photo: Matthew Liberatore (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

In their 5-2 week, the St. Louis Cardinals followed a home split with the Cubs with a sweep in Cleveland. Lefty Matthew Liberatore earned two wins, allowing just two runs in 13 innings. “Rare feats” by Cardinals this week in team history are remembered.

Game recaps

Monday, June 23, 2025 – Cardinals 8, Cubs 2

Behind four two-run home runs, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a four-game series on Monday at Busch Stadium.

Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched seven innings and gave up two runs on six hits, fanned five and walked one to earn his fifth win.

Matthew Liberatore

Riley O’Brien relieved Liberatore and threw a scoreless eighth. Roddery Muñoz tossed a scoreless ninth.

After three scoreless innings to begin the game, the Cardinals put up two runs in the fourth. Willson Contreras doubled and Lars Nootbaar followed with a two-run home run.

Lars Nootbaar

In the top of the fifth, the Cubs cut the lead to 2-1. The Cardinals immediately answered with four runs in the home fifth to increase the lead to 6-1. Pedro Pagés walked and Brendan Donovan thumped a two-run home run. Masyn Winn walked and Alec Burleson hit a two-run home run.

St. Louis added two runs in the sixth on a fourth two-run home run, this one by Nolan Gorman, to widen the lead to 8-1.

Chicago scored its final run in the seventh to close the scoring at 8-2.

St. Louis’ offense scored eight runs on 11 hits. Nootbaar, Donovan, Burleson and Gorman each had two RBI. Contreras was 3-for-4 and Arenado was 2-for-4.

Victor Scott stole his 22^nd base of the season.

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 – Cardinals 8, Cubs 7

The Cardinals edged the Cubs by the score of 8-7 on Tuesday in St. Louis. Called up from Memphis for the day, starter Michael McGreevy pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, struck out one and walked one.

Steven Matz relieved McGreevy and surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Matz was awarded the win. JoJo Romero threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Phil Maton hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 15^th save.

St. Louis took the lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by Lars Nootbaar, his second in two game. Chicago answered with a five-run top of the third to take the lead 5-2.

The Cardinals partially rallied for two runs in the home third on a two-run home run by Masyn Winn. It was the team’s sixth two-run home run of the series.

St. Louis added four more runs in the fourth to regain the lead. Nolan Gorman hit a solo home run to tie the score. Pedro Pagés doubled. Victor Scott walked. Winn doubled to plate Pagés and Scott. Winn scored on a sac fly by Alec Burleson.

Masyn Winn

The Cubs made the game tighter with two runs in the sixth to shrink St. Louis’ lead to 8-7.

The Cardinals scored eight runs on 10 hits. Winn was 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Gorman was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Donovan was 2-for-4. Nootbaar had two RBI.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 – Cardinals 0, Cubs 8

The Cardinals were blanked by the Cubs by an 8-0 score on Wednesday at Busch Stadium. Starter Erick Fedde pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up seven runs on eight hits, struck out two and walked two. Fedde took the loss.

John King relieved Fedde and surrendered one run in 2 1/3 innings. Matt Svanson threw two scoreless innings. Position player Garrett Hampson tossed a scoreless ninth.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. They added three runs in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, and one in the fifth to lead 8-0.

The Cardinals scattered four hits. A double by Yohel Pozo was the only extra base hit. The offense was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.

On defense, Pozo made a fielding error.

Thursday, June 26, 2025 – Cardinals 0, Cubs 3

On Thursday, the Cardinals were blanked for the second game in a row by the Cubs to split the home series.

Starter Andre Pallante pitched five innings, gave up two runs on seven hits, struck out two and walked two. With no run support, Pallante took the loss.

Riley O’Brien relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless sixth. JoJo Romero surrendered a run in the seventh. Kyle Leahy tossed the final two scoreless innings.

The Cubs went up 1-0 in the second inning. They made it 2-0 in the fourth and added a third run in the eighth.

The Cardinals managed only three hits. Alec Burleson had the only extra base hit, a double. The offense was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

On defense, Burleson had an outfield assist at second base. Leahy picked a runner off first base.

Friday, June 27, 2025 – Cardinals 5 at Guardians 0

The Cardinals blanked the Guardians by a 5-0 score on Friday in Cleveland.

Starter Sonny Gray pitched a “Maddux”, which is a nine-inning shutout with under 100 pitches thrown. Gray allowed only one hit, fanned 11 Guardians, and he completed the shutout with 89 pitches.

Sonny Gray

The Cardinals went up 3-0 in the third inning. Pedro Pagés hit a solo home run. Brendan Donovan walked. Masyn Winn grounded into a force out, eliminating Donovan at second. Alec Burleson followed with a two-run home run.

Alec Burleson

St. Louis added a run in the sixth to lead 4-0. Burleson doubled and scored on a double by Nolan Arenado. The Cardinals made it 5-0 in the eighth. Willson Contreras and Lars Nootbaar walked. Arenado plated Contreras on a single.

The offense scored five runs on seven hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Saturday, June 28, 2025 – Cardinals 9 at Guardians 6

The Cardinals came back from a five-run deficit to defeat the Guardians in the second game of the series by the score of 9-6.

Starter Miles Mikolas had an off day. The right-hander pitched four innings, gave up six runs on seven hits, fanned five and walked one.

On Saturday, the bullpen was strong with five scoreless innings. Matt Svanson relieved Mikolas and threw the fifth to earn his first win. Steven Matz hurled 1 2/3 innings. Phil Maton added 1 1/3 innings. Ryan Helsley tossed the ninth to earn his 16^th save.

The Cardinals took the lead in the first inning on a solo home run by Brendan Donovan. The Guardians put up a six run fourth inning against Mikolas to take the lead 6-1.

St. Louis began to claw their way back with two runs in fifth to cut the lead to 6-3. Donovan walked. Masyn Winn doubled. Alec Burleson drove in Donovan and Winn on a single.

The Cardinals went ahead 8-6 with a five run sixth. Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Arenado singled. Nolan Gorman singled to score Nootbaar. Yohel Pozo singled. Victor Scott plated Arenado and Gorman on a double. Pozo came home on a sac fly by Donovan. Scott crossed the plate on a ground out by Masyn Winn.

Victor Scott

In the ninth, Willson Contreras’ solo home run made it 9-6.

The offense scored nine runs on 14 hits. Scott was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Winn was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Gorman was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Burleson and Donovan both had two RBI.

Contreras stole his fourth base of the season.

Sunday, June 29, 2025 – Cardinals 7 at Guardians 0

On Sunday, the Cardinals blanked the Guardians, 7-0, to sweep the weekend road series.

Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, struck out five and walked five to earn his sixth win.

JoJo Romero, Riley O’Brien, and John King each threw a scoreless inning of relief.

The Cardinals took the quick first inning lead via a three-run home run by Nolan Gorman. Victor Scott thumped a two-run blast in the seventh to increase the lead to 5-0.

Nolan Gorman

In the eighth, St. Louis added two more runs to lead 7-0. José Fermín singled. Gorman walked. The runners moved up on a double steal. Fermín scored on a sac fly by Pedro Pagés. Garrett Hampson plated Gorman on a single.

The offense scored seven runs on 11 hits. Scott was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Winn was 2-for-4. Nolan Arenado was 2-for-3. Gorman had three RBI and two runs scored.

Fermín stole his first base. Scott was picked off and caught stealing. On defense, Liberatore picked a runner off first base.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals finished the week with a record of 5-2. They split the four-game home series with the first-place Cubs. They then swept the Guardians in three games.

Nine games over .500, St. Louis remains in third place in the NL Central, but only a half game back of the Brewers and 2.5 games back of the Cubs. The Cubs lost their series with the Astros, and the Brewers dropped a game to the Rockies in extra innings over the weekend.

The Cardinals offense was present and scoring runs in five of the seven games during the week. They were scoreless in the last two games of the Cubs series, facing two tough pitchers in Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga.

Willson Contreras

The top offensive performers over the last seven days by OPS are Willson Contreras (1.031) and Nolan Gorman (.951). Close behind were Masyn Winn (.898), Lars Nootbaar (.894), and Victor Scott (.818). At the bottom were Thomas Saggese (.000) and new Cardinal Garrett Hampson (.400).

Three of six rotation members had ERAs for the week under 4.00. They are Sonny Gray (0.00), Matthew Liberatore (1.38) and Andre Pallante (3.60). Michael McGreevy had his first subpar start so far this season with an ERA of 9.64. The Cardinals won that game against the Cubs anyway. Erick Fedde (17.18) was terrible in the Cubs series, and Miles Mikolas (13.50) had one bad inning against the Guardians, though the Cardinals won despite his poor performance.

The bullpen was good with only Steven Matz having a small struggle in one of his two appearances. Position player pitcher Garrett Hampson had a sparkling ERA of 0.00 in Wednesday’s 8-0 loss to the Cubs, retiring all three hitters faced on a total of three pitches.

The Cardinals start the coming week with a three-game series against the last-place Pirates in Pittsburgh. However, the Pirates are coming off a sweep of the Mets over the weekend during which they scored 30 runs in three games. St. Louis will finish the road trip at Wrigley, playing three against the Cubs next weekend.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 6/23 The Cardinals recalled RHP Roddery Muñoz from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/23 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/24 The Cardinals optioned RHP Roddery Muñoz to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/24 The Cardinals recalled RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/24 The Cardinals claimed 2B Garrett Hampson off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.
• 6/24 The Cardinals designated SS Jose Barrero for assignment.
• 6/25 The Cardinals recalled RHP Matt Svanson from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/25 The Cardinals recalled 2B José Fermín from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/25 The Cardinals optioned RHP Michael McGreevy to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/25 The Cardinals placed RF Jordan Walker on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 23. Appendicitis.
• 6/27 The Cardinals sent SS Jose Barrero outright to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/27 SS Jose Barrero elected free agency.

Injury Report

• LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. Thompson missed most of spring training. Thompson had a setback in his rehab and was sent for an evaluation. He has returned to the Cardinals spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida to resume his throwing program.
• C Iván Herrera was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Herrera felt pain on June 19. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain that could keep Herrera out for 2 to 6 weeks.
• RF Jordan Walker was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 23. Walker reported pain in his right side and a scan revealed early signs of appendicitis. Walker is being treated with antibiotics in an effort to avoid surgery. He is feeling much better and has been sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis. A return by July 2 is the hope if all goes well.
• LF Lars Nootbaar received a pain-killing injection in his intercostal (which side not reported) due to reports of pain in that area. After the injection, Nootbaar was sidelined for the last two days of the Cubs series. He returned to the lineup for the beginning of the Guardians series but was out of the lineup for Sunday’s game due to  pain he felt on a checked swing on Saturday.

Looking Ahead

Following the Guardians series, the Cardinals travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates for three games that extend into the first days of July. Erick Fedde Is set to start on Monday, followed by Andre Pallante on Tuesday and Sonny Gray on Wednesday.

After a travel day on Thursday, July 3, the Cardinals will face the Cubs once again, this time at Wrigley Field for a weekend series.

After a Monday off day, the Cardinals return home to Busch Stadium for a six-game homestand with the Nationals and the Braves before the All-Star Break begins on Monday, July 14.

After the break, the Cardinals will embark on a West Coast road trip with the first stop in Phoenix vs. the Diamondbacks in a weekend three-game set. The road trip ends in Denver with a three at the Rockies.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast from the Past returns to a series from last season in which we remember rare feats accomplished by former Cardinals during a specific period.

A “rare feat” is defined as one of the following: (1) a pitcher or pitchers throwing a no-hitter; (2) A batter hitting for the cycle, which is hitting at least one single, one double, one triple, and one home run in a single game; (3) A batter recording six hits in one game; (4) a player, either a position player or a pitcher hitting a home run in their first major league at bat; and (5) a player hitting three or more home runs in a single game.

During the period June 19 through 29, the following rare feats occurred. For each rare feat, its type, the date it occurred, and details of each occurrence are listed.

June 23, 1984 – Cardinals outfielder Willie McGee hit for the cycle in a 12-11 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field in 11 innings.

McGee’s first hit of the game was a triple to right in the second inning that cleared the bases for three runs.

In the fourth, McGee singled to left but was stranded. McGee hit a two-run home run in the sixth.

McGee’s final hit was an RBI double to left in the 10^th. McGee’s final line was 4-for-6 with six RBI and three runs scored.

June 19, 1935 – In an 8-6 loss to the Reds at Crosley Field, future Hall of Famer Joe Medwick hit for the cycle.

In the first inning, Medwick hit an RBI double to left. He added an RBI triple to center in the third.

Medwick singled to lead off the fifth inning and scored on a triple by Bill DeLancey. In the ninth, Medwick hit a solo home run to left. His final line was 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.

June 24, 1897 – Dick Harley, who was a left fielder for the Cardinals for two seasons, 1897 and 1898, is recorded to have six hits in a game on this date. There are no records available, so no details are known other than he had the six hits in a 12-inning game in Pittsburgh.

June 24, 1931 – Right fielder George Watkins hit three home runs in a 4-2 win over the Phillies at the Baker Bowl.

The first long ball was a two-run shot in the fourth inning off Phillies pitcher Phil Collins. He hit a solo home run in the sixth off Collins.

Watkins’ final long ball was a solo shot off relief pitcher Jumbo Elliott in the ninth.

June 26, 1973 –Joe Torre hit for the cycle in a 15-4 blowout of the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium. Torre was playing first base defensively.

Torre hit an RBI double in the first inning. In the third, Torre hit a solo home run to right.

A triple to right in the fourth did not score a run, but Torre came home on a sac fly by Ted Simmons. His final hit was an RBI single to center in the ninth.  Torre went 4-for-5 with three RBI and four runs scored.

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photo: Alec Burleson (Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports)

The St. Louis Cardinals began the 5-1 week with a sweep of the White Sox in Chicago, and gained ground on Chicago and Milwaukee in the NL Central. Alec Burleson swung a hot bat with a 1.275 OPS along with three home runs with nine RBI. We look at memorable walk-offs during this period in team history.

Game recaps

Monday, June 16, 2025 – Off day

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 – Cardinals 12 at White Sox 2

The Cardinals walloped the White Sox in a 12-2 blowout in Chicago on Tuesday. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, and struck out four to earn his fourth win of the season.

Matthew Liberatore

Riley O’Brien relieved Liberatore and threw two scoreless innings of relief. Andre Granillo tossed a scoreless ninth.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. St. Louis answered with a five run second. Nolan Arenado singled. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk. Pedro Pagés hit a sac bunt and Arenado scored on a throwing error, with Nootbaar to third base and Pagés to second base on the play. Victor Scott was hit by a pitch to load the bags. Brendan Donovan singled to plate Nootbaar. Pagés came home on a ground out by Masyn Winn. Iván Herrera drove in Scott and Donovan.

The Cardinals added a run in the top of the fifth to increase the lead to 6-1. Willson Contreras walked. Alec Burleson singled and Contreras advanced to third. On a ball four pitch to Arenado, Burleson attempted to steal second and Contreras stole home on the throw to second.

The White Sox scored a run in the home half of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-2.  The Cardinals put up two runs in the sixth to increase the lead to 8-2. Donovan singled. Masyn Winn doubled. Herrera plated Donovan and Winn on a single.

Burleson hit a solo home run in the seventh to widen the lead to 9-2. The Cardinal made it 10-2 in the eighth. Winn walked. Contreras walked. Burleson drove in Winn on a single.

In the ninth, the Cardinals scored two more runs for a final score of 12-2. Pagés singled and Scott followed with a two run home run.

Victor Scott

The Cardinals scored 12 runs on 13 hits. Herrera was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Donovan was 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Burleson was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Scott had two RBI and two runs scored. Pagés and Winn scored two runs.

On the bases, Contreras stole his third base of the season. The Cardinals did not commit an error on defense.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 – Cardinals at White Sox (postponed)

Thursday, June 19, 2025 – Cardinals 5 at White Sox 4 (Game one)

The Cardinals edged the White Sox in a one run win in the first game of a twin bill on Thursday. Starter Erick Fedde pitched five innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits, four strikeouts, and two walks.

Steven Matz relieved Fedde and surrendered two runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Andre Granillo threw 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first win. Phil Maton hurled a scoreless eighth, and Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 14^th save.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Masyn Winn walked. Iván Herrera singled. Alec Burleson walked. Winn scored on a sac fly by Willson Contreras.

The White Sox tied the game in the fourth and took the lead 2-1 in the fifth. St. Louis tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth. Herrera singled. Burleson reached on catcher interference. Nolan Arenado was intentionally walked. Lars Nootbaar walked and Herrera scored.

Chicago answered with two runs in the home half of the sixth to lead 4-2. In the eighth, the Cardinals put up three runs to go ahead 5-4. Burleson singled. Contreras followed with a two run home run.

Willson Contreras

Nolan Gorman reached on an error, and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Nootbaar walked. Yohel Pozo plated Gorman on a single.

The Cardinals scored five runs on eight hits. Burleson was 2-for-3. Herrera was 2-for-4. Contreras tallied three RBI.

On the bases, Nootbaar was caught stealing second base.

On defense, shortstop Winn made a throwing error.

Thursday, June 19, 2025 – Cardinals 8 at White Sox 6 (10 innings, game two)

The Cardinals defeated the White Sox in the second game of the twin bill in extra innings to sweep Thursday’s doubleheader. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched five innings, gave up one run on three hits, five strikeouts and one walk.

Riley O’Brien relieved McGreevy and threw a scoreless sixth. John King surrendered two runs in 1/3 innings. Kyle Leahy yielded three runs in 1 2/3 innings. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless ninth and was awarded his third win. Andre Granillo tossed a scoreless 10^th and earned his first MLB save.

The White Sox went up 1-0 in the second inning. The Cardinals put up a four run third to lead 4-1.

Victor Scott singled and stole second base. Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch. Alec Burleson followed with a three run home run.

Alec Burleson

Nolan Arenado thumped a solo home run.

Nolan Arenado

St. Louis added two runs in the fourth to increase the lead to 6-1. Nolan Gorman doubled. Pedro Pagés singled. Victor Scott walked. Contreras plated Gorman and Pagés on a double.

Chicago came back to tie the game with a five run seventh.

The game went into extra innings, tied at six. The Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the 10^th to regain the lead.

Jordan Walker pinch-ran for Contreras at second base to begin the frame. Arenado singled in Walker, and was thrown out at second base on the play. Nootbaar hit his ninth home run to extend the lead to 8-6.

Lars Nootbaar

The White Sox failed to rally in the bottom frame.

The Cardinals scored eight runs on 12 hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Arenado was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Pagés was 2-for-4. Contreras had two RBI.

On the bases, Scott stole his 20^th base of the season. Scott was also picked off at first base.

On defense, catcher Pagés had a passed ball.

Friday, June 20, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Reds 1

The Cardinals were the winner of a 6-1 contest against the Reds at Busch Stadium on Friday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched six scoreless innings, allowed two hits, fanned four and walked one to earn his fifth win of the season.

Andre Pallante

Phil Maton relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless seventh. John King surrendered one run in ⅓ of an inning. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless inning. Riley O’Brien recorded the final two outs.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Victor Scott was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Brendan Donovan reached on a fielder’s choice. Scott was out at third. Masyn Winn doubled. Donovan scored on a sac fly by Alec Burleson.

St. Louis put up a five- run seventh to stretch the lead to 6-0. Pedro Pagés walked. Scott was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Donovan walked to load the bases. Winn plated Pagés on a single. Nolan Gorman drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Scott home. Thomas Saggese reached base on an error, and Donovan scored on the play. Lars Nootbaar drove in Gorman with a single.

Cincinnati scored their only run in the eighth to cut the lead to 6-1.

The offense scored six runs on seven hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Donovan scored two runs.

On the bases, Scott stole his 21^st base of the season.

On defense, right fielder Jordan Walker made a throwing error. Second baseman Donovan had a fielding miscue. Pagés picked a runner off first base.

Saturday, June 21, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Reds 5 (11 innings)

The Cardinals edged the Reds in extra innings on Saturday.

Starter Sonny Gray pitched five innings, gave up one run on five hits, fanned five and walked two.

Steven Matz relieved Gray and surrendered three runs in 1 ⅔ innings of relief. Andre Granillo yielded one run in 1 ⅔  innings. John King threw ⅔  scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley hurled a scoreless 10^th. Phil Maton tossed a scoreless 11^th to earn the win.

The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning on a two run home run by Alec Burleson.

The Reds cut the lead to 2-1 with a run scored in the third.

Cincinnati put up three runs in the seventh to lead 4-2. They added a fifth run in the top of the eighth. St. Louis scored two runs in the home half of the eighth to shrink the lead to 5-4. Victor Scott singled. Brendan Donovan singled. Masyn Winn plated Scott on a single. Burleson drove in Donovan on a single.

The Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on a solo home run by Nolan Arenado. The game went into extra innings and neither team scored in the 10^th.

The Reds did not score in the top of the 11^th. In the bottom of the 11^th, Jordan Walker pinch ran for ghost runner Willson Contreras. Nolan Arenado was hit by a pitch. After pop outs by Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar, Yohel Pozo hit a single to right field to score Walker and win the game in a walk off.

Yohel Pozo

The Cardinals scored six runs on nine hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Scott was 2-for-4.

On the bases, Gorman was picked off second base.

On defense, Donovan made a throwing error. Contreras had a dropped foul error.

Sunday, June 22, 2025 – Cardinals 1, Reds 4

The Cardinals fell to the Reds in the final game of the series, and thus failed to sweep. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched five innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits, one walk, and six strikeouts. Mikolas took the loss.

Kyle Leahy relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run across two innings of relief. Gordon Graceffo tossed the final two scoreless innings.

The Reds went up 1-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals tied the game in the second. Nolan Arenado singled. Thomas Saggese reached on an error. Yohel Pozo singled to score Arenado.

Cincinnati added two runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth to lead 4-1.

The Cardinals scored one run on three hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.

On the bases, Winn stole his fourth base of the season. On defense, Pozo had a passed ball.

Big Picture

The Cardinals improved their performance from last week, ending the week with a 5-1 record. They swept the White Sox and won 2 of 3 against the Reds. The team remains in third place, 4.5 games back of the Cubs and one game back of the second place Brewers.

The offense was much better this week, though helped along by playing the White Sox, who hold the worst record in the American League. They did manage to score 13 runs against a solid Reds team, so it wasn’t all a mirage. A meeting with the Reds’ Andrew Abbott on Sunday squashed a higher number.

The top offensive performers for the week by OPS are Yohel Pozo (1.200 in 5 ABs), Alec Burleson (1.162), Nolan Arenado (.991), and Lars Nootbaar (.935). A few days’ rest for Nootbaar did wonders for dragging him out of the basement, where he resided last week.

At the bottom were Jose Barrero (.393), Nolan Gorman (.375), Thomas Saggese (.286 in 7 ABs), and Jordan Walker (.182). Saggese has an excuse because he just came up from Triple-A over the weekend. Barrero is a bench player who hardly ever plays, but Gorman and Walker are causing more whiplash than a 20 car pileup on the interstate. Gorman was finally getting more playing time and showing some promise, but has since come down to earth, at least for now. Same with Walker, who hit for a brief time after his return from a rehab assignment, but has cooled off.

On the pitching side, the team improved as well. All starters had ERAs under 4.00 for the week. The team also inserted Michael McGreevy as a spot starter, and he pitched well. Andre Pallante looked as good as he has looked all season against the Reds.

The bullpen was sturdy, apart from hiccups by John King (frequent flyer on this list) and Steven Matz (not a frequent flyer). Kyle Leahy also continues to struggle, somewhat. The team called up Andre Granillo from Memphis, and sent him down again in less than a week. It was not, however, for pitching badly. The team just needed a fresh arm, and he was apparently lower on the pecking order than other relievers who didn’t pitch as well, and had options remaining.

The Cardinals begin the upcoming week with a four game series with the Cubs. Chicago has just come off losing a series against the Mariners, and the teams are playing at Busch, not Wrigley. Nevertheless, this is going to be as tough of a series as the Cardinals have played all season. The team ends the week on the road against the Guardians in Cleveland.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 6/19 – The Cardinals recalled RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/20 – The Cardinals optioned RHP Michael McGreevy to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/20 – The Cardinals placed C Iván Herrera on the 10-day injured list. Left hamstring strain.
• 6/20 – The Cardinals recalled 2B Thomas Saggese from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/22 – The Cardinals optioned RHP Andre Granillo to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/22 – The Cardinals recalled RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds.

Injury Report

• LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. Thompson missed most of spring training. Thompson had a setback in his rehab and was sent for an evaluation. According to Derrick Goold of the Post Dispatch, Thompson has returned to the Cardinals spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida to resume his throwing program.
• C Iván Herrera was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Herrera felt pain in his hamstring strain during the first game of the June 19 doubleheader. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain that could keep Herrera out for 2 to 6 weeks.

Looking Ahead

The Cardinals see the Cubs for the first time this season, as they come to St. Louis for a four game series beginning Monday. Matthew Liberatore will get the Monday start, followed by Erick Fedde on Tuesday. No starters have been named for the final two games.

Another road trip begins to end the month, with two three game series with the Guardians and the Pirates. The Pirates series extends into July, and after a travel day on Thursday, July 3, the Cardinals once again play the Cubs, this time at Wrigley Field for a weekend set.

After a Monday off day, the Cardinals return home to Busch Stadium to play a six game homestand with the Nationals and the Braves before the All-Star break begins on July 14.

Following the All-Star break, the Cardinals are on a west coast road trip. with the first stop in Phoenix to play the Diamondbacks in a weekend three game series. The road trip ends in Denver with a three game set against the Rockies.

Blast from the Past

Last week we took a look at Cardinals walk-off wins for a period in franchise history. We continue that this week with a list of walk-off wins for the period June 16 through June 23.

Walk-off wins are the most exciting way to end a baseball game. This series will continue off and on going forward.

Below is a list of walk off wins during the period June 16 through June 23 in past Cardinals seasons, starting with the date of the game, the hitter who was responsible for the walk-off, and any other notable details.

June 17, 1951 – On this date, the Cardinals won a 5-4 walk off win against the Phillies at Sportsman’s Park III.  The game was tied 4-4 at the end of regulation. The game went into extras, and the Phillies failed to score in the top of the 10^th.

In the bottom of the 10^th, the first batter up to the plate was Stan Musial, who hit a solo home run to RF to give the Cardinals the 5-4 win.

June 18, 1987 – On this date in 1987, the Cardinals beat the Pirates 8-6 in 10 innings at Busch Stadium II. With the game tied 6-6 at the end of the ninth, the game continued into the 10^th.

The Pirates did not score in the top of the 10^th. In the home half of the 10^th, Tom Herr got on base with a single. Next up was Jack Clark, who blasted a two run home run to give the Cardinals the 8-6 walk off win.

June 20, 2007 – On this day, the Cardinals played the Royals at Busch Stadium III. The game went into extra innings in a 6-6 tie, and neither team could score through the 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th innings. The Royals continued to struggle for a run in the top of the 14^th, but the Cardinals did not. In the bottom of the 14^th, Ryan Ludwick was the first batter at the plate and he hit a solo home run to left center field for the 7-6 win.

June 22, 1999 – On this date, the Cardinals won another game in walk-off fashion in the 14^th inning. This game was against the Astros at Busch Stadium II.

The game was tied 3-3 at the end of regulations. After neither team scored through the 13^th inning, and the Astros failed to score in the top of the 14^th, the Cardinals came to bat in the bottom of the inning.

Following strikeouts from Mike Mohler and Thomas Howard, Joe McEwing singled to RF. Placido Polanco then singled to CF. Mark McGwire came to bat and singled to CF, scoring McEwing and giving the Cardinals the 4-3 win.

June 23, 2001 – A 6-5 walk off win for the Cardinals in nine innings happened on this date in 2001. The Cardinals were facing the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium II.

The game was tied 5-5 after the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Jim Edmonds started the inning with walk. Ray Lankford struck out. Albert Pujols was intentionally walked. Craig Paquette struck out. Edgar Renteria walked to load the bases.

Mike Matheny came to bat with two outs and the bases loaded and singled to left field to score Edmonds. The Cardinals beat the Giants 6-5.

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photo: Nolan Gorman (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The gains of May were erased as the St. Louis Cardinals are a season-worst seven games behind Chicago. During the 1-6 week, Nolan Gorman led the offense with a 1.059 OPS, hit two home runs and drove in six. Struggling Lars Nootbaar went 0-for-18. We remember notable walk-offs during this period in team history.

Game recaps

Monday, June 9, 2025 – Cardinals 4, Blue Jays 5 (10 innings)

At Busch Stadium on Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in the first of a three-game series. Starter Andre Pallante pitched six innings, gave up two runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked one.

Andre Pallante

Riley 0’Brien relieved Pallante and surrendered one run in two innings. Ryan Helsley yielded one run in the ninth and was tagged with a blown save, his fifth of the season. Phil Maton allowed one unearned run in the 10^th as a ghost runner scored the deciding run.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. They added one in the second. In the top of the eighth, the Blue Jays scored a third run.

St. Louis finally got on the board with a rally in the home eighth to take a 4-3 lead. Victor Scott walked. Masyn Winn singled. Willson Contreras singled and Scott scored. Iván Herrera followed with a three-run home run.

Iván Herrera

The Blue Jays tied the game in the ninth and won in the 10^th as the Cardinals offense did not answer.

St. Louis scored four runs on seven hits. Herrera was 2-for-4 with three RBI.

On defense, Herrera was charged with catcher interference.

Tuesday, June 10, 2025 – Cardinals 9, Blue Jays 10

The Cardinals again lost to the Blue Jays by one run on Tuesday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched five innings, gave up six runs on nine hits and struck out two. Mikolas took the loss.

John King relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Kyle Leahy yielded one run in 1 2/3 innings. Chris Roycroft allowed two runs in the ninth.

Toronto went up 3-0 in the first inning and added a run in the top of the fourth. St. Louis answered with four runs in the home fourth to tie the game. Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch. Alec Burleson singled. Nolan Arenado singled to score Donovan. Nolan Gorman followed with a three-run home run.

Nolan Gorman

In the fifth, the Jays scored twice to take the lead at 6-4. They did it again in the seventh to increase the lead to 8-4.

In the eighth, the Cardinals put up two runs. Burleson singled before Nolan Arenado hit a two-run home run.

Toronto continued to score with two runs in the top of the ninth to widen the lead to 10-6. The Cardinals threatened in the bottom of the ninth, but the three-run tally fell just short. Masyn Winn and Iván Herrera singled. Willson Contreras blasted a three-run home run.

Willson Contreras

The Cardinals scored nine runs on 12 hits. Arenado was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Gorman was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Burleson was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Herrera was 2-for-5. Contreras had three RBI.

On defense, Contreras had a missed catch error.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 – Cardinals 2, Blue Jays 5

The Cardinals were swept at home by the Blue Jays with a loss in the final game of the series on Wednesday. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched five innings, gave up five runs on nine hits, fanned four and walked one. The left hander took the loss.

Riley O’Brien relieved Liberatore and threw two scoreless innings. Chris Roycroft tossed the final two scoreless innings.

The Cardinals went ahead 1-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn singled. Winn advanced on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt. Willson Contreras singled to score Winn.

St. Louis added a run in the second on a solo home run by Yohel Pozo.  The Blue Jays came back in the third to score two runs to tie the game. They added two runs in the fourth and one run in the fifth to lead 5-2. That ended the evening’s scoring.

The Cardinals scored two runs on seven hits.  Contreras was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Victor Scott was 2-for-4.

On the bases, Scott stole his 18^th base of the season. On defense, Gorman made a fielding error.

Thursday, June 12, 2025 – Cardinals 0, Brewers 6

The Cardinals were blanked by the Brewers in the first of a four-game series in Milwaukee on Thursday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up six runs on eight hits, fanned four and walked one. Gray took the loss, his second of the season.

In his MLB debut, Andre Granillo relieved Gray and threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings. John King tossed a scoreless eighth.

Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. They put up a five run fifth to lead 6-0.

The Cardinals offense managed only three hits, all singles. They were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.

On defense, Gray picked a runner off first base. Pedro Pagés was charged with a passed ball.

Friday, June 13, 2025 – Cardinals 2, Brewers 3

The Cardinals were edged by the Brewers by a 3-2 score on Friday. Starter Erick Fedde pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits, fanned five and walked one. Fedde took the loss.

Steven Matz relieved Fedde and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless eighth.

The Brewers scored one run in the fourth. The Cardinals answered in the fifth to tie the game. Alec Burleson doubled and came home on a double by Nolan Arenado.

Milwaukee put up two runs in the sixth to regain the lead. St. Louis added a run in the ninth to shrink the final score to 3-2. Nolan Gorman doubled and was driven in by a single from Victor Scott.

The Cardinals scored two runs on seven hits. Burleson was 2-for-4.

On the bases, Scott stole his 19^th base of the season.

Saturday, June 14, 2025 – Cardinals 8, Brewers 5

Snapping their six-game losing skid, the Cardinals defeated the Brewers by the score of 8-5 on Saturday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on four hits, fanned seven and walked two.

Kyle Leahy relieved Pallante and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. JoJo Romero hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Phil Maton tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley surrendered one run in the ninth.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Masyn Winn singled. Iván Herrera walked. Alec Burleson singled to score Winn.

St. Louis added three runs in the top of the fourth. Nolan Arenado singled. Nolan Gorman walked. Jordan Walker reached on a fielder’s choice. As Arenado scored, the runners advanced on an error. Victor Scott plated Gorman and Walker on a single.

Victor Scott

In the home fourth, the Brewers cut the lead to 4-1. The Cardinals put up three runs in the top of the fifth to increase the edge to 7-1.  Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch. Arenado walked. Nolan Gorman followed with a three-run home run.

Milwaukee shrunk the lead to 7-4 with a three-run bottom of the fifth. In the top of the ninth, the Cardinals made it 8-4 on a solo home run by Contreras.

The Brewers added one more run in the bottom of the inning to shrink the final score to 8-5.

The Cardinals scored eight runs on 10 hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Gorman had three RBI and scored two runs. Scott had two RBI. Arenado and Contreras both scored twice.

On defense, Pedro Pagés had a passed ball.

Sunday, June 15, 2025 – Cardinals 2, Brewers 3

The Cardinals lost to the Brewers by a 3-2 score in the final game of the series and dropped three of four in Milwaukee. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up two runs on six hits, fanned seven and walked one. Mikolas took the loss.

John King relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy threw one scoreless inning. JoJo Romero secured the final out of the eighth.

The Cardinals scored one run in the top of the fourth. Brendan Donovan and Iván Herrera singled. Donovan scored on a ground out by Willson Contreras.

The Brewers put up two runs in the home fourth to take the lead. They added a third run in the seventh.

The Cardinals scored one run in the ninth but failed miserably in getting more runs home with two on and no outs in the inning.

The offense plated two runs on nine hits. Herrera was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Donovan and Gorman were each 2-for-4. The Cardinals were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals finished the week with a very disappointing 1-6 record. They were swept in three games at home by the Blue Jays and lost 3 of 4 to the Brewers. St. Louis is now tied with the Reds for third place, are 2.5 games back of the Brewers, and a season-worst seven games behind the Cubs. In other words, the advancement the team made in the standings with their excellent May performance has more than been erased.

The offense has been hit or miss for most of June. Brendan Donovan missed all but the last game of the Brewers series with a toe injury. The rest of the offense couldn’t make up for that missing bat in the lineup.

The top performers by OPS for the week are Nolan Gorman (1.059), and Willson Contreras (.998). Close behind were Iván Herrera (.886) and Yohel Pozo (.834 in 6 ABs).

Yohel Pozo

At the bottom are Masyn Winn (.276), Pedro Pagés (.266) and Lars Nootbaar (.053). Nootbaar has been taken out of the lineup for a brief period to try to reset.

On the pitching side, it was a bad week as well. No starter had an ERA under 4.00 for the period. Andre Pallante (4.36) was the closest. Erick Fedde was next at 5.36. Sonny Gray (12.46) pitched another clunker against the Brewers.

The bullpen kept the status quo for the most part except for Ryan Helsley (9.00), who hasn’t pitched well for some time, John King (6.00) and Chris Roycroft (6.00). The latter was mercifully sent back to Memphis in favor of Andre Granillo, the new guy in the pen.

The Cardinals have an off day Monday and then will play the last place White Sox in Chicago. All bets are off about how that series will turn out given the poor performance by this team in the month of June (4-10 record so far). Last year, the Pale Hose posted the worst record in MLB history at 41-121 but still took a three-game set over the Cardinals in St. Louis.

After the White Sox, the Cardinals will face the Reds at home. The Reds are 7-3 in their last 10 games and beat the 46-27 Tigers in two of three games in their recent series.

The performance of the Cardinals has to change and quickly.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 6/9 The Cardinals recalled RHP Riley 0’Brien from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/9 The Cardinals optioned RHP Michael McGreevy to the Memphis Redbirds
• 6/9 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/9 The Cardinals optioned RHP Matt Svanson to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/12 The Cardinals recalled CF Michael Siani from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/12 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Andre Granillo from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/12 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/12 The Cardinals designated RF Ryan Vilade for assignment.
• 6/12 The Cardinals sent RF Jordan Walker on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/14 RF Ryan Vilade was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
• 6/14 The Cardinals optioned CF Michael Siani to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/14 The Cardinals activated RF Jordan Walker from the 10-day injured list.

Injury Report

• LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. Thompson missed most of spring training. Thompson had a setback in his rehab and has returned to the Cardinals spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida to resume his throwing program.
• RF Jordan Walker (left wrist inflammation) was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.
• 2B/OF Brendan Donovan (left big toe capsule sprain) injured his toe on June 10. Donovan was withheld from the lineup for the final game with the Blue Jays and the first three games with the Brewers. He was back in the lineup on Sunday.

Looking Ahead

The team is off Monday, June 16, prior to meeting the White Sox in Chicago for a three-game series. Matthew Liberatore is scheduled to make the Tuesday start, followed by Sonny Gray on Wednesday, and Erick Fedde on Thursday.

The Cardinals head home to play the Reds in a weekend series beginning on Friday, June 20. The Cubs face the Cardinals for the first time this season as they come to St. Louis for four games.

Another road trip ends the month, with three game sets at the Guardians and Pirates, with the Pittsburgh series extending into July. After a travel day on Thursday, July 3, the Cardinals once again play the Cubs, this time at Wrigley Field for a weekend series.

After a Monday off day, the Cardinals return home to Busch Stadium for a six-game homestand with the Nationals and the Braves before the All-Star Break begins on Monday, July 14.

Blast from the Past

Last week, we reviewed Cardinals’ walk-off wins during a period in franchise history.

Walk-off wins are the most exciting way to end a baseball game. This series will continue off and on going forward.

Below is a list of walk off wins during the period June 9 through June 15 in past Cardinals seasons, starting with the date of the game, the hitter who was responsible for the walk off and any other notable details.

June 9, 1992 – The Cardinals beat the Cubs at Busch Stadium in a 6-5 walk off in 11 innings. The game was tied 5-5 at the end of regulation.  Neither team scored in the 10^th. The Cubs failed to score in the top of the 11^th, but the Cardinals were able to push a run across the plate.

Ozzie Smith singled after a Ray Lankford ground out. Bernard Gilkey followed Smith with a single. After a fly ball out by Felix Jose, Todd Zeile hit a line drive single to left, scoring Smith for the 6-5 walk off win.

June 12, 1999 – In 1999, the Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers in a walk off at Busch Stadium by the score of 8-7. It took 14 innings to accomplish.

The teams were tied 7-7 at the end of regulation play. Through innings 10, 11, 12, and 13, neither team scored.

In the 14^th, Willie McGee led off with a single. Mark McGuire flied out to center. Ray Lankford and Fernando Tatis singled to load the bases. Darren Bragg struck out. The next batter, Edgar Renteria, hit a line drive single to right to score McGee to end the game.

June 13, 1994 – On this date, the Cardinals won by 2-1 score over the then Florida Marlins in nine innings.

The Cardinals led 1-0 going into the ninth, but the Marlins tied it.  In the bottom of the nine, Todd Zeile flied out to center. Ray Lankford followed with a double to left. Mark Whiten was intentionally walked. Tom Pagnozzi was up next and hit a line drive single to right to score Lankford.

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photo: Willson Contreras (USA TODAY Sports)

The Cardinals once again had a 3-3 week, losing 2 of 3 to the Royals, but winning 2 of 3 from the Dodgers. Willson Contreras has been on fire recently, recording hits in five of his last six games while totaling seven RBI, four doubles, a home run, and a .946 OPS. Our Blast from the Past this week looks at walk-off wins from this past week in the team’s history.

Game recaps

Monday, June 2, 2025 – Off day

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 – Cardinals 7, Royals 10

The Cardinals lost to the Royals by the score of 10-7 in the first game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up seven runs on seven hits, and struck out two.

Steven Matz relieved Pallante and surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Matz took the loss. Kyle Leahy yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning. John King threw a scoreless inning. Matt Svanson tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Matt Svanson

The Royals went up 2-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the second to tie the game on a two-run home run by Nolan Gorman.

Nolan Gorman

St. Louis posted a five-run third inning to take the lead 7-2. Masyn Winn singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brendan Donovan walked. Willson Contreras hit a ground-rule double to score Winn. Nolan Arenado plated Donovan and Contreras on a single. Alec Burleson followed with a two-run home run.

Alec Burleson

In the sixth, the Royals burst out with a six-run inning to lead 8-7. They added two runs in the sixth to make it 10-7.

The Cardinals scored seven runs on 12 hits. Burleson was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Gorman was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Winn was 2-for-4.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 – Cardinals, Royals (postponed)

The game was postponed due to inclement weather. It was made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday, June 5. 

Thursday, June 5, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Royals 5 (10 innings, game one)

The Cardinals edged the Royals to win the first game of the twin bill in extra innings on Thursday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up three runs on eight hits, struck out two and walked one.

Riley O’Brien relieved Mikolas and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. John King followed with a scoreless 1/3 of an inning. Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth and surrendered the tying run to earn a blown save. JoJo Romero yielded an unearned run in the 10^th but got the win.

Riley O’Brien

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. They added one run in the fourth and one run in the fifth to lead 3-0.

The Cardinals finally scored in the seventh with a two-run inning to cut the lead to 3-2. Willson Contreras doubled. Iván Herrera singled. Nolan Arenado ground into a force out and Contreras scored. Herrera was out at second. Alec Burleson singled. Ryan Vilade reached on a fielder’s choice. Nolan Gorman pinch hit for Pedro Pagés, but didn’t swing the bat. A pitching change was followed by Yohel Pozo pinch-hitting for Gorman. Pozo drove in Arenado on a sac fly.

Yohel Pozo

St. Louis scored two runs in the eighth to take the lead 4-3. Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch. Herrera followed with a two-run home run. The Royals tied the game in the ninth, and the game went into extra innings.

Iván Herrera

The Royals took the lead 5-4 in the top of the 10^th. The Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the 10^th to win the game in a walk-off. With Pozo on second to start the inning, Lars Nootbaar singled, moving Pozo to third. Masyn Winn plated Pozo on a ground out. Donovan was intentionally walked. Contreras drove in Nootbaar on a single to win the game.

Willson Contreras

The Cardinals scored six runs on eight hits. Herrera was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Nootbaar was 2-for-5.

Thursday, June 5, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Royals 7 (game two)

The Cardinals fell to the Royals in the final game of the twin bill and series on Thursday. Starter Matthew Libertore had a rough outing, going four innings and giving up seven runs on eight hits. He struck out two, walked one and took the loss.

John King relieved Liberatore and threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy hurled two scoreless innings. Matt Svanson and Phil Maton each tossed a scoreless inning.

Kyle Leahy

The Royals scored two in the top of the first inning to lead 2-0. The Cardinals answered with one run in the home half of the first to cut the lead to 2-1. Lars Nootbaar walked. Masyn Winn singled. Nootbaar scored on a single by Willson Contreras.

Kansas City added three runs in the top of the third to increase their lead to 5-1. St. Louis responded with four runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game. Winn walked. Brendan Donovan singled. Contreras doubled to plate Winn and Donovan. Nolan Arenado followed with a two-run home run.

Nolan Arenado

The Royals scored one run in the fourth to regain the lead 6-5. They added a run in the fifth to lead 7-5.

The Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits. Contreras was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

On the bases, Victor Scott stole his 17^th base of the season.

Friday, June 6, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Dodgers 0

The Cardinals blanked the Dodgers on Friday in the first game of a three-game series. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed eight hits and fanned five to earn his seventh win.

Sonny Gray

JoJo Romero relieved Gray and threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Phil Maton hurled a scoreless eighth. Steven Matz tossed a scoreless ninth.

Steven Matz

The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the second inning on a two-run home run by Pedro Pagés. They added two runs in the fifth to lead 4-0. Pagés walked and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Victor Scott. Lars Nootbaar walked. All runners advanced on a ground out by Masyn Winn. Brendan Donovan cleared the bases on a single.

Brendan Donovan

Willson Contreras hit a solo home run in the eighth to bring the score to 5-0.

The Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits. Pages had two RBI and two runs scored. Donovan had two RBI. Nolan Arenado was 3-for-4.

On the bases, Winn stole his third base of the season.

Saturday, June 7, 2025 – Cardinals 2, Dodgers 1

The Cardinals defeated the Dodgers in a 2-1 contest on Saturday. Starter Erick Fedde pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits, struck out two and walked four.

Erick Fedde

Steven Matz relieved Fedde and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Kyle Leahy hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley surrendered the tying run and was charged with a blown save. He was also awarded the win.

The game was scoreless until the Cardinals broke through in the eighth to score a run and go up 1-0. Masyn Winn singled. Brendan Donovan singled. Alec Burleson drove in Winn on a single.

The Dodgers tied the game in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch/passed ball on a strikeout of Freddie Freeman.

The Cardinals won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off. Nolan Gorman hit a ground-rule double. Jose Barrero pinch ran for Gorman. Pedro Pagés bunted and was safe on first on a throwing error by the Dodgers pitcher. Barrero advanced to third. Nolan Arenado pinch hit for Victor Scott, and with five Dodgers on the infield and an empty left field, Arenado hit a fly ball into left field to score Barrero.

St. Louis scored two runs on nine hits. Winn and Gorman were each 2-for-4.

On the bases, Winn was caught stealing home.

Sunday, June 8, 2025 – Cardinals 3, Dodgers 7

The Cardinals were unable to complete the sweep, instead losing 7-3 to the Dodgers. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six innings, gave up four runs on eight hits and fanned five. McGreevy took the loss.

John King relieved McGreevy and surrendered one run in the seventh. Matt Svanson yielded two runs in the final two innings.

The Dodgers went up 3-0 in the second inning, then added a run in the fourth to lead 4-0.  The Cardinals scored a run in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-1. Alec Burleson singled. Pedro Pagés singled. Masyn Winn doubled to score Burleson.

Masyn Winn

St. Louis added a second run in the sixth to shrink the lead to 4-2. Willson Contreras doubled. Iván Herrera singled. Contreras scored on a sac fly by Burleson.

The Dodgers increased their lead to 5-2 in the top of the seventh. The Cardinals answered with a run in the home half of the inning to cut the lead to 5-3.  Ryan Vilade walked. Brendan Donovan singled. Contreras plated Vilade on a single.

Los Angeles scored two more in the eighth to lead 7-3.

The Cardinals scored three runs on 11 hits. Burleson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Herrera was 2-for-4. Brendan Donovan was 2-for-5.

On defense, Pagés had a passed ball.

Big Picture.

The Cardinals once again had a 3-3 week, losing 2 of 3 to the Royals, but winning 2 of 3 from the Dodgers. The team remains in second place in the NL Central, 4 games back of the Cubs and 1.5 games ahead of the Brewers.

Pedro Pagés

The offense keeps chugging along, perhaps not at the breakneck pace of May but still hanging in there. The top performers by OPS for the week are Nolan Gorman (1.389 in 9 ABs), Pedro Pagés (1.200), Alec Burleson (1.138) and Willson Contreras (.946).

At the bottom are Lars Nootbaar (.495), Ryan Vilade (.350), Victor Scott (.143), Jose Barrero (.000 in 2 ABs) and Yohel Pozo (.000 in 4 ABs).

On the pitching side, only two starters had ERAs under 4.00 for the week. They are Sonny Gray (0.00) and Erick Fedde (0.00). Matthew Liberatore (15.75) had his second clunker in a row against the Royals. He reports being “out of sync”. Andre Pallante (14.54) still has not pitched to the level he did last year. Miles Mikolas (4.50) was barely over the threshold. Michael McGreevy (6.00) was brought up to start on Sunday against the Dodgers and was thrown into the fire. Frankly, he held his own for the most part on short notice and was hampered by some unsavory outfield defense, as Jordan Walker remains on the IL and Victor Scott was benched for Jose Barrero, a less talented outfield defender.

The bullpen was fine except for Ryan Helsley, who has had two recent blown saves on his resume. There has been some churn in that pen and will likely be some more soon enough.

The Cardinals finish their homestand this coming week with three games against the Toronto Blue Jays and end the week on the road against NL Central rivals the Milwaukee Brewers. There is an opportunity to create more space between the Cardinals and the team that is trying to catch them.

NL Central Standings   

Team                                           W                                   L                                   Pct                              GB

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 6/5 The Cardinals recalled RHP Riley O’Brien from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/6 The Cardinals optioned RHP Riley O’Brien to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/8 The Cardinals recalled RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 6/8 The Cardinals optioned RHP Roddery Muñoz to the Memphis Redbirds.

Injury Report

• LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. Thompson missed most of spring training. Thompson had a setback in his rehab and has been sent for an evaluation. No other information is available.
• RF Jordan Walker (left wrist inflammation) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 29. Walker received a pain-killing injection in the wrist and has taken batting practice and lifted weights without pain. Walker is expected to go on a rehab assignment on June 10.
• LHP Matthew Liberatore was removed from his last start after four innings with “fatigue-related issues”. His fastball velocity dropped, and he had given up seven runs. He later reported he was “out of sync”. No word on whether or not he will make his next start.

Looking Ahead

Following the end of the Dodgers series on Sunday, the Cardinals continue the homestand with a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Andre Pallante is scheduled for the Monday start, followed by Miles Mikolas on Tuesday, and Matthew Liberatore on Wednesday.

The team goes on the road again to play the Brewers in Milwaukee for a four-game series. After an off day on Monday, June 16, the Cardinals play the White Sox in Chicago in a three-game series ending Thursday, June 19.

The Cardinals head home to play the Reds in a weekend series beginning June 20. The Cardinals see the Cubs for the first time this season as they come to St. Louis for a four-game series.

Another road trip begins to end the month, with two three-game series with the Guardians and the Pirates.

Blast from the Past

The Cardinals beat the Dodgers in an exciting walk-off win on Saturday, June 7. Walk-off wins are always a fun way to win, and this one was especially enjoyable given the opponent and how the walk-off happened.

So this week in Blast from the Past, we take a look at some walk-off wins from the past that occurred during the period June 2 through June 8.

Below is a list of walk-off wins during the relevant period, starting with the date of the game, the hitter who was responsible for the walk-off, and any other notable details.

June 2, 2018 – On this date, the Cardinals beat the Pirates in a 3-2 walk-off win at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals were ahead 2-1 going into the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, the Pirates tied the game on a solo home run by Austin Meadows off Cardinal reliever Bud Norris. In the bottom of the ninth, Kolten Wong hit a solo home run to right field to give the Cardinals the 3-2 win.

June 3, 1981 – On this day, the Cardinals defeated the Montreal Expos in an 11-inning walk-off 3-2 win at Busch Stadium. The game was tied 1 -1 at the end of regulation. The Expos scored a run in the top of the 10^th, and the Cardinals did likewise in the bottom of the inning. Tied 2-2 in the 11^th, the Expos failed to score in their half of the inning. With the Cardinals batting, Orlando Sanchez tripled to CF. Tom Herr hit a single to CF to score Sanchez, and the Cardinals won 3-2.

June 3, 1989 – On this date, the Cardinals won in a walk-off 6-5 against the Cubs at Busch Stadium in the 10^th inning. The Cardinals were winning 5-4 going into the ninth, but the Cubs tied the game in the top of the ninth, and the Cardinals did not score in their half of the inning.  In the 10^th, the Cubs failed to score, but the Cardinals did not.

Ozzie Smith led off with a walk. Smith made it to third on a sac bunt and a single to CF. Tom Pagnozzi hit a sac fly to right field to score Smith from third.

June 4, 2011 – Another walk-off win against the Cubs at Busch Stadium occurred on this date in 2011. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 5-4 in 12 innings. The game was tied 4-4 after nine. Neither team scored in the 10^th or 11^th innings. In the bottom of the 12^th, a solo home run by Albert Pujols put a wrap on the game for the home team.

June 5, 1979 – On this date, the Cardinals beat the Giants 5-4 in a walk-off in regulation. It was 4-4 entering the home half of the ninth inning. Jerry Mumphrey tripled to right field. Keith Hernandez and Ted Simmons were both intentionally walked to load the bases. With George Hendrick at the plate, Giants pitcher Randy Moffit threw a pitch that his catcher couldn’t handle, and Mumphrey scored on a passed ball.

June 5, 2007 – The Cardinals won over the Reds 4-3 in regulation at Busch Stadium on this date. The game was tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. Aaron Miles drew a walk to start the inning. David Eckstein bunted Miles over to second base, and Miles went to third on a wild pitch. Taguchi then singled to right field to bring Miles home for the win.

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photo: Sonny Gray (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals went 3-3 on the road, winning two of three against the Orioles and then dropping two of three against the Rangers. Sonny Gray threw seven scoreless innings in his one outing this week, totaling 10 strikeouts to reach 1,800 in his career. In this week’s blast from the past, we remember players who performed rare feats during this period in team history.

Game recaps

Monday, May 26, 2025 – Cardinals 2 at Orioles 5

The Cardinals fell to the Orioles in a 5-2 loss on Monday in Baltimore. Starter Erick Fedde pitched five innings, gave up five runs, three earned, on seven hits, fanned five and walked one. Fedde took the loss.

Matt Svanson relieved Fedde and threw a scoreless inning. John King hurled a scoreless seventh. Gordon Graceffo tossed a scoreless eighth.

Matt Svanson

Baltimore took the lead 1-0 in the first inning. They added a run in the third to lead 2-0, then scored three more in the fourth to make it 5-0.

The Cardinals put up two runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-2. Nolan Gorman singled, and Pedro Pagés followed with a two-run home run.

Pedro Pagés

St. Louis scored two runs on four hits. Gorman was 2-for-3. Pagés had two RBI.

On the bases, Victor Scott stole his 16^th base of the season. On defense, Gorman and Brendan Donovan each made a throwing error.

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 – Cardinals 7 at Orioles 4

The Cardinals beat the Orioles in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on six hits, fanned seven and walked three.

Steven Matz relieved Pallante and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Phil Maton hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 11^th save.

Ryan Helsley

The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar singled. Iván Herrera singled. Willson Contreras singled, scoring Nootbaar. St. Louis added two runs in the second on a two-run home run by Nootbaar to lead 3-0.

Lars Nootbaar

Baltimore scored their first run in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1. They took the lead 4-3 in the fifth. The Cardinals answered with one run in the seventh to tie the game. Victor Scott walked. Nootbaar singled to advance Scott to third, but Nootbaar was thrown out at second. Masyn Winn plated Scott on a single.

Masyn Winn

The Cardinals broke the tie with a three-run eighth. Nolan Arenado hit a solo home run. Nolan Gorman tripled. Jose Barrero pinch ran for Gorman.  Jordan Walker drove in Barrero on a triple. Walker scored on a single by Winn.

Nolan Arenado

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

On defense, Burleson made a fielding error.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 – Cardinals 6 at Orioles 4

The Cardinals took the third game of the series to win the series with the Orioles on Wednesday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched four innings, gave up four runs on nine hits and struck out three.

Kyle Leahy relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless inning. John King, Phil Maton, and JoJo Romero each hurled a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 12^th save.

Kyle Leahy

Baltimore took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The Cardinals came back to score two runs in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2. Masyn Winn singled. Brendan Donovan singled. Iván Herrera walked. Jordan Walker plated Winn and Donovan on a single.

Jordan Walker

The Orioles added a run in the home half of the fourth to lead 4-2. St. Louis took the lead 5-4 in the fifth. Lars Nootbaar doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Winn drove in Nootbaar on a double. Donovan hit a two-run home run.

Brendan Donovan

The Cardinals added a sixth run in the seventh to lead 6-4. Winn doubled and later scored on a double by Herrera.

Iván Herrera

The offense scored six runs on 12 hits. Donovan was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Nootbaar was 2-for-5. Walker had two RBI.

On defense, Mikolas made a throwing error. Pagés made an error on a pickoff.

Thursday, May 29, 2025 – Off day

Friday, May 30, 2025 – Cardinals 1 at Rangers 11

The Cardinals were pummeled by the Rangers in an 11-1 blowout on Friday. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched five innings, gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits, fanned five and walked one. Liberatore took the loss.

Gordon Graceffo relieved Liberatore and surrendered four runs in the sixth. Matt Svanson yielded two runs in the seventh. Alec Burleson, a position player, was the only pitcher who didn’t give up runs.

The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. They added four runs in the second, four runs in the sixth, and two runs in the seventh to lead 11-0.

The Cardinals scored their only run in the eighth. Victor Scott singled and scored on a double by Lars Nootbaar.

The offense scored one run on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.

On defense, Winn made a throwing error.

Saturday, May 31, 2025 – Cardinals 2 at Rangers 0

The Cardinals blanked the Rangers in the second game of the series on Saturday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits, fanned 10 and walked one to earn his sixth win.

Sonny Gray

Phil Maton relieved Gray and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 13^th save.

Phil Maton

The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Willson Contreras drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Contreras went to third on a ground out by Iván Herrera and scored on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado.

St. Louis added a run in the fourth to lead 2-0. Masyn Winn doubled and scored on a double by Contreras.

Willson Contreras

The offense scored two runs on five hits. Winn was 2-for-4.

Sunday, June 1, 2025 – Cardinals 1 at Rangers 8

The Cardinals dropped the final game of the series and returned home with a series loss. Starter Erick Fedde pitched six innings, gave up two runs on four hits, fanned five and walked three. Fedde suffered his sixth loss of the season.

Erick Fedde

Kyle Leahy relieved Fedde and surrendered one run in 2/3 innings. Steven Matz yielded three runs, one earned in 1/3 innings. Roddery Muñoz allowed two runs in the eighth.

The Cardinals scored their only run of the game in the first inning to lead 1-0. Lars Nootbaar walked. Masyn Winn grounded out and advanced Nootbaar to second. Willson Contreras drove in Nootbaar on a single.

After the first inning, it was all Texas. They scored two runs in the second, one run in the seventh and a whopping five runs in the eighth due to sloppy infield defense and subpar bullpen performance.

The Cardinals scored one run on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits, and all the hits were singles. They were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.

On the bases, Nootbaar was caught stealing. On defense, Yohel Pozo made a throwing error. Pedro Pagés picked a runner off second base.

Big Picture.

The Cardinals were 3-3 on the road trip, taking 2 of 3 from the Orioles and losing 2 of 3 against the Rangers. The team remains in second place in the NL Central, but their lead over the third-place team is shrinking, as the Brewers have a seven-game win streak. To make matters worse, the Cubs keep winning because they are playing a long stretch of below .500 teams.

The road trip was not as successful as it could have been because of some sloppy defense and seeing some excellent pitching that they couldn’t overcome, especially in Texas.  The combination of Jack Leiter and Jacob DeGrom in Arlington was a gauntlet that couldn’t be conquered. Their only win was against an improved Patrick Corbin, and only because they scored two runs instead of one as they did in the other two games. Had the Rangers’ offense been better than it is, it might have been a bloodbath. One could say it could have been worse, so a 3-3 trip could be called a success if you squint hard enough.

Nolan Gorman

There were no offensive performers during the road trip with an OPS above .900. There were four players with a seven-day OPS above .800. They are Nolan Gorman (.889 in 9 ABs), Masyn Winn (.865), Lars Nootbaar (.846), and Brendan Donovan (.807).

At the bottom were Iván Herrera (.470), Willson Contreras (.457), and Victor Scott (.259). Whether this offensive dip was due at least in part to the pitching they confronted on the road trip is a matter for conjecture, but it is not an illogical assumption. The offense has managed to overcome good pitching in previous series, so the conclusion is ambiguous at best.

On the pitching side of things, there was only one starter with an ERA under 4.00 for the week, and that was Sonny Gray, who pitched a scoreless game against the Rangers. Erick Fedde (4.09 in two starts) was just a hair over, so he gets a pass for now. Both Miles Mikolas (9.00) and Matthew Liberatore (7.20) had poor outings. Both had been pitching well for some time, so one could say they were due. Andre Pallante’s one start (4.76) was fairly similar to his more recent outings. Pallante has, to be honest, struggled quite a bit so far this season, for reasons unknown.

The bullpen this week has had its worst performances so far. When a position player (Alec Burleson) had a better pitching performance than half your bullpen, some soul searching needs to be done. Gordon Graceffo had his worst performance since being brought up and was, not surprisingly, sent down this week. The pitcher brought up to replace him, Matt Svanson, was not a whole lot better. The usually reliable Kyle Leahy and Steven Matz did not have a good week, and the reliever brought up for the last game of the Rangers series, Roddery Muñoz, was, in a word, horrendous, and should be returned forthwith.

The team is blessedly returning home for a nine-game homestand. Unfortunately, the teams they are facing, the Royals, Dodgers, and Blue Jays, are no walk in the park, but hopefully being at home will help some (we hope).

NL Central Standings   

Team                                           W                                   L                                   Pct                              GB

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 5/31 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/31 The Cardinals recalled RHP Roddery Muñoz from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/31 The Cardinals selected the contract of Ryan Vilade from the Memphis Redbirds
• 5/31 The Cardinals placed RF Jordan Walker on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 29. Left wrist inflammation.

Injury Report

• LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. Thompson missed most of spring training. Thompson had a setback in his rehab and has been sent for an evaluation. No other information is available.
• RF Jordan Walker was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 29. This was apparently a lingering injury, although no indication has been given as to when it started and what caused it. Walker was unable to take batting practice on Friday, so the decision was made to make this move. A short stint, likely the minimum, is expected.

Looking Ahead

Following the Rangers series, which ends on Sunday, the Cardinals return home to begin a nine-game homestand. The first series is a three-game series with the Royals. Andre Pallante will get the Tuesday start, followed by Miles Mikolas on Wednesday and Matthew Liberatore on Thursday.

The final two series in the homestand include a weekend series against the Dodgers and a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The team goes on the road again to play the Brewers in Milwaukee for a four-game series. After an off day on Monday, June 16, the Cardinals play the White Sox in Chicago in a three-game series ending Thursday, June 19.

The Cardinals head home to play the Reds in a weekend series beginning June 20. The Cardinals see the Cubs for the first time this season as they come to St. Louis for a four-game series.

Another road trip begins to end the month, with two three-game series with the Guardians and the Pirates.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast of the Past returns to another series that began last season here, which is showcasing players who have performed rare feats. This series looked at rare feats from former Cardinals players that occurred during a relevant period in the history of the franchise. This week, we look at the period May 26 through June 1.

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 May 26 through June 1, 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.

May 27, 1975 – In this 7-1 win over the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium, Cardinals LF Lou Brock hit for the cycle.

His first hit of the game in the first inning was a single to center. He stole second base but was ultimately left stranded.  In the third inning, Brock hit a solo home run to right field. In the fifth, he hit a triple to center field, scoring Bob Forsch. Brock was thrown out trying to score. Finally, in the eighth, Brock doubled to right and later scored.

May 28, 2017 – Paul DeJong made his major league debut on this date as a pinch hitter for John Brebbia in the ninth inning of an 8-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. In this at bat, his first as a major leaguer, he hit a home run to LF off Rockies reliever Greg Holland.

One may call this feat a “Coors Special”, but it is nonetheless a rare feat according to the definition.

May 30, 2010 – Albert Pujols makes multiple appearances on the Rare Feats list, in more than one category. For our purposes here, the rare feat on this date was hitting three or more home runs in a game.

In this game, a 9-1 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Pujols hit his first long ball in the first inning. It was a solo home run to LF off Cubs starter Ryan Dempster.

His second home run came in the fifth inning and was a two-run shot to LF, again off Dempster.

The third homer was a solo long ball in the ninth off reliever John Grabow.

June 1, 1895 – Roger Connor was a 1B for the St. Louis Browns in 1895. This Browns team was a precursor team to the Cardinals, not the St. Louis Browns team that later became the Baltimore Orioles.

Connor had six hits in a game on this date. The game was against the New York Giants, and the Cardinals won the game 23-2 in New York. There is very little information on the game, and no play-by-play exists. Baseball Almanac records that Conner had six hits, and the hits were three singles, two doubles, and a triple.

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Florida Complex League Cardinals Notebook – 2025 Week 4

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photo: Jordan Walker (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals went 4-2 at home, capped by a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jordan Walker had a team-best 1.000 OPS for the week. We again remember notable MLB debuts during this period in team history.

Game recaps

Monday, May 19, 2025 – Cardinals 11, Tigers 4

The St. Louis Cardinals gave the visiting Detroit Tigers an 11-4 beat down on Monday. Starter Sonny Gray six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, fanned 10 and walked one to earn his fifth win.

Sonny Gray

JoJo Romero relieved Gray and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. John King surrendered one run in the eighth, and Gordon Graceffo yielded three runs, one earned, in a rainy ninth.

The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar doubled. Masyn Winn singled but was caught stealing. Brendan Donovan singled to score Nootbaar.

St. Louis added a second run in the fourth. Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson singled. Herrera scored on a wild pitch.

The Cardinals increased the lead to 5-0 in the fifth. Nootbaar, Winn and Donovan singled. Nootbaar came home on a ground out by Willson Contreras. Herrera reached on a fielder’s choice that plated Winn. Nolan Arenado grounded into a force out as Donovan scored.

The Cardinals posted a big inning with six runs in the seventh. Donovan doubled then a rain delay came. Upon the restart, Contreras singled. Herrera plated Donovan on a single. Jordan Walker drove in Contreras and Herrera on a double. Pedro Pagés followed with a two-run home run. Victor Scott singled and advanced to third on an error. Nootbaar drove in Scott on a sac fly.

Pedro Pagés

The Tigers finally got on the board with one run in the eighth and three in the ninth aided by rain.

The Cardinals scored 11 runs on 16 hits. Herrera was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-4. Burleson was 2-for-2. Scott was 2-for-3. Walker and Pagés each had two RBI.

On the bases, Winn was caught stealing for the fourth time. Arenado was picked off first base. On defense, Jose Barrero made a fielding error.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 – Cardinals 4, Tigers 5

The Cardinals were edged by the Tigers by a 5-4 score on Tuesday. Starter Erick Fedde pitched five innings, gave up four runs on five hits and struck out two.

Steven Matz relieved Fedde and threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Kyle Leahy surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings.

Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. They added two more runs in the third to lead 4-0.

The Cardinals mounted a partial comeback, scoring two runs in the fifth. Iván Herrera singled and Nolan Arenado followed with a two-run home run.

Nolan Arenado

St. Louis made it 4-3 in the sixth. Masyn Winn singled and advanced to second on a balk. Winn went to third on a ground out by Willson Contreras and scored on a single by Herrera.

The Cardinals tied the game in the seventh. Victor Scott doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Winn.

The Tigers regained the lead with one run in the ninth to win 5-4.

The Cardinals scored four runs on eight hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Herrera was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 – Cardinals 1, Tigers 5

The Cardinals fell to the Tigers in the final game of the series on Wednesday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out three and walked four. Pallante took the loss.

Phil Maton threw a scoreless inning of relief. JoJo Romero secured the final out of the seventh. Chris Roycroft surrendered two runs in 1/3 of an inning. John King tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Detroit went up 1-0 in the second inning.  They added single runs in the fourth and sixth to lead 3-0. The Cardinals scored their only run in the home sixth. Victor Scott singled and later came home on a single by Willson Contreras.

St. Louis scored one run on five hits. Alec Burleson was 2-for-4. The offense was 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.

On defense, Brendan Donovan had two outfield assists, one at second base and another at home plate. Iván Herrera had a passed ball.

Thursday, May 22, 2025 – Off day

Friday, May 23, 2025 – Cardinals 4, Diamondbacks 3

The Cardinals topped the Arizona Diamondbacks by one run at Busch Stadium on Friday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, fanned four and walked one to earn his fourth win.

Miles Mikolas

JoJo Romero relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless seventh. Kyle Leahy hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley surrendered two runs in the ninth, but held on to earn his 10^th save.

Arizona took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning.

St. Louis came back with four runs in the sixth to lead 4-1. Victor Scott singled. Lars Nootbaar walked. The runners advanced on a sac bunt by Masyn Winn. Brendan Donovan was intentionally walked. Iván Herrera walked and Scott scored. Nolan Arenado hit a bases clearing triple. Nootbaar, Donovan, and Herrera scored.

The Diamondbacks rallied for two runs in the ninth but fell short.

The Cardinals scored four runs on four hits. Scott was 2-for-3. Arenado had three RBI.

On the bases, Scott stole his 14^th base of the season.

Saturday, May 24, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Diamondbacks 5

The Cardinals once again beat the Diamondbacks by one run on Saturday. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched seven innings, gave up one run on six hits and fanned four.

Matthew Liberatore

Kyle Leahy relieved Liberatore and surrendered three runs in 1/3 of an inning. Steven Matz yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn the win.

The Cardinals scored one run in the first inning. Masyn Winn and Brendan Donovan singled. Winn came home on a single by Iván Herrera.

Arizona tied the game in the fifth.

St. Louis scored three runs in the seventh to lead 4-1. Alec Burleson singled. Nolan Arenado drew a walk. Jordan Walker doubled to plate Burleson and Arenado. Walker advanced to third on a ground out by Victor Scott and scored on a ground by Yohel Pozo.

Jordan Walker

The Diamondbacks posted a four-run top of the eighth to take the lead 5-4.

The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home eighth to take the 6-5 lead. Herrera walked. Burleson doubled. Herrera came home on a ground out by Arenado. Walker drove in Burleson on a single.

The Cardinals scored six runs on eight hits. Walker was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Sunday, May 25, 2025 – Cardinals 4, Diamondbacks 3

The Cardinals swept the Diamondbacks with a third one-run win on Sunday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched six innings, gave up three runs on nine hits and fanned five.

John King relieved Gray and threw a scoreless seventh. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless eighth. Phil Maton tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his second save.

Phil Maton

Arizona scored two runs in the top of the second. The Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1 as Brendan Donovan doubled and scored on a single by Iván Herrera.

St. Louis added a run in the third on a solo home run by Masyn Winn to tie the game at 2-2. In the top of the sixth, the Diamondbacks regained the lead, 3-2.

The Cardinals tied the game again in the bottom of the sixth. Winn drew a walk. Donovan singled and Winn went to third. Winn came home on a sac fly by Herrera.

The Cardinals took the 4-3 lead in the seventh. Jordan Walker singled and advanced to second on a ground out by Pedro Pagés. Victor Scott plated Walker on a single.

St. Louis’ offense scored four runs on eight hits. Donovan was 3-for-4. Walker was 2-for-3. Herrera had two RBI. Winn had an RBI and two runs scored.

On the bases, Herrera stole his first base of the season. Scott swiped his 15^th bag.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals finished with a 4-2 week, taking one of three from the Tigers and sweeping the Diamondbacks in three games. The team has a record of 30-23 and remains in second place in the NL Central, two games back of the Cubs.

The offense wasn’t as prolific as in past weeks, but they scored 11 runs against the Tigers on Monday. Nevertheless, they were able to score enough runs to win four games, three by one run.

Victor Scott

The top offensive performers by OPS for the last seven days are Jordan Walker (1.000), and Victor Scott (.950). The next closest were Alec Burleson (.892) and Brendan Donovan (.809). Walker’s resurgence is a big deal considering he was in the bottom rung by OPS for many weeks running. All involved must hope this improvement is sustainable.

At the bottom are Lars Nootbaar (.438), Pedro Pagés (.357), and Nolan Gorman (.286). Nootbaar at the bottom is a first in 2025. Perhaps it is just temporary, as Nootbaar has been an important cog in the wheel all season. Gorman has been near or at the bottom all year, and it remains to be seen how much more runway he will be given.

In the pitching category, three of five starters had ERA for the week under 4.00, Sonny Gray (2.25), Matthew Liberatore (1.29) and Miles Mikolas (1.50). The underperformers were Andre Pallante (4.76) and Erick Fedde (7.20).

The bullpen strugglers for the week were Kyle Leahy (13.50) and Chris Roycroft (54.00). Leahy has been the pen’s stalwart, so his recent slide is disappointing but not unusual in a long season. Roycroft has been in this category more than once, and he again has been sent down to Memphis. Gordon Graceffo and Ryan Helsley had ERAs of 9.00, but Graceffo had to finish a blowout in the rain, so he received a pass. Helsley tends to drama in the ninth, so it is no surprise that he posted a high ERA for the week.

The rest of the bullpen has been fine (despite what some official scorer said about Steven Matz in his last appearance on Saturday).  Matz had an ERA of 2.70 over two appearances so he is just fine, thank you.

Steven Matz

The Cardinals go on the road in the coming week, playing a series at Baltimore and ending with a series in Texas. The Orioles just won a series with the Red Sox, so they may not be as bad as advertised. The Rangers are always a tough match.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 5/23 – The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 5/23 – The Cardinals recalled RHP Matt Svanson from the Memphis Redbirds.

Injury Report

• LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. He has suffered a setback in his recovery and is being re-examined by team doctors.
• 1B Willson Contreras missed the first all three games of the Diamondbacks series with back spasms. There has been no indication that an IL stint is in the offing, so Contreras is considered day to day.
• 3B Nolan Arenado chased a foul ball into the stands in the ninth inning on Sunday, falling and reportedly experiencing pain in his lower back and having trouble breathing. Despite that, Arenado remained in the game for the final outs.

Looking Ahead

The Cardinals travel to Baltimore for a three-game series with the Orioles beginning Monday. Erick Fedde is scheduled for the Monday start, followed by Andre Pallante on Tuesday, and Miles Mikolas on Wednesday.

The team leaves Baltimore for Arlington to play a weekend series in Texas against the Rangers to end the road trip.

The Cardinals return to St. Louis to begin a nine-game homestand with three versus the Royals beginning Tuesday, June 3. The homestand continues with a weekend series against the Dodgers, and three with the Blue Jays.

The team goes on the road again to play the Brewers in Milwaukee for four games. After an off day on Monday, June 16, the Cardinals play the White Sox in Chicago in a three-game set ending Thursday, June 19.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast of the Past continues the series that began last season here, the Debut Series. In this series, we chronicle the major league debuts of notable current and former Cardinals during a relevant period in franchise history.

This week the installment looks at Cardinals players who made their major league debuts during the period May 19 through May 25. The name of the player, the date he debuted, how he performed, and any other important details are included.

Matt Adams

May 20, 2012 – On this date, first baseman Matt Adams made his major league debut in a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Adams was in the starting lineup at first base and hit seventh. Adams went 2-for-4 with a run scored. In his first at-bat in the second inning, Adams singled to right against Dodger starter Chad Billingsley for his first major league hit. Adams was stranded. In his third at-bat in the sixth, Adams singled to center and came home to score on a single by Rafael Furcal.

Nolan Gorman

May 20, 2022 – On this date, current Cardinal Nolan Gorman made his debut in Pittsburgh in a 5-3 win over the Pirates.

Gorman was in the starting lineup at second base and batted sixth. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Gorman’s first major league hit was a single to right field in the second inning. He scored in the sixth on an RBI single by Yadier Molina.

Matthew Liberatore

May 21, 2022 – Current starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore made his major league debut on this date. Liberatore started in a 5-4 win over the Pirates at PNC Park.

Liberatore pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked two. His first major league strikeout victim was Michael Chavis in the first inning. He also struck out Ben Gamel and Michael Pérez.

Liberatore received his first major league win against the Brewers on May 28 at Busch Stadium.

Iván Herrera

May 24, 2022 – On this date, the third current Cardinal showcased, Iván Herrera, made his major league debut. Herrera subbed in for Nolan Arenado in the ninth inning and played catcher in an 8-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Busch Stadium. Herrera did not have a plate appearance. He caught Junior Fernández for one inning.

Herrera did not have his first plate appearance until June when he was recalled again to the major leagues. On June 19, 2022, Herrera was in the starting lineup at catcher in a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. He went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts.

Herrera’s first major league hit did not come until June 26, in a 6-5 loss to the Cubs at Busch Stadium. Herrera was the catcher and hit ninth. He went 2-for-3 with a walk. His first hit was a single to center against Cubs starter Alec Mills in the second inning. His second hit was a single to right in the ninth inning.

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