/3 innings and took the loss.
The Chiefs went up 2-0 in the first inning. Brody Moore singled and came home on Tre Richardson’s double. Leonardo Bernal singled. Chris Rotondo drove in Richardson on a single.
The Cubs tied the game in the fifth before the game went into extra innings, Peoria failed to score in the top of the 10th. On a sacrifice fly, South Bend pushed across a run to win in a walk off.
Peoria scored two runs on six hits. Moore was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Moore stole his 14th base of the season. On defense, Bernal made a throwing error.
Peoria is 38-52 on the season, 12-13 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at South Bend, Darlin Saladin RHP (3-1, 3.22) vs. Drew Gray LHP (0-4, 5.55) 11:05 am CT.
The Low-A Cardinals edged the Mets in a 4-3 road win on Tuesday. Starter Jason Savacool pitched six innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits, struck out four and walked one to earn his third win.
Augusto Calderon relieved Savacool and threw two scoreless innings. Henry Gomez tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his seventh save.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Sammy Hernandez singled but was eliminated on a force out by Chase Davis. Jose Suarez drew a walk. Kade Kretzschmar drove in Davis on a single.
The Beach Birds added a run in the second. Jose Cordoba reached on an error. Ross Friedrick drew a walk. Lizandro Espinoza singled. Cordoba came home on a walk by Trey Paige.
Palm Beach made it 3-0 in the third. Anyelo Encarnacion reached on an error and scored on a double by Cordoba.
St. Lucie got on the board with one run in the fourth, then tied the game with two in the fifth. The Cardinals came back with one in the sixth to break the tie and lead 4-3. Cordoba drew a walk, then stole second and third base. Cordoba scored on an error.
Palm Beach scored four runs on seven hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
On the bases, Cordoba stole two bases. Paige was picked off first base. On defense, Espinoza and Cordoba each made a throwing error.
Palm Beach is 52-37 on the season, 15-8 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at St. Lucie, RH José Dávila (3-5, 4.56) vs. TBD 10:10 am CT.
FCL Cardinals – Off
The Florida Complex League Cardinals’ (19-32) are heading into the final two games of their 2024 schedule. The Cardinals have clinched fifth- and last-place in the East Division of the FCL, 18 ½ games behind the Marlins, the opponent for their final two contests of the year.
Wednesday’s game: vs. FCL Marlins, RH Nelfy Ynfante (4-2, 3.38) vs. TBD 11:00 am CT
The Dominican Cardinals blanked the Mariners in a 9-0 road win on Tuesday. Starter Keiverson Ramirez pitched five scoreless innings, allowed three hits and struck out six to earn his fourth win of the season.
Jose Suriel relieved Ramirez and threw a scoreless sixth. Guanchi Martinez hurled a scoreless seventh. Giovanni Vargas retired one batter in the eighth before Alan Reyes tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the first inning. Yairo Padilla singled and stole second base. Facundo Velasquez drove in Padilla on a double.
The Cardinals added three runs in the second. Andru Arthur drew a walk. Yaxson Lucena and Padilla singled. Rainiel Rodriguez reached on an error and Arthur scored. Bracewell Taveras plated Lucena and Padilla on a single.
In the fifth, the Cardinals added a run to increase the lead to 5-0. Arthur walked and stole second base. Lucena walked. Padilla singled to score Arthur. Another run was added in the sixth on a solo home run by Rodriguez.
Two Cardinals runs came home in the eighth for an 8-0 lead. Daniel Rojas singled. Lucena singled. Padilla drove in Rojas and Lucena on a double.
The Cardinals scored nine runs on 15 hits. Padilla was 4-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored. Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Taveras was 2-for-6 with two RBI. Lucena was 3-for-4.
On the bases, Padilla stole his 21st base of the season. Christian Saez swiped his first bag. Arthur stole two bases. Yoerny Junco was caught stealing.
On defense, Vargas made a throwing error. Saez had a fielding miscue.
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photo: Lars Nootbaar (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Coming out of the break, the St. Louis Cardinals won two of three in Atlanta. Lars Nootbaar and Alec Burleson have been leading the offense. Our history feature highlights notable former Cardinals who debuted during the past week.
Game recaps
Monday, July 15 through Thursday, July 18, 2024 – All-Star Break
Friday, July 19, 2024 – Cardinals at Braves (postponed to Saturday)
The St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a twin bill on Saturday. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched 6 2/3 innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out six and walked two.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Gibson and allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings to take the blown save. Andrew Kittredge threw a scoreless ninth. Losing pitcher Chris Roycroft yielded one unearned run in the 10th.
The game was scoreless until the sixth inning when the Cardinals went up 1-0. Masyn Winn tripled and scored on a single by Alec Burleson. St. Louis added a run in the top of the seventh on a solo home run by Nolan Arenado.
The Braves answered with two runs in the home seventh to tie the game at 2-2.
The game went into extra innings and in the bottom of the 10th, Atlanta pushed across a run to win in a walk off 3-2.
The Cardinals scored two runs on nine hits. Winn was 2-for-5. Lars Nootbaar was 2-for-3.
The Cardinals beat the Braves in the second game of the twin bill 9-5. Starter Sonny Gray pitched seven innings, gave up five runs on eight hits and struck out 10 to receive his sixth win of the season.
27th man Kyle Leahy relieved Gray and tossed two scoreless innings of relief to earn his first save.
The Cardinals put up one run in the top of the first inning. Masyn Winn tripled and scored on a sac fly by Alec Burleson.
In the home first, Atlanta tied the game. St. Louis responded with four runs in the second for a 5-1 lead. Nolan Arenado singled. Nolan Gorman hit a two-run home run. Michael Siani drew a walk. Winn singled. Burleson plated Siani on a single. Willson Contreras drove in Winn on a single.
The Braves plated one run in the fourth to cut the lead to 5-2. The Cardinals made it 6-2 in the fifth on a solo home run by Brendan Donovan.
The Braves added three runs in the sixth to shrink the lead to 6-5. The Cardinals responded with three runs in the ninth to win 9-5. Siani singled, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Siani came home on a single by Burleson. Contreras singled. Burleson and Contreras scored on a single by Donovan.
The offense scored nine runs on 14 hits. Burleson was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Donovan was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Contreras was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Gorman had two RBI.
On the bases, Siani stole two bases. Lars Nootbaar swiped his fourth bag.
The Cardinals defeated the Braves to take the series, 2-1 and the season series with the Braves. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up two runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked one to earn his eighth win of the season.
The pen contributed three scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez took the seventh, Andrew Kittredge the eighth and Ryan Helsley the ninth.
The Cardinals took the lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt, who had been moved to the seventh spot in the order. In the third, a solo home run by Alec Burleson increased the lead to 2-0.
The Braves scored one run in the home half of the third. St. Louis made it 3-1 in the fourth on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar. A fourth run scored in the top of the fifth as Michael Siani singled and later came home on a single by Burleson.
Atlanta scored a second in the bottom of the fifth to shrink the lead to 4-2.
St. Louis put up one run in the eighth on a solo home run by Willson Contreras to widen the lead to 5-2. In the ninth, a final run raised the score to 6-2. Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Siani singled, stole second and went to third on a throwing error. Gorman scored on the error.
The Cardinals scored six runs on nine hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Siani was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Siani stole his 13th base of the season.
Draft apparently complete
The Cardinals have reportedly come to terms with 18 of 19 players selected in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, completing the negotiating process. Full details here:
The Cardinals won two of three from the Braves over the weekend, which gave then a 4-2 season series advantage over Atlanta. This is important in the postseason for seeding purposes. The Cardinals are 52-47 on the season and remain in second place in the NL Central, five games back of the Brewers.
This shortened week showcased improved offense and adequate pitching. Kyle Gibson, who arguably pitched the best in the series, took a no decision thanks to the bullpen in the extra innings loss. Sonny Gray pitched seven innings and punched out 10 Braves hitters, but gave up five runs in the process, including four home runs. Mikolas pitched better against the Braves than he did in his last start against the Cubs.
The top offensive performers over the last seven days are Lars Nootbaar (1.300), Alec Burleson (1.043), Masyn Winn (1.043) and Willson Contreras (1.000). At the bottom is Paul Goldschmidt (.487). In the final game of the Braves series, Goldschmidt was moved down in the lineup to the seventh spot and hit a home run in his first at bat.
The ERAs for the three starters in Atlanta: Gray (6.43), Mikolas (3.00) and Gibson (1.35). The bullpen did its job, most especially Kyle Leahy, who was the 27th man for the doubleheader and threw two scoreless innings to close out the second game. He was optioned back to Memphis the next day.
The team goes to Pittsburgh for three and will once again have to face Paul Skenes. The Cardinals lost the last game against Skenes but got five hits against him. The first place Brewers were no-hit by Skenes when they faced him last.
Over the weekend, the Cardinals will play the World Series Champion Texas Rangers at home. The Rangers are below .500 and are in third place in the AL West.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
57
42
0.576
St. Louis
57
46
0.525
5
Pittsburgh
50
49
0.505
7
Chicago
48
53
0.475
10
Cincinnati
47
53
0.470
10.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Cardinals have “strong interest” in pitcher Erick Fedde. The right-handed starting pitcher is expected to be made available by the White Sox leading up to the July 30 trade deadline.
Transactions
7/19 The Cardinals sent RHP Riley O’Brien on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
7/20 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from the Memphis Redbirds.
7/21 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kyle Leahy to the Memphis Redbirds.
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman had another setback because of lingering pain from his prior ankle sprain. He received an anti-inflammatory injection. After rest, Edman is scheduled to resume his rehab assignment with Springfield on Tuesday. He has yet to play in the field.
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 will 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. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien has begun a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 28. Matz has thrown two bullpen sessions and is close to a live batting practice session. Return is still hopeful for August, with the caveat that his role will depend on the Cardinals moves at the trade deadline.
RHP Ryan Helsley did not pitch in the All-Star Game due to some hip tightness. Manager Oli Marmol told reporters that Helsley was available to pitch in the doubleheader on Saturday, but he did not make an appearance until Sunday.
Looking Ahead
Following the series with the Braves in Atlanta, the Cardinals are in Pittsburgh for a set with the Pirates. Andre Pallante is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Lance Lynn on Tuesday and Kyle Gibson on Wednesday.
After a travel day on Thursday, July 25, the Cardinals take on the Nationals at Busch Stadium. The final series in July will be three with the Texas Rangers in St. Louis.
August begins at Wrigley Field for a four-game series with the Cubs. The Cardinals return to St. Louis to play a rain makeup game with the Mets on Monday, August 5. Next will be three against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The team takes a road trip following the Rays series. The Cardinals head to Kansas City for two to complete the home and home series. They then travel to Cincinnati to play the Reds in a three-game series.
After a travel day, the Cardinals begin a weekend series at Busch Stadium with the Dodgers starting on August 16.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns again to the Debut Series, which showcases major league debuts of notable Cardinals.
This week we remember three former Cardinals, one from the Whitey Herzog era and two 21st century Cardinals. These players made their major league debut during the period July 15 through 21.
The following list contains the name of the former Cardinal, the date on which he debuted, in what game he debuted, and how he performed.
Terry Pendleton
Terry Pendleton – The third baseman for Whitey Herzog’s Cardinals made his major league debut on July 18, 1984 in a game against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium II. The Cardinals won 8-4 in 11 innings.
Pendleton started at third and batted sixth. He went 3-for-5 with an RBI. In his first at bat in the second inning, Pendleton singled but was left stranded. His first major league hit was off Giants starter Atlee Hammaker.
In the fourth inning, Pendleton flied out to center. Pendleton singled again in the sixth inning, scoring Tom Herr for his first major league RBI.
In the eighth, Pendleton drew a walk and was picked off first base but advanced to second on an error by the pitcher.
Pendleton hit his third single of the game in the 10th and was left on base. Pendleton batted again in the 11th and hit a ground out to the catcher as Herr was tagged out at home. Pendleton scored on a home run by Darrell Porter.
Trevor Rosenthal (USA TODAY Sports Images)
Trevor Rosenthal – Fireballer Rosenthal made his debut with the Cardinals on July 18, 2012 in a 4-3 loss to the Brewers at Miller Park.
Rosenthal was brought into the game in the eighth inning to replace starter Adam Wainwright. He pitched to six Brewers beginning with Nyjer Morgan, whom he walked. Rosenthal next gave up a single to Aramis Ramirez. He then struck out Corey Hart. Rickie Weeks lined out to right. Rosenthal walked Martín Maldonado to load the bases. Rosenthal’s final hitter was Carlos Gómez, who struck out swinging.
Rosenthal did not record a save in 2012 and in fact, his first save didn’t come until September 23, 2013.
Stephen Piscotty (USA TODAY Sports Images)
Stephen Piscotty – Piscotty made his major league debut on July 21, 2015 in an 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field.
Piscotty was in the starting lineup playing in left field and batting ninth. In his first at bat in the in the second inning, Piscotty struck out swinging.
Piscotty’s next at bat was in the fourth inning. He hit an infield single to third for his first major league hit. The hit was against White Sox starter Carlos Rodón. Piscotty scored on a home run by Matt Holliday.
Piscotty batted again in the fifth and flied out to right. In the seventh, he struck out swinging. Piscotty was removed in the bottom of the ninth for defensive replacement Peter Bourjos.
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photo: Chase Davis (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-3 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach CF Chase Davis, was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Other standouts include Nick Dunn, Ivan Herrera, Sammy Hernandez and Ross Friedrick.
The Triple-A Redbirds were edged by the Cubs by a 4-3 score at AutoZone Park on Friday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out six and walked two.
Connor Thomas relieved McGreevy and threw a scoreless inning but allowed two runners inherited from McGreevy to score. Jacob Bosiokovic surrendered one run in the eighth and took the loss. Ryan Loutos tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Cubs went up 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Memphis tied the score in the home half. Iván Herrera tripled and came home on a single by Nick Dunn.
In the top of the sixth, Iowa took a 3-1 lead. The Redbirds responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to re-tie the game. Herrera doubled and stole third base. Dunn plated Herrera on a single. Jared Young singled. José Fermín drew a walk. Dunn came home on a walk by Victor Scott II.
Memphis scored three runs on nine hits. Dunn was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Herrera was 2-for-5 with a double and triple and two runs scored. Young was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Fermín stole his 11th base of the season. Herrera swiped his third bag. Young stole his sixth base.
On defense, Young made a fielding error. Herrera had a passed ball.
Memphis is 47-47 on the season, 9-10 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. Iowa, RHP Ian Bedell (2-3, 4.26) vs. Brandon Birdsell RHP (0-1, 10.38) 6:35 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals fell to the Sod Poodles in a 7-1 road loss on Friday. Starter Quinn Mathews had trouble in the even innings, allowing two runs each in the second, fourth and sixth. The lefty went 5 2/3 innings, gave up six runs on seven hits, struck out six and walked two. Mathews took the loss.
Benito Garcia relieved Mathews and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Leonardo Taveras surrendered one run in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the top of the fourth on a solo home run by R.J. Yeager. The Cardinals had just four hits for the evening. No Cardinal had multiples.
On defense, Mike Antico had an outfield assist at second base.
Springfield is 49-39 on the season and 12-7 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: at Amarillo, Alex Cornwell LHP (4-2, 6.00) vs. Billy Corcoran RHP (5-3, 3.74) 7:05 CT.
The High-A Chiefs lost to the Sky Carp by a 7-3 score at Dozer Park on Friday. Starter Brycen Mautz pitched four innings, gave up six runs, four earned, on six hits, struck out one and walked two. Mautz took the loss, his 11th.
Beloit went up 4-0 in the top of the third inning. Peoria answered in the home half of the third to cut the lead to 4-3. Michael Curialle was hit by a pitch. William Sullivan singled. Alex Iadisernia plated Curialle and Sullivan with a double. Iadisernia came home on a single by Brody Moore.
The Sky Carp increased their lead to 6-2 in the fourth and added a final run in the seventh for the 7-3 win.
Peoria scored three runs on six hits. Moore was 2-for-4. Iadisernia had two RBI.
On defense, Leonardo Bernal and Won-Bin Cho each made a throwing error. Curialle and Johnfrank Salazar each had a fielding miscue. Iadisernia had an outfield assist at home plate.
Peoria is 38-49 on the season, 12-10 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. Beloit, Inohan Paniagua RHP (7-5, 3.00) vs. Emmett Olson LHP (4-3, 3.21) 7:05 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals defeated the Tortugas by a 9-5 score in Daytona on Friday. Starter Gerardo Salas pitched four innings, gave up one unearned run on three hits, struck out four and walked three.
Benjamin Arias relieved Salas and surrendered four runs in two innings. Thanks to the offense, Arias still received the win. Augusto Calderon threw two scoreless innings. Henry Gomez tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Beach Birds took the immediate lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Chase Davis. A two-run home run by Sammy Hernandez in the second increased the lead to 4-0.
In the third, Daytona cut the lead to 4-1. Palm Beach responded with one run in the fourth to widen the lead to 5-1. Ross Friedrick doubled and later scored on a single by Hernandez.
The Tortugas tied the game with four runs in the fifth. The Cardinals quickly regained the lead, with two runs in the sixth to lead 7-5. Friedrick drew a walk. Trey Paige walked. Hernandez walked. Davis plated Friedrick and Paige on a single.
Palm Beach created some breathing room in the seventh on a two-run home run by Friedrick for the 9-5 final score.
The offense scored nine runs on 12 hits. Davis was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Hernandez was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Friedrick was 2-for-2 with two RBI and four runs scored. Jose Suarez was 2-for-5. Anyelo Encarnacion was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Suarez was caught stealing. On defense, Paige and Davis each made a throwing error. Jose Cordoba had an outfield assist at home plate.
Palm Beach is 51-36 on the season, 14-7 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: at Daytona, TBD vs. TBD 5:35 CT
Florida Complex League Cardinals at FCL Mets (cancelled)
This rookie level game was cancelled due to inclement weather and will not be made up.
Saturday’s game: at FCL Marlins, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
DSL Cardinals vs. DSL White Sox (suspended)
The Dominican Cards’ home game with the White Sox was suspended in the second inning due to inclement weather. No date for a resumption has been announced.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 0-3 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, DSL 3B Daniel Rojas, was 3-for-3 including a double and home run with two RBI and two runs scored. Other standouts include Arfeni Batista, Nelfy Ynfante and Yairo Padilla.
The Florida Complex Cardinals were edged by the Nationals by a 4-3 score in West Palm Beach on Wednesday. Starter Nelfy Ynfante pitched five innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out four and walked one.
Yordy Herrera relieved Ynfante and surrendered three runs, two earned, in 2 2/3 innings. Antoni Cuello got the final out of the eighth.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and added two runs in the seventh.
With some small ball, the Cardinals tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the eighth. Yancel Guerrero singled and advanced to third on a passed ball. Luis Piño drove in Guerrero on a ground out. Felix Taveras singled. Romtres Cabrera singled. Taveras advanced to third on an error. Arfeni Batista plated Taveras on a single. Cabrera advanced to third on a wild pitch. Heriberto Caraballo was hit by a pitch. Yaisel Ramos walked to score Cabrera.
The Dominican Cardinals were topped by the Blue Jays in the first game of a twin bill on Wednesday. This was the makeup of a July 2 postponed contest.
Starter Brailyn Paulino was wild. The right-hander pitched 1 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on one hit, struck out three but walked seven. Jarol Baez relieved Paulino and surrendered three runs, one earned in two innings. Reiner Lopez yielded one run in 1 2/3 innings. Justin Hernandez allowed three runs in the final 1 1/3 innings and took the loss.
The Blue Jays went up 1-0 in the first inning and 2-0 in the second. The Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1 in the third on a solo home run by Daniel Rojas.
The Blue Jays scored three runs in the fourth to increase the lead to 5-1. The Cardinals answered with four in the fifth to tie the game. Yaxson Lucena singled. Rojas doubled. Andru Arthur drew a walk. Yairo Padilla doubled to clear the bases. Padilla came home on a sac fly by Facundo Velasquez.
The Blue Jays regained the lead with two runs in the home sixth. The Cardinals took the lead back again in the top of the seventh on a two-run home run by Bracewell Taveras. The Cardinals led 8-7.
The Blue Jays responded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to win in a walk off, 9-8.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on nine hits. Rojas was 3-for-3 with a double and home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Lucena was 2-for-3. Padilla and Taveras each had two RBI.
On defense, Rojas made a throwing error. Baez had a fielding miscue. Paulino made an error on a pickoff.
The Cardinals fell to the Blue Jays in the second game of the twin bill on Wednesday. Starter Andrew Bolivar pitched 2 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on two hits, struck out five and walked two.
Bernard Mack relieved Bolivar and surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings. Kener Perez yielded five runs in the final three innings and took the loss.
The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home half of the third to tie the score. Andru Arthur singled and later came home on a sac fly by Facundo Velasquez. Rainiel Rodriguez thumped a solo home run.
The Blue Jays came back in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals tied the game again in the home fourth. Yoerny Junco reached on a passed ball third strike and stole second base. Brayan Amoroso singled to plate Junco.
The Blue Jays surged ahead with a four-run sixth inning. They added a run in the top of the seventh to lead 8-3.
The Cardinals rallied in the home seventh for three runs to shrink the final score to 8-6. Cristofer Lebron singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Arthur drove in Lebron on a single. Yairo Padilla plated Arthur on a single. Padilla later scored on a single by Christian Saez.
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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photo: Cardinals Dominican Academy (St. Louis Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-0 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s repeat Player of the Day, Dominican Summer League catcher Rainiel Rodriguez, hit two solo home runs. Starter Keiverson Ramirez pitched five scoreless innings on two hits.
Results for the game played Tuesday, July 16.
Memphis Redbirds – Off until Friday for All-Star Break
Wednesday’s game: No game scheduled.
Springfield Cardinals – Off until Friday for All-Star Break
Wednesday’s game – No game scheduled.
Peoria Chiefs – Off until Friday for All-Star Break
Wednesday’s game: No game scheduled.
Palm Beach Cardinals – Off until Friday for All-Star Break
Wednesday’s game: No game scheduled.
Florida Complex League Cardinals – Off
Wednesday’s game: at FCL Nationals, RH Nelfy Ynfante (4-2, 3.56) vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
The Dominican Cardinals edged their Angels counterparts by a 5-4 score on Tuesday. Starter Keiverson Ramirez pitched five scoreless innings, allowed two hits and struck out four to earn his third win of the season.
Alan Reyes surrendered four runs, three earned, in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Guanchi Martinez tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn his second save.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. Rainiel Rodriguez hit a solo home run. Christian Saez doubled. Brayan Amoroso plated Saez on a single.
The Cardinals added two runs in the fifth to increase the lead to 4-0. Yairo Padilla as hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Facundo Velasquez drew a walk. Padilla and Velasquez advanced on a passed ball. Padilla stole home. Velasquez stole second base. Felix Taveras drove Velasquez in on a single.
The Angels scored two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 4-2. The Cardinals put up one run in the seventh to widen the lead to 5-2 on a second solo home run by Rodriguez.
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All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Heading into the break, the St. Louis Cardinals went a disappointing 3-4 last week, but are only 4 ½ games out of first. Alec Burleson has been leading the offense. Our history feature highlights “rare feats” by Cardinals during the past week in prior years.
Cardinals pick West Virginia infielder in the first round of the draft
The 2024 MLB Draft began on Sunday night. Day 1 included the first two rounds plus competitive balance and compensation rounds. The final rounds will take place on Monday and Tuesday.
The Cardinals had only one pick Sunday because they lost their second round pick due to the signing of Sonny Gray, who had received a qualifying offer from the Minnesota Twins. The Cardinals were not due any picks in either the competitive balance or compensation rounds.
The Cardinals had the seventh selection, the highest they have picked since adding J.D. Drew in the first round (5th pick) in the 1998 draft.
The player selected by the Cardinals was J.J. Wetherholt, a college SS/2B from the University of West Virginia. The 21-year-old is a switch hitter. Before the draft, Wetherholt was the No. 4 draft prospect or better, depending on the source.
Wetherholt was graded by some scouts as “the best pure hitter in the draft”. His profile includes a low strikeout rate, a high walk rate and the national batting title in 2023.
His college career included eight All-American selections, and he was named West Virginia’s first Big 12 Player of the Year. The former teammate of Victor Scott is the highest drafted player in the West Virginia program’s history.
Wetherholt’s 2024 season was marred by a hamstring injury which caused him to miss 24 games. Nevertheless, he ended the season with a .331 batting average with eight home runs, 30 RBI and a team leading .472 OBP.
Let us all welcome J.J. Wetherholt to the Cardinals family.
On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Nationals in a 6-0 win to close out the road trip. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed six hits and struck out three to earn his seventh win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Mikolas and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Nolan Gorman and Michael Siani singled. Alec Burleson grounded into a force out. As Siani was thrown out at second, Gorman scored.
A solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt increased the lead to 2-0 in the fourth. In the eighth inning, the Cardinals extended the lead to 4-0. Burleson thumped a solo home run. Goldschmidt reached on an error and came home on a double by Brendan Donovan.
The Cardinals topped off the score with two final runs in the ninth for the 6-0 win. Gorman and Siani singled. Siani stole second base. With Gorman on third and Siani on second, both came home on Burleson’s single.
The Cardinals scored six runs on 11 hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Gorman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Siani was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Siani stole his 10th base of the season.
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 – Cardinals vs. Royals (postponed)
The Cardinals fell to the Royals in the first game of a twin bill on Wednesday. This game was Tuesday’s originally scheduled contest. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up four runs on six hits and struck out five.
Chris Roycroft relieved Pallante and surrendered two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning on a solo home run by Nolan Arenado. They increased the lead to 3-0 on a two-run home run by Alec Burleson.
The Royals came back to tie the game in the fifth. They took the lead 4-3 in the sixth and increased the lead to 6-3 in the eighth.
A solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt in the ninth reduced the final score to 6-4.
St. Louis scored four runs on six hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI and was the only Cardinal with multiple hits. Burleson had two RBI.
The Cardinals were swept by the Royals as they also lost the second game of the twin bill. Starter Gordon Graceffo, called up from Memphis for the game, pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits and struck out two.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Graceffo and surrendered three runs in 1 2/3 innings. Ryan Fernandez yielded one in 1 1/3 innings. John King tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals went ahead in the second inning on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar.
The Royals tied the game in the third and added two runs in the fourth to lead 3-1. St. Louis answered with one run in the home half fourth to cut the lead to 3-2. Nootbaar doubled and scored on a ground-rule double by Nolan Gorman.
The Royals responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to increase the lead to 5-2. The Cardinals added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 5-4. Willson Contreras singled. Alec Burleson plated Contreras on a double. Burleson came home on a single by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Royals added single runs in the sixth and seventh to widen their lead to 7-4. The Cardinals scored their final run in the home seventh. Dylan Carlson singled. Brendan Donovan doubled. Contreras drove in Carlson on ground out.
Kansas City put up an insurance run in the ninth to win 8-5.
The Cardinals scored five runs on 10 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Donovan was 2-for-5.
On Friday, the Cardinals were defeated by the Cubs in the first game of four over the weekend at Busch Stadium. St. Louis juggled the rotation so Sonny Gray could start the opener of this important series, but it didn’t work due to the sputtering offense. Gray pitched seven innings, gave up three runs on nine hits and struck out six.
Chris Roycroft relieved Gray and surrendered two runs in 2/3 of an inning. John King collected one out. Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the third inning and added another run in the fourth. In the seventh, Chicago increased the lead to 3-0 and they made it 5-0 in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored their only run of the game in the ninth. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Willson Contreras walked. Paul Goldschmidt plated Winn on a single.
The offense scored one run on six hits. Lars Nootbaar was 2-for-4 and was the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
The Cardinals blew out the Cubs in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday. Starter Lance Lynn pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out six and walked two to earn his fifth win of the season.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and threw a scoreless seventh. The 27th man for the day, Kyle Leahy, surrendered one run in the final two innings.
The Cubs went up 1-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals roared out of the gate in the home half first to pummel the Cubs with nine runs. Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson singled, advancing Winn to third. Willson Contreras drove in Winn on a single. Lars Nootbaar reached on fielder’s choice and Burleson scored. Nolan Arenado reached on a fielder’s choice. Brendan Donovan reached on an error, sending Contreras home. Michael Siani was hit by a pitch and Nootbaar scored. Winn plated Arenado and Donovan on a single. Burleson followed with a three-run home run.
St. Louis added a 10th run in the second inning. Arenado and Donovan singled. Arenado came home on a single by Pedro Pagés.
The Cubs scored their second run in the top of the fourth. St. Louis answered with a run in the home fourth to lead 11-2. Arenado walked and came home on a double by Nolan Gorman.
Chicago managed a final run in the ninth to bring the final score to 11-3.
The Cardinals scored 11 runs on 13 hits. Burleson was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Cardinals squeezed out a win at the back end of the second game of the doubleheader for a sweep. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched four innings, gave up four runs on 10 hits, struck out three and walked two.
John King relieved Gibson and threw two scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero earned his fourth win with 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth for his MLB-leading 32nd save.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning as Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras hit solo home runs.
The Cubs came back in the top of the second to steal the lead at 4-2. St. Louis scored one run in the home half second to cut the gap to 4-3. Matt Carpenter singled. Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Winn singled and Carpenter was thrown out at home. Alec Burleson plated Gorman on a sac fly.
The Cardinals rallied in the eighth for two runs that gave them a 5-4 lead and the win. Contreras walked. Paul Goldschmidt thumped a ground-rule double. Nolan Arenado drove in Contreras and Goldschmidt on a single.
The Cardinals had to settle for a home series split by losing an ugly game to the Cubs on the final day before the All-Star break. Starter Miles Mikolas did not pitch well, as he gave up four home runs. The right hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up a total of six runs on eight hits and struck out two. Mikolas took the loss, his eighth of the season.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Mikolas and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Liberatore secured the final out of the seventh. Andrew Kittredge surrendered two runs on two more home runs in the eighth. Chris Roycroft tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado singled. Pedro Pagés drove in Donovan and Arenado on a single.
The Cubs quickly tied the game in the third. They added two runs each in the fifth and sixth to lead 6-2.
St. Louis added a run in the home sixth on a solo home run by Alec Burleson. Chicago ran up the score to 8-3 in the eighth.
The offense scored three runs on eight hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4. Donovan was 3-for-3. Pagés had two RBI.
On the bases, Donovan stole his third base of the season.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended this final week before the All-Star break with a disappointing 3-4 record. They played two double headers, one with the Royals and one with the Cubs. The one with the Cubs was set in advance, but the Royals twin bill resulted from Tuesday’s rain out.
The Cardinals lost both games to the Royals and split the four games with the Cubs. The other win last week was the finale of the four-game series in Washington that ended on Monday.
St. Louis remains in second place in the NL Central, 4.5 games behind Milwaukee. Their record is 50-46.
This week, the weakness was not the offense but the pitching. The offense scored 35 runs in their seven games, but their run differential remains high because the pitching gave up 34 runs.
Only two players had an OPS over .900 this past week. Dylan Carlson made the most of his three at bats for an OPS of 1.334. Alec Burleson had an OPS of 1.228 in 28 at bats.
The next closest were Brendan Donovan (.895), Paul Goldschmidt (.840), and Willson Contreras (.838). At the low end was Brandon Crawford (.143). Everyone else had an OPS between .500 and .800.
The pitching this week was not the best. On the positive side, Sonny Gray had an ERA of 3.38 and Lance Lynn had an ERA of 3.00 over the last seven days. The rest were Miles Mikolas (4.63), Andre Pallante (5.68), Gordon Graceffo (8.10) and Kyle Gibson (9.00).
Graceffo was called up for one start because of the two sets of doubleheaders. He was immediately sent back down afterward. Both Gibson and Graceffo were out before the fifth inning. Mikolas had two starts, one good and the other a disaster. Mikolas gave up four home runs in his final start against the Cubs.
The bullpen hiccups included Andrew Kittredge (5.79), who gave up two home runs in the same game Mikolas gave up four long balls. Matthew Liberatore (9.00) and Chris Roycroft (10.80) rounded out the relief stumblers.
The only bright spot for this past week is that the Brewers played worse.
The best thing that can be said is the All-Star break couldn’t have come at a better time. They can only hope the four days rest for everyone except lone All-Star Ryan Helsley will set things right.
The first series after the break is in Atlanta (53-42), followed by three in Pittsburgh (48-48).
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
55
52
0.567
St. Louis
50
46
0.521
4.5
Pittsburgh
48
48
0.500
6.5
Cincinnati
47
50
0.485
8
Chicago
47
51
0.480
8.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Foul Territory discussed some potential deadline deals that the Cardinals could make last week. Rosenthal suggested that catcher Iván Herrera and outfielder Dylan Carlson may be pieces the Cardinals would be willing to offer in a trade.
Herrera has recently been activated from the injured list and optioned to Memphis. In the past, he had been considered the heir apparent to Yadier Molina, but the acquisition of Willson Contreras sent Herrera to the backup catcher chair. Herrera hit well but could not throw out opposing basestealers. Now, the team favors defensively oriented Pedro Pagés in the backup role, seemingly making Herrera superfluous.
Carlson, once considered one of the Cardinals’ top prospects, has also fallen out of favor due to several seasons of injury and subpar offensive performance. Rosenthal sees Carlson as a “change of scenery” move for the Cardinals.
Transactions
7/8 The Cardinals optioned IF José Fermín to the Memphis Redbirds.
7/8 The Cardinals activated OF Lars Nootbaar from the 10-day injured list.
7/9 The Cardinals sent IF/OF Tommy Edman on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
7/10 The Cardinals recalled RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds as the 27th man for the doubleheader.
7/11 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
7/12 The Cardinals activated C Iván Herrera and optioned him to the Memphis Redbirds.
7/13 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from the Memphis Redbirds as the 27th man for the doubleheader.
7/14 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kyle Leahy to the Memphis Redbirds
Injury Report
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman has started a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals that should continue well after the break.
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 will 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. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien has been throwing and is close to starting a rehab period with Springfield.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 28. Matz was cleared to begin throwing on July 4. Matz is expected to be out until August.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was activated from the 10-day injured list.
C Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 19. Herrera completed his rehab assignment and was optioned to Memphis.
CF Michael Siani (left elbow contusion) was hit by a pitch in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday. Siani was kept out of the lineup through the remainder of the Cubs series. Siani is considered day to day.
Looking Ahead
Following Ryan Helsley’s All-Star Game appearance, the first series after the break is against the Braves in Atlanta. The Cardinals then return to Pittsburgh for a series with the Pirates.
After a travel day on Thursday, July 25, the Cardinals take on the Nationals again at Busch Stadium. The final series in July is three games with the Texas Rangers in St. Louis.
The month of August begins at Wrigley Field for a four-game series with the Cubs. The Cardinals return to St. Louis to play a rain makeup game with the Mets on Monday, August 5. Next will be three games against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The team leaves for a road trip following the Rays series. The Cardinals face the Royals in Kansas City for two games on August 9-10 to complete the home and home season series. They then travel to Cincinnati for three with the Reds.
After a travel day, the Cardinals have a weekend series at Busch Stadium with the Dodgers on August 16-18.
Blast from the Past
Last week’s Blast from the Past debuted a new feature that showcases rare feats accomplished by Cardinals in the history of the franchise. This week we continue with three more rare feats accomplished by Cardinals. In a twist, two of the three rare feats belonged to the same player in different seasons. Both players showcased here played for the Cardinals in the first half of the 20th Century.
A rare feat has been 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 July 8 through 14, 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.
Johnny Mize
Johnny Mize – First baseman Mize played for the Cardinals from 1935-1941. His rare feat was hitting for the cycle on July 13, 1940. The Cardinals were playing a doubleheader against the New York Giants at Sportsman’s Park.
In the first game, the Cardinals beat the Giants 7-6. Mize was the cleanup hitter. The cycle proceeded as follows. In the bottom of the third inning Mize hit a solo home run to right field for the first run for St. Louis.
Mize came to bat in the bottom of the fifth and doubled to right field. He was left stranded. In the bottom of the seventh, Mize singled for an RBI. In his last at bat in the bottom of the ninth, Mize tripled to center and scored on an error for the winning run.
Mize, a Hall of Famer, still holds the franchise record for most home runs in a season by a left-handed batter, most RBI in a season for a lefty, and most games with three or more home runs. (This is the hint for his other rare feat).
Jim Bottomley
Jim Bottomley – Like Mize, Bottomley was a first baseman and future Hall of Famer. He played for the Cardinals from 1922-1932 and afterward with the St. Louis Browns, for whom he later managed.
Nicknamed “Sunny Jim” for his sunny disposition, Bottomley’s rare feat was also hitting for the cycle. His cycle occurred on July 14, 1927, in a 9-7 win over the Phillies at the Baker Bowl.
The cleanup hitter’s cycle began with a single to center field in the first inning. No run scored.
Bottomley singled to center again in the fourth with the same outcome. He led off the sixth inning with a double to right and scored on a single by Billy Southworth.
In the next inning, Bottomley hit a home run to right. Then in the ninth, Bottomley completed the cycle with a triple to center. He later scored on a fielder’s choice.
In other notable feats, Bottomley set a major league record in 1924 by driving in 12 runs in a single game. This is also considered a rare feat and could be featured in another installment at some point, but it occurred much later in the season. He had six hits in a game twice.
Johnny Mize – The second rare feat by Mize during this period was hitting three home runs in a game. Like Bottomley, Mize performed this rare feat more than once. In fact, he did it six times, so look to possibly see his name pop up in future installments. Four of these six times occurred while he was a Cardinal.
This rare feat occurred on July 13, 1938 against the Boston Bees. The Bees were not an earlier version of the Red Sox, as one might think. The Bees were in existence for only six seasons, and eventually became the Boston Braves, then moved to Milwaukee and are today in Atlanta.
The game against the Bees was a 10-5 loss played at Sportsman’s Park. Mize was hitting fifth. He hit his first long ball, a two-run shot, in the fourth inning. It was preceded by a single from cleanup hitter Joe “Ducky” Medwick.
The second home run, a solo shot, was in the sixth. In the eighth, he hit another two-run home run, again following a single from Medwick.
Some notable facts about Mize include his two nicknames “Big Jawn” and “The Big Cat”. Both nicknames reportedly arose for his fielding at first base.
Mize served in World War II after he was traded to the New York Giants in 1941. He once sued a baseball card company for using his image without permission. Mize lost the suit, but the company stopped producing the card.
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photo: José Dávila (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-4 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, José Dávila, pitched seven scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in Palm Beach’s shutout win. Other standouts include Ian Bedell, Jimmy Crooks, Chandler Redmond, Leonardo Bernal and Anyelo Encarnacion.
The Triple-A Redbirds were pummeled by the Tides in an 11-1 thrashing at home on Friday. Starter Ian Bedell pitched seven strong innings, gave up just one unearned run on three hits, struck out five and walked one. Bedell took the hard-luck loss.
The bullpen had a rough night as the game got away from the Redbirds in the final two frames. Andre Granillo relieved Bedell and surrendered three runs in 1/3 of an inning. Nick Robertson yielded five runs in one inning pitched. Jacob Bosiokovic allowed two runs in the final 2/3 of an inning.
Norfolk took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The score remained 1-0 until the eighth inning, when the Tides put up three runs to increase the lead to 4-0.
In the top of the ninth, Norfolk unleashed a seven-run onslaught to blow up the score to 11-0. The Redbirds finally scored one meager run in the bottom of the ninth. Jordan Walker drew a walk and advanced to second on defensive indifference. Luken Baker plated Walker on a single.
The offense scored one run on two hits. Baker was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Moises Gomez drew three walks.
On defense José Fermín made a throwing error.
Memphis is 46-45 on the season, 8-8 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. Norfolk, TBD (MEM) vs. Tucker Davidson LHP (2-3, 2.38) 6:35 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals defeated the Wind Surge by the score of 9-7 at Hammons Field on Friday. Starter Trent Baker pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits, struck out four and walked two.
Wilfredo Pereira relieved Baker and surrendered four runs in three innings. Jack Ralston threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season. Matt Svanson tossed a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.
Wichita went up 1-0 in the first inning. Springfield tied the game in the second on a solo home run by Nathan Church. The Cardinals added two runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead. Matt Lloyd doubled and Jimmy Crooks followed with a two-run home run.
The Wind Surge tied the game in the fourth. Springfield regained the lead with four in the fifth to lead 7-3. Crooks singled and advanced to second on a ground out by Church. Noah Mendlinger drove in Crooks on a single. Jacob Buchberger singled. Chandler Redmond followed with a three-run home run, setting the new all-time Springfield career record of 60. It was his first long ball since April 23.
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 13, 2024
Wichita came back to tie the game at 7-7 in the sixth. In the home eighth, the Cardinals put up two runs to lead 9-7. Jeremy Rivas drew a walk. Bryan Torres doubled. Lloyd plated Rivas on a sac fly. Torres came home on a double by Crooks.
The Cardinals offense scored nine runs on 13 hits. Crooks was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Redmond was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Mendlinger was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Rehabber Tommy Edman was the DH and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
On the bases, Torres stole his 24th base of the season. On defense, Crooks had a passed ball.
Springfield is 47-38 on the season, 10-6 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. Wichita, Brandon Komar RHP (2-0, 2.16) vs. Cory Lewis RHP (0-1, 1.88) 6:35 CT.
Note: The MLB All-Star Futures Game with Springfield LHP Quinn Mathews will be on MLB Network at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The High-A Chiefs were edged by the River Bandits in a 4-3 road loss on Friday. Starter Inohan Paniagua pitched six innings, gave up three runs on three hits, struck out seven and walked two.
Dionys Rodriguez relieved Paniagua and surrendered one run in the final two innings. Rodriguez took the loss.
Quad Cities went up 2-0 in the fifth inning and added a run in the sixth to lead 3-0.
Peoria scored their first run in the seventh. Leonardo Bernal singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He later came home on a single by Tre Richardson.
The Chiefs added two runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game. Joshua Baez singled. Darlin Moquete grounded into a force out as Baez was out at second. Alex Iadisernia singled. Bernal plated Moquete and Iadisernia on a double.
The Low-A Cardinals blanked the Threshers in a 4-0 home shutout on Friday. Starter José Dávila pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed three hits, struck out 12 and walked one to earn his third win of the season.
Hunter Hayes tossed the final two scoreless innings of relief.
The Beach Birds scored all four of their runs in the third inning. Sammy Hernandez doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball. Chase Adkison plated Hernandez on a single. Kade Kretzschmar singled. Anyelo Encarnacion drove in Adkison and Kretzschmar on a ground rule double. Encarnacion came home on a double by Ross Friedrick.
The Florida Complex League Cardinals were walloped by the Marlins in a 10-3 blowout on Friday. Starter Ronny Oliver pitched five innings, gave up two unearned runs on three hits, struck out three and walked one.
Jovi Galvez surrendered one unearned run in two innings of relief. Victor Villanueva yielded six runs, five earned without recording an out. Villanueva took the loss. Alexander Beltre allowed one run in the eighth.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the third inning. Samil De La Rosa drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jonathan Mejia walked. Luis Pino grounded out, advancing the runners. Yordalin Pena drove in De Los Santos on a single. Mejia stole home.
The Marlins tied the game in the home half of the third. The Marlins took a 3-2 lead in the sixth.
The Cardinals tied the game in the seventh. Raul Guzman singled. Yancel Guerrero pinch ran for Guzman. De Los Santos plated Guerrero on a double.
The Marlins put up seven runs in the eighth to jump ahead 7-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on eight hits. Pena was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Guzman was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Mejia stole his 11th base of the season. Pena swiped his 10th bag. Romtres Cabrera stole his second base. Pena was picked off third base.
On defense, Arfeni Batista made a throwing error. Guzman made a fielding error. Mejia had two fielding miscues. Oliver picked a runner off second base.
The Cardinals are 17-29 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. FCL Nationals, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
The Dominican Cardinals lost to the DSL Giants Black in a 7-3 road contest on Friday. Starter Branneli Franco pitched three innings, gave up four runs on four hits, struck out two and walked two. Franco took the loss.
Jesus Garcia relieved Franco and surrendered three runs, two earned, on three hits, struck out one and walked two. Jarol Baez threw a scoreless sixth. Reiner Lopez hurled a scoreless seventh. Bernard Mack tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Giants Black took a 4-0 lead in the first inning then added two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to lead 7-0.
The Cardinals got on the board with two runs in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-2. Facundo Velasquez singled. Bracewell Taveras singled. Christian Saez drove in Velasquez on a single. Taveras scored on a force out by Daniel Rojas.
The Cardinals added one run in the ninth to shrink the lead to 7-3. Cristofer Lebron and Yairo Padilla walked. Velasquez plated Lebron on a single.
The Cardinals scored three runs on seven hits. Velasquez was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Saez was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
On the bases, Rojas stole his fourth base of the season. On defense, Rainiel Rodriguez and Padilla each made a throwing error. Garcia made an error on a pickoff.
The Cardinals are 12-14 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. DSL Mariners, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
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photo: Jordan Walker (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-1 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis RF Jordan Walker, was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Other standouts include César Prieto, Matt Lloyd and Chris Rotondo.
The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Tides by a 7-2 score at AutoZone Park on Wednesday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on six hits, struck out five and walked two to earn his fifth win of the season.
Victor Santos relieved McGreevy and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Nick Robertson hurled a scoreless eighth. Andre Granillo tossed a scoreless ninth.
Memphis took a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. César Prieto, Thomas Saggese and José Fermín singled, with the latter scoring Prieto. Fermín was thrown out at first base. Jared Young drove in Saggese on a double. Moisés Gómez drew a walk. Victor Scott II walked. Jordan Walker plated Gómez and Scott on a single.
Norfolk responded with two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 4-2. The Redbirds added a run in the seventh. Young doubled and later scored on a double by Walker.
Memphis put up two runs in the eighth to widen the lead to 7-2. Luken Baker singled. Prieto tripled to score Baker. Prieto crossed the plate on a sac fly by Fermín.
Memphis scored seven runs on eight hits. Walker was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Prieto was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Young was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Fermín had two Rbi.
On the bases, Scott stole his 25th base of the season. Walker stole his fourth base.
Memphis is 46-43 on the season, 8-6 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: vs. Norfolk, LH Connor Thomas (3-3, 3.46) vs. Justin Armbruester RHP (1-6, 8.23) 7:05 CT
The Double-A Cardinals fell to the Wind Surge by a 7-3 score at Hammons Field on Wednesday. Starter Alex Cornwell pitched six innings, gave up two runs on six hits, struck out seven and walked three.
Leonardo Taveras relieved Cornwell and surrendered four runs, three earned, in 1 2/3 innings. Taveras took the loss. Jack Ralston yielded one run in the final 1 1/3 innings.
Wichita went up 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Springfield scored one run in the home half of the fourth on a solo home run by Matt Lloyd to cut the lead in half.
YEAH I THINK HE GOT ALL OF THAT ONE. Matt Lloyd with a 434 foot blast to right. pic.twitter.com/3PYppipmH7
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 11, 2024
The Cardinals tied the game in the sixth. Jeremy Rivas singled. Bryan Torres drew a walk. Mike Antico advanced the runners on sac bunt. Rivas scored on a ground out by Lloyd.
The Wind Surge regained the lead with two runs in the top of the seventh. Springfield answered with one run in the home seventh to shrink the lead to 4-3. Nathan Church and Noah Mendlinger singled as Church advanced to third. Aaron McKeithan plated Church on a sac fly.
Wichita scored two runs in the eighth and one run in the ninth to win the game 7-3.
The Cardinals offense scored three runs on nine hits. Lloyd was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Church was 2-for-4. Rivas was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Rivas stole his 22nd base of the season. Rivas was also caught stealing.
On defense, Jacob Buchberger was charged with interference.
Springfield is 45-38 on the season, 8-6 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: vs. Wichita, Max Rajcic RHP (7-7, 4.89) vs. Travis Adams RHP (4-6, 4.80) 7:05 CT.
The High-A Chiefs beat the River Bandits by the score of 4-2 on Wednesday. Starter Hancel Rincon pitched five innings, gave up two runs on three hits, struck out eight and walked three to earn his sixth win of the season.
Peoria took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Alex Iadisernia tripled. Brody Moore plated Iadisernia on a single. Moore was caught stealing. Leonardo Bernal reached on a third strike passed ball. Chris Rotondo followed with a two-run home run.
Quad Cities answered with two runs in the home half of the first to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Chiefs made it 4-2 in the fifth. Tre Richardson doubled. Joshua Baez walked. Richardson and Baez executed a double steal. Richardson scored on a sac fly by Iadisernia.
Peoria scored four runs on eight hits. Rotondo was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Won-Bin Cho was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Richardson stole his third base of the season. Baez swiped his 18th bag. Moore, Cho and Baez were all caught stealing.
Peoria is 36-46 on the season, 10-7 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: at Quad Cities, Brycen Mautz LHP (0-10, 6.34) vs. Hunter Patteson LHP (0-2, 9.26) 6:30 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals blanked the Threshers in a 2-0 contest in the first game of a twin bill at Roger Dean on Wednesday. Before Tuesday’s contest was suspended, starter Jason Savacool pitched three scoreless innings, allowed one hit, struck out one and walked two.
When the game resumed on Wednesday, Benjamin Arias threw four scoreless innings of relief to earn his fifth win. Henry Gomez tossed the final two scoreless innings for his sixth save.
The Beach Birds took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Anyelo Encarnacion led off with a double. Ross Friedrick plated Encarnacion on a single.
Palm Beach added a run in the third to increase the lead to 2-0. Trey Paige drew a walk. Chase Davis singled. Jose Suarez reached on a fielder’s choice. Paige was thrown out at home. Kade Kretzschmar singled to plate Davis.
The Cardinals scored two runs on eight hits. Davis was 2-for-4. Paige was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Brayden Jobert stole his 10th base of the season. On defense, Sammy Hernandez made a throwing error.
Palm Beach, Clearwater (suspended)
The second game of the doubleheader was suspended in the fifth inning due to inclement weather with Palm Beach up 4-3. The game will be resumed on July 11 as the first game of a doubleheader.
Just one out to go before an official game when the umpires stopped the game in Jupiter. Palm Beach is ahead of Clearwater 4-3 after winning the first game, 2-0. pic.twitter.com/SSl2El9wnX
Palm Beach is 47-34 on the season, 10-5 in the second half.
Thursday’s games: vs. Clearwater, RH Luis Gastelum (5-1, 3.46) vs. TBD 4:00 CT (resumption of suspended game), LH Ixan Henderson (5-2, 2.29) vs. TBD (game two).
Florida Complex League Cardinals – Off day
Thursday’s games: two vs. the FCL Astros, starting with the completion of the July 1 suspended game, RH Yordy Herrera vs. TBD 11:00 am CT, RH Nelfy Ynfante vs. TBD (game 2)
Dominican Summer League Cardinals – Off day
Thursday’s game: at DSL Angels, RH Andrew Bolivar (0-0, 6.60) vs. TBD 10:00 am CT.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-2 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, CF Bryan Torres, was 2-for-4 with two RBI and three steals in Springfield’s 10th inning walk off win. Other standouts include Darlin Saladin, Johnfrank Salazar, and Yancel Guerrero.
The Triple-A Redbirds fell to the Tides by a 6-4 score on Tuesday at AutoZone Park. Starter Adam Kloffenstein pitched three innings, gave up four runs on five hits, struck out one and walked three.
Nick Raquet relieved Kloffenstein and threw two scoreless innings. Kyle Leahy also hurled two scoreless innings. Jacob Bosiokovic surrendered two runs in the final two innings and took the loss.
Norfolk took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Memphis scored one run in the home half. Victor Scott II singled and stole second base. Jordan Walker singled. Matt Koperniak plated Scott on a sac fly.
The Tides increased the lead to 4-1 in the third. The Redbirds put two on the board in the sixth to shrink the lead to 4-3. Walker and Iván Herrera walked. Luken Baker doubled to score Walker. Herrera came home on a single by Thomas Saggese.
The Double-A Cardinals topped the visiting Wind Surge in a 10th inning walk off on Tuesday. Starter Edwin Nuñez pitched four innings, gave up six runs on seven hits, struck out five and walked one.
Benito Garcia relieved Nuñez and threw three scoreless innings of relief. Brandon Komar hurled two scoreless innings. Matt Svanson tossed a scoreless 10th to earn his third win.
Wichita took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and added a run in the top of the third to lead 5-0.
Springfield scored three runs in the home third to cut the lead to 5-3. Noah Mendlinger singled. Bryan Torres walked. St. Louis rehabber Tommy Edman drove in Mendlinger on a single. Matt Lloyd walked. Jimmy Crooks reached on an error as Torres and Edman came home.
Wichita added one run in the top of the fourth to increase the lead to 6-3. The Cardinals answered with one run in the home fourth to shrink the lead to 6-4. Nathan Church was hit by a pitch. Mendlinger singled. Jeremy Rivas grounded into a force out. Church advanced to third and Mendlinger was out at second. Torres plated Church on a single.
Springfield tied the game in the sixth. Church hit a solo home run. Rivas singled and stole second base. Rivas came home on a single by Torres.
The game went into extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th, the Cardinals won in a walk off 7-6. Lloyd started on second base. Mike Antico singled. Jacob Buchberger drove in Lloyd on a sac fly.
Springfield scored seven runs on nine hits. Torres was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mike Antico was 2-for-5. Mendlinger was 2-for-4.
Torres stole three bases. Antico swiped his 15th bag. Rivas stole his 21st base.
Springfield is 45-37 on the season, 8-5 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Wichita, Alex Cornwell LHP (4-2, 6.50) vs. Kyle Jones RHP (0-0, 0.00) 7:05 CT.
The Chiefs edged the River Bandits in a 4-3 road win on Tuesday. Starter Darlin Saladin pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out eight and walked one to earn his third win since joining Peoria.
Roy Garcia relieved Saladin and surrendered one run in 1/3 of inning. Osvaldo Berrios threw two scoreless innings. Nathanael Heredia tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Peoria went up 1-0 in the top of the second inning. Won-Bin Cho singled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Michael Curialle drove in Cho on a single.
Quad Cities tied the game in the home second. The Chiefs regained the lead in the third on a solo home run by Leonardo Bernal.
The River Bandits tied the game again with one run scored in the fifth. Peoria came back in the sixth with two runs to lead 4-2. Chris Rotondo singled. In his Chiefs debut, Johnfrank Salazar thumped a two-run home run.
The Chiefs scored four runs on seven hits. Cho was 2-for-3. Salazar had two RBI.
On the bases, Alex Iadisernia was caught stealing. On defense, Salazar made a fielding error.
Peoria is 35-46 on the season, 9-7 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at Quad Cities, Hancel Rincon RHP (5-5, 4.46) vs. Henry Williams RHP (2-3, 4.35) 6:30 CT.
Palm Beach vs. Clearwater (suspended)
The series opener at Roger Dean Stadium was suspended in the third inning due to inclement weather. The game will be resumed on July 10 as the first game of a doubleheader.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Clearwater, RH Benjamin Arias vs. TBD 3:00 CT (resumption of suspended game), RH Gerardo Salas vs. TBD (game two).
The rookie level Cardinals were edged by the Marlins by a 5-4 score on Tuesday. Starter Yadiel Batista pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits, struck out seven and walked one.
Randel Clemente relieved Batista and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Antoni Cuello surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings and took the loss. Omar Yanez tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
The Marlins took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. In the top of the fourth, the Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1. Felix Taveras tripled and scored on a single by Yancel Guerrero.
The Marlins answered with one run in the home fourth to lead 3-1. The Cardinals put up three runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Heriberto Caraballo drew a walk. Jonathan Mejia singled. Caraballo advanced to third. Luis Pino plated Caraballo on a single. Guerrero drove in Mejia and Pino on a single.
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The St. Louis Cardinals went 4-2 on the road for their fourth straight winning week. As the offense is improving, the starting pitching has declined. Closer Ryan Helsley is the team’s lone All-Star. Our history feature highlights “rare feats” by Cardinals during the past week in prior years.
Helsley Named a 2024 NL All-Star
On Sunday evening, Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley was named the team’s only representative on the National League All-Star team. It is the right-hander’s second career All-Star berth (2022).
His 31 saves are the most ever by a Cardinal in the first half and the total leads Major League Baseball. Helsley was also the April NL Relief Pitcher of the Month. For the season, the 29-year-old has struck out 47 in 41 innings over 40 appearances and has a 2.41 ERA.
Because St. Louis did not have an elected All-Star, Helsley was added, as all MLB teams are required to be represented. This year’s game will be held in Arlington, Texas on July 16.
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Pirates in the opener of a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched five innings, gave up four runs on five hits, struck out eight and walked one and received his sixth win of the season.
John King relieved Gibson and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Fernandez hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero and Ryan Helsley each tossed a scoreless inning. Helsley earned his 31st save.
The Cardinals took the lead in the third inning on a two-run home run by Alec Burleson. They added four runs in the fourth. Brendan Donovan singled. Nolan Arenado reached on catcher interference. Matt Carpenter singled. Nolan Gorman followed with a grand slam to left center field.
The Pirates scored four times in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-4. St. Louis put up one run in the seventh. Paul Goldschmidt doubled and came home on a single by Brendan Donovan.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 13 hits. Gorman was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Burleson was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Donovan was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Goldschmidt and Masyn Winn were both 2-for-5.
The Cardinals took a one run loss in extra innings on Wednesday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits and struck out four.
Giovanny Gallegos relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run in 1/3 of an inning. Matthew Liberatore threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge yielded two runs, one earned, in 1 1/3 innings and took the loss. JoJo Romero gave up the walk off hit in the 10th.
The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth when the Cardinals took the 1-0 lead. Brandon Crawford led off with a double. Crawford later crossed the plate on a single by Masyn Winn.
The Pirates answered with two runs in the home fifth to lead 2-1. Pittsburgh added a run in the seventh.
St. Louis tied the game in the eighth on a two-run home run by Willson Contreras.
In the 10th, the Cardinals scored one run to briefly lead 4-3. Dylan Carlson began the inning on second base. Masyn Winn singled, moving Carlson to third. Alec Burleson plated Carlson on a sac fly.
The Pirates responded with two runs in the bottom of the 10th to win in a 5-4 walk off.
The Cardinals offense scored four runs on eight hits. Winn was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Paul Goldschmidt was 2-for-5. Contreras had two RBI.
On the bases, Goldschmidt stole his fifth base of the season.
The Cardinals edged the Pirates on Thursday in their second consecutive extra innings game. Starter Andre Pallante pitched seven innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out five and walked one.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless eighth. John King surrendered one unearned run in the final two innings and received the win.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Brendan Donovan reached on an error and scored on a double by Dylan Carlson.
The Pirates tied the game in the fourth. Neither team could break the tie in the regulation nine innings. In the top of the 10th inning, St. Louis plated two runs to take the 3-1 lead. Michael Siani was the Manfred runner on second. Pedro Pagés drove in Siani on a double. Pagés came home on a single by Alec Burleson.
Pittsburgh rallied for one run in the bottom of the 10th for the final score of 3-2.
The offense scored three runs on 10 hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Carlson was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
On the bases, Paul Goldschmidt stole his sixth base of the season. Willson Contreras was caught stealing.
The Cardinals topped the Nationals, 7-6, in their third straight extra inning game. Starter Sonny Gray pitched five innings, gave up five runs on eight hits, struck out six and walked one.
Chris Roycroft relieved Gray and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Liberatore followed with 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Fernandez hurled a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley surrendered one unearned run in the final two innings for his first blown save of the year, but also his third win.
The Nationals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Washington increased the lead to 4-0 in the second, then added a fifth run in the third.
The Cardinals cut the lead to 5-2 in the fourth. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado singled. Brendan Donovan drew a walk. Dylan Carlson plated Goldschmidt on a sac fly. Arenado came home on a single by Pedro Pagés.
St. Louis made it 5-3 in the fifth. Masyn Winn doubled and scored on a single by Willson Contreras. The Cardinals continued to cut into the lead with one run in the to shrink the lead to 5-4. Arenado doubled and later came home on a single by Nolan Gorman.
The Cardinals tied the game in the ninth on a solo home run by Contreras. The game went into the 10th and St. Louis went up, 6-5. With Brendan Donovan on second, Gorman singled to drive him home.
The Nationals tied the game at 6-6 in the home 10th. The Cardinals answered with one run in the top of the 11th to led 7-6. Masyn Winn began on second and advanced to third on a ground out by Alec Burleson. Winn scored on a third strike passed ball. Washington failed to answer in the bottom of the inning.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 14 hits. Gorman was 2-for-2 with two RBI. Contreras was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Michael Siani was 2-for-5. Arenado was 4-for-5 with two runs scored.
On the bases, Winn stole his ninth base of the season. Burleson swiped his sixth bag.
The Cardinals were mauled by the Nationals in a 14-6 blowout on Saturday. Starter Lance Lynn pitched 2 2/3 innings, gave up 11 runs, 10 earned, on nine hits, struck out two and walked four. Lynn took the loss, his fourth of the season.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and surrendered two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Giovanny Gallegos yielded one run in the final three innings.
The Nationals went up 4-0 in the first inning and 9-0 in the second. The Cardinals answered in the third with four runs. Nolan Gorman doubled. Michael Siani singled. Masyn Winn drove in Gorman on a single. Alec Burleson advanced the runners on a ground out. Siani came home on a ground out by Willson Contreras. Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk. Nolan Arenado singled to score Winn. Brendan Donovan plated Goldschmidt on a single.
Washington increased their lead to 11-4 in the home third. The Cardinals added a run in the top of the fourth to shrink the lead to 11-5. Winn and Alec Burleson walked. Winn scored from second base on a wild pitch.
The Nationals added two runs in the bottom of the fourth to widen the lead to 13-5. St. Louis made it 13-6 in the seventh. Donovan singled. Gorman doubled. Donovan scored on a ground out by Siani.
Washington added one more run in the eighth for the 14-6 final score.
The Cardinals scored six runs on 11 hits. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Donovan was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Gorman was 3-for-5.
The Cardinals came back from their Saturday beating to defeat the Nationals 8-3. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched five innings, gave up three runs on nine hits, struck out eight and walked two for his seventh win of the season.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Brendan Donovan drew a walk. Nolan Gorman drove in Donovan on a double. Gorman came home on a single by Dylan Carlson.
The Nationals tied the game in the home second. St. Louis regained the lead 3-2 in the fourth. Paul Goldschmidt led off the inning with a double and later scored on a single by Gorman.
The Cardinals increased their lead to 6-2 in the fifth. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Alec Burleson reached on catcher’s interference. Willson Contreras plated Winn on a single. Burleson stole third base and Contreras stole second. Nolan Arenado drove in Burleson and Contreras on a single.
Washington cut the lead to 6-3 in the sixth. The Cardinals responded with two runs in the seventh on a two-run home run by Contreras to widen the lead to 8-3.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on 13 hits. Contreras was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Gorman was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Burleson stole his seventh base of the season. Contreras swiped his third bag.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished the week with a record of 4-2. They took two of three from the Pirates and won two of three against the Nationals with one more game in the series to be played on Monday. St. Louis remains in second place in the NL Central, five games back of the Brewers. The Cardinals’ record stands at 47-42.
The offense over the week was more prolific than it had been the prior week. Despite the brief improvement, the team’s season run differential is -39.
The top offensive performers for the week by OPS are Nolan Gorman (1.289), Willson Contreras (1.212) and Brandon Crawford (1.000 in 3 ABs). Just below a .900 OPS are Masyn Winn (.896), Alec Burleson (.819), and Nolan Arenado (.807). The improvements from both Gorman and Arenado are important, as they are two of the most important hitters in the lineup who have struggled for most of the first half of the season.
At the bottom are Michael Siani (.334) and Matt Carpenter (.334). Siani’s place in the starting lineup could be more infrequent with the imminent return of Lars Nootbaar and the closer return of Tommy Edman, as the latter begins a rehab assignment this week. The poor offensive performance of Dylan Carlson (.502 OPS over the last week) has played a part in Siani’s frequent starts in CF, mostly because Siani’s defense is superior to that of Carlson.
In the starting pitching department, only Andre Pallante and Miles Mikolas had ERAs under 4.00 over the last week. While the offense has improved, the starting pitching got worse. The three 2024 newcomers, Sonny Gray (9.00), Kyle Gibson (6.30) and Lance Lynn (33.75), all had bad starts over the week. Lynn only lasted 2 2/3 innings in his most recent start, during which he gave up 11 runs.
The success of this team depends on all facets of the game going well. That has rarely happened during any part of the season so far. Perhaps the rest during the All-Star break will help the situation.
The bullpen has had its hiccups but has been fairly steady in this first half of the season. Of course, the pen gets frequent ingestion of fresh arms from Memphis when needed, which helps it stay on course.
The Cardinals have two more series (plus one game of the current series) before the All-Star break. First are two games with the Royals and then four with the Cubs which includes a doubleheader to make up a previous rain out. The Royals are playing well so far this season, but the Cubs have struggled. The Cubs will not be easy to beat though, because they never are. The intense rivalry between the two teams guarantees a tough series.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
53
38
0.582
St. Louis
47
42
0.528
5
Pittsburgh
42
47
0.472
10
Cincinnati
42
48
0.467
10.5
Chicago
42
49
0.462
11
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
7/4 The Cardinals sent C Iván Herrera on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
7/5 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
7/5 The Cardinals optioned RHP Jacob Bosiokovic to the Memphis Redbirds.
7/8 The Cardinals optioned IF Jose Fermin to the Memphis Redbirds.
On May 31st, the then-red hot hitting Memphis infielder (1.076 OPS) was called up to St. Louis when outfielder Lars Nootbaar was placed on the injured list.
Playing rarely for the Cardinals. Fermin went a dismal 3-for-31 (.097). He walked twice and struck out four times.
Expect Nootbaar to be activated before Monday’s game in Washington.
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman is set to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday with the Springfield Cardinals.
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. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien was scheduled for a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds, but it was paused due to continued arm issues. Scans were sent out for a second opinion and no decision will be made until the consultation is completed.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 28. Matz was cleared to begin throwing on July 4. Matz is expected to be out until August.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. Nootbaar has completed his rehab assignment and is expected to join the Cardinals in Washington on Monday.
In seven games with Springfield, Nootbaar split his time between right field and designated hitter. The right-handed hitter went 6-for-23 (.261) with six walks and eight strikeouts.
In his return to St. Louis, Nootbaar should become the semi-regular in right, shifting Alec Burleson to designated hitter. He could also spell Brendan Donovan in left and Michael Siani in right periodically.
Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 19. Herrera was sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis on July 4.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals conclude their series in Washington on Monday. The team then returns home to play two games at Busch Stadium against the Kansas City Royals.
After a Thursday off day, the Cubs come to town for a weekend series before the All-Star Break.
The first series after the All-Star Break will be against the Braves in Atlanta. The Cardinals then return to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates.
After a travel day on Thursday, July 25, the Cardinals take on the Nationals again at Busch Stadium. The final series in July is three games with the Texas Rangers in St. Louis.
The month of August begins at Wrigley Field with a four-game series with the Cubs. The Cardinals return to St. Louis to play a rain makeup game with the Mets on Monday, August 5. That game will be followed by three games against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past looks at baseball rare feats accomplished by Cardinals players during the period July 1 through 7 in various years in the past.
A “rare feat” in MLB terms has been 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 this period in past seasons, the following Cardinal players accomplished one of the aforementioned rare feats. For each player, the type of feat, the date, as well as some details are listed below.
Nolan Arenado via Zoom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Nolan Arenado – On July 1, 2022, Arenado hit for the cycle in a 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. This was the second cycle in the career of Arenado. He hit for the cycle while with the Rockies on June 18, 2017.
Arenado’s cycle came in the following order: In the first inning, Arenado tripled to the LF-CF gap, scoring Paul Goldschmidt from first base.
In the third inning, Arenado hit a two-run home run to left field, again scoring Goldschmidt. Arenado’s cycle was completed by a double in the sixth and a single in the eighth.
Keith McDonald – McDonald was a catcher and the 24th round draft pick of the Cardinals in 1994. His MLB career was very short. McDonald debuted with the Cardinals on July 4, 2000 against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won, 14-3.
McDonald came into the game as a pinch hitter for SS Edgar Renteria in the bottom of the eighth inning. McDonald hit a solo home run to left center field for the final run scored by St. Louis.
In a twist to the story, McDonald hit a second home run two days later, on July 6 in his second MLB at bat, making him the second player in MLB history to homer in his first two major league at bats. The first was Bob Nieman, who hit two home runs in the same game, in his first two at bats with the St. Louis Browns on September 14, 1951.
McDonald appeared in only eight games total over two seasons, 2000 and 2001. He did not play for a major league team again.
Bill White
Bill White – White played for the Cardinals for eight seasons, from 1959 to 1965, and again in 1969 and was named a team Hall of Famer in 2020. White’s rare feat was hitting three home runs in one game. On July 5, 1961, he led the Cardinals to a 9-1 win over the Dodgers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
White’s first long ball was a solo shot to right field in the top of the third inning. His second was a two-run home run in the fourth inning. White hit another solo blast to right center field in the eighth. The first two long balls were against Dodger starter Roger Craig. The third was versus reliever Jim Golden.
The Cardinals hit four home runs in that game with the other home run hit by none other than starting pitcher Bob Gibson.
In that same month, White accomplished another feat. He tied Ty Cobb’s record of recording 14 hits in consecutive doubleheaders. The first doubleheader was played on the day that Cobb died.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-2 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Peoria RH Inohan Paniagua, pitched six scoreless, no-hit innings with four strikeouts. Other standouts include Victor Scott II, Iván Herrera, Lars Nootbaar, Ronny Oliver and Luis Piño.
The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Sounds in a 7-4 road win on Friday. Starter Ian Bedell pitched six innings, gave up four runs on two hits, struck out four and walked four to earn his first win in Memphis.
Packy Naughton relieved Bedell and threw 1/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Loutos hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Nick Robertson tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save.
Nashville took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Memphis cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth. Jared Young doubled and Victor Scott II singled. Iván Herrera followed with a three-run home run.
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) July 6, 2024
The Redbirds went up for the first time in the sixth, 5-4. Luken Baker thumped a solo home run, his league-leading and system-leading 25th of the year. César Prieto drew a walk. Thomas Saggese singled. Jared Young was hit by a pitch. Prieto came home on a force out by Gavin Collins.
Memphis added two runs in the eighth to lead 7-4. Prieto walked. Young grounded into a force out. Prieto was out at second. Collins doubled. Scott plated Young and Collins on a double.
The Double-A Cardinals were topped by the Naturals by one run on Friday at Hammons Field. Starter Trent Baker pitched three scoreless, no-hit innings and struck out three.
Brandon Komar surrendered three runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief. Jack Ralston yielded one run in 1/3 of an inning and took the loss. Leonardo Taveras tossed the final two scoreless innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam with one out in the eighth with consecutive strikeouts.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. St. Louis rehabber Lars Nootbaar and Matt Lloyd singled. Jimmy Crooks drove in Nootbaar on a single.
NW Arkansas put up two runs in the top of the fourth to lead 2-1. Springfield answered with a run in the home fourth to tie the game. Mike Antico singled. Jeremy Rivas walked. Chandler Redmond reached on an error and Antico came home.
The Cardinals regained the lead in the fifth on a solo home run by Nootbaar to make it 3-2. The Naturals came back with single runs in the seventh and eighth to win the game 4-3.
Noot yeah! For the second time in this rehab stint, Lars Nootbaar launches a homer for Springfield. This solo shot gives the Cards the lead. pic.twitter.com/vy2rLFyZ8a
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 6, 2024
Springfield scored three runs on eight hits. Right fielder Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Jacob Buchberger was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Matt Lloyd was caught stealing. On defense, Luis Rodriguez made two errors, one on a pickoff and one throwing error.
Springfield is 43-37 on the season, 6-5 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. NW Arkansas, Quinn Mathews LHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Tyson Guerrero LHP (1-5, 5.88) 6:35 CT
The High-A Chiefs took a 3-2 win at the South Bend Cubs on Friday. Starter Inohan Paniagua pitched six scoreless, no-hit innings, struck out four and walked two to earn his seventh win of the season.
The Low-A Cardinals edged the Hammerheads in a 5-4 “road” win at Roger Dean Stadium on Friday. Starter Chen-Wei Lin pitched four innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out five and walked two.
Hunter Hayes relieved Lin and threw four scoreless innings to earn his second win. Henry Gomez surrendered one run in the ninth but received his fifth save.
Jupiter took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The Beach Birds answered with one run in the third. Chase Adkison doubled. Adkison advanced to third on a ground out by Ross Friedrick. Adkison scored on a ground out by Lizandro Espinoza.
Palm Beach put up three runs in the fourth to lead 4-3. Johnfrank Salazar singled. Chase Davis drew a walk. Jose Suarez singled. Salazar came home on a walk by Adkison. Friedrick plated Davis and Suarez on a ground rule double.
The Cardinals added a run in the seventh on a solo home run by Espinoza to increase the lead to 5-3. Jupiter rallied for one run in the ninth to bring the final score to 5-4.
The rookie Cardinals blanked the Nationals in a 7-0 road win on Friday. Starter Ronny Oliver pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed one hit, struck out four and walked three to earn his second win of the season.
Antoni Cuello relieved Oliver and threw two scoreless innings. Victor Villanueva hurled 1/3 scoreless innings. Randel Clemente tossed a scoreless ninth.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead. Jonathan Mejia singled and stole second base. Mejia moved to third on a wild pitch. Felix Taveras drove in Mejia on a triple. Taveras came home on a passed ball.
The Cardinals made it 3-0 in the eighth. Luis Piño doubled and scored on a double by Arfeni Batista. The offense added four runs in the ninth to increase the lead to 7-0. Romtres Cabrera singled. Chris Lopez singled. Mejia drew a walk. Cabrera scored on a walk to Taveras. Piño cleared the bases on a single.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 10 hits. Piño was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Mejia was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Cabrera was 2-for-4. Taveras had two RBI.
On the bases, Mejia stole his 10th base of the season.
The Cardinals are 16-26 on the season and are in last place in the FCL East.
Saturday’s game: vs. FCL Marlins, RH Juan Severino (0-1, 6.46) vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
The Dominican Cardinals lost to the Arizona Red by the score of 3-1 on Friday. Starter Branneli Franco pitched four innings, gave up three runs on four hits and struck out two. Franco took the loss.
Four relievers tossed a scoreless inning each: Reiner Lopez, Justin Hernandez, Giovanni Vargas and Jesus Garcia.
The Arizona Red went up 1-0 in the first inning and added two runs in the second to lead 3-0.
The Cardinals were held scoreless until the ninth inning when they cut the lead to 3-1. Yoerny Junco drew a walk. Facundo Velasquez singled and Junco advanced to third. Junco scored on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals were held to two hits. No Cardinal had multiples. The offense was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
On the bases, Cristofer Lebron was caught stealing. On defense, Paulo Asprilla picked a runner off first base.
The DSL Cardinals are 11-12 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. DSL Angels, RH Oliver Gonzalez (1-0, 4.63) vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
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Happy Fourth! The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-2 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Peoria 1B William Sullivan, was 3-for-4 including two home runs with three RBI and three runs scored. Other standouts include Aaron McKeithan, Darlin Moquete, Miguel Villarroel, Zach Levenson and Ixan Henderson.
The Triple-A Redbirds were edged by the Sounds in an 11 inning 4-3 home loss on Wednesday. Bullpen starter Connor Thomas pitched 2 2/3 innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out four and walked three.
Ryan Shreve relieved Thomas and surrendered one run in 3 1/3 innings. Victor Santos yielded one unearned run in 3 2/3 innings. Chris Roycroft threw 1/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Loutos allowed one unearned run in the 11th and took the loss.
Nashville scored single runs in the third and fifth innings to lead 2-0.
Memphis plated their first run in the sixth. Matt Koperniak doubled and advanced to third on an error. Luken Baker drove in Koperniak on a single.
The Redbirds tied the game 2-2 in the eighth. Victor Scott II drew a walk and stole second base. Jordan Walker and Koperniak walked to load the bases. Scott came home on a wild pitch.
The game went into extra innings. The Sounds scored one run in the top of the 10th. Memphis answered in the bottom of the inning to tie 3-3. Arquimedes Gamboa started the inning on second. Jordan Walker drove him in with a single.
The Double- Cardinals took the Naturals in a 6-3 road win on Wednesday. Starter Alex Cornwell pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on eight hits, struck out seven and walked two.
Jack Ralston relieved Cornwell and threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Matt Svanson tossed the final two scoreless innings to earn the win.
Springfield took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Matt Lloyd drew a walk. Dakota Harris doubled. Nathan Church plated Lloyd on a sac fly. Harris came home on a sac fly by Aaron McKeithan.
NW Arkansas answered with three runs in the home fourth to lead 3-2.
The Cardinals rallied for four runs in the ninth to lead 6-3. Church reached on an error. McKeithan singled. Jacob Buchberger pinch ran for McKeithan. Chandler Redmond drove in Church on a single. R.J. Yeager pinch ran for Redmond. Jeremy Rivas hit a sac bunt. Buchberger and Yeager advanced a base. Bryan Torres was intentionally walked to load the bases. St. Louis rehabber Lars Nootbaar walked and Buchberger scored. Torres came home on a sac fly by Mike Antico. Matt Lloyd singled to score Torres.
Down 3-2 entering the ninth, Springfield tags NW Arkansas with four runs to take the lead! pic.twitter.com/pYVV8fKPhN
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 4, 2024
The Naturals had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against Svanson but could not push another runner across.
The Cardinals scored six runs on 10 hits. McKeithan was 3-for-3 with an RBI. Lloyd was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Dakota Harris was 3-for-5. DH Nootbaar was 0-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.
On the bases, Lloyd was caught stealing. On defense, McKeithan made a throwing error. Harris and Torres each had a fielding miscue.
Springfield is 42-36 on the season, 5-4 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: at NW Arkansas, Max Rajcic RHP (6-7, 5.32) vs. Noah Cameron LHP (2-3, 3.13) 5:35 CT.
The High Chiefs thrashed the Cubs in a 13-6 road win on Wednesday. Starter Hancel Rincon pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on eight hits, struck out two and walked two to earn his fifth win of the season.
Roy Garcia relieved Rincon and surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Osvaldo Berrios threw a scoreless eighth. Gustave Rodriguez tossed a scoreless ninth.
Peoria went up in the first inning on a two-run home run by Darlin Moquete. The Chiefs increased the lead to 3-0 in the second. Miguel Villarroel singled and stole second base. Joshua Baez reached on an error. Villarroel stole third base and scored on a sac fly by Carlos Linarez.
Peoria blew the game open with six runs in the top of the fourth. Zach Levenson hit a solo home run. Villarroel drew a walk, then stole second base and third base. Baez plated Villarroel on a single. William Sullivan singled. Baez came home on a single by Brody Moore. Moquete walked. Alex Iadisernia drove in Sullivan on a sac fly. Moore and Moquete advanced on a wild pitch. Chris Rotondo walked. Moore and Moquete scored on a single by Levenson. The Chiefs led 9-0.
South Bend came back with three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to cut the lead to 10-6.
The Chiefs increased the lead to 11-6 in the eighth. Iadisernia drew a walk, stole second and third and scored on a single by Rotondo. Peoria made it 13-6 in the ninth. Baez walked and stole second base. Sullivan thumped a two-run home run.
Peoria scored 13 runs on 16 hits. Sullivan was 3-for-4 including two home runs, with three RBI and three runs scored. Moquete was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Levenson was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Moore was 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Villarroel was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
At Roger Dean Stadium, the Low-A Cardinals blanked the Hammerheads by the score of 6-0. Starter Ixan Henderson pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed three hits, struck out four and walked one to earn his fifth win of the season.
Ettore Guilianelli relieved Henderson and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Angel Cuenca got the final out of the ninth.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning. Trey Paige and Johnfrank Salazar singled. Paige scored on a single by Noah Mendlinger. Chase Davis drew a walk. Sammy Hernandez plated Salazar on a sac fly.
The Beach Birds added a run in the seventh to lead 3-0. Paige, Salazar and Davis walked. Paige scored on a walk by Jose Suarez.
Palm Beach put up three runs in the ninth to conclude the 6-0 win. Kade Kretzschmar singled. Suarez tripled to plate Kretzschmar. Suarez came home on a single by Hernandez. Ross Friedrick drove in Hernandez on a single.
The Cardinals scored six runs on nine hits. Paige was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Suarez and Hernandez each had two RBI.
On defense, Salazar made a fielding error.
Palm Beach is 44-33 on the season, 7-4 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: at Jupiter, RH Jose Davila (2-5, 5.49) vs. Collin Lowe RHP (6-2, 4.32) 5:00 CT.
The rookie Cardinals fell to the Marlins by a 3-1 score on Wednesday. Starter Yadiel Batista pitched five innings, gave up two runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked one. Batista took the loss.
Randel Clemente relieved Batista and threw two scoreless innings. Antoni Cuello surrendered one unearned run in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the top of the first inning. Yordalin Pena drew a walk. Jonathan Mejia singled and stole second base. Felix Taveras walked. Pena scored on a force out by Samil De La Rosa.
The Marlins put up two runs in the second and added a run in the eighth to win 3-1.
The Cardinals scored one run on three hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
On the bases, Mejia stole his ninth base of the season. De La Rosa swiped two bags.
On defense, Cuello made an error on a pickoff. Yaisel Ramos had an outfield assist at home plate. Batista picked a runner off first base.
The Cardinals are 15-25 on the season and are in last place in the FCL East.
Thursday’s game: vs. FCL Nationals, RH Nelfy Ynfante (4-1, 2.83) vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
DSL Cardinals – Off day
The 10-11 Dominican Summer League Cardinals are in fifth place in the Central Division, six games behind first place Giants Black.
Thursday’s game: vs. DSL Yankees, RH Keiverson Ramirez (1-0, 1.00) vs TBD 10:00 am CT.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-0 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis LF Matt Koperniak, was 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Other standouts include Thomas Saggese, Jeremy Rivas, Darlin Saladin, Miguel Villarroel, Jose Suarez and Gerardo Salas.
The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Sounds in an extra innings back-and-forth slugfest on Tuesday at AutoZone Park. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched five innings, gave up five runs on six hits, struck out four and walked two.
Ryan Loutos relieved McGreevy and surrendered three runs in the sixth. Andre Granillo threw a scoreless seventh. Nick Robertson yielded two runs in the eighth and was tagged with a blown save. Chris Roycroft allowed one unearned run in the final two innings to receive his second win.
Memphis went up in the first inning on a solo home run by Matt Koperniak. Nashville scored two runs in the top of the third.
The Redbirds answered with two runs in the home third to regain the lead, 3-2. Jared Young drew a walk and Nick Raposo followed with a two-run home run.
Nashville plated three runs in the fourth to pull ahead, 5-3. Memphis responded with one in the fifth. Raposo doubled and advanced to third on a fielding error. Victor Scott plated Raposo on a sac fly.
The Sounds added to their lead with three runs in the sixth before the Redbirds rallied for five runs in the seventh to take a 9-8 lead. Nick Dunn reached on an error. Young doubled. Scott drove in Dunn and Young on a double. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Koperniak followed with a three-run home run.
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) July 3, 2024
Nashville scored two runs in the eighth to retake the lead 10-9. Memphis tied it up again in the ninth on a solo home run by Young.
Nashville scored the Manfred runner in the top of the 10th to go up 11-10. In the bottom of the 10thwith Walker on second base, Koperniak singled, sending Walker to third. Thomas Saggese blasted a three-run home run for the walk off win.
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) July 3, 2024
The Redbirds scored 13 runs on 14 hits. Saggese was 4-for-5 with three RBI. Koperniak was 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Raposo was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Young was 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. César Prieto was 2-for-5. Scott had three RBI.
On the bases, Prieto and Dunn were both picked off first base.
Memphis is 42-40 on the season, 4-3 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Nashville, LH Connor Thomas (3-2, 3.31) (bullpen game as Zack Thompson replacement) vs. Chad Patrick RHP (7-1, 2.89) 6:00 CT
The Double-A Cardinals beat the Naturals by the score of 7-3 on Tuesday. Starter Cooper Hjerpe pitched two scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out three and walked one.
Cardinals No. 7 ranked prospect Cooper Hjerpe left tonight's game after just two innings and 39 pitches. He shook out his left arm after this foul ball in the 2nd inning.
He would finish the frame before leaving. Hjerpe had fired 10 straight no-hit innings before this start. pic.twitter.com/L7Hu0fgaRl
Wilfredo Pereira relieved Hjerpe and threw three scoreless innings to earn his fourth win. Leonardo Taveras surrendered three runs in three innings pitched. Andrew Marrero tossed a scoreless ninth.
Springfield took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Bryan Torres singled. As Lars Nootbaar grounded into a force out, Torres was out at second. Jimmy Crooks singled. Mike Antico drove in Nootbaar on a single.
The Cardinals increased the lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning. Nathan Church doubled. Chandler Redmond plated Church on a single. Jeremy Rivas hit a two-run home run. Torres drew a walk. Nootbaar singled. Matt Lloyd walked. Torres came home on a walk by Jimmy Crooks.
Goodbye baseball! Jeremy Rivas launches a two-run shot to increase the Springfield lead to four. pic.twitter.com/qr48Q95iqU
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 3, 2024
Springfield added two runs in the fifth to lead 7-0. Redmond singled. Rivas singled, advancing Redmond to third. Rivas stole second base and Redmond stole home. Rivas scored on a double by Torres.
NW Arkansas came back with two runs in the sixth and one in the eighth to bring the final score to 7-3.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 11 hits. Rivas was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Redmond was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Torres was 2-for-4 with an RBI. St. Louis rehabber Nootbaar was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Rivas stole his 20th base of the season. Redmond swiped his fifth bag. On defense, Hjerpe picked a runner off first base.
Springfield is 41-36 on the season, 4-4 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at NW Arkansas, Alex Cornwell LHP (4-2, 6.54) vs. William Fleming RHP (2-3, 8.54) 7:05 CT.
The High-A Chiefs blanked the Cubs in a 7-0 blowout on Tuesday. Starter Darlin Saladin pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed seven hits and struck out eight to earn his second win in the Midwest League.
Peoria scored a fourth run in the fifth. Brody Moore singled, stole second base, and advanced to third on a throwing error. Moore came home on a sac fly by Bernal.
The Chiefs ran up the score with a three-run seventh to make it 7-0. Iadisernia drew a walk. Moore singled. Bernal singled and Iadisernia scored. Moore stole third base. Zach Levenson drew a walk. Villaroel reached on a fielder’s choice and Moore crossed the plate. Bernal scored on a hit by pitch of William Sullivan.
The offense scored seven runs on nine hits. Bernal was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Moore was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Villarroel had three RBI.
On the bases, Iadisernia stole his ninth base of the season. Moore swiped two bags.
On defense, Moore made a throwing error. Levenson had an outfield assist at second base.
Peoria is 31-45 on the season, 5-6 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at South Bend, Hancel Rincon RHP (4-5, 4.44) vs. Tyler Schlaffer RHP (0-1, 6.75) 4:45 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals blanked the Hammerheads by a 2-0 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday. Starter Gerardo Salas pitched six scoreless innings, allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked one to earn his fifth win of the season.
Luis Gastelum relieved Salas and threw two scoreless innings. Zack Showalter tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his seventh save.
The Beach Birds scored their first run in the fifth inning. Jose Suarez doubled and later came home on a wild pitch.
Palm Beach added a second run in the eighth to lead 2-0. Johnfrank Salazar was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a balk. Suarez plated Salazar on a single.
The Cardinals scored two runs on five hits. Suarez was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Ross Friedrick was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Suarez stole his first base of the season. On defense, Chase Adkison picked a runner off first base.
Palm Beach is 43-33 on the season, 5-4 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at Jupiter, LH Ixan Henderson (4-2, 2.60) vs. TBD 5:00 CT.
FCL Cardinals at FCL Astros (suspended, game one)
This postponed contest from Monday, July 1 was suspended in the bottom of the third with the Cardinals down 1-0 due to rain in the area. No date for completing the game has been listed.
FCL Cardinals, FCL Astros (postponed, game two)
The regularly scheduled second game of the doubleheader was postponed due to rain in the area. It will be made up as part of a twin bill on July 15.
Wednesday’s game: at FCL Marlins, LH Leonel Sequera (0-4, 3.55) vs. TBD 11:00 am CT.
DSL Cardinals at DSL Blue Jays (postponed)
Tuesday’s Dominican Summer League Cardinals game was postponed due to rain and is scheduled to be made up on July 17.
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photo: Mike Shannon, Bob Gibson, Tim McCarver and Orlando Cepeda (Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals went 4-3 at home last week despite the sputtering offense scoring just 17 total runs. The entire baseball world mourns the passing of former Cardinals and Giants great Orlando Cepeda. Our history feature highlights four former Cardinals who debuted during the past week in prior years.
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda passes away at age 86
The baseball world was saddened to hear of the passing of Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando Cepeda at the age of 86. The death was announced by his family on Friday.
Cepeda began his baseball career with the San Francisco Giants. Nicknamed “Baby Bull”, Cepeda played nine seasons with the Giants, and was named Rookie of the Year in 1958. In those nine seasons, he appeared in six All-Star Games, led the National League in home runs with 46 and led the majors in RBI with 142 in 1961.
The Giants traded Cepeda to the Cardinals in May 1966. In 1967, Cepeda hit a career high .325 with 25 home runs and an NL leading 111 RBI. The Cardinals won the pennant and defeated the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Cepeda was named the NL MVP.
In his final season in St. Louis in 1968, the Cardinals again won the pennant but lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers. Cepeda had a down year in 1968, hitting only .248 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI. Before the 1969 season started, the Cardinals traded Cepeda to the Atlanta Braves for Joe Torre.
Cepeda played for the Braves, Athletics, Red Sox and finally the Royals during his last season, 1974.
Cepeda has the distinction of being the first player in NL history to win both the Rookie of the Year and the MVP unanimously. The only other one to follow was Albert Pujols.
Due to legal troubles after his retirement, Cepeda was not elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame during his years of eligibility. He was selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1999.
Cepeda’s death comes just 10 days after the passing of another beloved Giant and Hall of Famer, the great Willie Mays.
The Cardinals community along with Major League baseball mourns the passing of Orlando Cepeda.
The Cardinals edged the Braves by a 4-3 score on Monday at Busch Stadium. Starter Lance Lynn pitched 6 2/3 innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out five to earn his third win of the season.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Lynn and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley surrendered two runs in the ninth but received his 27th save.
The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the third inning. Michael Siani singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Alec Burleson doubled to drive in Siani. Burleson scored on a single by Willson Contreras. Nolan Gorman singled. Brendan Donovan plated Contreras on a single. Donovan was caught stealing and Gorman came home on the attempt.
The Braves scored their first run in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-1. Atlanta pushed across two runs in the ninth.
The Cardinals scored four runs on 11 hits. Donovan was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Burleson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Siani was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Donovan was caught stealing.
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 – Cardinals vs. Braves (postponed)
Tuesday night’s game was postponed due to rain and was played as part of a day/night doubleheader on Wednesday.
The Cardinals fell to the Braves in the first game of a twin bill on Wednesday. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched four innings, gave up four runs on four hits, struck out four and walked five. Gibson took the loss, his third of the season.
Kyle Leahy relieved Gibson and surrendered two runs in three innings. Giovanny Gallegos threw a scoreless eighth and John King tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Braves went up 4-0 in the top of the second inning and the Cardinals scored one run in the home second. Paul Goldschmidt led off with a double. Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman walked. Matt Carpenter plated Goldschmidt on a sac fly.
St. Louis made it 4-2 in the fifth. Carpenter singled. Siani doubled. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Aleb Burleson plated Carpenter on a sac fly.
The Braves put up two runs in the sixth to lead 6-2.
St. Louis’ offense scored two runs on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense was 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
The Cardinals defeated the Braves by the score of 4-1 in the second game of the twin bill on Wednesday. Fill in starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out eight and walked one to earn his second win of the season.
Chris Roycroft relieved Liberatore and threw a scoreless seventh. Andrew Kittredge surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero hurled 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 28th save.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Michael Siani and Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson doubled to score Siani and Winn.
The Braves scored their only run in the top of the eighth. St. Louis answered with two runs in the home half to increase the lead to 4-1. Burleson doubled. Dylan Carlson pinch ran for Burleson. Paul Goldschmidt plated Carlson on a single. Goldschmidt stole second base. Brendan Donovan drove in Goldschmidt on a single.
The Cardinals scored four runs on eight hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Siani was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Donovan stole his second base of the season. Nolan Gorman swiped his sixth bag. Goldschmidt stole his fourth base.
On defense, Liberatore picked a runner off first base.
The Cardinals were mauled by the Reds in an 11-4 blowout on Thursday at Busch Stadium. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up 10 runs, nine earned, on 12 hits, struck out one and walked one. Mikolas took the loss, his seventh of the season.
John King relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run in two innings. Giovanny Gallegos threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Reds put up one run in the first, added one in the second and three in the top of the third to lead 5-0.
The Cardinals responded with two runs in the home third to cut the deficit to 5-2. Willson Contreras drew a walk. Nolan Arenado hit a two-run home run.
The Reds scored two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth, and one in the seventh to run up the score to 11-2. The Cardinals plated two more runs in the eighth to shrink the lead to 11-4. Michael Siani tripled and scored on a double by Brendan Donovan. Donovan came home on a double by Dylan Carlson.
St. Louis’ offense scored four runs on seven hits. Carlson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Arenado had two RBI.
The Cardinals blanked the Reds by the score of 1-0 on Friday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits, struck out five and walked three to earn his fourth win of the season.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Pallante and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge combined for a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 29th save.
The Cardinals scored the only run of the game in the third inning. Michael Siani doubled. Willson Contreras walked. Alec Burleson plated Siani on a sac fly.
St. Louis scored one run on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
On Saturday, the Cardinals lost to the Reds in the third of the four-game series. Starter and former Red Sonny Gray had a tough outing. The right hander pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up six runs, three earned, on seven hits, struck out six and walked one. Gray took the loss, his fifth of the season.
John King relieved Gray and surrendered two runs in 1/3 of an inning. In his MLB debut, Gordon Graceffo yielded one run in 4 1/3 innings, but the damage was done.
The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Cardinals answered with one run in the home half. Matt Carpenter doubled and scored on a single by Michael Siani.
The Reds took a big jump ahead with a six-run fifth inning to lead 8-1. The Cardinals chipped away at the lead in the sixth on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt to make it 8-2.
The Reds added a ninth run in the top of the seventh. St. Louis responded with one run in the bottom of the inning. Nolan Arenado singled. Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Carpenter drove in Arenado on a single.
The Cardinals made it 9-4 in the eighth. Willson Contreras singled. Arenado singled and Contreras advanced to third on an error. Gorman plated Contreras on a single.
The offense scored four runs on eight hits. Carpenter was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4.
On defense, Arenado made a fielding error that led to three unearned runs against Gray.
To salvage a home series split, the Cardinals blanked the Reds for the second time in the series by the score of 2-0. Starter Lance Lynn pitched six scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out six and walked one. In a career milestone, Lynn struck out his 1,000th hitter as a Cardinal.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Lynn and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 30th save.
The Cardinals scored the first run of the game in the fifth inning. Pedro Pagés and Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson plated Pagés on a single.
St. Louis added the second run in the sixth. Nolan Arenado and Pagés singled. Winn drove in Arenado on a double.
The Cardinals scored two runs on seven hits. Pagés was 3-for-4. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week at home with a 4-3 record. They took two of three from the Braves but split the four-game series with the Reds. The Cardinals are 43-40 and remain in second place in the NL Central, 6.5 games back of the Brewers.
The Cardinals did not score more than four runs in any of the seven games. They won two games 1-0 and 2-0. The offense is still absent and the pitching is having to make up the difference. It failed to do so in three games. The team’s run differential for the season is -40 yet they still hold one of the NL Wild Card spots. This reliance on pitching to keep them in the race cannot continue.
The top offensive performers for the week by OPS are role players Michael Siani (1.111), Pedro Pagés (1.055), and Matt Carpenter (.962). The next closest is Brendan Donovan (.726).
At the bottom are Brandon Crawford (.000), José Fermín (.200), Nolan Gorman (.317), and Masyn Winn (.422). Winn has been in a mini slump but his slumps have been short lived. Gorman on the other hand has been hitting poorly for quite some time.
It is now close to the All-Star break with no noticeable improvement by the offense over any extended period of time.
The pitching has been the savior for the most part. There have been hiccups in both the rotation and the bullpen, but they have been relatively mild.
Three of the starting pitchers had ERAs over 4.00 over the past seven days. Miles Mikolas pitched a clunker against the Reds on Thursday. Sonny Gray was not his usual self against the Reds as well. Only Lance Lynn and Andre Pallante had good weeks. Lynn has had two good starts in a row. Matthew Liberatore pitched very well in an unplanned start against the Braves. Kyle Gibson had a subpar start against the Braves. Despite all this, it was the pitching rather than the offense that contributed more to the four wins.
The starting pitching ERAs for the week are Pallante (0.00), Liberatore (0.00), Lynn (0.71), Gray (6.23), Gibson (9.00) and Mikolas (18.69). The bullpen misses were John King (8.10), Kyle Leahy (6.00) and Andrew Kittredge (5.40). Leahy is back in Memphis. Kittredge pitched better at the end of the week.
The Cardinals leave on Monday for a road trip that begins in Pittsburgh and ends in Washington. The Pirates have been sneaky good and are three games behind the Cardinals. The Nats are four games back in the Wild Card race. The offense needs to show up.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
50
34
0.595
St. Louis
43
40
0.518
6.5
Pittsburgh
40
43
0.482
9.5
Cincinnati
39
45
0.464
11
Chicago
39
46
0.459
11.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
6/24 The Cardinals optioned C Nick Raposo to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/24 The Cardinals activated RHP Nick Robertson from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Memphis.
6/24 The Cardinals activated C Willson Contreras from the 10-day injured list.
6/26 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds as the 27th player for Wednesday’s doubleheader.
6/27 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/28 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kyle Leahy to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/28 The Cardinals transferred LHP Steven Matz from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Lower back strain.
6/28 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/28 The Cardinals sent OF Lars Nootbaar on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
6/30 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/30 The Cardinals designated Memphis LHP Kolton Ingram for assignment.
6/30 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Jacob Bosiokovic from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman has had a setback in his return, as he sprained his ankle while fielding ground balls. Edman’s rehab has been paused until the severity of the injury can be assessed.
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. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien was scheduled for a rehab assignment but it was paused due to continued arm issues. Scans were sent out for a second opinion and no decision will be made until the consultation is completed.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 28. Matz is expected to be out until August.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. Nootbaar is currently on a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals. His expected return is July 5.
RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was activated from the 15-day injured list and optioned to the Memphis Redbirds on June 24.
Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 19. Herrera has been swinging the bat and may be catching bullpens in the coming days. A rehab stint may follow.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals begin July with a three-game series in Pittsburgh with the Pirates beginning Tuesday, July 2. Kyle Gibson is set to make the Tuesday start, followed by Miles Mikolas on Wednesday and Andre Pallante on Thursday.
The Pittsburgh series is followed by a weekend set with the Nationals in Washington.
The Cardinals return to St. Louis for two games against the Kansas City Royals. After a Thursday off day, the Cubs come to town for a weekend series before the All-Star Break.
The first series after the All-Star Break is against the Braves in Atlanta. The Cardinals then return to Pittsburgh.
After a travel day on Thursday, July 25, the Cardinals take on the Nationals again at Busch Stadium. The final series in July is with the Texas Rangers in St. Louis.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the Debut Series with a look at former Cardinals who debuted during the period June 24 through 30.
This week’s group of four debuts are all occurred during the 21st Century and are recognizable names, though several had short careers in St. Louis. The four bounced around with other teams with varying degrees of success. Only one of the four is currently on a major league roster and he is on the injured list.
Four former Cardinal players made their major league debuts with the team during the period June 24 through 30 in past seasons. The dates of the debuts, the game and how they performed is summarized.
Marco Gonzales (USA TODAY Sports Images)
Marco Gonzales – Gonzales made his major league debut with the Cardinals on June 25, 2014. The left-hander was the starting pitcher against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Cardinals won the game 9-6. Gonzales was called up to replace injured Jaime Garcia in the rotation.
Gonzales pitched five innings and gave up five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks. He had one plate appearance. In the third inning, he doubled to center and scored on a single by Matt Holliday.
Gonzales made five starts in 2014 but spent all of 2015 in Triple-A with the exception of one start with St. Louis. The Colorado native had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2016 season. He returned in June 2017 and made one start that lasted only 3 1/3 innings. He was traded that July to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Tyler O’Neill.
Gonzalez pitched for the Mariners through the 2023 season and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates last December. He is currently on the Bucs’ 60-day injured list.
Luke Voit (Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports)
Luke Voit – Voit made his major league debut with the Cardinals on June 25, 2017 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won, 8-4.
Voit appeared as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning for Trevor Rosenthal. Voit was hit by a pitch but was stranded.
Voit collected his first major league hit the next day against the Cincinnati Reds in a makeup game for a previous rainout. At Busch Stadium, Voit started at first base and hit sixth in the lineup. Voit went 1-for-4. His hit was a double to center in the fifth inning. He was left stranded. His other plate appearances were a strikeout swinging, a hit into a double play and a ground out to the shortstop.
Voit was traded to the Yankees in July 2018 for current Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos. He played for the Yankees for four seasons with his highlight the COVID year of 2020.
From there, Voit became a journeyman. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in August 2022. He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent in February 2023 but was released a month later. He was signed and released twice by the New York Mets in 2023 and the beginning of 2024. Voit is currently playing in the Mexican League.
Clayton Mortensen
Clayton Mortensen – Mortensen debuted on June 29, 2009 against the San Francisco Giants in Busch Stadium. The Cardinals lost, 10-0.
Mortensen is notable for two things. One is the shortness of the Cardinals phase of his career, consisting of three innings in this one game. The second notable fact is that he was one of three players traded to the Oakland Athletics for Matt Holliday.
Mortensen’s debut was in relief of starter Brad Thompson in the seventh inning. He gave up six runs, two earned, on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk in three innings. He had one plate appearance in the eighth inning and flied out to center.
Mortensen pitched a total of 33 2/3 innings for the Athletics in 2009 and 2010. He was designated for assignment by Oakland in January 2011 and then traded to the Colorado Rockies. He pitched in 16 games for the Rockies in 2011 and was traded to the Boston Red Sox in January 2012. Boston designated him for assignment on June 29, 2013, four years to the day after his Cardinals debut. The Red Sox traded Mortensen to the Royals, who traded him to the Marlins. Mortensen played in the minor leagues for both teams. The Royals re-signed him on a minor league deal in 2018 but he did not pitch. He retired at the end of the 2018 season.
Mortensen, who was a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2007, is currently a pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs Complex League team.
Dan Haren
Dan Haren – Haren debuted with the Cardinals on June 30, 2003 against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals lost, 5-1.
Starter Haren pitched six innings, gave up four runs, two earned, on seven hits, struck out three and walked one. He was the losing pitcher.
Haren made two plate appearances and was 1-for-2. His first major league hit was a double to right field in the third inning. He was left stranded.
Haren made 14 starts in 2003 and then spent the 2004 regular season in Triple-A. He was called up again for the postseason in 2004 in which he made five appearances, including two in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. Haren pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in that World Series as the Cardinals were swept.
After the 2004 season, Haren was traded along with Kiko Calero and Daric Barton to the Oakland Athletics for Mark Mulder.
Haren’s major league career spanned 13 seasons. In addition to the Athletics, Haren pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs. He appeared in three All-Star Games and finished in the top 10 of the Cy Young Award vote twice.
Haren retired from baseball after the 2015 season. St. Louis’ second-round draft pick in 2001 is currently employed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a pitching strategist.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-4 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is Memphis 1B Luken Baker, who was 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored. Other standouts include Kolton Ingram, Mike Antico, and Chase Davis.
The Triple-A Redbirds were victorious over the Stripers in a four-run win on Friday. Starter Zack Thompson pitched three innings, gave up two runs on two hits, struck out three and walked six.
Kolton Ingram relieved Thompson and threw three scoreless innings to earn the win. Victor Santos surrendered two runs in two innings. Chris Roycroft tossed a scoreless ninth.
Gwinnett took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Memphis answered with three runs in the top of the third to take a lead of 3-1. Gavin Collins drew a walk. Arquímedes Gamboa reached on an error. Both runners advanced on a sac bunt by Victor Scott II. Luken Baker hit a three-run home run.
The Stripers cut the lead to 3-2 in the home half of the third. The Redbirds responded with one run in the fourth to lead 4-2. Moisés Gómez singled. Jared Young singled. Gómez scored on a sac fly by Collins.
Memphis increased their lead to 6-2 in the fifth. Jordan Walker hit a solo home run. Luken Baker doubled and scored on a fielding error.
Gwinnett put up two runs in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-4. In the ninth, Memphis produced a final run to lead 8-4. Young and Collins each drew a walk. Young scored on a single by Gamboa.
The Memphis offense scored eight runs on 12 hits. Baker was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Gamboa was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Walker was 2-for-6 with an RBI. Gómez was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Young was 2-for-3. Collins had two RBI.
On the bases, Matt Koperniak stole his fourth base of the season. On defense, Baker made a fielding error.
Memphis is 41-38 on the season, 2-1 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. Gwinnett, Ian Bedell RHP (0-0, 1.80) vs. TBD (GWI) 5:05 CT.
On Friday, the Double-A Cardinals fell to the Travelers in an 11-6 contest at Hammons Field. Starter Max Rajcic pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up six runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked four. Rajcic took the loss, his seventh.
Leonardo Taveras relieved Rajcic and surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Wilfredo Pereira yielded three runs in the final two innings.
Arkansas went up 2-0 in the first inning. The Travelers added a run in the top of the second to lead 3-0.
Springfield answered with one run in the home half of the second to cut the lead to 3-1. Mike Antico drew a walk. Nathan Church singled and Antico advanced to third on a throwing error. R. J. Yeager drew a walk. Chandler Redmond was hit by a pitch and Antico scored.
The Cardinals plated one run in the fourth on a solo home run by Antico to shrink the lead to 3-2.
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 29, 2024
In the top of the sixth, Arkansas put up five runs to widen the lead to 8-2. Springfield responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-4. Jimmy Crooks singled. Antico singled. Church plated Crooks on a double. Antico came home on a ground out by Chandler Redmond.
The Travelers scored one run in the eighth and two runs in the top of the ninth to lead 11-4. The Cardinals rallied for two runs in the bottom frame of the ninth for an 11-6 final score. Redmond walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch sent Redmond to third. Bryan Torres drove in Redmond on a single. Torres later came home on a sac fly by Matt Lloyd.
The Cardinals scored six runs on nine hits. Antico was 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Church was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Torres was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Redmond had two RBI.
On the bases, Yeager stole his fifth base of the season. Torres was caught stealing.
On defense, Crooks made a throwing error.
Springfield is 38-35 on the season, 1-3 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. Arkansas, Alex Cornwell LHP (4-1, 5.23) vs. Reid VanScoter LHP (3-6, 3.88) 6:35 CT.
The High-A Chiefs were trounced by the River Bandits in an 8-1 game at Dozer Park on Friday. Starter Hancel Rincon pitched five innings, gave up eight runs on five hits, struck out four and walked two. Rincon took the loss, his fourth.
Dionys Rodriguez relieved Rincon and threw three scoreless innings. Roy Garcia tossed a scoreless ninth.
Quad Cities took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The River Bandits added two runs in the second, and later two runs in the fourth to lead 8-0.
Peoria scored their only run of the game in the fifth. Osvaldo Tovalin doubled to start the inning. Michael Curialle singled. Brody Moore plated Tovalin on a double.
The Peoria offense scored one run on five hits. Curialle was 2-for-3. The team was 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
On defense, Garcia made a fielding error.
Peoria is 29-43 on the season, 3-3 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. Quad Cities, Brycen Mautz LHP (0-8, 6.05) vs. Frank Mozzicato LHP (3-6, 3.88) 6:35 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals lost to the Mets in a 10-8 slugfest on Friday. Starter Jose Davila pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on five hits, struck out seven and walked one.
Zach Showalter relieved Davila and surrendered one run in one inning. Luis Gastelum threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Henry Gomez yielded four runs in the ninth and took the loss.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning on a solo home run by Jose Cordoba. The Beach Birds added five runs in the third to increase the lead to 6-0. Travis Honeyman singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. Johnfrank Salazar singled. Chase Davis followed with a three-run home run. Kade Kretzschmar doubled. Anyelo Encarnacion plated Kretzschmar on a single. Encarnacion came home on a single by Ross Friedrick.
Palm Beach increased the lead to 8-0 in the fourth. Honeyman singled. Salazar singled. Honeyman and Salazar scored on a double by Davis.
In the sixth, the Mets got on the board with six runs to cut the lead to 8-6. They added four runs in the ninth to win 10-8.
The Palm Beach offense scored eight runs on 11 hits. Davis was 2-for-5 with five RBI. Salazar was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Honeyman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
On defense, Maikel Hernandez made a throwing error.
Palm Beach is 40-32 on the season, 3-3 in the second half.
Saturday’s game: vs. St. Lucie, TBD (PB) vs. Ernesto Mercedes RHP (0-7, 5.19) 5:00 CT.
FCL Cardinals – Off day
The 14-24 FCL Cardinals were off on Friday. They will play against the 17-20 FCL Nationals on Saturday.
Saturday’s game: vs. FCL Nationals, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals were edged by the Angels in a 3-2 contest on Friday. Starter Gabriel Chinchilla pitched five innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out two and walked four. Chinchilla took the loss, his first of the season.
The offense scored two runs on seven hits. Bracewell Taveras was 2-for-4. Roquez had two RBI.
On the bases, Yairo Padilla stole two bases and was also caught stealing. On defense, Padilla made a fielding error. Yaxson Lucena had an outfield assist at first base.
The Cardinals are 9-10 on the season.
Saturday’s game: at DSL White Sox, TBD vs. TBS 9:00 am CT.
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The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-2 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is Memphis 1B Luken Baker, who broke the Memphis Redbirds franchise home run record, hitting 3-for-5 with two homers and three RBI. Other standouts include César Prieto, Cooper Hjerpe, Matt Lloyd and Yairo Padilla.
The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Stripers in a 6-4 contest on Wednesday. Starter Packy Naughton pitched two scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one.
Nick Robertson relieved Naughton and surrendered three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Nick Raquet threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Victor Santos hurled two scoreless innings to earn his second win. Ryan Loutos yielded one run in the ninth to earn his seventh save.
Gwinnett took a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Memphis posted two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 3-2. Matt Koperniak was hit by a pitch. Luken Baker followed with a two-run home run.
The Redbirds produced a four-run top of the ninth to take the lead 6-3. Jared Young was hit by a pitch. Victor Scott II singled. Koperniak followed with a three-run home run. Baker hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot.
The Stripers rallied for one run in the bottom of the ninth for a final score of 6-4.
Memphis scored six runs on 13 hits. Baker was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. César Prieto was 4-for-5. Scott was 2-for-5. Koperniak had three RBI.
On the bases, Koperniak stole his third base of the season. Scott swiped his 20th bag. On defense, Nick Raposo had a passed ball.
Memphis is 39-38 on the season, 1-1 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: vs. Gwinnett, TBD (MEM) vs. Darius Vines RHP (0-2, 5.47) 6:05 CT
The Double-A Cardinals were the victors over the Travelers in a 4-1 game at Hammons Field on Wednesday. Starter Cooper Hjerpe pitched five scoreless no-hit innings, struck out eight and walked two to earn his second win with Springfield.
Take a bow Cooper Hjerpe! Five hitless innings tonight runs his hitless streak to ten straight innings over his last two starts. He matches a career-high with eight strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/g6ouydRraL
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 27, 2024
Ryan Shreve relieved Hjerpe and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Jack Ralston hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Matt Svanson surrendered one run in the ninth.
Springfield put up two runs in the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Bryan Torres walked. Torres advanced to second on a bunt ground out by Mike Antico. Matt Lloyd plated Torres on a single. Jimmy Crooks singled. Lloyd stole third and Crooks stole second. Lloyd scored on a throwing error.
Matt Lloyd comes through again. Springfield's first hit drives in the game's first run. pic.twitter.com/7X6CCDsAXg
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 27, 2024
The Cardinals added one run in the fifth to increase the lead to 3-0. Jeremy Rivas singled and stole second base. Rivas came home on a single by Torres.
In the eighth, the Cardinals scored one run on a solo home run by Lloyd to widen the lead to 4-0. The Travelers ended the shutout with one run scored in the ninth.
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 27, 2024
The Cardinals scored four runs on eight hits. Lloyd was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Crooks was 2-for-4. Rivas was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Lloyd stole his eighth base. Crooks swiped his third bag. Rivas took his 19th base. Torres stole his 19th base. Antico swiped his 12th bag. Torres was caught stealing.
On the field, Antico had an outfield assist at home plate.
Springfield is 38-33 on the season, 1-1 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: vs. Arkansas, Trent Baker RHP (3-5, 6.41) vs. Danny Wirchansky LHP (3-3, 3.08) 7:05 CT.
The High-A Chiefs fell to the River Bandits in a 3-1 contest at Dozer Park on Wednesday. Starter Pete Hansen pitched six innings, gave up three runs on six hits, struck out four and walked three. Hansen took the loss, his sixth of the season.
Zane Mills relieved Hansen and threw two scoreless innings. Tanner Jacobson tossed a scoreless ninth.
Cedar Rapids scored one run in the first inning and two runs in the second inning to go up 3-0. The Chiefs scored their only run of the game in the fifth. Darlin Moquete singled. Moquete stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error. Moquete came home on a ground out by Osvaldo Tovalin.
The Peoria offense scored one run on seven hits. Chris Rotondo was 3-for-4. The team was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
On the bases, Moquete stole his sixth base of the season. Rotondo was caught stealing.
On defense, Hansen picked a runner off second base.
Peoria is 28-42 on the season, 2-3 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: vs. Quad Cities, Darlin Saladin RHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Hunter Owen LHP (6-2, 3.12) 6:35 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals beat the Mets in a 6-4 win at Roger Dean Stadium on Wednesday. Starter Gerardo Salas pitched five innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits, struck out six and walked one to earn his fourth win of the season.
Augusto Calderon relieved Salas and threw three scoreless innings. Henry Gomez tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his third save.
St. Lucie went up 1-0 in the first inning, then added a run in the top of the second to lead 2-0. The Beach Birds answered with three runs in the home half of the second to take the lead 3-2. Anyelo Encarnacion singled. Johnfrank Salazar reached on a fielder’s choice with a throwing error. Encarnacion scored. Brayden Jobert hit a two-run home run.
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) June 27, 2024
Palm Beach made it 4-2 in the third. Chase Davis singled and later scored on a single by Salazar. The Cardinals added two runs in the fourth for a 6-2 lead. Trey Paige drew a walk. Travis Honeyman singled and Paige came home on a fielding error. Miguel Villarroel plated Honeyman on a single.
The Mets put two more runs on the board in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-4.
The offense scored six runs on 11 hits. Villarroel was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Honeyman was 2-for-4. Jose Cordoba was 2-for-4. Jobert had two RBI.
On the bases, Villarroel stole his 25th. Honeyman swiped his first bag. On defense, Salazar made a fielding error. Davis had an outfield assist at third base. Jobert had an outfield assist at second base.
Palm Beach is 40-30 on the season, 3-1 in the second half.
Thursday’s game: vs. St. Lucie, TBD (PB) vs. Edgar Moreta RHP (0-1, 5.40) 5:30 CT.
FCL Cardinals – Off day
The FCL Cardinals were off on Wednesday. They will face the FCL Nationals on Thursday in what will be a completion of their game on June 13th where the Nationals led the Cardinals by a score of 7-0 in the bottom of the second inning.
Thursday’s game: vs. FCL Nationals, TBD vs. TBD (completion of June 13 game) 9:00 am CT.
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-2 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is Palm Beach 1B Johnfrank Salazar, who was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Other standouts include Tre Richardson, Dakota Harris, Brayden Jobert, Chase Davis, and Leonel Sequera.
The Triple-A Redbirds fell to the Stripers by a score of 5-1 on Tuesday. Starter Adam Kloffenstein pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up five runs on eight hits, struck out three and walked five. Kloffenstein took the loss, his fifth of the season.
Connor Thomas relieved Kloffenstein and threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Jacob Bosiokovic tossed a scoreless eighth.
Gwinnett took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. They added two runs in the third to increase the lead to 5-0.
Memphis scored their only run of the game in the seventh. Moisés Gómez drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Alfonso Rivas moved Gómez to third on a flyout. Gavin Collins plated Gómez on a ground out.
The Redbird offense scored one run on five hits. Nick Dunn was 2-for-4.
On defense, Collins made a throwing error.
Memphis is 38-38 on the season, 0-1 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Gwinnett, TBD (MEM) vs. Zach Logue LHP (2-5, 3.67) 6:05 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals were defeated by the Travelers in a 9-4 loss on Wednesday at Hammons Field. Starter Edwin Nuñez pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up four runs on three hits, struck out two and walked four. Nuñez took the loss, his fifth of the season.
Wilfredo Pereira relieved Nuñez and surrendered two runs in 2 2/3 innings. Benito Garcia yielded two runs, one earned in two innings. Leonardo Taveras allowed one run in the ninth.
Springfield took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo home run by Matt Lloyd. Arkansas came back to score four runs in the third to lead 4-1.
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 26, 2024
The Travelers increased their lead to 6-1 in the top of the fifth. The Cardinals cut the lead to 6-2 in the home half of the fifth. Jeremy Rivas drew a walk. Bryan Torres walked. Both runners advanced on a balk. Lloyd walked to load the bases. Rivas scored on a walk by Jacob Buchberger.
Arkansas added two runs in the seventh to lead 8-2. The Cardinals responded with two runs in the eighth on a two-run home run by R.J. Yeager to shrink the lead to 8-4.
On Tuesday, the High-A Chiefs thumped the River Bandits in a rain-shortened contest at Dozer Park. Starter Inohan Paniagua pitched five innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out five and walked four to earn his sixth win of the season.
Tyler Bradt relieved Paniagua and threw two scoreless innings to earn his first save.
Quad Cities took an initial 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Peoria answered in the home half of the fourth with two runs to lead 2-1. Won-Bin Cho drew a walk. Dakota Harris plated Cho on a double. Harris later scored on a ground out by Alex Iadisernia.
The Chiefs added two runs in the fifth to increase the lead to 4-1. Joshua Baez singled and stole second base. Cho walked. The runners advanced on a wild pitch. Harris drove in Baez and Cho on a single.
Peoria continued to score with one run in the sixth to make it 5-1. Iadisernia singled and later scored on a single by Tre Richardson. In the seventh, the Chiefs widened their tally with three runs scored for an 8-1 lead. Leonardo Bernal drew a walk. Chris Rotondo singled. Osvaldo Tovalin singled. Richardson plated Bernal and Rotondo on a single. Tovalin came home on a double by Baez.
The rain came to delay the game. The contest was eventually called before the start of the eighth.
The Peoria offense scored eight runs on 12 hits. Richardson was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Harris was also 2-for-4 with three RBI. Baez was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Tovalin was 3-for-4.
On the bases, Baez stole his 15th base of the season. Tovalin was caught stealing. On defense, Bernal made a throwing error. Rotondo had a fielding miscue.
Peoria is 28-41 on the season, 2-2 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Quad Cities, Pete Hansen LHP (1-5, 4.53) vs. Hunter Patteson LHP (0-1, 14.54) 12:05 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals defeated the Mets in a 6-2 ballgame on Tuesday. Starter Jason Savacool pitched four innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out four and walked four.
Benjamin Arias relieved Savacool and threw two scoreless innings to earn his fourth win. Hunter Kublick surrendered one unearned run in the seventh. Hunter Hayes tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Beach Birds went up 1-0 in the first inning. Trey Paige singled and advanced to second on an error. Chase Davis plated Paige on a single.
The Mets tied the game in the third. Palm Beach answered in the fourth with two runs scored to lead 3-1. Johnfrank Salazar singled and Brayden Jobert followed with a two-run home run.
The Cardinals added to their lead with two runs in the fifth to increase the lead to 5-1. Kade Kretzschmar was hit by a pitch. Anyelo Encarnacion singled. Salazar drove in Kretzschmar and Encarnacion on a double.
Palm Beach posted their sixth run in the sixth to lead 6-1. Paige and Travis Honeyman singled. Paige later scored on a sac fly by Davis.
The Mets added one more run in the seventh to cut the lead to 6-2.
The offense scored six runs on 15 hits. Salazar was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Jobert was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Davis was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Paige was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Honeyman was 3-for-5.
On the bases, Paige stole his fifth base of the season. On defense, Paige made a throwing error. Jobert had an outfield assist at home plate. Sammy Hernandez had a passed ball.
Palm Beach is 38-30 on the season, 2-1 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: vs. St. Lucie, TBD (PB) vs. Jack Wenninger RHP (2-3, 5.25) 5:30 CT.
The Florida Complex League Cardinals blanked the Mets in a 5-0 game on Tuesday. Starter Leonel Sequera pitched five scoreless innings, allowed one run, struck out five and walked one to earn his first win of the season.
Samuel Fabian relieved Sequera and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Randel Clemente tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals put up their first run in the sixth inning. Luis Pino was hit by a pitch. Raul Guzman singled. Pino came home on a sac bunt and a throwing error.
The Cardinals added four runs in the seventh to lead 5-0. Samil De La Rosa drew a walk. Jose Suarez reached on a fielder’s choice. Miguel Vargas bunted into a force out and De La Rosa was out at third. Suarez scored on a single by Pino. Yaisel Ramos plated Vargas on a single. Pino scored on a wild pitch and Ramos also came home on a wild pitch.
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals shut out the Pirates Golds in an 11-inning contest on Tuesday. Starter Keiverson Ramirez pitched five scoreless innings, allowed three hits and struck out five.
Jarol Baez relieved Ramirez and threw a scoreless inning. Reiner Lopez hurled a scoreless seventh. Guanchi Martinez tossed four scoreless innings to earn his first win.
The game was scoreless through regulation and the 10th inning. In the 11th, the Cardinals scored two runs to take a 2-0 lead. The second base runner was Facundo Velasquez. Bracewell Taveras doubled and drove in Velasquez for the first run. Taveras scored on a single by Brayan Amoroso.
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The 4-2 Cardinals lost 2 of 3 in a series against the last-place Marlins, which they followed up by sweeping the Giants. Alec Burleson led the team with a 1.276 OPS during the week. Our rewind feature highlights notable debuts in Cardinals history from June 17-23.
The Cardinals edged the Marlins in a 12-inning nail-biter on Monday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 7 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out four and walked two.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and surrendered two runs in 1/3 of an inning. Ryan Fernandez threw two scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge yielded two unearned runs in the final two innings and earned the win, his first of the season.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Michael Siani. The Marlins tied the game in the sixth.
In the eighth, St. Louis put up three runs to lead 4-1. Masyn Winn singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk. A second wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third. Iván Herrera plated Winn and Goldschmidt on a triple. Herrera came home on a single by Brendan Donovan.
The Marlins answered with three runs in the home half of the eighth to tie the game again.
The game went into extra innings and in the top of the 11th, the Cardinals took the lead again 5-4. The Marlins responded by tying the game a third time in the bottom of the inning.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the 12 to break the tie and lead 7-5. The Marlins rallied for one run in the bottom frame but fell short, and the Cardinals took the game 7-6.
The offense scored seven runs on 10 hits. Winn was 2-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored. Herrera was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Michael Siani was caught stealing for the third time. On defense, Dylan Carlson had an outfield assist at home plate. Pedro Pagés had a passed ball.
The Cardinals became embroiled in a second extra-inning game with the Marlins. This one was a loss. Starter Lance Lynn pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up six runs, five earned, on 10 hits and struck out five.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. John King hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Chris Roycroft yielded two runs, one earned in the final 2/3 of the inning. Roycroft took the loss.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Alec Burleson reached on an error. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a two-run home run. The Marlins answered with three runs in the home half of the first to lead 3-2.
The Cardinals regained the lead in the top of the second on a two-run home run by Brendan Donovan. The Marlins answered with one run in the bottom of the second to tie the game 4-4.
The Cardinals came back in the third to plate two runs for a 6-4 lead. Iván Herrera singled. Matt Carpenter singled and Herrera advanced to third. Brandon Crawford plated Herrera on a groundout. Carpenter came home on a single by Michael Siani.
The Cardinals increased their lead to 7-4 in the fourth on a solo home run by Alec Burleson. The Marlins answered in the bottom of the fourth with a run to cut the lead to 7-5.
The Marlins tied the game again with two runs in the sixth. The game went into extra innings and the Cardinals scored one run in the top of the 10th to lead 8-7. The determined Marlins won the game in the bottom of the tenth with two runs for a 9-8 win.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on 10 hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Siani was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Carpenter was 2-for-4. Goldschmidt had two RBI.
On defense, Brandon Crawford made a fielding error.
The Cardinals were defeated again by the Marlins in a one-run game on Wednesday. Scheduled starter Kyle Gibson was a late scratch for the game due to back tightness. Matthew Liberatore, who had pitched in the game the day before, was brought in to start the game. Liberatore pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on three hits, struck out one and walked one.
Chris Roycroft relieved Liberatore and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. John King surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss.
The Marlins took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the second to tie the game. Nolan Gorman thumped a solo home run. Nolan Arenado singled and stole second base. Brendan Donovan plated Arenado on a single.
The Marlins broke the tie with one run in the sixth. St. Louis quickly tied it again in the seventh. Masyn Winn singled. Paul Goldschmidt reached on an error and Winn scored.
Miami walked it off with a run in the ninth to win 4-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on 10 hits. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Matt Carpenter was 2-for-4. Arenado was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Arenado stole his first base of the season. Michael Siani stole two bases. José Fermín was caught stealing.
The Cardinals beat the Giants in the first game of a three-game series that was played at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was a celebration of the Negro Leagues and a commemoration of the life of Willie Mays, who passed away two days before the game. The game was a home game for the Cardinals.
Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, struck out five and walked three to earn his third win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless inning. John King hurled a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Adam Kloffenstein, who was recalled from Memphis to appear in this game, tossed a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley earned his MLB-leading 25th save with a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 3-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn walked. Alec Burleson singled. Winn scored on a sac fly by Nolan Gorman. Brendan Donovan followed with a two-run home run.
The Giants tied the game in the top of the third. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home half of the third to lead 5-3. Winn doubled. Burleson singled. Gorman plated Winn on a sac fly. Donovan doubled. Burleson scored on a wild pitch.
St. Louis added a run in the fifth to lead 6-3. Burleson was hit by a pitch. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Burleson came home on a single by Donovan.
The Giants scored two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-5. The Cardinals held on to win the game.
St. Louis scored six runs on seven hits. Alabama native Donovan was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Burleson was 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Gorman had two RBI.
On the bases, Brandon Crawford was picked off second base.
The series with the Giants continued back home in St. Louis on Saturday. The Cardinals defeated the Giants 9-4 to win the series. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up four runs on six hits, struck out three and walked two to earn his sixth win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Fernandez hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Kyle Leahy tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Giants went up 3-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home half of the first to cut the lead to 3-2. Alec Burleson singled and Paul Goldschmidt followed with a two-run home run.
The Giants added a run in the third to lead 4-2. The Cardinals put up three runs in the fourth to take a 5-4 lead. Dylan Carlson singled. Masyn Winn doubled. Burleson followed with a three-run home run.
St. Louis increased the lead to 7-4 in the sixth on a two-run home run by Burleson. The Cardinals added to the total with two runs in the seventh. Brendan Donovan hit a solo home run. Pedro Pagés singled. Dylan Carlson singled. Winn plated Pagés on a single.
The offense scored nine runs on 13 hits. Burleson was 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. Winn was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Carlson was 2-for-3. Goldschmidt had two RBI.
On the bases, Nolan Gorman stole his fourth base of the season. Burleson swiped his third bag.
The Cardinals swept the Giants in the series ender with a 5-3 win on Sunday. Starter Sonny Gray lost a perfect game with a seventh-inning home run. The right-hander threw seven innings, gave up one run on one hit and struck out eight. Gray earned his ninth win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and almost gave up the lead, surrendering two runs in 1/3 of an inning. Andrew Kittredge got the final two outs of the eighth. Ryan Helsley mowed them down in the ninth with two strikeouts and a flyout for a scoreless ninth. Helsley earned his MLB-leading 26th save.
The Cardinals went after Giants starter Logan Webb, scoring three runs in the first inning. Masyn Winn double. Alec Burleson singled to plate Winn. Burleson stole second base. Burleson came home on a ground-rule double by Brendan Donovan. Matt Carpenter drove in Donovan on a single.
St. Louis added a fourth run in the second inning. Pedro Pagés singled and stole second base. Burleson plated Pagés on a single.
The Cardinals cruised on four runs until the Giants got on the board in the seventh. In the eighth, the bullpen faltered and allowed the Giants to get within one run and cut the Cardinals lead to 4-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, Dylan Carlson doubled, and former Giant Brandon Crawford drove him home on a double for an insurance run. Ryan Helsley came into the ninth and shut the door.
The offense scored five runs on 11 hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Carlson and Pagés were both 2-for-4.
On the bases, the slow guys ran all over Giants’ starter Logan Webb. Burleson stole two bases. Pagés swiped his first bag. Nolan Gorman stole his fifth base.
Big Picture
The Cardinals had a 4-2 week, with a bad series against the last-place Marlins in which they lost 2 of 3 and then a sweep of a better team in the Giants. The Cardinals sit in second place in the NL Central, 5 games back of the Brewers and 2.5 games ahead of the third-place Pirates.
The offense was more prolific this week than the previous week despite the two losses to the Marlins, which was more about the pitching. The pitching issue was mostly a product of Lance Lynn not performing and a late scratch of Kyle Gibson in the final game of the series that threw a wrench into the works. A very aggressive Marlins’ offense versus poor pitching from Lynn and a hastily thrown-together bullpen start was a recipe for disaster.
The pitching ship was righted for the Giants series and the Cardinals’ offense did its part. Rather, it did until Sunday’s game when it got lazy and sat on a four-run lead for four innings. Luck and a fiery performance from the closer, aided by a last-ditch insurance run provided by a former Giants player saved the day.
The top offensive performers over the last seven days by OPS are Alec Burleson (1.276), Brendan Donovan (1.269), Iván Herrera (1.069), and Masyn Winn (.984). Herrera is now on the injured list with a back issue but Willson Contreras is set to return on Monday.
At the bottom are José Fermín (.286), Nolan Gorman (.310), Pedro Pagés (.400), and Nolan Arenado (.453). Gorman needs to sit out a few games in this author’s opinion and contemplate something. Arenado has an arm (and another arm) that needs attention and maybe an IL stint. Willson Contreras is coming back to remedy the catching dilemma and Fermín is on the Memphis shuttle which may be leaving the station sooner rather than later.
On the pitching side, Sonny Gray is the only starter to have an ERA under 4.00 for the week (1.84). Starter has been loosely defined over the last week, as one didn’t pitch, and one was a reliever who had pitched the previous game. Lance Lynn was, in a word, awful and gave up earned runs this time. Miles Mikolas and Andre Pallante gave up some runs, but the team won anyway and it happens sometimes. It appears the imminent return of Steven Matz is no longer imminent and no longer a return, therefore, Andre Pallante will continue to fill the void (until he doesn’t). Matz might be gone until after the trade deadline, so the future is ours to see.
The bullpen has had some hiccups in the form of JoJo Romero, who almost gave away the store in Sonny Gray’s beautiful start on Sunday. Romero has a not-so-beautiful ERA of 27.00 for the week to show for it. Other than Romero and some bad fielding from the now-optioned Chris Roycroft, the bullpen has been pretty decent as usual.
The Braves come to town this week, minus their best pitcher and best player, who are both out for the season. They are still a formidable team, so the Cardinals must have both their pitching and offense working (preferably at the same time). They end the homestand with the Reds, who have been up and down this season and who have been trading places with the Cubs for last place in the Division. The Reds currently occupy that spot but only by a half-game. Their offense is good and will need to be kept at bay.
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB
Milwaukee
45
33
.577
——-
St. Louis
39
37
.513
5
Pittsburgh
37
40
.481
7.5
Chicago
37
41
.474
8
Cincinnati
36
41
.468
8.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
6/18 The Cardinals sent C Willson Contreras on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/18 The Cardinals sent RHP Nick Robertson on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/19 The Cardinals optioned RHP Ryan Loutos to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/19 The Cardinals activated RHP Kyle Gibson from the Bereavement List.
6/20 The Cardinals recalled RHP Adam Kloffenstein from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/20 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/20 The Cardinals recalled CF Victor Scott II from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/21 The Cardinals optioned RHP Adam Kloffenstein to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/21 The Cardinals optioned CF Victor Scott II to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/21 The Cardinals activated RHP Giovanny Gallegos from the 15-day injured list.
6/22 The Cardinals selected the contract of C Nick Raposo from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/22 The Cardinals placed C Iván Herrera on the 10-day injured list. Lower back tightness.
6/22 The Cardinals transferred RHP Keynan Middleton from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right forearm flexor strain.
Injury Report
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman has spent four days at the Cardinals complex in Jupiter ramping up baseball activities. Manager Oli Marmol is optimistic that Edman will return relatively soon.
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. The left-hander is expected to be out until September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien was scheduled for a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds but that rehab was paused due to continued arm issues. Imaging on O’Brien was clear, but the team will seek a second opinion.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. Matz woke up with back tightness after his most recent rehab start. The setback means a return won’t be for another 4-6 weeks.
RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement). Gallegos was activated off the 15-day injured list on June 21.
C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras is on a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds. Contreras could be activated as early as Monday, June 24 for the Braves series.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. Nootbaar is taking full swings and is close to taking batting practice. Manager Oli Marmol is optimistic that Nootbaar’s return will be relatively soon.
RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 23. Robertson is currently on a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
3B Nolan Arenado (right elbow contusion) was hit by a pitch in the June 19 game against the Marlins. Arenado did not play in the Rickwood Field game on June 20 but was back in the lineup for the June 22 game with the Giants. In the eighth inning of the June 22 game, Arenado was removed for “left forearm discomfort”.
RHP Kyle Gibson (back tightness) was scratched from his scheduled start on Wednesday, June 19. Gibson is set to make his next start against the Braves on Tuesday, June 25.
CF Michael Siani left the June 22 game after diving to catch a fly ball. The report was bruised ribs. X-rays were negative. Siani is considered day-to-day.
C Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 19. Herrera’s back tightened up on him when he reached to pick up an equipment bag. No further information is available.
Looking Ahead.
Following the Giants series ending on Sunday, the homestand then continues with three games against the Atlanta Braves. Lance Lynn is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Kyle Gibson on Tuesday, and Andre Pallante on Wednesday.
The final series of the homestand is a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds that ends the month of June.
The Cardinals begin the month of July with a three-game series in Pittsburgh with the Pirates beginning Tuesday, July 2. That series is followed by a weekend series against the Nationals in Washington.
The Cardinals return to St. Louis to play two games at Busch Stadium against the Kansas City Royals. After a Thursday off day, the Cubs come to town for a weekend series before the All-Star Break.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to the subject of major league debuts. Two weeks ago, the debuts of several recognizable Cardinals were showcased. This week, Blast looks at a handful of other notable past and present Cardinals. These Cardinals are notable for being names most Cardinal fans would recognize but not necessarily because of their baseball pedigree.
The following is a list of Cardinals who made their major league debut during the period of June 17-23 in past years. The date of their debut, what game it was in and how they performed are highlighted.
Andy Van Slyke – Former Cardinal outfielder Andy Van Slyke made his major league debut on June 17, 1983. Van Slyke was in the starting lineup at RF batting sixth, in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. The game was a night game that the Cardinals won 7-2.
Van Slyke had his first plate appearance in the bottom of the second inning. He struck out looking. His second plate appearance was in the bottom of the fourth. Van Slyke hit a double to right field for his first major league hit. It was also his first major league RBI, as his double scored George Hendrick for the Cardinals’s second run. Three more runs scored in that inning, including Van Slyke, who scored on a sacrifice bunt with a fielding error hit by Ozzie Smith. Van Slyke flew out to CF in the sixth and grounded out to first in the eighth.
Stubby Clapp –Clapp is likely more well-known by Cardinals fans for being the current first base coach for the Cardinals than he is for his playing career. In fact, Clapp’s entire major league career consisted of 26 plate appearances in 25 games for the Cardinals in 2001. Clapp was almost exclusively a pinch hitter for the team.
Stubby made his debut on June 18, 2001, in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium in which the Cardinals beat the Cubs 6-2. Clapp entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter for reliever Mike Timlin. Clapp struck out swinging.
Stubby’s first major league hit occurred on June 22, 2001, in a game against the Giants at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals lost this game 10-5. Clapp’s one plate appearance in this game was in the ninth inning, pinch-hitting for reliever Luther Hackman. Stubby hit a line drive double to left field off Giants reliever Liván Hernández. Clapp was left stranded on third base.
Bo Hart – Like Clapp, Hart’s major league career was very short. Hart is famous for breaking a record set by Kirby Puckett for having the highest batting average (.460) in the first ten games of his career. The first month of his career is considered one of the best debuts in major league history.
Hart made his major league debut on June 19, 2003, in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park that the Cardinals won 8-4. He was in the starting lineup playing second base and batting eighth. Hart’s first plate appearance was also his first major league hit. He doubled to left field in the top of the second inning off Brewer’s starter Rubén Quevedo. His second plate appearance was a ground out to second base in the fourth. Hart tripled to CF and drove in Kerry Robinson in the fifth inning for the Cardinals’s eighth and final run of the game. Hart’s last plate appearance was a walk in the eighth inning.
Hart finished the season in St. Louis with 82 hits and a .277 batting average. He played for the Cardinals for the first month of 2004 and then was sent down to the minor leagues. Hart never played in another major league game. He bounced around in the minor leagues of the Rockies, the Cardinals again, the Cubs and the Orioles through the 2007 season. His baseball career also included a few years in independent league baseball.
Lars Nootbaar – The Cardinals’ currently injured outfielder made his major league debut on June 23, 2021, in a game against the Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park. The Cardinals lost the game 6-2.
Nootbaar was in the starting lineup playing right field and hitting ninth. Nootbaar’s first major league plate appearance was also his first major league hit. In the top of the third inning, Nootbaar hit a triple to CF off Tigers’ starter Matt Manning. Nootbaar scored the Cardinals’s second run on a single by Tommy Edman.
Nootbaar’s second plate appearance was a ground out to second base in the fifth. He grounded out to the shortstop in the seventh.
In addition to going 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored, Nootbaar also had an outfield assist, throwing Tigers’ shortstop Isaac Paredes out at home plate in the sixth inning.
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Moises Gomez hitting against Miles Mikolas (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-3 on Friday. The Palm Beach game was suspended. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is DSL Cardinals 3B Edward Guribe, who was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Other standouts include Moisés Gómez, Michael McGreevy, Luken Baker, Dakota Harris, Andru Arthur and Brayan Amoroso.
The Triple-A Redbirds lost to the Jumbo Shrimp in a 6-3 contest at AutoZone Park on Friday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits, struck out nine and walked three.
Nick Robertson relieved McGreevy, surrendering one run in 2/3 of an inning, and took the loss. Connor Thomas threw a scoreless 1/3 of an inning. Kolton Ingram yielded two runs in the final two innings.
Jacksonville took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Memphis answered with three runs in the home half of the second to lead 3-1. Luken Baker thumped a solo home run. Thomas Saggese singled. Nick Dunn doubled. Moisés Gómez plated Saggese and Dunn on a single.
The Jumbo Shrimp chipped at the lead with one run in the fifth and one run in the sixth to tie the game. Jacksonville took a 4-3 lead in the seventh. In the ninth, the Jumbo Shrimp added two more runs to win 6-3.
Memphis scored three runs on 10 hits. Gómez was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Baker was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jordan Walker was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Victor Scott II stole his 18th base of the season. On defense, Walker made a throwing error. Ingram picked a runner off first base.
Memphis is 38-35 on the season and is in second place in the International League West, 12 games back of Omaha.
Saturday’s game: vs. Jacksonville, Ian Bedell RHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Kyle Tyler RHP (4-2, 2.80) 6:35 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals were defeated by the Hooks in a 4-2 game on Friday. Starter Max Rajcic pitched five innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out six and walked one. Rajcic took the loss.
Jack Ralston relieved Rajcic, surrendering one run in two innings. Leonardo Taveras tossed a scoreless eighth.
Springfield put up two runs in the third inning to lead 2-0. Jeremy Rivas drew a walk. Bryan Torres singled. Nathan Church singled to load the bases. Rivas came home on a walk by Jimmy Crooks. Torres scored on a walk by Jacob Buchberger.
On Friday, the High-A Chiefs fell to the Kernels in a walk-off one-run game. Starter Hancel Rincon pitched six innings, gave up three runs on four hits, and walked four.
Osvaldo Berrios relieved Rincon and surrendered one run in two innings. Tanner Jacobson yielded two runs, one earned, in 1/3 of an inning and took the loss. Nathanael Heredia gave up the walk-off run in the ninth.
Peoria went up 2-0 in the first inning. Won-Bin Cho singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. Leonardo Bernal drew a walk. Alex Iadisernia walked. Dakota Harris plated Cho and Bernal on a single.
Cedar Rapids scored one run in the second to cut the lead to 2-1. The Kernels added one run in the third and one run in the fourth to lead 3-2.
The Chiefs regained the lead with three runs in the sixth. Osvaldo Tovalin drew a walk. Brody Moore doubled. William Sullivan drove in Tovalin and Moore on a single. Cho and Bernal walked. Iadisernia reached on an error and Sullivan scored.
Cedar Rapids got within one run in the seventh. In the ninth, the Kernels pushed across two runs to win in a walk-off.
Peoria scored five runs on nine hits. Harris was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Moore was 2-for-4. Bernal was 2-for-3. Sullivan had two RBI.
On defense, Tovalin made two fielding errors. Bernal had a passed ball.
Peoria is 26-40 on the season and is in last place in the Midwest League West, 15.5 games back of Wisconsin.
Saturday’s game: at Cedar Rapids, Brycen Mautz LHP (0-7, 5.72) vs. Ty Langenberg RHP (1-0, 5.40) 6:35 CT.
Palm Beach at Tampa (suspended)
This game was suspended in the fourth inning due to inclement weather. The game will be resumed tomorrow, June 22, at 3:00 CT. The regularly scheduled game will follow.
Saturday’s game: at Tampa, TBD vs. TBD 3:00 CT (completion of suspended game).
at Tampa, TBD vs. TBD (game two).
FCL Cardinals – Off day
The Florida Complex League Cardinals are 13-20 on the season and are in last place in the FCL East, 9.5 games back of the Marlins.
Saturday’s games: vs. FCL Marlins, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals defeated the Giants Black in a 10-8 contest on Friday. Starter Branneli Franco pitched three innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on one hit, struck out four and walked one.
Reiner Lopez relieved Franco and surrendered three runs without recording an out. Jesus Garcia threw two scoreless innings to earn the win, his first. Kener Perez yielded two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Bernard Mack tossed the final 2 2/3 scoreless innings to earn his first save.
The Giants Black took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals came back to score six runs in the third to lead 6-3. Cristopher Lebron doubled. Andru Arthur walked. Daniel Rojas reached on an error and Lebron scored. Edward Guribe plated Arthur and Rojas on a single. Christian Saez doubled. Guribe and Saez came home on a single by Brayan Amoroso. Amoroso later scored on a wild pitch.
The Giants Black tied the game in the fourth. The Cardinals regained the lead with three runs in the top of the sixth. Lebron singled and scored on a double by Arthur. Arthur came home on a double by Guribe. Saez singled and advanced Guribe to third. Amoroso plated Guribe on a ground out.
The Giants Black cut the lead to 9-8 in the home half of the sixth. The Cardinals answered with one run in the seventh to make it 10-8. Paulo Asprilla singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Juan Pablo Cabrera drew a walk. Asprilla went to third on a force out by Lebron. Asprilla scored on a passed ball.
The Cardinals scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Guribe was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Lebron was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Arthur was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Saez was 2-for-4. Amoroso had three RBI.
On the bases, Lebron stole his first base of the season. Arthur was picked off first base.
On defense, Rojas made a throwing error. Guribe had a fielding miscue. Cabrera had a passed ball.
The Cardinals are 6-7 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. DLS Giants Black, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
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photo: Chris Rotondo (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-2 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Peoria DH Chris Rotondo, was 3-for-4 with three RBI and a stolen base. Other standouts include Gordon Graceffo, Pete Hansen and Jose Suarez.
The Triple-A Redbirds edged the Jumbo Shrimp in a 3-2 win at AutoZone Park. Starter Gordon Graceffo pitched five scoreless innings, allowed four hits, struck out four and walked two. Graceffo has thrown 13 consecutive scoreless innings and earned his eighth win of the season on Wednesday
Packy Naughton relieved Graceffo and threw two scoreless innings. Jacob Bosiokovic hurled a scoreless eighth. Kolton Ingram surrendered two runs in the ninth but still received his third save.
Memphis took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Thomas Saggese doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a ground out by Willson Contreras.
The Redbirds added a run in the third. Alfonso Rivas walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Thomas Saggese reached on an error and Rivas came home.
Jared Young hit a solo home run in the eighth to increase the lead to 3-0. Jacksonville rallied for two runs in the ninth but fell just short as the game ended with the bases loaded.
The offense scored three runs on three hits. No Redbird had multiple hits. St. Louis’ rehabbing catcher Contreras went 0-for-2 with an RBI groundout at the plate and caught five innings as planned. On defense, Rivas had an outfield assist at first base.
Memphis is 37-34 on the season and is in second place in the International League West, 13 games back of Omaha.
Thursday’s game: vs. Jacksonville, Zack Thompson LHP (2-2, 3.86) vs. TBD (JCK) 7:05 CT.
Springfield at Corpus Christi (postponed)
Springfield’s Wednesday game at the Hooks was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be played as part of a doubleheader on June 20.
Thursday’s games: at Corpus Christi, Trent Baker RHP (3-5, 6.66) vs. Joey Mancini RHP (0-0, 0.00) (game one) 4:30 CT, LHP Cooper Hjerpe (0-1, 16.88) vs. Michael Knorr RHP (0-5, 5.26) (game two).
The High-A Chiefs blanked the Kernels by the score of 7-0 on Wednesday. Pete Hansen pitched six scoreless innings, allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two to earn his first win of 2024, in his 12th start.
Nathanel Heredia relieved Hansen and threw two scoreless innings. Zane Mills tossed a scoreless ninth.
Peoria went up 1-0 in the first inning. Won-Bin Cho doubled and scored on a double by Chris Rotondo. The Chiefs added two runs in the second on a two-run home run by Brody Moore to lead 3-0.
In the fifth, Peoria scored twice. Alex Iadisernia doubled and was plated by a single from Darlin Moquete. Moquete later came home on a single by Rotondo.
The Chiefs widened their tally with two runs in the seventh to win 7-0. Cho doubled and scored on a single by Rotondo. Dakota Harris plated Rotondo on a double.
The Peoria offense scored seven runs on 14 hits. Rotondo was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Cho was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Tovalin was 2-for-4. Iadisernia was 2-for-5. Moore had two RBI.
On the bases, Tovalin stole his fifth base. Moore swiped his fifth bag. Rotondo stole his third base. Iadisernia was picked off and caught stealing.
On defense, Moquete made a fielding error. Hansen made an error on a pickoff.
Peoria is 26-39 on the season and are in last place in the Midwest League West, 15.5 games back of Wisconsin. The final game of the first half will be played on Thursday before the Midwest League standings reset for the remainder of the season.
Thursday’s game: at Cedar Rapids, Hancel Rincon RHP (4-4, 3.66) vs. Jeremy Lee RHP (0-3, 7.71) 6:35 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals were edged by the Tarpons in Tampa by one run on Wednesday. Starter Darlin Saladin pitched six innings, gave up two runs on six hits, struck out two and walked three.
Hunter Hayes relieved Saladin and surrendered two runs in two innings. Hayes took the loss.
Tampa took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Beach Birds came back with two runs in the sixth to tie the game. Lizandro Espinoza and Travis Honeyman singled. Miguel Villarroel plated Espinoza on a single. Honeyman came home on a ground out by Kade Kretzschmar.
The Tarpons scored the walk off run in the ninth on three straight singles.
For the evening, the Cardinals offense scored two runs on seven hits. Espinoza was 2-for-3.
Villarroel stole his 23rd base of the season. New arrival Anyelo Encarnacion swiped his first bag.
On defense, Saladin picked a runner off second base.
Palm Beach is 36-29 on the season and is tied with Jupiter for first place in the FSL East with one game remaining in the first half. Due to its 5-4 head-to-head record vs. Jupiter, Palm Beach will clinch a playoff berth with a win or a Jupiter loss on Wednesday.
Thursday’s game: at Tampa, LHP Ixan Henderson (3-1, 2.72)? vs. TBD 5:30 CT
The rookie Cardinals were edged by the Mets in a 9-8 loss on Wednesday. Starter Leonel Sequera pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on 10 hits, struck out four and walked three.
Samuel Fabian relieved Sequera and surrendered one unearned run in 2 1/3 innings. Jovi Galvez yielded three runs, two earned, in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. Randel Clemente tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Without a hit, the Cardinals went up 4-0 in the top of the first inning. Samil De La Rosa drew a walk and stole second base. Jonathan Mejia reached on an error and De La Rosa scored. Yordalin Pena and Jose Suarez walked. Mejia came home on a wild pitch. Luis Pino walked. Heriberto Caraballo plated Pena on a ground out. Suarez scored on a wild pitch.
The Mets answered with one run in the home first. They added two runs in both the third and fourth innings to lead 5-4.
The Cardinals came back to post two runs in the top of the sixth on solo home runs by Suarez and Pino to regain the lead 6-5. The Mets tied the game in the home sixth.
The Cardinals produced one run in the top of the seventh to regain the lead a second time 7-6. Pena walked and scored on a double by Suarez.
The Mets rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to retake the lead 9-7. The Cardinals tacked on one run in the ninth but could not re-tie. Pena singled and later scored on a sac fly by Pino.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on six hits. Suarez was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Pino had two RBI.
On the bases, De La Rosa stole his fifth base of the season. Mejia swiped two bags. Pino stole his first base.
On defense, the Cards committed five errors. Yancel Guerrero made two, one throwing and one fielding. Arfeni Batista had a throwing error. Suarez had a fielding miscue. Mejia made a throwing error. Suarez had an outfield assist at second base.
The Cardinals are 12-19 on the season and are in last place in the FCL East, 9.5 games back of the Marlins.
Thursday’s games: vs. FCL Astros, RH Nelfy Ynfante (G1) and LH Yadiel Batista (G2 – makeup of June 11) 9:00 am CT
DSL Cardinals – Off
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals are 5-6 for the season.
Thursday’s game: at DSL Nationals, RH Andrew Bolivar (0-0, 0.00) vs. TBD 10:00 am CT.
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photo: Gerardo Salas (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-3 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach RH Gerardo Salas, threw seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Other standouts include Ross Friedrick, Edward Guribe and Yairo Padilla.
The Triple-A Redbirds fell to the Jumbo Shrimp by a 7-4 score at AutoZone Park on Tuesday. Inserted into injured Sem Robberse’s starting spot, Nick Raquet pitched five innings, gave up two runs on three hits and struck out four. Raquet took the loss, his third.
In his rehab debut from St. Louis, Nick Robertson relieved Raquet and surrendered two runs in the sixth. Connor Thomas yielded three runs in two innings pitched. Victor Santos tossed a scoreless ninth.
Memphis took a 1-0 first inning lead. Willson Contreras, also rehabbing, reached on an error. Matt Koperniak singled. Luken Baker drew a walk. César Prieto reached on an error and Contreras scored.
Jacksonville posted two runs in the fifth and added two in the sixth to increase the lead to 4-1.
The Redbirds answered with two runs in the home sixth to cut the lead to 4-3. Prieto reached on an error. Thomas Saggese and Nick Dunn singled. Nick Raposo plated Prieto and Saggese on a single.
In the eighth, Jacksonville scored three runs to widen the lead to 7-3. The Redbirds added just one run in the ninth to shrink the final score to 7-4. Koperniak doubled and later scored on a single by Saggese.
Memphis scored four runs on 13 hits. Raposo was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Saggese was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Dunn was 3-for-4. Koperniak was 2-for-5. Victor Scott II was 2-for-4.
On defense, Scott had an outfield assist at third base.
Memphis is 36-34 on the season and is in second place in the International League West, 13 games back of Omaha.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Jacksonville, Gordon Graceffo RHP (7-5, 4.11) vs. TBD 7:05 CT
The Double-A Cardinals were thrashed by the Hooks in a 10-1 road loss on Tuesday. Starter Edwin Nuñez pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up six runs on just one hit, struck out four but walked five. Nuñez suffered his fourth loss of the season.
Wilfredo Pereira surrendered four runs in three innings of relief. Benito Garcia tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Springfield scored their only run in the first inning. Mike Antico singled and stole second base. Jimmy Crooks singled to plate Antico.
Corpus Christi put up seven runs in the fourth inning to lead 7-1. They added three runs in seventh for a 10-1 lead.
The offense scored one run on six hits. Antico was 2-for-3 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits. The team was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 runners.
On the bases, Antico stole his 10th base of the season. Ramon Mendoza swiped his second bag.
In the final week of the first half, Springfield is 33-31, in second place in the Texas League North, falling to 2.5 games behind Arkansas.
Wednesday’s game: at Corpus Christi, LHP Cooper Hjerpe (0-1, 16.88) vs. Michael Knorr RHP (0-5, 5.26) 6:35 CT
The High-A Chiefs lost at Cedar Rapids by the score of 5-2 on Tuesday. Starter Inohan Paniagua pitched five innings, gave up three runs on five hits, struck out four and walked two. Paniagua took the loss, his fourth of the season.
Cedar Rapids took a 1-0 lead in the first, then added two in the second. Peoria got on the board in the seventh to cut the Kernels’ lead to 3-2. Won-Bin Cho singled and reigning Midwest League Player of the Week Dakota Harris followed with a two-run home run.
The Low-A Cardinals blanked the Tarpons in a 4-0 road win on Tuesday. Starter Gerardo Salas pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed three hits and struck out eight to earn his third win of the season.
Benjamin Arias relieved Salas and threw a scoreless eighth. Angel Cuenca tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Beach Birds took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Trey Paige walked. Paige advanced to third on a single by Chase Davis, and then stole home. Palm Beach added a run in the second. Anyelo Encarnacion and Jose Cordoba singled. Ross Friedrick plated Encarnacion on a single.
The Cardinals put up one run in the seventh to increase the lead to 3-0. Paige singled and was eliminated in a force out by Travis Honeyman. Miguel Villarroel singled. Honeyman scored on a sac fly by Davis.
Palm Beach widened the lead to 4-0 in the eighth. Encarnacion walked and came home on a double by Friedrick.
The Beach Birds offense scored four runs on nine hits. Friedrick was 3-for-4 with two RBI.
On the bases, Paige stole his fourth base of the season. Davis swiped his fifth bag. Villarroel stole three bases.
On defense, Cordoba had an outfield assist at third base.
Palm Beach is 36-28 on the season and is tied with Jupiter for first place in the FSL East.
Wednesday’s game: at Tampa, RH Darlin Saladin (4-0, 1.83) vs. TBD 5:30 CT
FCL Cardinals – Off day
The Florida Complex League Cardinals (12-18) are in fifth/last place in the East Division.
Wednesday’s game: at FCL Mets, RH Leonel Sequera (0-4, 6.65) vs. TBD 11:00 am CT.
The Dominican Cardinals walloped the Nationals in a 10-4 home blowout on Tuesday. Starter Keiverson Ramirez pitched five innings, gave up on unearned run on two hits, struck out four and walked one to earn his first win of the season.
Reiner Lopez relieved Ramirez and surrendered one run without recording an out. Giovanni Vargas threw one scoreless inning. Brailyn Paulino hurled two scoreless innings. Xavier Cruz yielded two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Bernard Mack got the final out of the ninth.
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Yairo Padilla doubled. Facundo Velasquez and Rainiel Rodriguez walked. Edward Guribe plated Padilla and Velasquez on a double. Rodriguez scored on a single by Brayan Amoroso.
The Nationals put up one run in the top of the fourth. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home fourth. Paulo Asprilla and Andru Arthur singled. Asprilla was thrown out at third. Padilla tripled to score Arthur. Padilla came home on a sac fly by Velasquez. The Cardinals led 5-1.
The Nationals added a run in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-2. The Cardinals responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to increase the lead to 8-2. Cristofer Lebron singled but was caught stealing. Asprilla drew a walk. Arthur singled. Padilla walked. Velasquez walked and Asprilla scored. Arthur came home on a sac fly by Rodriguez. Guribe plated Padilla on a single.
The Cardinals scored 10 runs on 11 hits. Guribe was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Padilla was 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Velasquez had two RBI. Rodriguez drove in three.
On the bases, Lebron was caught stealing for the first time. On defense. Padilla and Lebron each made a throwing error. Velasquez had an outfield assist at first base. Yaxson Lucena had an outfield assist at second base.
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!
DSL Cardinals 11, DSL NYY Yankees 9 (seven innings)
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