The St. Louis Cardinals 2024 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, Jimmy Crooks and Quinn Mathews, answer media questions.
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Category Archives: St. Louis Cardinals
Wednesday With Walton and Newberry – October 16, 2024
photo: Quinn Mathews (Palm Beach Cardinals)
The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by scouting analyst Blake Newberry for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.
Our podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 20-25 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.
This week, Brian and Blake discuss the St. Louis Cardinals organization Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, Jimmy Crooks and Quinn Mathews. They then check on results posted by the eight Cardinals players competing in the Arizona Fall League. They include position players Thomas Saggese, Leonardo Bernal and Nathan Church and pitchers Trent Baker, Alex Cornwell, Ixan Henderson, Brycen Mautz and Matt Svanson.
All video of episodes of the return of Wednesday With Walton and Newberry at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.
The audio is also simulcast each week via the Scoops Sports Network and your favorite podcast apps.
Link to related article
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than 60 of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on X/Twitter.
Follow Blake Newberry on X/Twitter @bt_newberry.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Cardinals Name Crooks and Mathews Top Players in 2024
photo: Jimmy Crooks (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Catcher Jimmy Crooks and lefty Quinn Mathews are the St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year.
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced today their 2024 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year selections, honoring catcher Jimmy Crooks and left-handed starting pitcher Quinn Mathews for their accomplishments on the field.
“We are proud to recognize Quinn Mathews and Jimmy Crooks as our club’s Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year,” said John Mozeliak, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations. “Quinn quickly rose through our system in dominating fashion, posting numerous quality starts and impressive strikeout totals along the way, while Jimmy guided Springfield to their winningest season in the franchise’s 20-year history. We congratulate them on all their success this season and look forward to continuing their development to become impactful Major League players.”
Crooks, 23, had a breakout season slashing .321/.410/.498 with 11 home runs, 19 doubles, two triples, 62 RBI, 42 runs scored, and an organizational-best .908 OPS across 90 games at Double-A Springfield. The Euless, Texas native ranked among the Cardinals minor league leaders in batting average (2nd), on-base percentage (2nd), slugging percentage (3rd), RBI (8th), extra-base hits (T9th) and home runs (T10th) (min. 300 plate appearances).
He is the fifth Cardinals minor leaguer since 2012 to slash greater than .320/.400/.495 in a single season (min. 300 plate appearances). The left-handed batter ranked T3rd in the Cardinals farm system with 11 games of three-or-more hits and reached base safely in 74 of his 82 games started (90.2%) this season.
He was instrumental in the Springfield Cardinals qualifying for the Texas League playoffs as both first and second-half champions, including a franchise-record 79 wins, batting third or fourth in the order in 70 games. In his 73 starts behind the plate this season, Springfield went 45-28 with Crooks throwing out 25 of 76 (32.9%) attempted base stealers. Following the season, Jimmy was recognized as the Texas League’s Most Valuable Player and a Post-Season All-Star by Minor League Baseball.
Selected in the fourth round (127th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma University, Crooks becomes the third catcher to win the organization’s Player of the Year award, joining Iván Herrera (2023) and Carson Kelly (2017). He finishes the year ranked as one of the Cardinals top prospects by MLB Pipeline (No. 5) and Baseball America (No. 11).
Mathews, 24, completed his first professional season with an 8-5 record, 2.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a Minor League-leading 202 strikeouts across 26 starts (143.1 IP) split between all four full-season minor league affiliates: Single-A Palm Beach (6 starts), High-A Peoria (7 starts), Double-A Springfield (9 starts) and Triple-A Memphis (4 starts). The 6’4” southpaw ranked among all Cardinals minor league pitching leaders in strikeouts (1st), quality starts (14, 1st), innings pitched (2nd), WHIP (2nd), games started (T2nd), opponents average (.179, 4th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.12, 6th) and strikeouts-per-nine-innings (12.68, 6th) (minimum 30.0 innings pitched).
He became just the second MiLB pitcher to eclipse 200 strikeouts in a season since 2011 and the 10th Cardinals minor leaguer to do so dating back to 1962. Mathews’ 12.68 strikeouts-per-nine-innings was the second-highest by a Cardinals minor league starter since 2000 (min. 20 games started), behind Alex Reyes’ 13.41 mark across 22 starts in 2015.
After posting a 2.18 ERA with 110 strikeouts to just 20 walks in 74.1 innings across his first 13 starts at Palm Beach and Peoria, Quinn was promoted to Springfield on June 24. Shortly thereafter, Mathews was named to the National League All-Star Futures Game where he pitched a scoreless inning of relief and struck out two on July 13.
In his final five starts with Springfield, Mathews registered a 0.85 ERA (3 ER/31.2 IP), struck out 49 batters and limited opponents to a .139 batting average. He was named the August Texas League Pitcher of the Month and promoted to Memphis on August 28.
Mathews was twice named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month in April and June, becoming only the third Cardinals minor leaguer ever to take home Pitcher of the Month honors twice in his first professional season.
Following the season’s end, the Aliso Viejo, California native was recognized by Minor League Baseball as Pitching Prospect of the Year and Debut of the Year, while also being named to the All-MiLB First Team and a Texas League Post-Season All-Star. Mathews was also selected as the Minor League Pitcher of the Year by Baseball America, ending the season ranked as the organization’s 3rd-best prospect and 37th overall minor league prospect according to the publication.
Selected by the Cardinals in the fourth round (122nd overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Stanford, Mathews is the fourth Cardinals minor leaguer to be named Pitcher of the Year in his first professional season, joining Max Rajcic (2023), Anthony Reyes (2004) and Rick Ankiel (1998).
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than 60 of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wednesday With Walton and Newberry – October 9, 2024
photo: Turner Ward (Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports)
The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by scouting analyst Blake Newberry for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.
Our podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 20-25 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.
This week, Brian and Blake return to the St. Louis Cardinals’ end of season press conference and consider possible ramifications. They include the departure and replacement of hitting coach Turner Ward, various payroll reduction strategies focusing on starting pitching, what it might mean to become more like Milwaukee, the hiring of a new farm director and coaching changes, impacts on scouting and the international program and more.
All video of episodes of the return of Wednesday With Walton and Newberry at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.
The audio is also simulcast each week via the Scoops Sports Network and your favorite podcast apps.
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than 60 of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on X/Twitter.
Follow Blake Newberry on X/Twitter @bt_newberry.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
St. Louis Cardinals Major League Notebook – September 30 – October 6
photo: Bill DeWitt III, Bill DeWitt Jr., John Mozeliak, Chaim Bloom (Bally Sports Midwest)
The St. Louis Cardinals held their (almost) annual season-ending press conference, announcing a shift in focus to player development as the franchise “resets”. Amid the uncertainty, our history feature highlights the overall positive results during the ownership period of the DeWitt group.
End of season press conference
On Monday, September 30, the St. Louis Cardinals organization held their annual end of season press conference. This conference was skipped in 2023 after the club completed its worst season in decades.
Seated at the table on Monday were Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak and Senior Advisor Chaim Bloom.
The conference was called expressly to announce a change in the focus of the organization. This had been hinted at prior to the end of the season. Chairman DeWitt Jr. told the assembled media that the organization was going to conduct a “reset”.
This “reset” will involve putting more funds into reorganizing and upgrading the Cardinals player development system. Several days prior to the end of the season, on September 27, Katie Woo of the Athletic published an article outlining what she had been told by “anonymous sources”, was a serious degrading of the player development system that had slowly been allowed to occur over recent years.
The article mentioned regression in the teaching of the fundamentals in some cases, a shortage of coaches and instructors on every level of the system and the lack of currently available technology compared to other MLB organizations.
Chairman DeWitt told the media that to make these necessary changes, some cuts in the major league payroll would have to occur. DeWitt announced that Bloom, who was hired in January as an advisor to Mozeliak, will oversee the reorganization. DeWitt also announced that Bloom will be taking over as President of Baseball Operations after Mozeliak’s contract expires following the 2025 season. Bloom has signed a five-year contract that will take effect in 2026.
DeWitt III noted the team is working on a direct to consumer offering which may be especially needed since Bally Sports Midwest will be looking to renegotiate their broadcast rights deal with the team. This plays into the revenue uncertainty for 2025 and beyond.
Both Mozeliak and manager Oliver Marmol will retain their positions for 2025 but some coaching changes may occur. Several days after the conference ended, it was disclosed that hitting coach Turner Ward will not return in 2025.
In a side discussion with the media after the formal presser ended, Mozeliak told the reporters that the extent of the major league payroll cuts would depend on projected revenue, which he had not yet received.
He did acknowledge the possibility that cuts could come at the expense of one or more of the team’s higher salaried players, which include Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. Mozeliak stated that given that all three players have full no-trade contract protection, he would need to have conversations with these players before any decisions were made.
The potential trade of any these players will make a difference in the major league team to the extent that the Cardinals may not contend for the Division or the postseason for one or more seasons to come. The team has already let it be known that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who becomes a free agent after the postseason concludes, will not be brought back. Under the present circumstances the likelihood that all three of Gray, Arenado and Contreras will remain with the team appears remote.
Mozeliak also said that the player development budget may increase in the 8-12% range for 2025, but that is not final.
The offseason will reveal what the future holds for the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals.
End of season Big Picture
The Cardinals completed the 2024 season with a record of 83-79, tied for second place in the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals prevailed over the Cubs in head-to-head games, 7-6, with the tiebreaker giving second place to the Cardinals.
Though the season ended in a winning record, the overall performance of the team was severely lacking, especially the offense. This is not breaking news to Cardinals fans.
Across the 30 MLB teams, here are the rankings of the Cardinals in key offensive categories.
- AVG: 11th
- OBP: 14th
- SLG: 19th
- OPS: 16th
- RISP: 27th
- Run Differential: 20th
The final two are the most glaring. That the team underwhelmed and underperformed is unmistakable. That they did this when two of the players in the everyday lineup were the NL MVP and the third-place finisher just two seasons ago, is galling.
The pitching was adequate, which is to say if the offense had been better this team may be in the playoffs right now instead of sitting at home watching it.
The Cardinals ranked 17th in pitching ERA. If you break it down by starters and relievers, the bullpen was significantly better. Cardinals relievers ranked seventh overall by ERA while the starters ranked 20th.
In pitcher WAR, the Cardinals ranked 12th. Position player WAR by contrast ranked 21st (note: this number includes defense).
Speaking of defense, the Cardinals ranked eighth in Outs Above Average and 12th in UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating). They also ranked sixth-best in Errors Per Game (ranking is least to most), so defense was not their problem.
In conclusion, the 2024 team was disappointing to say the least. Attendance was down by a double-digit percentage as were the television ratings, which no doubt was the result of two consecutive seasons of underperformance. Cardinals fans expect better than what they received.
As a result, the organization is conducting a “reset”. Fans can draw their own conclusions about the meaning that squishy word intends to convey. I suspect many fans think “rebuild” instead.
Whatever nomenclature is used, the organization is not planning to spend to win at the major league level in the usual way. Major league payroll will be cut, though by how much remains to be seen.
The 2025 team is likely going to look remarkably different. From the perspective of many fans, unfortunately the operations team running it will not.
NL Central Final Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 93 | 69 | 0.574 | ||
| St. Louis | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 10 | 6 |
| Chicago | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 10 | 6 |
| Cincinnati | 77 | 85 | 0.475 | 16 | 12 |
| Pittsburgh | 76 | 86 | 0.469 | 17 | 13 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
In their end of season press conference, the Cardinals made clear that due to the organization’s announced “reset” they will be reducing the major league payroll to put more funding into a reorganization of the Player Development System.
However, taking the overall environment into account, one would be naïve to assume that the two dollar amounts will be anywhere near equal.
Though Mozeliak was not specific, he indicated that trades of several veteran players may be occurring in the offseason. The likelihood of several high salary players being offered for trade depended, he said, on projected revenues.
Mozeliak noted that the veteran players that may or may not be available for trade, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, all have full no trade clauses in their contracts. Any trades of these players, according to Mozeliak, could not be considered until after he had conversations with them individually.
Several sources, including Katie Woo of the Athletic, have indicated that closer Ryan Helsley may be on the trading block as well. Helsley, who this season broke the franchise record for saves set by Trevor Rosenthal, enters his final year of arbitration. The right-hander is likely to command a salary approaching $7 million, but could also fetch a nice return via trade if the Cardinals decide to move in that direction.
Transactions
The Cardinals made their end of season transactions to prepare the 40-man roster for the upcoming offseason. These are the transactions that occurred:
- 10/1 The Cardinals activated RHP Sonny Gray, C Willson Contreras, LHP JoJo Romero and RHP Lance Lynn from the 10- and 15-day injured lists.
- 10/1 The Cardinals recalled CF Victor Scott, LHP Zack Thompson, RHP Ryan Loutos, 2B Nolan Gorman, RHP Sem Robberse, RHP Adam Kloffenstein and RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds. (These were all the 40-man players who finished the season in Triple-A.)
Injury Report
There are no new injuries to report. All 40-man players who were on a 10 or 15 day injured list as of the end of the season, have all been activated and returned to the roster.
Two players on the 60-day injured list, Keynan Middelton and Drew Rom, will be activated at a later date.
Looking Ahead
The postseason has begun without the participation of the Cardinals. The Wild Card round has ended, which included the elimination of the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. The Division Series round began on Saturday, October 5.
The postseason will continue through October and conclude with a potential World Series Game 7 on Saturday, November 2.
After the end of the World Series, the offseason officially begins. As of 9 am on the day after the end of the World Series, all eligible free agents will officially become free agents. During a period of five days, all free agents may negotiate exclusively with their current club.
Also, during that five-day window, teams must decide whether to pick up or decline any player options. For the Cardinals, this affects pitchers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.
The five-day window is also when teams must make any qualifying offers to departing free agents. This offseason’s QO is projected to be $21.2 million for a one-year contract. The Cardinals’ eligible free agents are Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter, Keynan Middleton and Andrew Kittredge. Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson will be free agents if the team declines their club options.
It is exceptionally unlikely that the Cardinals will make the QO to any of their free agents. In fact, it may be a long shot for any to return in 2025 at any price.
Blast from the Past
The Cardinals finished the 2024 season without making the postseason for two consecutive seasons, though they narrowly avoided a second straight losing year. Though the situation is understandably frustrating to fans, postseason droughts are not uncommon and have occurred throughout the history of this storied franchise.
The case can be made that under the current ownership regime, the team has been more successful in reaching the postseason than in other periods in the 120+ history of the Cardinals franchise.
But the most recent years have been much tougher, with the team missing the postseason in five of the last nine years. During that time, they have won just one playoff series.
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we review the postseason history of the St. Louis Cardinals and how it developed over time. We begin with a brief outline of how the postseason structure has changed since its inception.
Since 1903, major league baseball has had a final series, called the “World Series”, which was used to determine a “champion” of the sport. This Series featured one team from each of the two leagues, the winners of the “pennant”. These pennant winners were the team with the best record in each league at the end of the season.
The two pennant winners then faced off in a multi-game World Series to determine the champion. The Series was the best of seven, except for the years 1903 and 1919-21, when it was best of nine.
This was the postseason format until 1969 when the two leagues expanded from eight teams each to 12. At that time, the “Championship Series” was established. Each league had an East and West Division. The winners of each Division played a best of five series to determine which two teams would move on to the World Series.
The format changed again in 1994, when a Central Division was added to each league and the “Division Series” was born. To avoid the unbalanced number of Division winners, a Wild Card team was added to each league.
In 2012, the Wild Card teams were expanded to two per league. A third Wild Card team was added in 2022 as the postseason expanded to 12 teams.
Under the present system, there are more opportunities for teams to get into the postseason than ever before. As a result, the expectation of each team’s fans has expanded as well.
After 1903, when the first World Series was played, the Cardinals did not win a pennant until 1926. That was a 23-year drought. From 1927 until 1946, the Cardinals went to the World Series seven more times.
It was 18 more years, until 1964, before the Cardinals again played in the World Series. They went again in 1967 and 1968 – three times in a five-year span.
The Cardinals won their Division and went to the Championship Series in 1982, 1985 and 1987. They won all three and advanced to the World Series, winning once in 1982. This was after a 14-year drought, from 1969 until 1982.
When the Division Series was added in 1994, the Cardinals went to the postseason again in 1996, after the team was purchased by a group led by Bill DeWitt Jr.
Under the ownership of the DeWitt group, the Cardinals have gone to the postseason 17 times – in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Granted, the opportunities have greatly expanded over time and the Cardinals have had varied degrees of success in advancing beyond the first round. However, the success rate of postseason advancement in a sport that has expanded from 16 teams in the early years to 30 at the present time, has clearly improved with the current regime.
That is not to say that there isn’t space for improvement, but it is important that we all maintain perspective and take for granted that the Cardinals as a franchise have been more successful in the last 29 years than in any other period in franchise history. The Cardinals have the second most World Series titles in the sport, behind only the Yankees. We all should take a breath and be grateful.
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Follow Marilyn Green on Twitter @Marilyncolor.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wednesday With Walton and Newberry – October 2, 2024
photo: Chaim Bloom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by scouting analyst Blake Newberry for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.
Our podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 20-25 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.
This week, Brian and Blake first discuss the St. Louis Cardinals prospects heading to the Arizona Fall League. They then move to the news of and ramifications from Chaim Bloom’s new role revamping the organization’s player development and performance functions in 2025 before taking over as president of baseball operations in 2026.
All video of episodes of the return of Wednesday With Walton and Newberry at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.
The audio is also simulcast each week via the Scoops Sports Network and your favorite podcast apps.
Related article
Cardinals Assign Eight Players to the 2024 Arizona Fall League
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than 60 of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Not yet a member?
Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on X/Twitter.
Follow Blake Newberry on X/Twitter @bt_newberry.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
St. Louis Cardinals Major League Notebook – September 23-29
photo: Ryan Helsley (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals finished another disappointing season with a 4-2 road trip. Closer Ryan Helsley set a franchise record with his 49th save. Our history feature highlights four former Cardinals who each played for nine different MLB teams.
Game recaps
Monday, September 23, 2024 – Off day
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 – Cardinals 7 at Rockies 3
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Colorado Rockies in the first of a three-game series on Tuesday. Michael McGreevy took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on four hits, fanned five and walked one.
John King relieved McGreevy and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge hurled a scoreless seventh to earn his fifth win. Matthew Liberatore and Ryan Fernandez each tossed a scoreless inning.
The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the third inning on a two-run home run by Masyn Winn. The Rockies cut the lead to 2-1 in the home third and took a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
St. Louis added a run in the seventh to tie the game. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk. Matt Carpenter doubled. Winn reached on a fielder’s choice. Nootbaar came home on a force out by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals put up a four-run eighth inning to lead 7-3. Nolan Arenado singled. Nootbaar walked. Jordan Walker drove in Arenado on a single. Nootbaar came home on a single by Victor Scott. Winn plated Walker and Scott on a double.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 11 hits. Winn was 2-for-5 with four RBI.
Michael Siani stole his 20th base of the season.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 – Cardinals 5 at Rockies 2
The Cardinals secured the series win by taking Game 2 at Coors Field on Wednesday. Erick Fedde was on the bump for St Louis. The right-hander pitched seven innings, gave up one run on six hits, fanned 10 and walked one to earn his ninth win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Fedde and threw a scoreless eighth. Matthew Liberatore surrendered one run in the ninth. Ryan Helsley secured the final two outs of the ninth for his 48th save.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Iván Herrera singled and scored on a double by Thomas Saggese.
St. Louis added a run in the top of the third. Masyn Winn tripled and scored on a sac fly by Brendan Donovan. Colorado cut the lead to 2-1 in the home third.
St. Louis made it 3-1 in the fourth. Arenado singled. Jordan Walker grounded into a force out and Arenado was out at second. Saggese singled. Walker scored on a single by Pedro Pagés.
In the fifth, the Cardinals extended their lead to 4-1. Winn doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Paul Goldschmidt. St. Louis scored again in the sixth after Herrera doubled and later scored on a single by Pagés.
The Rockies shrunk the final score to 5-2 in the ninth.
The offense scored five runs on nine hits. Pagés was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Saggese was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Herrera was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Thursday, September 26, 2024 – Cardinals 8 at Rockies 10
The Cardinals were defeated by the Rockies in the final game of the series on Thursday. Kyle Gibson started and pitched four innings, gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits, struck out five and walked three.
Steven Matz relieved Gibson and threw two scoreless innings of relief. John King hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Fernandez surrendered four runs in one inning pitched and took the loss. Kyle Leahy yielded one run in 1/3 of an inning.
St. Louis put up two runs in the top of the first as Lars Nootbaar and Paul Goldschmidt hit solo home runs.
Colorado tied the game in the home first. The Cardinals answered with three runs in the top of the second to lead 5-2. Victor Scott singled and scored on a double by Masyn Winn. Nootbaar plated Winn on a double. Goldschmidt drove in Nootbaar on another two-base hit.
The Rockies responded with two runs in the bottom of the second to bring the score to 5-4 and tied the game at 5-5 in the fourth.
The Cardinals regained the lead 6-5 in the fifth on a solo home run by Iván Herrera. They extended their lead to 8-5 in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run by Pedro Pagés.
The Rockies fought back with five runs in the bottom of the eighth to win 10-8.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on 14 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Pagés had two RBI. Jordan Walker was 2-for-4. Scott was 2-for-4.
Scott was picked off and caught stealing. Thomas Saggese made a fielding error.
Friday, September 27, 2024 – Cardinals 6 at Giants 3
The Cardinals beat the Giants in the first game of the final series of the 2024 season for both teams. Miles Mikolas was on the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked one to earn his 10th win.
John King relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge and Matthew Liberatore each hurled a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 49th save of the season, breaking the franchise record for saves previously held by Trevor Rosenthal.
St. Louis went up 1-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson drew a walk. Nolan Arenado singled to plate Winn.
San Francisco scored three runs in the second to take the lead. The Cardinals answered with a run in the top of the third on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar.
The Cardinals added four runs in the fourth to take the lead at 6-3. Jordan Walker singled. Michael Siani grounded into a force out and Walker was out at second. Siani advanced to second on a balk. Masyn Winn doubled to plate Siani. Winn scored on a single by Alec Burleson. Nolan Arenado hit a ground-rule double. Nootbaar drove in Burleson and Arenado on a triple.
The offense scored six runs on 13 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Walker and Iván Herrera were both 2-for-4.
Saturday, September 28, 2024 – Cardinals 5 at Giants 6
The Cardinals lost Game 2 of the series to the Giants on Saturday. Andre Pallante started for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits and struck out four.
Chris Roycroft relieved Pallante and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Liberatore yielded one unearned run in the eighth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Alec Burleson singled, advancing Winn to third. Winn came home on a sac fly by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Giants took a 2-1 lead in the home first. They added two runs in the fourth to extend their lead.
St. Louis put up one run in the fifth to cut the gap to 4-2. Winn singled. Burleson singled and Winn advanced to third. Goldschmidt drove in Winn on a ground out.
San Francisco increased their lead to 5-2 in the sixth but the Cardinals responded with three runs in the seventh to tie the game. Burleson walked. Goldschmidt doubled. Brendan Donovan plated Burleson and Goldschmidt on a double. Nootbaar drew a walk. Jordan Walker plated Donovan on a single.
The Giants scored one run in the eighth to regain the lead 6-5.
The Cardinals scored five runs on 13 hits. Goldschmidt was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Donovan was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4. Pedro Pagés was 2-for-4.
Liberatore made a throwing error. Winn had a fielding miscue.
Sunday, September 29, 2024 – Cardinals 6 at Giants 1
The Cardinals were the winners in the final game of the series and the season against the Giants on Sunday. Michael McGreevy was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched eight innings, gave up one run on five hits and fanned six to earn his third win of the season.
Steven Matz tossed a scoreless ninth.
St. Louis opened scoring in the third inning via a solo home run by Brendan Donovan. The Cardinals extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Thomas Saggese and Pedro Pagés walked. Donovan singled to score Saggese. Pagés came home on a single by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals increased the lead to 6-0 in the sixth. Michael Siani walked. Jordan Walker singled. José Fermín plated Siani on a single. Donovan walked. Burleson drove in Walker and Fermín on a single.
The Giants scored their only run in the seventh.
The Cardinals scored six runs on seven hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Donovan was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Burleson was caught stealing. Thomas Saggese made a fielding error.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished their final week of the season with a record of 4-2. They won 2 of-3 from both the Rockies and the Giants on the road. The team finished the season with a record of 83-79, identical to final record of the Cubs.
Because the Cardinals won the season series with the Cubs 7-6, they end up in the second place in the NL Central, 10 games back of the Brewers and six games out of the final Wild Card.
In the final week of the season, seven players were the top offensive performers by OPS. They are Iván Herrera (1.243), Victor Scott (1.200 in 5 ABs), Lars Nootbaar (1.113), Masyn Winn (1.026), Pedro Pagés (1.012), Paul Goldschmidt (.918) and Brendan Donovan (.907).
At the bottom were Michael Siani (.371) and Luken Baker (.000 in 3 ABs).
For the final week of the season, two starting pitchers had an ERA under 4.00. They were Erick Fedde (1.29), and Michael McGreevy (2.77).
Those with ERAs over 4.00 were Miles Mikolas (5.40), Andre Pallante (5.40) and Kyle Gibson (9.00). Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn ended the season on the injured list and did not pitch in the final week.
The bullpen hiccups were Chris Roycroft (13.50) and Ryan Fernandez (18.00).
The Cardinals’ final run differential was -47. The Cubs, with the same record as the Cardinals, had a final run differential of +67.
The primary area of improvement for the 2025 Cardinals has to be offense, with an emphasis on hitting with runners in scoring position.
The 2025 roster will very likely be vastly different from the 2024 one. An end of season press conference is scheduled for Monday, September 30 at 2 pm. The organization has signaled that “major changes” are coming. These changes are expected to include a lower major league payroll for 2025. This likely means that the payroll cuts will come from jettisoning higher paid players.
It has already been leaked that the Cardinals are very likely not re-signing Paul Goldschmidt, who was playing out the final year of his contract in 2024. Other high-dollar players include Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. Ryan Helsley is entering his final year of arbitration in 2025 and is expected to command a substantial salary.
The future of these players is in question given the organization’s stated goal of lowering payroll to invest more heavily in the player development system. Then again, the costs to make these investments in the farm system are unknown.
It is quite likely that the 2025 Cardinals will consist of younger players and a leaner payroll. How the changes will be rolled out in the system are to be determined.
NL Central Final Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 93 | 69 | 0.574 | ||
| St. Louis | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 10 | 6 |
| Chicago | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 10 | 6 |
| Cincinnati | 77 | 85 | 0.475 | 16 | 12 |
| Pittsburgh | 76 | 86 | 0.469 | 17 | 13 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that the Cardinals are unlikely to re-sign Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt is concluding the five-year contract he signed in 2020. The first baseman will officially become a free agent on the day after the end of the World Series.
Woo reported that according to multiple sources, the Cardinals will also not retain any of their other pending free agents. They are relievers Andrew Kittredge and Keynan Middleton. Due to injury, Middleton missed the entire season.
Whether the organization will pick up the 2025 options on pitchers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson is unknown.
Transactions
- 9/24 The Cardinals recalled CF Victor Scott II from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/24 The Cardinals placed 1B Luken Baker on the paternity list.
- 9/25 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/25 The Cardinals placed LHP JoJo Romero on the 15-day injured list retroactive to September 23. Left forearm flexor inflammation.
- 9/27 The Cardinals optioned CF Victor Scott II to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/27 The Cardinals activated 1B Luke Baker from the paternity list.
Injury Report
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season ending forearm surgery. The right-hander did not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
- LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery and did not return.
- RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list. After coming off the injured list for the same injury and making one start, Lynn returned to the injured list for the remainder of the season.
- C Willson Contreras (fractured right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 25. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand. Contreras was recently evaluated and it was determined that the catcher required more healing time, ending his season.
- RHP Sonny Gray (right forearm flexor tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 19. The right-hander ended the season on the injured list. An MRI showed no structural damage, but the precautionary move was made once the Cardinals were formally eliminated from postseason contention.
Looking Ahead
Following the final games of the regular season on Monday, September 30, the postseason begins on Tuesday, October 1. The Wild Card games will be played this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The postseason continues through the month of October and ends with a potential World Series Game 7 on November 2.
The Cardinals will hold their end of season press conference on Monday, September 30 at 2 pm CT. The event’s purpose is to announce what has been described as “major changes” coming to the organization. These changes are due ostensibly to the poor performance of the team over the last two seasons and the reduction in attendance that flowed from the poor performance.
It is expected that the focus of the organization will shift away from the major league team roster construction and toward rebuilding an outdated player development system. These changes are likely to require a reduction of an unknown amount in the major league payroll, which in return signals there will be big changes to the makeup of the major league roster.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to the series that showcases former Cardinals who played for many teams in their career.
This series began and was influenced by the Cardinals acquisition of Tommy Pham at the trade deadline on July 30, 2024 in a three-way trade with the Dodgers and the White Sox. Pham, who played for multiple teams since the Cardinals traded him away originally in 2018, made a very brief return to St. Louis in August before moving on to his ninth career team, the Kansas City Royals.
This series looks at players who at one time played for the Cardinals and also played for at least eight teams in their career. These players did not necessarily start with the Cardinals nor play for the Cardinals more than one time. A career arc like that of Tommy Pham is a rare feat.
This next installment in the series looks at former Cardinals who played for nine teams in their major league career. We highlight four former Cardinals, two who are no longer playing, one who is currently playing for another team, and one who was recently released.
The following individuals played for the Cardinals and multiple franchises in their career. His name, the dates he played for the Cardinals, and his other teams are noted.
César Izturis – The shortstop played in St. Louis for one season, 2008. The Cardinals signed him to a one-year contract on November 16, 2007.
Izturis began his major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays, who signed him as an international free agent in 1996.
The 2008 season was a down year for the Cardinals, who finished fourth in the NL Central Division with a record of 86-76. Izturis was the Cardinals primary shortstop and played in 135 games with a final slash line of .263/.319/.309.
Izturis was not retained by the Cardinals and moved on to the Baltimore Orioles after the 2008 season.
Izturis played for these teams in his 13-year MLB career – the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds.
His final major league season was 2013.
Dave LaPoint – LaPoint was drafted by Milwaukee Brewers in 1977 and began his major league career there in 1980. The Cardinals acquired LaPoint in a trade with the Brewers in December of 1980 along with others for Ted Simmons, Rollie Fingers, and Pete Vucovich.
LaPoint played for the Cardinals from 1981-1984. The left-handed pitcher began as a reliever and ended as a starter. He made two 1982 World Series appearances, one as a reliever and one as a starter, in Games 1 and 4 against the Brewers.
The Cardinals traded LaPoint to the San Francisco Giants on February 1, 1985, along with others, for Jack Clark.
LaPoint played for these teams – the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.
Dominic Leone – Leone was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2012. The Cardinals acquired him in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for Randal Grichuk in 2018.
Leone was a reliever for St. Louis for two seasons. He was designated for assignment on November 20, 2019. Leone, who logged 64 2/3 innings in total, missed time with injury and was sent down to the minor leagues multiple times.
Leone is currently on the roster for the Chicago White Sox.
Leone played for the Seattle Mariners (twice), Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox.
Shelby Miller – The Cardinals drafted Miller in the first round in 2009. He made his major league debut on September 5, 2012.
Miller pitched for three seasons in St. Louis. He was traded after the 2014 season to the Atlanta Braves for Jason Heyward.
With the Cardinals, Miller posted a record of 26-18 and an ERA of 3.33. Miller’s most notable game was a 3-0 shutout of the Colorado Rockies on May 20, 2013. Miller pitched a near perfect game, giving up one hit in the first inning, and then retiring the next 27 batters for a game score of 98.
The well-traveled Miller was placed on release waivers by the playoff-bound Detroit Tigers on September 29, 2024.
To date, Miller played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers.
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The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
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Cardinals Release Five from Triple-A Memphis
Shortly after the Triple-A season ended, the St. Louis Cardinals released five players off the roster of the Memphis Redbirds.
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Cardinals Assign Eight Players to the 2024 Arizona Fall League
photo: Thomas Saggese (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
On Wednesday, September 25, MLB announced the rosters of the six teams competing in the 2024 Arizona Fall League. Eight St. Louis Cardinals prospects join peers from the White Sox, Dodgers, Reds and Phillies, wearing the uniform of the Glendale Desert Dogs.
They will led by manager Ben Johnson from the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.
The Cardinals are sending three position players and five pitchers to the desert, of which five are among The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 Prospects.
Interestingly, two of the pitchers, Alex Cornwell and Matt Svanson, are Rule 5-eligible. So this time in the AFL could help the Cardinals make a final decision about whether or not to protect them.
Infielder Thomas Saggese, St. Louis, no. 6 prospect
Catcher Leonardo Bernal, Springfield, no. 9
Outfielder Nathan Church, Springfield
Left-handed pitcher Alex Cornwell, Springfield
Left-handed pitcher Brycen Mautz, Peoria, no. 44
Right-handed pitcher Trent Baker, Springfield
Right-handed pitcher Matt Svanson, Springfield, no. 29
Left-handed pitcher Ixan Henderson, Peoria, no. 26
What is next
As is the case annually, The Cardinal Nation will post free daily recaps of all Desert Dogs AFL games including box score links, so you can follow the Cardinals prospects’ results in the desert.
The Desert Dogs will begin play on Tuesday, October 8. Full schedule here.
Once again, I will be present for a week of the AFL with interviews, photos and eyewitness reports exclusively for paid members of The Cardinal Nation. So, join today!
Related article
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than 60 of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.
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Wednesdays With Walton and Newberry – September 25, 2024
photo: Palm Beach Cardinals, 2024 Florida State League Champions
The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by scouting analyst Blake Newberry for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.
Our podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 20-25 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.
This week, Brian and Blake focus on affiliate results across the St. Louis Cardinals system during 2024 and how they stack up across Minor League Baseball. All-Stars and top performers across the organization are highlighted, including Tink Hence, Jimmy Crooks, Quinn Mathews and many more!
All video of episodes of the return of Wednesday With Walton and Newberry at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.
The audio is also simulcast each week via the Scoops Sports Network and your favorite podcast apps.
Related articles
Springfield has MVP, Pitcher of the Year, Two All-Stars and Top Manager
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than 60 of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
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Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on X/Twitter.
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© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
St. Louis Cardinals Major League Notebook – September 16-22
photo: Andre Pallante (St. Louis Cardinals)
It was too little, too late, as the St. Louis Cardinals were eliminated from the post-season despite going 5-2 for the week. Andre Pallante starred, allowing just one run in 14 innings. Our history feature highlights four former Cardinals who had rare feats during this week in the past.
Game recaps
Monday, September 16, 2024 – Cardinals 4, Pirates 0
The St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a four-game series at Busch Stadium on Monday. Andre Pallante started for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits, fanned nine and walked one to earn his seventh win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the fourth inning. Alec Burleson singled. Burleson advanced to second on disengagement by Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. Nolan Arenado drove in Burleson on a single.
St Louis added a run in the seventh to lead 2-0. Brendan Donovan drew a walk. Lars Nootbaar reached on throwing error and Donovan advanced to second. Jordan Walker took a free pass. Donovan scored on a single by Pedro Pagés.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 4-0 with two runs in the eighth. Paul Goldschmidt walked. Arenado singled. Donovan plated Goldschmidt on a double. Arenado came home on a sac fly by Nootbaar.
The Cardinals scored four runs on seven hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Masyn Winn made a throwing error.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 – Cardinals 3, Pirates 1
The Cardinals defeated the Pirates in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Lance Lynn made what may be his final start at Busch Stadium as a Cardinal. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, fanned five and walked two to earn his seventh win.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Lynn and threw a scoreless seventh. Matthew Liberatore hurled two scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates scored first with one run in the second. The Cardinals answered with a run in the third to tie the game. Michael Siani doubled. Luken Baker tripled to plate Siani.
The Cardinals extended the lead to 2-1 in the fourth on a solo home run by Jordan Walker. In the eighth, a third run came home for the final score of 3-1. Masyn Winn reached on an error. Alec Burleson drew a walk. Nolan Arenado plated Winn on a sac fly.
The Cardinals scored three runs on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
Brendan Donovan stole his fifth base of the season. Michael Siani swiped his 19th bag. Paul Goldschmidt stole his 10th base.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 – Cardinals 10, Pirates 5
The Cardinals pounded the Pirates for a 10-5 win in the third game of the series on Wednesday. Sonny Gray started and pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up four runs on nine hits and fanned eight. This became Gray’s final start of the season.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Gray and surrendered one run in 1/3 of an inning. Michael McGreevy tossed the final three scoreless innings to earn his second major league win.
The Cardinals took the first lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by Brendan Donovan. St. Louis extended the lead to 4-0 in the third. Alec Burleson singled. Paul Goldschmidt drove in Burleson on a triple. Goldschmidt came home on a single by Nolan Arenado.
In the fourth inning, the Pirates cut the lead to 4-2. They took the lead 5-4 with three runs in the sixth.
In the seventh, the Cardinals roared back with six runs to retake the lead 10-5. Masyn Winn tied the game with a solo home run. Goldschmidt reached on an error. Arenado drew a walk. Donovan walked. Iván Herrera plated Goldschmidt on a single. Arenado came home on a single by Lars Nootbaar. Jordan Walker cleared the bases with a double.
The Cardinal offense scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Arenado was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Herrera was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Walker had three RBI. Burleson was 2-for-5.
Winn made a throwing error.
Thursday, September 19, 2024 – Cardinals 2, Pirates 3
The Cardinals fell to the Pirates in the finale of the four-game series on Thursday. Erick Fedde took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out three and walked one.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Fedde and surrendered one run in the seventh. JoJo Romero yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. Ryan Fernandez threw 1/3 of a scoreless inning. John King tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates scored one run in the top of the fourth. The Cardinals answered to tie the game in the home fourth. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Nolan Arenado drew a walk. Brendan Donovan singled to score Goldschmidt.
St. Louis put up one run in the sixth to take the lead 2-1. Goldschmidt singled and stole second base. Donovan plated Goldschmidt on a double.
Pittsburgh came back to tie the game at 2-2 in the seventh. They took the lead 3-2 in the eighth. The Cardinals did not answer.
St. Louis scored two runs on six hits. Donovan was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Goldschmidt stole his 11th base of the season.
Friday, September 20, 2024 – Cardinals 1, Guardians 5
The Cardinals lost the opener of a three-game series with the Guardians at Busch Stadium. Kyle Gibson was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on six hits, struck out two and walked three. Gibson took the loss.
Steven Matz relieved Gibson and surrendered one run in the final three innings.
Cleveland went up 1-0 in the third inning. The Guardians added a run in the top of the fourth to increase the lead to 2-0.
In the home fourth, the Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1. Alec Burleson doubled. Brendan Donovan walked. Lars Nootbaar drove in Burleson on a double.
Cleveland added one run in the fifth to extend the lead to 3-1. They scored single runs in the sixth and eighth for the final score of 5-1.
The Cardinals were held to one run on seven hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Thomas Saggese was 2-for-4.
Saggese made a throwing error.
Saturday, September 21, 2024 – Cardinals 6, Guardians 5
The Cardinals edged the Guardians for a 6-5 win on Saturday. Miles Mikolas started for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out four to earn his ninth win.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless seventh. JoJo Romero surrendered four runs in 1/3 of an inning. Matthew Liberatore hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 46th save.
The Cardinals took a the lead in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Jordan Walker. Cleveland answered with one run in the fifth.
In the seventh, St. Louis put up four runs to extend the lead to 6-1. Michael Siani singled. Masyn Winn reached on a fielder’s choice. Alec Burleson popped into a double play and Siani was out at third. Winn advanced to second. Paul Goldschmidt reached on an error and Winn scored. Nolan Arenado was hit by a pitch. Herrera followed with a three-run home run.
The Guardians rallied for four runs in the eighth to reduce the Cardinals’ edge to 6-5.
St. Louis’ offense scored six runs on eight hits. Herrera was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Walker had two RBI.
Arenado was caught stealing. Mikolas made a missed catch error.
Sunday, September 22, 2024 – Cardinals 2, Guardians 1
The Cardinals defeated the Guardians to take the series with a 2-1 win on Sunday. Andre Pallante pitched his second gem of the week. The right-hander went seven innings, gave up one run on one hit, struck out four and walked two to earn his eighth win.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 47th save.
The game was scoreless until the sixth inning when Cleveland put up one run. St. Louis quickly answered with a run in the home sixth to tie the game. Masyn Winn singled. Nolan Arenado singled on a pop fly to shallow right field. Winn scored from first base.
The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the seventh. Lars Nootbaar was hit by a pitch. Pedro Pagés walked. Winn walked and Nootbaar scored on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals scored two runs on five hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Pallante picked a runner off first base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week with a record of 5-2. They won 3 of 4 games from the Pirates, and 2 of 3 games from the Guardians. Their current record is 79-77 and they remain in third place in the NL Central, 10 games behind the Brewers, and one game back of the second place Cubs. The Cardinals have been eliminated from a spot in the postseason.
The Cardinals have six games left in the regular season. They have a chance to finish above .500 and take the second-place spot away from the Cubs in this final week. These should be the goals at this point, ending their disappointing season on a positive note.
The offense wasn’t particularly great against the Pirates and Guardians, but they scored enough to win five games. The top offensive performers by OPS over the last seven days are Iván Herrera (1.792 in 8 ABs) and Brendan Donovan (1.140). Next were Nolan Arenado (.865) and Jordan Walker (.802).
At the bottom were Alec Burleson (.499), Michael Siani (.478), Thomas Saggese (.417), Matt Carpenter (.333 in 2 ABs), and Pedro Pagés (.192).
The pitching was adequate, though the team lost two starters, Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn, to the injured list for the remainder of the season.
Starting pitchers who finished the week with an ERA under 4.00 were Andre Pallante (0.64), Erick Fedde (1.50), Lance Lynn (1.50) and Miles Mikolas (1.50).
Starters with an ERA over 4.00 were Kyle Gibson (4.50) and Sonny Gray (6.34).
Michael McGreevy was recalled from Memphis this past week and will take Gray’s next start in Colorado.
The bullpen was good, with only JoJo Romero (45.00) having an off week. Matthew Liberatore (4.50) was the only other reliever with an ERA over 4.00 for the week.
The last two series of the season begin on Tuesday with three games in Denver against the Rockies. The team ends their season in San Francisco with three against the Giants.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 89 | 67 | 0.571 | ||
| Chicago | 80 | 76 | 0.513 | 9 | 6.5 |
| St. Louis | 79 | 77 | 0.506 | 10 | 7.5 |
| Cincinnati | 76 | 81 | 0.484 | 13.5 | 11 |
| Pittsburgh | 73 | 83 | 0.468 | 16 | 13.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 9/18 The Cardinals recalled RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/18 The Cardinals placed RHP Lance Lynn on the 15-day injured list. Right knee inflammation.
- 9/21 The Cardinals placed RHP Sonny Gray on the 15-day injured list. Right forearm flexor tendinitis.
- 9/21 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season ending forearm surgery. The right hander did not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
- LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery and missed the remainder of the season.
- RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) came off the injured list and after making one start, he was returned to the injured list for the remainder of the season. Lynn’s last start against the Pirates is potentially his last start at Busch Stadium as a Cardinal.
- C Willson Contreras (fractured right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 25. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand. Contreras was evaluated and it was determined that the catcher required at least two weeks more of healing, effectively ending his season.
- RHP Sonny Gray (right forearm flexor tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 19. The right hander has made his last start and will end the season on the IL. An MRI showed no structural damage, but the precautionary move was made, as the Cardinals have been eliminated from postseason contention. Gray’s final start of the season on Tuesday will be made by Michael McGreevy.
Donovan Named Heart and Hustle Winner
On Wednesday, September 18, Brendan Donovan was announced as the Cardinals winner of the 2024 Heart and Hustle Award.
Presented by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, this award recognizes one player on each team who demonstrates a passion for the game and best embodies their values, spirit and traditions.
Of the 30 winners from each team, one player will be chosen as the final Heart and Hustle Award recipient after the season.
Looking Ahead
The final week of the regular season is a road trip for the Cardinals. They will first play three games with the Rockies beginning Tuesday, September 24. Starters will be Michael McGreevy, Erick Fedde and Kyle Gibson.
The team will then travel to San Francisco to play the Giants in a weekend series that ends the season for the Cardinals, who have officially been eliminated from a postseason berth. The Milwaukee Brewers will be the only NL Central team to advance to the postseason.
Following the final game of the regular season on Sunday, September 29, the postseason begins on October 1. The Wild Card games will be played on October 1-3. The postseason continues through October and ends with a potential World Series Game 7 on November 2.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the Rare Feats Series with four players who accomplished rare feats during the period September 16 through 22.
The four players include two pitchers and two position players all of whom played in the 20th Century. One is a frequent flyer in this series.
A rare feat is defined as one of the following: (1) a pitcher or pitchers throwing a no-hitter; (2) A batter hitting for the cycle, which is hitting at least one single, one double, one triple, and one home run in a single game; (3) A batter recording six hits in one game; (4) a player, either a position player or a pitcher, hitting a home run in their first major league at bat; and (5) a player hitting three or more home runs in a single game.
During the period September 16 through 22, the following rare feats are featured. For each rare feat, the type of feat, the date it occurred, and some details of each occurrence are listed below.
Ray Washburn – The right-hander pitched for the Cardinals from 1961-1969. On September 18, 1968, Washburn tossed a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. The Cardinals won 2-0.
Washburn struck out eight and walked five in his complete game no-hit shutout. Washburn ended the season with a record of 14-8 and an ERA of 2.26.
Ironically, the Giants’ Gaylord Perry no-hit the Cardinals the day before, making it the first time in MLB history that back-to back no-hitters were pitched in the same series.
Washburn was traded to the Cincinnati Reds after the 1969 season. He pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Reds, who were defeated by the Orioles in the 1969 World Series in five games. Washburn’s last major league appearance was the final game of that World Series.
Paul Dean – Nicknamed “Daffy”, the brother of Cardinals pitcher “Dizzy” Dean, Paul Dean pitched for the Cardinals from 1934-1939.
Dean spun a no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field on September 21, 1934. The Cardinals won 3-0.
Dean struck out six and walked one in his complete game no-hit shutout. This was Dean’s rookie season with the Cardinals. His brother Dizzy pitched a three-hit shutout in the first game of the doubleheader. Dizzy was quoted as saying after his brother’s no-hitter, “Shoot! If I’da known Paul was going to pitch a no-hitter, I’da pitched me one too.”
Paul Dean ended his rookie season with a record of 19-11 and an ERA of 3.43. The Cardinals won the 1934 World Series over the Detroit Tigers in seven games. Paul and his brother pitched in the Series for a combined record of 4-1 (each won two games) with 28 Ks and a combined ERA of 1.43.
Paul Dean pitched for the Cardinals for six seasons, though he never matched his rookie season performance. The New York Giants selected Dean in the Rule 5 Draft in 1939. His career ended with the St. Louis Browns in 1943.
Jim Bottomley – Bottomley has been featured in the series multiple times previously. On September 16, 1924, Bottomley accomplished the rare feat of six hits in a single game.
Bottomley went 6-for-6 with 12 RBI and three runs scored in a 17-3 rout of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Bottomley’s major league record of 12 RBI in a game was matched by another Cardinal, Mark Whiten in 1993. Whiten’s 12 RBI game was featured in a previous installment of this series.
Bottomley played first and hit cleanup in the Cardinals starting lineup on his big day. Bottomley’s six hits were as follows: a two RBI single to center in the first inning; an RBI double to left in the second inning; a grand slam in the fourth inning; a two run home run in the sixth inning; a two RBI single to right in the seventh inning; and an RBI single to right in the ninth inning.
Bottomley played for 11 seasons with the Cardinals, from 1922-1932. He was traded at the end of the 1932 season to the Cincinnati Reds.
George Harper – Harper was an outfielder who played for six teams in his major league career. He played for the Cardinals for only one season, 1928.
Harper’s rare feat was hitting three or more home runs in a single game, which he accomplished on September 20, 1928 in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. The Cardinals won 8-5.
Harper hit home run #1 in the second inning. It was a solo shot. He hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning. His final long ball was a solo shot in the eighth inning.
Harper went 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored.
The Cardinals won the pennant that year but were swept by the Yankees in the World Series.
The Boston Braves purchased Harper from the Cardinals on December 8, 1928.
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Cardinals Pitching Prospect Ian Bedell Activated at Triple-A
Right-handed pitcher Ian Bedell has been activated from the seven-day injured list by the Memphis Redbirds.
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Overcoming High Odds: The 1964 World Champion Cardinals
by Paul Lore, guest contributor
“The 1964 Cardinals never won a game they could afford to lose; and never lost a game that they had to win,” wrote Bob Broeg, the late St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter.
Broeg’s quote serves as fitting epitaph for the 1964 World Championship team that started the season as probable contenders and ended the season as an improbable pennant winner. The St. Louis ballclub rallied from 6.5 games behind the first place Philadelphia Phillies with only 12 games left in the season to claim the flag, then went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
The 1964 team proved an evolution in team building. That club’s nucleus helped win three National League crowns in five seasons. In the years prior, the Cardinals endured an 18-year drought without a championship, looking more like the Cubs of Chicago rather than a proud franchise that had won nine pennants in 21 seasons between 1926 and 1946.
One reason St. Louis had fallen behind competitors was because it was one of the last teams to recruit African American talent. The Brooklyn Dodgers started the process in 1947 with the historic signing of Jackie Robinson, then added catcher Roy Campanella – who went on to win three league MVP Awards – and stellar starting pitcher Don Newcombe.
Their cross-town rival Giants followed suit when they signed Monte Irvin and Willie Mays. Not coincidentally, the Giants and Dodgers won 11 of 17 pennants from 1947 and 1963. The Braves won three pennants of their own in that span—two with Henry Aaron leading the way.
The Cardinals’ Stan Musial continued as a bona fide superstar during that time, but his bat alone could not carry the team when competitors were adding extraordinary black talent to their rosters.
That changed after August Busch, Jr. purchased the club. When he learned of the lack of black ballplayers on his newly acquired team, he quipped, “They drink beer, too.” The Cardinals soon got on board for racial equity and a competitive track.
Bing Devine’s club
Vaughan “Bing” Devine worked his way up from office boy to general manager after over 25 years with the Cardinals in various capacities. He acquired several players via astute trades that garnered a talented cast of characters who also had character.
The 1964 team’s core included team captain Ken Boyer whose leadership qualities later led to a job as the team’s field manager before his untimely death. Boyer played solid defense at third base and swung a consistent bat over a 10-year run averaging nearly .300, typically hitting about 25 home runs and 90+ RBI per season.
In addition, a promising 22-year-old now in his second full season named Tim McCarver proved to be an all-star catcher and fiery field leader who later became a Hall of Fame broadcaster.
Devine added two key black players via trades to shore up his team’s fortunes. First baseman Bill White came from the Giants – a team already overloaded at that position with Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey. White bookended the infield corners with Boyer and produced similar, consistent numbers. White later became a broadcaster for the New York Yankees and the first African American president of the American League. A strong influence in the clubhouse, White was no ‘yes man’ as evidenced in his autobiography entitled Uppity.
Curt Flood arrived via Cincinnati. A seven-time Gold Glove Award recipient, Flood patrolled center field and anchored the team’s outfield defense for a decade.
A consistent hitter, batting over .300 six times with 200 hits twice, Flood’s value exceeded his numbers. He played fundamentally sound baseball, ran the bases with flair, and could bunt or hit to the right side to advance a runner. A man of integrity and grit, Flood later challenged the Lords of Baseball in his antitrust lawsuit that he filed after he was unceremoniously traded after the 1969 season at a time when no one else dared challenge the powers that be.
Two other trades solidified the middle of the diamond. Shortstop Dick Groat—a former batting crown champ and league MVP – arrived from Pittsburgh in 1963. A dependable if not spectacular defender, Groat was growing long in the tooth but still provided spark in the lineup, hitting .319 in 1963, and .293 in 1964.
In a separate trade with the Pirates, Devine acquired second baseman Julian Javier, a fair hitter who ran well and demonstrated defensive range and a deft double play pivot, which earned him the nickname “The Ghost”.
For starting pitching, Devine pulled lefthander Curt Simmons from the bone pile. A one-time stalwart for the Philadelphia Phillies, Simmons suffered arm trouble, and seemed on the way out of baseball. But he redefined his savvy approach to pitching and won 18 games for the ’64 club.
Homegrown Redbirds included Ray Sadecki, a left-handed bonus baby who pitched for 18 years in the big leagues and had one of his better seasons early in his career, winning 20 games in 1964. The incomparable Bob Gibson came up around the same time, with less ballyhoo but ultimately with more verve.
Building on success
The St. Louis Cardinals of the early 1960s enjoyed a slow but steady rise in fortunes. By 1963, the club established itself as a contender. In September 1963, also Musial’s swan song, the team went on a tear. The Cards won 19 of 20 to pull within a game of the first place Los Angeles Dodgers, who arrived in town for a crucial three game, mid-September series.
In those days, there were no wild card teams or division playoff series. The team that finished first in the league standings went on to the World Series, so September pennant races provided the season’s sizzle followed intently by not only the locals but by the nation’s sports world.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ dominant pitching paved the way for pennants after a near miss in 1962, capturing flags in three of the next four years. Johnny Podres handcuffed the Cardinals with a three-hitter as the Dodgers scored twice in the ninth to win, 3-1. Sandy Koufax shut out St. Louis with a four-hitter the following day. In the finale, the Dodgers rallied late from a 5-1 deficit to close out the sweep. Los Angeles then swept the New Yankees in the 1963 World Series. But the 1963 Cardinal team provided hope for 1964.
Slow Start, Big Trade, Trouble Brewing
The Dodgers slumped in 1964 due in part to Koufax’s arm trouble that limited him to ‘only’ 223 innings while winning ‘just’ 19 games. Yet, the Cardinals seemed incapable of filling the void. Musial’s retirement left a hole in the outfield. In fact, there were holes in both outfield corner positions leaving journeymen to fill the gaps. Worse still, reliable Bill White was mired in a long slump that extended to the All-Star break, while Bob Gibson, who won 18 games in 1963, struggled with a near .500 won-loss record.
Likewise, the ballclub treaded water. At the break, the team’s record stood at 39-40, in sixth place in the 10-team National League, a full 10 games behind the surprising league-leading Philadelphia Phillies.
Around this time, Mike Shannon was recalled from the minor leagues to bring his defense and strong arm to right field. He finished the season with a respectable .261 batting average, adding occasional pop from his right-handed bat.
But the big addition to the club proved to be a lightning-fast left fielder from the Chicago Cubs named Louis Clark Brock, acquired by GM Devine at the then-June 15 trade deadline. The trade basically involved an exchange with the Cubs obtaining Redbirds hurler Ernie Broglio, who won 21 games in 1960, and 18 games in 1963. Most on the team were initially mystified by the deal.
Brock was a raw talent called to the big leagues by Chicago perhaps before ready. Impatient Cubs fans rode him because of his defensive miscues, labeling him ‘Brock as in Rock’. The 24-year-old arrived in St. Louis with a mediocre .253 batting average that matched his new team’s middling record.
St. Louis manager Johnny Keane told his struggling new addition that he was his everyday left fielder and gave the young greyhound the green light to run the base paths. Buoyed by the show of confidence, Brock hit .348 the rest of the season and stole 33 bases, igniting the Cardinals, though it took time for the smoldering team to catch fire.
Meanwhile, team turmoil evolved into clubhouse tension involving Groat and the manager. The air was cleared, but the team’s owner seethed over hearing of it second hand. Combined with the team’s play, it led to the dismissal of general manager Devine, and a behind-the-scenes interview with Leo Durocher for the 1965 managerial job.
In the dog days of August, the Cardinals finally played better, though they were still far behind the league leader. White was again a robust hitter, Sadecki was winning consistently, and Gibson had found his groove. Since the All-Star break, the club won 32 of 51 games, a solid .627 winning percentage. Yet, the month ended with the Redbirds in fourth place, 7½ games behind the Phillies.
On September 9, the Cardinals visited Shibe Park in Philadelphia for a crucial two-game series, needing a sweep to move within four of first. They won the opener but limped home when Chris Short beat Sadecki 5-1. The outlook appeared near hopeless from the vantage point of fourth place, six games behind with just 22 games remaining.
The following 10 days brought no improvement in the standings. On the 20th, with only 12 games to go, the Phillies stood in first with a 90-60 record, 6½ games in front of both St. Louis and Cincinnati. The Phillies announced the sale of World Series tickets for a wonderous season that they called ‘The Year of the Blue Snow’.
But then the snow turned yellow. The Philadelphia nightmare began in an incongruous fashion in a game with the Reds during which Chico Ruiz stole home with two outs in the sixth inning with mega star Frank Robinson at the plate, scoring the only run of a 1-0 game. Phillies skipper Gene Mauch ranted afterwards, calling it an idiotic play. Little did he know that wild play ignited what became a 10-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals and Reds started streaks of their own. The Phillies were swept by the Reds and Braves, while the Cardinals kept winning, setting up a high stake, three-game set at Busch Stadium against the fading Phillies. Philadelphia’s seemingly insurmountable lead stunningly evaporated with Cincinnati in first by a game over Philadelphia, and 1½ games ahead of the onrushing Redbirds.
In the first game of that series, Gibson’s pitches could be heard cracking into the catcher’s mitt as fans murmured that McCarver’s hand would be like hamburger after the game. Mauch’s prior riding and ridiculing one of the leagues’ foremost competitors who was affectionately called Hoot by his teammates proved the wrong man to rile. St. Louis won, 5-1. The next two games were won by Sadecki – his 20th – 4-2; and by old man Simmons, 8-5. Meanwhile, the Pirates won two of three over the Reds.
Amazingly, on the eve of the year’s final weekend series, the seemingly illusory league standings read like this:
| W | L | GB | |
| St. Louis | 92 | 67 | …… |
| Cincinnati | 92 | 68 | 1/2 |
| Philadelphia | 90 | 70 | 2½ |
Then the 1964 season became even more bizarre. The last-place Mets behind Al Jackson beat Gibson and the Cardinals 1-0, and the following day bombed St. Louis 15-5. This underscored Broeg’s aphorism noted at the top of this article about never winning a game that they could ‘afford’ to lose.
Meanwhile, the Phillies came out of their trance and beat the Reds on Friday. Those two clubs had an odd Saturday off, placing Cincinnati in a tie for first place with St. Louis, leaving Philadelphia one game back and praying for a triple tie for first place at season’s end – a first ever in major league history.
The Phillies just needed to win their final game, and hope that the Mets – a team that finished 53 and 109 for the season—would pull off an amazing sweep against St. Louis. But following through on the second half of Mr. Broeg’s aphorism, the Cardinals won the game that they had to win.
The Phillies did their part, beating the Reds 10-0 behind Rookie of the Year Richie Allen, who rocketed two home runs out of the park. As was their ’64 wont, the Cardinals took a more tortuous path. Falling behind in the fifth inning, the Cardinals brought in Gibson with one day’s rest after he had just pitched eight innings on Friday. He kept the Mets in check for four innings, while his team rallied big.
Gibson yielded the ninth inning to Barney Schultz, a 38-year-old journeyman whose knuckleball danced that September, a Cinderella month for him personally as well as for his team. Mr. Busch was in his box hoarsely screaming with the rest of the fans as McCarver caught a foul popup for the final out in an 11-5 victory, and the improbable pennant for the St. Louis Cardinals.
World Series winner
The Cardinals’ opponent in the 1964 World Series was the New York Yankees, a seasoned team that also fought through a tough pennant race. The Baltimore Orioles faltered in the closing days of the season, ceding the pennant to the dynastic Bronx Bombers, their fifth straight and 14th in 16 seasons. Few realized it, but the Yankees were an old team rotting from within and would not win another pennant for 12 long years.
Underscoring that point, the Yankees wheeled out Whitey Ford for Game 1 of the Series. Ford still holds the record for most consecutive scoreless innings pitched in World Series play (29 2/3 innings) and most career Series wins with 10. But Whitey’s arm was shot at that point in the season. Shannon cracked a mammoth home run off the Yankee left-hander as the Cardinals romped to a 9-5 win. Ford did not pitch again in the Series.
Due to pitching three games in one week before the Series, Gibson was held back to pitch Game 2. He went up against New York rookie Mel Stottlemyre who was called up from the minors in midseason and won nine games during the season’s stretch run with an ERA of 2.06. Gibson pitched well but was jinxed by poor defense and a disputed play, and in the end bested by Stottlemyre.
Game 3 in Yankee Stadium matched 18 game winners Simmons and Jim Bouton with both pitching well. Schultz replaced Simmons in the bottom of the ninth, and Mickey Mantle hit what Schultz called a ‘non-knuckling’ knuckleball into the upper deck for a 2-1 New York victory. It was Mantle’s record-breaking 16th home run in World Series play, breaking a tie with Babe Ruth.
The Yankees pounced for three runs in the first inning, ushering Sadecki to an early Game 4 shower. The score stayed that way until the fifth inning when the Yanks botched a double play ball, leaving the bases loaded for Boyer whose 119 RBI in the regular season was recognized with the league’s MVP award. He added four more RBI when Al Downing threw an ill-advised changeup that stayed up in the strike zone that Boyer launched down the left line for a grand slam. Clutch relief pitching from Ron Taylor and Roger Craig preserved a 4-3 win.
Stottlemyre and Gibson hooked up again in Game 5. Gibson carried a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but with a runner aboard, Gibson made a miraculous defensive gem when a liner up the middle hit him and ricocheted towards the third base line. Reacting cat-like, he corralled the ball and as he did, instinctively hopped upwards and threw sidearm across his body with bulls-eye bullet to first to beat the runner by an eyelash for the out. That play saved the game, and likely the Series because the next batter Tom Tresh, hit a two-run homer that knotted the score. In the 10th, McCarver hit a three-run shot, and Gibson finished the job striking out 13 Yanks along the way.
The Series returned to St. Louis, but the New Yorkers pounded Redbirds pitching with home runs by Mantle, Roger Maris and Joe Pepitone. Once again, the Cardinals lost a game that they could afford to lose, setting up the decisive Game 7 they had to win.
It came down again to Stottlemyre versus Gibson, this time each with only two days of rest. The Cardinals pounded Yankee pitching that day jumping to a 7-0 lead with Boyer and Brock both launching home runs.
In the seventh, Mantle hit a three-run homer to cut the lead to 7-3. Incredibly, the St. Louis manager left Gibson in for the ninth inning despite his ace pitching on fumes. Gibson had pitched in 20 innings in three games in the season’s final week, plus 27 more in the World Series – a total of 47 hardball innings in just 16 days. Gibson surrendered two ninth-inning home runs but remained on the hill to secure the Series’ final out.
When asked why he left his starting pitcher in the game, the Redbirds skipper simply stated, “I had a commitment to his heart.” In a final note of implausibility, manager Keane, still seething over Devine’s firing and the Durocher rumors, resigned a few days after the Series. Keane took the managing job with the same New York Yankees, but not before telling Gibson, “Hoot, you are on your way.”
Indeed, so were the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that went on to win two more pennants in 1967 and 1968. Led by their core of Gibson, Brock, McCarver and Flood along with Shannon and Javier, they astutely added the necessary pieces along the way to put the team back atop the National League.
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St. Louis Cardinals Major League Notebook – September 9-15
photo: Brendan Donovan (Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals went 2-4 for the week. Utility man Brendan Donovan led the team with a .935 OPS, recording a hit in five of the six games in the past week. Our history feature looks at players who have made their major league debut from September 9-15.
Game recaps.
Monday, September 9, 2024 – Off day
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 – Cardinals 0, Reds 3
The Cardinals were blanked by the Reds in the first game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Andre Pallante got the start for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on six hits, fanned six and walked five. Pallante took the loss.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless 1/3 of an inning. John King followed with two scoreless innings. Chris Roycroft tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Reds put three runs on the board to lead 3-0.
The Cardinals were held scoreless for nine innings. The offense scattered eight hits but went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. They left eight men on base.
A double by Goldschmidt was the only extra-base hit. Goldschmidt was 2-for-3. Brendan Donovan was 3-for-4. Nolan Arenado was 2-for-4.
Lars Nootbaar was caught stealing.
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 – Cardinals 2, Reds 1
The Cardinals came back to defeat the Reds by the score of 2-1 in the second game of the series on Wednesday. Lance Lynn was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up one run on five hits, fanned seven and walked one.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge hurled a scoreless inning, and JoJo Romero followed with a scoreless 2/3 of an inning to earn the win. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 44th save.
The Reds scored their first and only run in the top of the fourth inning. The Cardinals answered with one run on a solo home run by Arenado in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
St. Louis broke the tie and took the lead 2-1 in the eighth. Michael Siani singled and stole second base. He scored on a double by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Cardinals scored two runs on six hits. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Masyn Winn stole his 11th base of the season. Siani swiped his 17th bag,
Thursday, September 12, 2024 – Cardinals 6, Reds 1
The Cardinals pounded the Reds in a 6-1 contest on Thursday in the final game of the series. Sonny Gray took the start and pitched six innings, giving up one run on two hits, fanning nine and walking two to earn his 13th win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Gray and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first save this season.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a solo home run by Masyn Winn. The Reds tied the game in the top of the sixth.
In the home half of the sixth, St. Louis scored one run to take back the lead 2-1. Winn singled. Alec Burleson singled. Nolan Arenado drew a walk. Winn scored on a sac fly by Lars Nootbaar.
The Cardinals added two runs in the seventh to extend the lead to 4-1. Thomas Saggese singled and Brendan Donovan followed with a two-run pinch-hit home run.
St. Louis made it 6-1 in the eighth. Nootbaar hit a ground-rule double. Saggese drove in Nootbaar on a single. Saggese later scored on a fielder’s choice by Winn.
The Cardinals scored six runs on 10 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Saggese was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan had two RBI.
Friday, September 13, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Blue Jays 4 (11 innings)
The Cardinals were edged by the Blue Jays in a 4-3 loss in the first game of a weekend series in Toronto. Erick Fedde was the St. Louis starter. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on six hits, struck out three and walked one.
John King relieved Fedde and threw a scoreless sixth. Matthew Liberatore hurled three scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez surrendered one run in the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings and took the loss.
St. Louis went up 2-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson singled. Paul Goldschmidt singled to load the bases. Nolan Arenado drove in Winn on a single. Burleson scored on a force out by Thomas Saggese.
Toronto scored three runs in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals came back to tie the game in the eighth on a solo home run by Saggese.
The game went into extra innings and in the home half of the 11th, the Blue Jays walked it off with one run scored for a 4-3 win.
The Cardinals scored three runs on 12 hits. Winn was 2-for-6. Burleson was 2-for-5. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4. Pedro Pagés was 2-for-5. Saggese had two RBI.
Pagés stole his second base of the season.
Saturday, September 14, 2024 – Cardinals 2 at Blue Jays 7
The Cardinal lost to the Blue Jays again, this time by a score of 7-2 on Saturday. Kyle Gibson took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up five runs, one earned, on four hits, struck out one and walked three. Gibson took the loss.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Gibson and threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Riley O’Brien surrendered two runs in the final two innings.
St. Louis put up one run in the top of the third on a solo home run by Jordan Walker to lead 1-0. Toronto quickly tied it in the home half of the third.
The Blue Jays took the lead with four runs scored in the sixth. They added two more runs in the seventh to lead 7-1.
The Cardinals scored one run in the ninth to cut the lead to 7-2. Alec Burleson doubled and later scored on a groundout by José Fermín.
The offense scored two runs on three hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
Winn made a throwing error.
Sunday, September 15, 2024 – Cardinals 2 at Blue Jays 3
The Cardinals suffered the sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays in the final game of the series in Toronto. Miles Mikolas was the starter and he pitched five innings, gave up two runs on three hits and struck out four.
Steven Matz relieved Mikolas and threw two scoreless innings of relief. Andrew Kittredge surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. JoJo Romero got the final out of the eighth.
St. Louis went up 1-0 in the top of the fifth inning. Iván Herrera singled and scored on a double by Jordan Walker. Toronto answered with two runs in the home half of the fifth to lead 2-1.
The Cardinals tied the game in the seventh on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar. The Blue Jays retook the lead 3-2 in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored two runs on seven hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Michael Siani stole his 18th base of the season.
Big Picture
The Cardinals did not have a good week. They went 2-4 for the week, winning 2 of 3 from the Reds, and got swept by the Blue Jays in three games. They remain in third place in the NL Central, 12 games back of the Brewers and two games back of the Cubs. They have a record of 74-75 and are 7.5 games out of the Wild Card.
For all intents and purposes, the team is out of the playoff picture. The goal now should be to win enough of the remaining games in the season to at least have a winning record.
There were, as always, good and bad games for both offense and pitching. On the offensive side, there was very little offense for most of the games. The Cardinals’ run differential is currently -67.
The top offensive performers over the last seven days were Brendan Donovan (.935) and Lars Nootbaar (.931). Close behind was Paul Goldschmidt (.855).
The list at the bottom is much longer. Those at the bottom are Thomas Saggese (.478), Alec Burleson (.465), Pedro Pagés (.462), Michael Siani (.368), Luken Baker (.222), Matt Carpenter (.000 in one AB), and José Fermín (.000 in 2 ABs).
The pitching was better than the offense, though it wasn’t good enough. Four starters had ERAs under 4.00. They are Sonny Gray (1.50), Kyle Gibson (1.69), Lance Lynn (1.80), and Miles Mikolas (3.60). Over 4.00 ERAs belonged to Erick Fedde (5.40) and Andre Pallante (5.40).
The bullpen was good, except for Riley O’Brien (9.00) who continues to struggle since coming off the injured list.
The Cardinals have four series remaining in the season. This coming week they play four games against the Pirates and end the final homestand with a three-game series with the Guardians. In the first game of the Pirate series, they face Paul Skenes, who they defeated in their last encounter. The Guardians are very good and will be tough.
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB WCGB
|
Milwaukee |
86 |
63 |
.577 |
——- |
–
——– |
|
Chicago |
76 |
73 |
.510 |
10 |
5.5 |
|
St. Louis |
74 |
75 |
.497 |
12 |
7.5 |
|
Cincinnati |
73 |
78 |
.483 |
14 |
9.5 |
|
Pittsburgh |
71 |
78 |
.477 |
15 |
10.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 9/10 The Cardinals optioned CF Victor Scott II to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/10 The Cardinals selected the contract of 2B Thomas Saggese from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/11 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/11 The Cardinals activated RHP Lance Lynn from the 15-day injured list.
Injury Report
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season-ending forearm surgery. The right-hander has not thrown a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
- LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery, and no return date has been given.
- RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) was activated from the 15-day injured list.
- C Willson Contreras (fractured right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 25. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand. Contreras is out of the splint and will be evaluated on Monday as to the next move.
Looking Ahead
The Toronto Series ends on Sunday, and the team returns home to begin their final homestand on Monday with a four-game series against the Pirates. Andre Pallante will make the Monday start, followed by Lance Lynn on Tuesday and Sonny Gray on Wednesday. Thursday’s starter is unknown at this time.
The homestand concludes with three games against the Guardians.
The final week of the regular season is a road trip for the Cardinals. They will first play three games with the Rockies beginning, Tuesday, September 24. The team will then travel to San Franciso to play the Giants in a weekend series that ends the regular season and more than likely ends the Cardinals’ season.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to the Debut Series and showcases present or former Cardinals who made their major league debuts during a certain period in the past.
From the period September 9 through September 15 at various times in the past, three Cardinals made their major league debut. All are former Cardinals, but one is a former Cardinal more than one time.
The following three former Cardinals all made their major league debut during the relevant period in the past. For each player, the date of his debut, in what game he debuted, and how he performed is outlined.
Tommy Pham – Pham played for the Cardinals two separate times, the second time very recently. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2006 draft.
Pham had an injury history in the minor leagues and a vision impairment that delayed his advancement to the majors for many years. It was late in 2014 when Pham finally got the call.
Pham made his debut on September 9, 2014, in a 9-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.
Pham came into the game in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter for Matt Holliday. Pham struck out swinging. He repeated as a pinch hitter the next day and also struck out. Pham appeared in only six games in 2014 and had only two plate appearances, as he was used as either a pinch runner or a late-inning defensive replacement in those remaining four games.
Pham began 2015 in Memphis. He was called up in July of 2015. On July 4, 2015, in a 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium, Pham got his first major league hit. Pham started the game in CF and hit leadoff.
In his third plate appearance in the sixth inning, Pham hit a double to CF. He scored on a single by Matt Carpenter.
The Cardinals traded Pham on July 31, 2018, to the Tampa Bay Rays for Genesis Cabrera, Roel Ramirez and Justin Williams.
Pham returned briefly to the Cardinals this season in a three-team trade between the Cardinals, Dodgers and White Sox on July 29. A month later, he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Kansas City Royals.
Mike Shannon – The former Cardinal and later long-time broadcaster, made his major league debut on September 11, 1962, in a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium I (formerly Sportsman’s Park).
Shannon was in the starting lineup playing RF and batting sixth. Shannon was 1-for-4 at the plate. In his first at-bat in the second inning, Shannon grounded out to second base.
Shannon got his first major league hit in the fourth inning on a single to LF off Reds starter Bob Purkey.
In the sixth, Shannon grounded out to the shortstop. In his final at-bat in the ninth, he grounded to the pitcher for a force out at second base.
Shannon played for nine seasons with the Cardinals, before a kidney ailment forced him to retire from playing.
Shannon became the voice of the Cardinals in the KMOX radio booth in 1972. He retired from broadcasting in 2021. He passed away from a stroke on April 29, 2023, at the age of 83.
Adam Wainwright – Wainright came to the Cardinals in a 2003 trade with the Atlanta Braves. He began his career with the Cardinals in the minor leagues with the Memphis Redbirds. He missed most of the 2004 season with an injury. He returned in 2005 with the Redbirds and was called up on September 11, 2005. He made his debut in a 7-2 loss to the Mets at Busch Stadium II.
Wainwright made his debut as a reliever. He came into the game in the ninth inning in relief of John Gall. He gave up a single to Kazuo Matsui and walked Carlos Beltran. He induced two lineouts to third base, then gave up a three-run home run to Victor Diaz. A pop fly to short by Mike Jacobs was the final out.
Wainwright made one more relief appearance against the Brewers on September 22. He allowed no runs in that appearance.
Wainwright made the Opening Day roster in 2006 and was again used as a reliever. His first major league strikeout was on April 3, 2006, against the Phillies at Citizen’s Bank Park. He came in to pitch in the eighth inning and struck out his second batter, David Dellucci.
Wainwright spent his entire major league career with the Cardinals and retired after the 2023 season.
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Wednesdays With Walton and Newberry – September 11, 2024
photo: Chen-Wei Lin (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by scouting analyst Blake Newberry for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.
Our podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 20-25 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.
This week, after covering recent transactions with Thomas Saggese and Tekoah Roby, Brian and Blake focus on the top pitchers across the St. Louis Cardinals system during August. Individual results are compared to consensus Pitcher of the Month, Palm Beach’s Chen-Wei Lin. Among standout pitchers covered are Quinn Mathews, Leonel Sequera, Ixan Henderson, Hancel Rincon, Michael McGreevy, Gordon Graceffo and many others.
All video of episodes of the return of Wednesday With Walton and Newberry at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.
The audio is also simulcast each week via the Scoops Sports Network and your favorite podcast apps.
Related article
The Cardinal Nation’s August 2024 Pitcher of the Month – Chen-Wei Lin
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than 60 of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on X/Twitter.
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© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Four Top Cardinals Prospects on the Move, Including Thomas Saggese
Four prospects are among Tuesday, September 10 transactions across the St. Louis Cardinals system, led by the MLB debut of infielder Thomas Saggese.
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Cardinals Make Roster Adjustments as 2024 Season Nears Close
On Monday, September 9, the St. Louis Cardinals announced four player transactions affecting the minor leagues.
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St. Louis Cardinals Major League Notebook – September 2-8
photo: Matt Morris, Dave Duncan, Joe Kurowski (St. Louis Cardinals)
Unable to make up ground, the St. Louis Cardinals went 3-3 for the week. Matt Morris, Dave Duncan and the late Whitey Kurowski are team Hall of Famers. Our history feature highlights two former Cardinals who had rare feats during this week in the past.
Three join Cardinals Hall of Fame
The St. Louis Cardinals annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony took place on Saturday, September 7 at the outdoor Busch II Infield Stage in Ballpark Village.
The 2024 induction class consists of former pitcher Matt Morris, former pitching coach Dave Duncan, and the late Whitey Kurowski, who played third base for the Cardinals from 1941-49. Members of the late Kurowski’s family were on hand to accept the honor on his behalf, including his son Jim, shown in the photo above.
A dozen or so current Cardinals Hall of Famers were on hand for the celebration, including former manager Tony La Russa, Mark McGwire, Ozzie Smith, Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter, Willie McGee and others.
Other events included special programming at the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum. In addition, there was an on the field ceremony prior to the game on Saturday.
Goldschmidt named Clemente nominee
On Monday, September 9, the Cardinals nominated Paul Goldschmidt as their candidate for the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award. It is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
2024 is Goldschmidt’s ninth nomination in his career.
Though the winner will be selected by a panel named by MLB, fans receive one vote as well. MLBTogether.com/clementeaward features bios of each of the 30 team nominees and fan voting will continue until the end of the season on Sunday, September 29th.
Game recaps
Monday, September 2, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Brewers 9
The Cardinals fell to the Brewers in the first game of a three-game series in Milwaukee on Monday. Andre Pallante started for St. Louis. The right hander pitched five innings, gave up five runs on five hits, struck out three and walked five. Pallante took the loss.
Riley O’Brien relieved Pallante and surrendered four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy tossed the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals cut the lead to 3-1 in the third on a solo home run by Pedro Pagés.
The Brewers extended their lead to 5-1 in the fourth. The Cardinals added a second run in the fifth on a second solo home run by Pagés. St. Louis made it 5-3 in the top of the sixth. Brendan Donovan singled. Paul Goldschmidt doubled. Donovan scored on a sac fly by Luken Baker.
Milwaukee answered in the home half of the sixth with a four-run surge to increase the lead to 9-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on six hits. Pagés was 2-for-4 with two solo home runs. Donovan was 2-for-3.
Donovan was caught stealing.
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 – Cardinals 7 at Brewers 4 (12 innings)
The Cardinals bounced back from Monday’s loss to defeat the Brewers in 12 innings, 7-4. Steven Matz, in his first start off the IL, pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on three hits, fanned seven and walked one.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Matz and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge each hurled a scoreless inning. Mathew Liberatore tossed two scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley allowed one unearned run in the final two innings but still received the win.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado. Brendan Donovan doubled and came home on a double by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Brewers tied the game in the third inning. St. Louis answered with a run in the fourth to pull ahead, 3-2.
Milwaukee plated another run in the fifth to re-knot the score. The game remained tied at 3-3 through the 10th inning. In the top of the 11th, the Cardinals took a 4-3 lead. Nolan Arenado started at second base. Brendan Donovan grounded out, moving Arenado to third. Goldschmidt drove in Arenado on a single.
The Brewers tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the 11th, but St. Louis rallied for three runs in the top of the 12th to take a 7-4 lead. Victor Scott was the Manfred runner. Iván Herrera drew a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Michael Siani plated them with a single. Siani stole second and went to third on a throwing error. Siani came home on a sac fly by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on nine hits. Goldschmidt was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Lars Nootbaar was 2-for-5. Siani had two RBI.
Goldschmidt stole his ninth base of the season. Nootbaar swiped his sixth bag. Siani stole his 15th base.
Nootbaar made a fielding error.
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Brewers 2 (10 innings)
The Cardinals beat the Brewers in the second consecutive extra inning game by the score of 3-2 to win the series. Sonny Gray was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched seven innings, gave up one run on four hits, fanned seven and walked one.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and surrendered one run in 1/3 of an inning. Andrew Kittredge threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless 10th for his second save.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Nolan Arenado hit a ground-rule double. Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch. Iván Herrera drew a walk and Goldschmidt scored. Arenado came home on a walk by Lars Nootbaar.
The score remained 2-0 until the seventh inning, when the Brewers cut the lead to 2-1. Milwaukee tied the game in the eighth.
In the 10th, the Cardinals plated the Manfred runner, Masyn Winn, to lead 3-2. Pinch hitter Luken Baker drove in Winn on a two-out single.
The offense scored three runs on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The Arenado double was the only extra base hit.
Nootbaar stole his seventh base of the season. Winn made a throwing error. Burleson had an outfield assist at home plate.
Thursday, September 5, 2024 – Off day
Friday, September 6, 2024 – Cardinals 1, Mariners 6
The Cardinals were trounced by the Mariners in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Friday. Erick Fedde started for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out three and walked one. Fedde took the loss.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Fedde and surrendered two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Fernandez hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. John King threw a scoreless inning. Kyle Leahy allowed three runs in 1 1/3 innings. Riley O’Brien tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Seattle went up 1-0 in the fifth inning, then added two in the sixth to lead 3-0. The Cardinals scored their only run in the seventh on a solo home run by Jordan Walker.
The Mariners plated three unanswered runs in the ninth to win 6-1.
The offense scored one run on five hits. Michael Siani was 2-for-3.
Siani stole his 16th base of the season. Lars Nootbaar was caught stealing. Masyn Winn made a throwing error.
Saturday, September 7, 2024 – Cardinals 2, Mariners 0
The Cardinals blanked the Mariners by a 2-0 score on Saturday. Kyle Gibson took the mound and pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, with three hits allowed. The right-hander fanned nine and walked three.
JoJo Romero relieved Gibson and got the final out of the seventh. Andrew Kittredge threw a scoreless eighth to earn the win. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 43rd save.
The Cardinals broke up a scoreless pitchers’ duel in the eighth on a two-run home run by Pedro Pagés.
Thanks to the excellent pitching, the Cardinals won despite having only two hits in the game. In addition to the Pagés long ball, Lars Nootbaar doubled.
The offense was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left one man on base (Nootbaar).
Kittredge made an error on a pickoff.
Sunday, September 8, 2024 – Cardinals 4, Mariners 10
The Cardinals lost an ugly game and the home series to the Mariners by the score of 10-4 on Sunday. Miles Mikolas was awful in his start, going only two innings. The right hander gave up seven runs, six earned, on nine hits and struck out three. He took the loss, his 11th.
Steven Matz came out of the bullpen to pitch four innings. The left-hander surrendered two runs. Riley O’Brien threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Chris Roycroft allowed one run in the final 1 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals were in a hole from the very start as Seattle scored five runs against Mikolas in the first inning. In the second, the visitors tagged him for two more runs.
In the bottom of the second, the Cardinals plated two runs. Nolan Arenado singled. Iván Herrera doubled. José Fermín doubled to plate both runners.
Seattle increased their lead to 9-2 in the fifth. St. Louis rallied for two runs in the eighth to shrink the lead to 9-4. Carpenter, who entered the game as a defensive replacement for Arenado in the seventh, hit a ground-rule double. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk but was eliminated in a force out by Herrera. Jordan Walker drove in Carpenter and Herrera on a double.
The Mariners added a 10th run in the ninth for a 10-4 final score.
The Cardinals scored four runs on nine hits. Herrera was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Fermín and Walker both had two RBI.
Fermín stole his second base. Herrera swiped his fifth bag. Luken Baker made a fielding error. Herrera had a passed ball.
The Big Picture
While they desperately need to make up ground, the Cardinals continue to tread water. St. Louis ended the week with a record of 3-3. The team won 2 of 3 from the Brewers and lost 2 of 3 to the Mariners. The Cardinals remain in third place in the Division, behind the Cubs by one game, and behind the Brewers by 10 games.
They are six games out of the Wild Card with three teams ahead of them. Just 18 games remain in the regular season. At this point, it seems unlikely that a postseason trip is in the offing for this team. Per Fangraphs, the odds are 99.5% that the Cardinals will not reach the playoffs.
If Cardinals fans want to see postseason play, they should watch the Palm Beach Cardinals next week, and the Springfield Cardinals the week after. The minor leagues are where it’s at this season.
For St. Louis, it was more of the same this week, with some bad offense and some bad pitching that held the Cardinals back from winning both series.
The Mariners themselves have been plagued by lack of offense, but that issue was not as apparent, other than in the one game the Cardinals won. The difference between the two teams is that the Mariners, unlike the Cardinals, have superior pitching.
The top offensive performers for the week by OPS were Matt Carpenter (1.500 in 2 ABs), Pedro Pagés (1.215), Lars Nootbaar (.945), and Iván Herrera (.929).
At the bottom were Jordan Walker (.491), Nolan Arenado (.398), Michael Siani (.325), Alec Burleson (.313), Masyn Winn (.226), José Fermín (.182) and Victor Scott (.000 in 3 ABs).
In the pitching category, starters with ERAs for the week under 4.00 were Kyle Gibson (0.00), Sonny Gray (1.29) and Erick Fedde (1.93).
Steven Matz, who returned this week from the IL, had an ERA of 5.19 that included one start and a relief appearance.
The worst starting performers were Andre Pallante (9.00) and Miles Mikolas (27.00). Mikolas only pitched two innings in his Sunday start, as the Mariners offense rocked him for seven runs. Mikolas is having an extremely bad second half.
The bullpen hiccups were Riley O’Brien (13.50), Kyle Leahy (7.36), Matthew Liberatore (6.75), Chris Roycroft (5.40) and JoJo Romero (5.40). Leahy was sent down and exchanged for Roycroft over the weekend.
The Cardinals greet the Reds at Busch Stadium to begin the week. The Cardinals last played the Reds in Cincinnati from August 12-14, a series in which they were swept. The team ends the week in Toronto.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 82 | 61 | 0.573 | ||
| Chicago | 73 | 70 | 0.510 | 9 | 5 |
| St. Louis | 72 | 71 | 0.503 | 10 | 6 |
| Cincinnati | 69 | 75 | 0.479 | 13.5 | 9.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 67 | 76 | 0.469 | 15 | 11 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 9/7 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kyle Leahy to the Memphis Redbirds.
Leahy, 27, finished his fifth stint with St. Louis this season, with his most recent time up beginning on July 28. Overall, in 31 appearances this season, his second in the majors, Leahy has a 4.02 ERA.
- 9/7 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
Roycroft, also 27, is starting his sixth stint with the Cardinals in his rookie year. In 25 appearances for St. Louis in 2024, Roycroft has a 4.22 ERA. He was last optioned to Memphis on July 31.
Injury Report
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season-ending forearm surgery. The right hander will not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
- LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left-hander is expected to be out until sometime in September at best.
- RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 31. Lynn is set to be activated from the IL for Wednesday’s start against the Reds.
- C Willson Contreras (fractured right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 25. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand. The catcher will not require surgery and his length of absence is expected to be three weeks. Contreras will need a rehab assignment before he returns but the team is expecting him to return before the end of the regular season.
- 3B Nolan Arenado left Friday’s game with the Mariners in the bottom of the ninth inning with a sore shoulder. Matt Carpenter pinch hit for Arenado. The third baseman returned to the starting lineup on Saturday.
- 2B Brendan Donovan (foot infection) was not in the starting lineup in Saturday’s game due to what is being described as an infection on one of his feet that made it difficult to tolerate pressure on the foot. Manager Oli Marmol told the media that he doesn’t expect the ailment to sideline Donovan for any extended period of time.
Looking Ahead
Following the end of the Mariners series on Sunday, the Cardinals have an off-day Monday. On Tuesday, the Cardinals begin a three-game series with the Reds at Busch Stadium. Andre Pallante is scheduled to make the Tuesday start. Lance Lynn will be activated from the 10-day IL to go Wednesday. Sonny Gray will start on Thursday.
The Cardinals then travel out of the country to Toronto to play the Blue Jays in a three-game weekend series. The team follows that with a return to St. Louis to begin their final homestand on Monday September 16 for four with the Pirates.
The homestand concludes with three games against the Guardians.
The final week of the regular season is a road trip for the Cardinals. They will first play three at the Rockies beginning Tuesday, September 24. The team will then travel to San Francisco to play the Giants in a weekend series that ends the regular season and likely ends the Cardinals’ season.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to an earlier segment that showcases rare feats for Cardinals players during the history of the franchise.
In this installment of “Rare Feats” we spotlight five former Cardinals who performed three different rare feats during the period September 2 through September 8 at various times during the history of the franchise. One player pitched a no-hitter, another had six hits in a game. The final three players all hit three or more home runs in one game.
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 September 2 through 8, 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.
Bud Smith – Smith pitched for the Cardinals for two seasons, in 2001 and 2002. Smith was a fourth-round pick by St. Louis in 1998 draft. He debuted on June 10, 2001.
On September 3 in his rookie season, Smith threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. Smith issued four walks and threw 134 pitches. The Cardinals won the game 4-0.
In his rookie season, Smith posted a record of 6-3, and an ERA of 3.83.
The Cardinals traded Smith and others to the Phillies for Scott Rolen on July 29, 2002. Smith did not play in the major leagues for the Phillies or any other major league team. After some time in independent baseball, he retired in 2007.
Terry Moore – Moore, a center fielder, played for the Cardinals in two stints from 1934-1942, and 1946-1948, and in 2016, became a team Hall of Famer.
On September 5, 1935, Moore went 6-for-6 against the Boston Braves.
It started with a single to left field in the first inning of the 15-3 rout of the Braves at Sportsman’s Park. He hit another single to left in the second that scored a run.
His double to right field in the third plated another run. His third single drove in a run in the sixth. A fourth single in the seventh eventually led to him scoring as well.
His sixth and final hit was a single in the eighth, but he did not score.
Moore was a four-time All-Star and a two-time World Series Champion in 1942 and 1946. After his playing career ended, he was a manager for the Phillies in 1954 for half a season.
Moore passed away on March 29, 1995 at the age of 82.
Albert Pujols – Pujols accomplished the rare feat of three or more home runs in a game four times as a Cardinal.
On September 3, 2006, the Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 at Busch Stadium III. Pujols, playing at first base and hitting third, went 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. All three hits were home runs.
The first was a solo shot in the first inning. In the third inning, Pujols hit a two-run home run that scored Chris Duncan. The final home run occurred in the fifth, another two-run shot that also plated Duncan.
The other three times Pujols hit three or more home runs in a game occurred earlier in 2006, on April 16, on July 20, 2004, and on May 30, 2010.
Mark Whiten – “Hard Hittin” Mark Whiten, played for the Cardinals for two seasons, in 1993 and 1994. He was acquired by the Cardinals in a trade with the Cleveland Indians on March 31, 1993.
Whiten hit four home runs in the second game of a doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds on September 7, 1993. The Cardinals routed the Reds 15-2.
Whiten played center field and hit sixth. He went 4-for-5 with 12 RBI and four runs scored. All hits were home runs.
The first long ball was a grand slam in the first inning that scored Lonnie Maclin, Todd Zeile, and Gerald Perry ahead of him.
In the sixth, Whiten’s three-run shot drove in Zeile and Perry. A second identical three-run long ball came in the seventh.
The final home run was a two-run shot in the ninth that scored Perry.
Whiten’s rare feat made him the 12th player in major league history to hit four home runs in one game. Whiten shares the team’s 12 RBI record with Jim Bottomley.
The Cardinals traded Whiten to the Boston Red Sox in 1995.
Johnny Mize – Mize is a repeater in this Rare Feat series. Mize, like Albert Pujols, accomplished this rare three homers in a game feat four times with the Cardinals.
Mize, a first baseman, played for the Cardinals from 1936-1941. He hit three home runs in one game on September 8, 1940, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Sportsman’s Park III, a slugfest the Cardinals lost 16-14.
Mize hit cleanup and played at first base. He went 3-for-5 with six RBI and four runs scored.
Mize hit his first long ball in the fourth inning. It was a two-run shot that scored Enos Slaughter. The second home run was a two-run shot in the sixth that plated Terry Moore.
His final home run was of the three-run variety in the eighth that drove in both Moore and Slaughter.
Mize scored his fourth run on a home run by teammate Don Padgett in the first inning, after reaching base on an error.
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Analyzing August 2024 Pitching Results Across the Cardinals System
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
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Analyzing August 2024 Pitching Results Across the Cardinals System
Brian Walton shares his observations about 27 St. Louis Cardinals minor league pitchers with noteworthy results during August, whether good or bad.
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Cardinals to Join the 2024 AFL Glendale Desert Dogs
In the 2024 Arizona Fall League prospect showcase, St. Louis Cardinals prospects will be a part of the Glendale Desert Dogs.
This week, the Arizona Fall League released its 2024 schedule for each of the six AFL teams as well as organizational assignments, which rotate annually. In 2024, St. Louis Cardinals prospects will be a part of the Glendale Desert Dogs.
Other organizations staffing the Glendale roster are the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox. Games are played at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, the spring home of the Dodgers and White Sox.
League play begins on October 7th, with the Desert Dogs’ opener the next afternoon. For the first time in my memory, selected games will be played on Sundays. There will also be some contests on Mondays, so there will be no days this year in which no games are played, though every club is off at least one day per week.
In 2024, the ABS challenge system will be used in Glendale as well as in Peoria, Salt River and Surprise. That means Statcast data will be available from two-thirds of the AFL fields. Two challenges per team per game are allowed (teams retain successful challenges).
The Fall Stars Game, pitting National vs. American Leaguers, will be played on Saturday, November 9th at Mesa’s Sloan Park (the Chicago Cubs spring training stadium). The Home Run Derby will be held there the previous night, on Friday, November 8th.
The Play-In Semifinal (between the second- and third-place teams) is scheduled for Friday, November 15 with the Championship Game the next night, likely on national television.
See the 2024 AFL schedule here
The broadcast schedule has not yet been released, but when it is, I will share it so you can watch selected games via streaming.
There is no set date for when the rosters and coaching assignments for the clubs will be released for the AFL’s 32nd season, but we will post them when disclosed.
What is next
As is the case annually, The Cardinal Nation will post free daily recaps of all Desert Dogs AFL games including box score links, so you can follow the Cardinals prospects’ results in the desert.
Once again, I will be present for a week of the AFL with interviews, photos and eyewitness reports exclusively for paid members of The Cardinal Nation.
Exclusively for TCN Members
Analyzing August 2024 Hitting Results Across the Cardinals System
Now available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
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© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Analyzing August 2024 Hitting Results Across the Cardinals System
Brian Walton shares his observations about two dozen St. Louis Cardinals minor league hitters with noteworthy results during August, whether good or bad.
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Cardinals Farm Director Gary LaRocque to Retire
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Development joined the Cardinals in 2008 and has been in professional baseball for 49 years. Brian Walton offers his insight on the organizational change.
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TCN No. 10 Cardinals Prospect Chase Davis Promoted to Double-A
After just 30 games in High-A, outfielder Chase Davis has been promoted by the St. Louis Cardinals to Double-A Springfield.
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Bryan Torres and Chen-Wei Lin Named Cardinals Top August Minor Leaguers
photo: Chen-Wei Lin (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Springfield’s Torres led all Cardinals minor leaguers in average hits and runs and hit first walk-off home run. Palm Beach’s Lin dominated opponents with a 4-0 record and 0.62 ERA across five starts.
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals today (Thursday, September 5) announced their selections for Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for August, with Springfield Cardinals (AA) outfielder/infielder Bryan Torres and Palm Beach Cardinals (A) right-handed starting pitcher Chen-Wei Lin (pronounced zhen-way) taking home the honors.
Torres, 27, slashed .418/.491/.538 and led all qualified Cardinals minor leaguers in batting average, on-base percentage, hits (38) and runs (20) while ranking second in OPS (1.029), total bases (49) and doubles (8). The left-handed hitting leadoff man had multi-hit efforts in his 13 of his 23 games played, including eight games with three-or-more hits and a career-high 5-for-5 game on August 14 at Frisco. He also slugged his first career walk-off home run, a two-out solo blast in the bottom of the ninth, on August 23 vs. Tulsa. It marks Torres’ first Player of the Month award in his affiliated-playing career.
Prior to joining the Cardinals organization after signing as a minor league free-agent last September, the Puerto Rico native spent the 2022-23 seasons in the American Association where he won back-to-back batting titles, set the single-season stolen base record and was named 2023 All-Star Game MVP. Following the 2023 season, Torres was named as Baseball America’s Independent/Partner Leagues Player of the Year. This season, he leads all Double-A hitters with a .324 batting average and 136 hits, along with 30 extra-base hits, 73 runs scored and 32 stolen bases in 111 games.
Lin, 22, posted a 4-0 record with a 0.62 ERA (2 ER/29.0 IP), 0.90 WHIP, with 36 strikeouts and just two extra-base hits allowed across five August starts. He made three starts allowing no runs, including a season-high 7.0 shutout innings on August 1 vs. Bradenton. The 6’7” native of Taiwan also tallied a career-high nine strikeouts in his most recent start on August 29 vs. Daytona and is currently riding a 11.0 scoreless inning streak.
Signed by the Cardinals as an international free-agent and the first player ever signed out of Taiwan in July 2023, Lin becomes the fourth different Palm Beach pitcher to take home Pitcher of the Month honors this season, joining Quinn Mathews, Darlin Saladin and José Dávila. Overall this season, he is 10-5 across 21 starts (all with Palm Beach) with a 2.76 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 111.0 innings pitched.
Brian Walton’s take
Congratulations to both players.
In our corresponding August awards, we selected Torres’ Springfield teammate Jimmy Crooks, instead, and Lin as The Cardinal Nation Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively.
You can review the August stats of over a dozen standouts in these articles.
The Cardinal Nation August 2024 Player of the Month – Jimmy Crooks
The Cardinal Nation’s August 2024 Pitcher of the Month – Chen-Wei Lin
Now available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com or for fastest turnaround, pose your questions on The Cardinal Nation’s members-only forum. Follow Brian on Twitter.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or re
The Cardinal Nation’s August 2024 Pitcher of the Month – Chen-Wei Lin
photo: Chen-Wei Lin (Abbie Schultz/Palm Beach Cardinals)
In a close competition, Palm Beach right-hander Chen-Wei Lin is The Cardinal Nation’s choice as the top pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals system in August, edging out new Memphis lefty Quinn Mathews. The 22-year-old’s results are compared to seven other finalists with ERAs under 3.00 plus organizational Top 10 pitching prospects.
This article details the selection process for The Cardinal Nation’s Pitcher of the Month for August 2024. Hurlers across all levels of the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system are eligible.
Our challenge this month has nothing to do with reconciling results of rookie pitchers, as their seasons are over.
Instead, for August, the question is whether to choose the pitcher who allowed the fewest runs or the one with better peripherals.
Guidelines
As a reminder, this is NOT the “Pitcher of the Month Among Top Prospects”. Every player in the system has an equal chance, with only their performance during the month against their league peers used to differentiate the best of the best. Age and level, which are key prospect considerations, are not factors here.
To qualify, a pitcher must have thrown at least the minor league minimum of 0.8 innings per team game. For the full season teams, we are using 27 games in August. At the rookie ball end, the Dominican Summer League played 16 contests but the Florida Complex League season concluded in July.
As a result, the qualification bars for pitchers are 21 1/3 innings for the full-season teams and 12 1/3 for those from the DSL.
Across the system, only 17 pitchers made the innings-pitched cut, and to reach the short list of eight finalists, an ERA below 3.00 was required.
The finalists represent all four full-season levels of the organization, but the Dominican Summer League has none. Double-A Springfield leads the way with 2 ½ qualifiers. Triple-A Memphis has 1 ½ with the two Class-A clubs having two each. All eight are starters.
Counting Stats
In the following table, the finalists are listed in ascending ERA order.
| August finalist | Tm | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO |
| Chen-Wei Lin | PB | 4 | 0 | 0.62 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 36 |
| Quinn Mathews | Spr/Mem | 2 | 1 | 1.52 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 29.2 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 47 |
| Brandon Komar | Spr | 2 | 1 | 1.73 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 30 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 28 |
| Leonel Sequera | PB | 1 | 0 | 2.25 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 20 |
| Ixan Henderson | Peo | 2 | 1 | 2.77 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 27 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 20 |
| Hancel Rincon | Peo | 1 | 2 | 2.79 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 26 |
| Michael McGreevy | Mem | 2 | 1 | 2.83 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 28.2 | 33 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 28 |
| Max Rajcic | Spr | 2 | 2 | 2.93 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 27.2 | 30 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 29 |
Only one of the finalists compiled an exceptional ERA of under 1.50, with two others in the tight range from 1.52 to 1.73. Another is at a respectable 2.25. The final four land between 2.77 and 2.93 but are realistically too far behind the others to win.
Palm Beach right-hander Chen-Wei Lin allowed just two runs all month in 29 innings. His 0.62 ERA stands far above all others.
Next at 1.52 is the fastest rising player in the system this season, Quinn Mathews. The lefty yielded five runs in 29 2/3 frames during August with three of them coming during his four-inning Triple-A debut.
Mathews’ former Springfield teammate Brandon Komar logged a nice 1.73 ERA with 19-year-old Leonel Sequera impressing at 2.25 in his first month with the Low-A Beach Birds.
Rate stats
Here are additional statistics from the finalists in the same ascending ERA sequence.
| August finalist | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | K/BB | BAA | BABIP | WHIP | ERA |
| Chen-Wei Lin | 29 | 11.2 | 2.2 | 5.1 | 0.188 | 0.281 | 0.90 | 0.62 |
| Quinn Mathews | 29.2 | 14.3 | 2.1 | 6.7 | 0.162 | 0.271 | 0.78 | 1.52 |
| Brandon Komar | 26 | 9.7 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 0.288 | 0.395 | 1.50 | 1.73 |
| Leonel Sequera | 28 | 6.4 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 0.220 | 0.272 | 1.18 | 2.25 |
| Ixan Henderson | 26 | 6.9 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 0.281 | 0.333 | 1.38 | 2.77 |
| Hancel Rincon | 29 | 8.1 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 0.262 | 0.317 | 1.21 | 2.79 |
| Michael McGreevy | 28.2 | 8.8 | 1.9 | 4.7 | 0.284 | 0.368 | 1.36 | 2.83 |
| Max Rajcic | 27.2 | 9.4 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 0.268 | 0.338 | 1.34 | 2.93 |
Just as much as Lin dominated in runs allowed and ERA, Mathews dominated in rate stats, with Lin right behind.
The strikeout rates of the two are the only double-digit marks per nine innings, with the MiLB leader in total Ks this season, Mathews, on top at an impressive 14.3 K per nine. Lin’s 11.2 was not too shabby, either.
At the other end of the list, Sequera and Peoria’s Ixan Henderson had strikeout rates of under seven per nine.
Memphis’ Michael McGreevy continued to exhibit his good control, with a finalist-best walk rate of 1.9 per nine. Next was Mathews at 2.1 with Lin and Peoria’s Hancel Rincon at 2.2. No one was higher than Sequera at 3.5.
Not surprisingly, Mathews and Lin led the way in strikeout to walk ratio at 6.7 and 5.1, respectively. Sequera at 1.8 pulled up the rear.
The same two led in lowest batting average against, with Mathews at .162 and Lin at .188. At the high end of the finalists are McGreevy at .284 and Springfield’s Brandon Komar at .288.
In BABIP (batting average on balls in play), no one was exceptionally low, meaning none of the finalists appear to have been the beneficiary of a lot of batted ball luck.
On the unlucky end of the BABIP spectrum were Komar at .395 and McGreevy at .368, with a nod to them for succeeding despite it.
Like a broken record, I will point out that Mathews and Lin were the clear best two in rate of baserunners allowed (using WHIP as a surrogate). Mathews was lowest at 0.78 with Lin at 0.90, with the next closest Sequera at 1.18.
Based on these rate stats alone, I would give the award to Mathews. And he might win the organization’s corresponding honors. But I can’t overlook the fact he allowed five runs to two for Lin in approximately the same number of innings. And in every case other than walk rate (in which he tied for third), Lin was right behind Mathews in all rate stats.
Considering everything, Lin is The Cardinal Nation’s August Pitcher of the Month, with Mathews being the most honorable of runners up.
About the winner
When the St. Louis Cardinals signed Lin just one over year ago, in July 2023, for a reported $500,000, it was a surprise to many. After all, Taiwan is not known as a major source for future major leaguers.
Yet, Cardinals special assistant Matt Slater saw more than just a tall, 6-foot-7, 188-pound youth. Lin possesses an intriguing fastball that touches triple digits in velocity, yet his changeup with good arm-side run may be his best pitch currently.
His first full professional season, spent entirely at Low-A Palm Beach, had been solid for the 22-year-old. Lin has a 10-5 record with a 2.76 ERA/2.95 FIP and he began the month of August with Florida State League Pitcher of the Week honors.
Lin, whose first name is pronounced “Zhen-Way”, is The Cardinal Nation’s 15th-ranked prospect.
Top 10 prospects
Here is how Top 10 organizational pitching prospects per The Cardinal Nation fared in August. One of the four was a finalist for our Pitcher of the Month honors, but two of the other three were injured.
#2 Tink Hence (Springfield) – The right-hander has slowly been building up his workload since returning at the end of July after missing most of the prior two months. Over five August starts, Hence threw 18 innings, allowing just three runs, two earned, for a 1.00 ERA. The 22-year-old struck out 23 and walked seven.
#3 Tekoah Roby (Springfield IL – Palm Beach rehab) – Roby has been on the Double-A injured list since late May. The right-hander recently began a rehab stint with Palm Beach and in his first outing, on August 28, he threw a scoreless inning.
#4 Quinn Mathews (Memphis-Springfield) – See finalists results above.
#5 Cooper Hjerpe (Springfield IL) – Twice the Texas League Pitcher of the Week in June, the lefty threw just two innings in July before going on the injured list and he hasn’t pitched since.
July’s winners in August
The Cardinal Nation’s July (and June) Pitcher of the Month was DSL right-hander Keiverson Ramirez. In August, the 19-year-old made three starts with a 4.50 ERA. At the completion of the season, Ramirez was promoted to the Florida Complex League, setting up his likely 2025 assignment.
Instead, the Cardinals organization selected Palm Beach’s Jose Davila as their July Pitcher of the Month. In August, the right-hander finished one inning short of qualifying here, with his ERA a strong 2.20.
What is next?
Next, The Cardinal Nation will share some observations about August results by other pitchers not mentioned here. The Cardinals organization should name their own selections of Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days, as well.
Related article
The Cardinal Nation August 2024 Player of the Month – Jimmy Crooks
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Now available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com or for fastest turnaround, pose your questions on The Cardinal Nation’s members-only forum. Follow Brian on Twitter.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wednesdays With Walton and Newberry – September 4, 2024
photo: Jimmy Crooks (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by scouting analyst Blake Newberry for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.
Our podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 20-25 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.
This week, Brian and Blake focus on the top hitters across the St. Louis Cardinals system during August. Players results are compared to The Cardinal Nation’s choice as Player of the Month, Springfield catcher Jimmy Crooks. Among other standout players covered are Rainiel Rodriguez, Mike Antico, Bryan Torres, Darlin Moquete, Matt Koperniak and Ian Petrutz.
All video of episodes of the return of Wednesday With Walton and Newberry at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.
The audio is also simulcast each week via the Scoops Sports Network and your favorite podcast apps.
Related article
The Cardinal Nation August 2024 Player of the Month – Jimmy Crooks
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than 60 of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.
Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF or printed book copy today.
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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on X/Twitter.
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© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Cardinal Nation August 2024 Player of the Month – Jimmy Crooks
photo: Jimmy Crooks (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Springfield catcher Jimmy Crooks receives The Cardinal Nation’s nod as top hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals system last month. His stats are compared to seven other finalists. All Top 10 prospects and last month’s winners’ results are also reviewed.
This article details the selection of The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Month. Considered were offensive results during August across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The winner as well as a group of seven runners up are highlighted.
With the MiLB qualifying rule of 2.7 plate appearances per team game played, we used 73 PAs as the line this month for the four full-season teams (27 games played). At the short-season levels, the Florida Complex League completed its season in late July and the Dominican Summer League came in at 16 games and 43 PAs, before their schedule concluded.
As a result, a total of 34 hitters in the system qualified. Eight of them separated themselves with an OPS above .850. All five active levels of the system are represented, from Triple-A Memphis all the way down to the DSL.
They are bunched in groups – two with an OPS in the upper .800’s, two in the lower .900’s, one in the upper .900s and three in the 1.000s.
Demographics
There is good balance in our finalist population. Triple-A Memphis, Double-A Springfield and the rookie-level Dominican Summer League Cards lead the way with two finalists each. The two A-level clubs, Peoria and Palm Beach, have one each.
Reminder
Please remember, this is NOT the “Player of the Month Among Top Prospects”. Every player in the system has an equal chance, with only their performance during the month used to differentiate the best of the best. Age and level, which are key prospect considerations, are not factors here, either.
We will take two views of the data. The first look will be basic counting stats, followed by rate stats. Names are listed in the same sequence in both tables, in descending OPS order.
Counting stats
| August hitter | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | OPS |
| Jimmy Crooks | Spr | 18 | 79 | 68 | 12 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1.061 |
| Rainiel Rodriguez | DSL | 11 | 50 | 32 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1.051 |
| Bryan Torres | Spr | 23 | 108 | 91 | 20 | 38 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 1.029 |
| Darlin Moquete | Peo | 19 | 75 | 65 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 0.982 |
| Matt Koperniak | Mem | 23 | 103 | 88 | 13 | 27 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 14 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0.921 |
| Ian Petrutz | PB | 21 | 82 | 69 | 17 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0.918 |
| Mike Antico | Mem | 25 | 107 | 98 | 19 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 9 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 0.868 |
| Yoerny Junco | DSL | 14 | 64 | 55 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0.864 |
What immediately stands out to me is Crooks’ 20 RBI in just 18 games. That not only leads our finalists but is also the best August showing across the entire Cardinals system. It leads one to wonder how good his month could have been had he not gone on the injured list on the 27th.
From among all qualifiers, Crooks’ OPS of 1.061 stood tallest, closely followed by our July Player of the Month, DSL All-Star catcher Rainiel Rodriguez at 1.051.
Crooks’ teammate and leadoff man Bryan Torres leads the Texas League in batting average for good reason and his August OPS came in a strong third at 1.028. His eight doubles were the most among our finalists and second in the system. (Memphis’ Cesar Prieto hit nine.)
Like Torres a versatile infielder-outfielder, Peoria’s Darlin Moquete posted a very respectable .982 OPS in August. But perhaps what is most eye-opening about Moquete’s month is his impressive power and speed combination. His seven home runs tied for most in the system last month and the eight steals (in nine attempts) was second in the organization (to Chiefs teammate Brody Moore with 11).
Moquete has stolen bases before, but the long ball prowess came out of left field. In five professional seasons prior to 2024, Moquete had just 24 total home runs.
One of those tied with seven home runs is another player more known for his table setting rather than run production, Memphis’ Mike Antico. The outfielder also drove in 18 runs, tied for second in the system after Crooks.
Rodriguez and first-year Palm Beach outfielder Ian Petrutz (.918 OPS) share the impressive distinction of walking more than striking out. Crooks and Torres were close.
As seems the case every month, Memphis outfielder Matt Koperniak does not top the list in any category, yet there he is doing well across the board. His 12 extra base hits tie Antico for the most among finalists and his .921 OPS is strong.
Rate stats
| August hitter | Tm | PA | BB% | K% | K/BB | BABIP | ISO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Jimmy Crooks | Spr | 79 | 10.1% | 13.9% | 1.4 | 0.400 | 0.235 | 0.382 | 0.443 | 0.618 | 1.061 |
| Rainiel Rodriguez | DSL | 50 | 28.0% | 18.0% | 0.6 | 0.348 | 0.250 | 0.281 | 0.520 | 0.531 | 1.051 |
| Bryan Torres | Spr | 108 | 12.0% | 14.8% | 1.2 | 0.493 | 0.121 | 0.418 | 0.491 | 0.538 | 1.029 |
| Darlin Moquete | Peo | 75 | 9.3% | 30.7% | 3.3 | 0.306 | 0.354 | 0.277 | 0.351 | 0.631 | 0.982 |
| Matt Koperniak | Mem | 103 | 13.6% | 20.4% | 1.5 | 0.369 | 0.216 | 0.307 | 0.398 | 0.523 | 0.921 |
| Ian Petrutz | PB | 82 | 15.6% | 8.9% | 0.6 | 0.377 | 0.101 | 0.333 | 0.483 | 0.435 | 0.918 |
| Mike Antico | Mem | 107 | 8.4% | 25.2% | 3.0 | 0.297 | 0.276 | 0.265 | 0.327 | 0.541 | 0.868 |
| Yoerny Junco | DSL | 64 | 9.4% | 15.6% | 1.7 | 0.370 | 0.145 | 0.327 | 0.391 | 0.473 | 0.864 |
As we get into the rate stats, we see that Rodriguez has the highest walk rate by far (28%), with Petrutz’ 8.9% strikeout rate also very notable.
Petrutz, Koperniak, Torres and Crooks all walked at a rate above 10%, while the Springfield duo of Crooks and Torres were the only finalists after Petrutz with a strikeout rate under 15%.
Put them together and Petrutz and Rodriguez had the best strikeout to walk ratio, followed by Torres and Crooks. At the other end of the spectrum are Moquete and Antico, both due to high strikeout rates of 30.7% and 25.2%, respectively.
All of the top finalists have elevated BABIPs, led by .493 for Torres, .400 for Crooks, .377 for Petrutz and .369 for Koperniak. A plus for Antico is his .297 BABIP, with he and Moquete (.306) the only ones around the expected .300 mark.
In ISO, isolated power, four came in at .235 and above. On top are Moquete and Antico, followed by Rodriguez and Crooks.
In batting average, the Double-A duo of Torres (.418) and Crooks (.382) stand far above the other finalists.
In OBP, Rodriguez posted a ridiculous .520, with Torres and Petrutz pushing .500. Next was Crooks at .433.
The big two in slugging are Moquete at .631 and Crooks at .618. Also, with a very strong SLG over .500 are Antico, Torres, Rodriguez and Koperniak.
In a balanced performance, Crooks is The Cardinal Nation’s August Player of the Month.
To summarize, Crooks led finalists in RBI and OPS. Springfield’s catcher also was second in batting average, slugging and lowest strikeout rate.
About the winner
This performance is not a fluke. Crooks is The Cardinal Nation’s eighth-ranked prospect and only because of his injury did he likely not receive a well-earned promotion to Memphis when St. Louis catcher Willson Contreras was injured recently.
During the entire second half, Crooks and Torres have been battling for the lead in the Texas League batting race. Crooks leads the Double-A circuit in slugging and OPS and is second in BA and OBP with a slash line of .321/.411/.503/.914.
Defensively, Crooks has thrown out 33% of attempted base stealers this season (25 of 75) and has been a season-long leader for the playoff-bound Springfield team.
The 22-year-old stands 6-foot-0 and weighs 230 pounds. The left-handed hitter was selected by St. Louis from the University of Oklahoma in the fourth round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, taken 127th overall.
Top 10 hitters in the system during August
Here is how the other top 10 hitters in the Cardinals organization per The Cardinal Nation’s rankings fared last month.
#1 J.J. Wetherholt (Palm Beach) – Based on the results of the shortstop’s first full month as a professional, the organization’s decision to start Wetherholt at Low-A vs. High-A seems warranted.
In August with Palm Beach, the 2024 first-rounder slashed .219/.356/.288/.644 with his highlight a walk rate of 15.6% (against a 11.1% K rate).
#6 Thomas Saggese (Memphis) – After a tepid first half, the infielder was the organization’s choice as July Player of the Month. However, Saggese backslid in August, with a slash line of .235/.310/.461/.771.
His highlights include seven home runs and 14 driven in, not categories one expects him to be among the leaders in. Saggese’s strikeout rate of 23% is a bit concerning, especially against a walk rate of just 6.2%.
#7 Victor Scott (St. Louis) – Pressed into duty with St. Louis due to Michael Siani’s injury, Scott had just 10 plate appearances with Memphis last month, during which he went 4-for-9 with a walk for a .500 OBP.
#9 Leonardo Bernal (Peoria/Springfield) – The catcher received a promotion to Springfield late in the month after a solid season with Peoria. In 18 August games with the Chiefs, the 20-year-old had a nine RBI and a .702 OPS. To open the Double-A segment of his career, Bernal is just 2-for-13 with a walk.
#10 Chase Davis (Peoria) – The consensus June Player of the Month was promoted to High-A as July concluded. In his first full month in the Midwest League, the 2023 first-rounder performed well with a line of .286/.369/.440/.809.
July’s winners in August
Last month, The Cardinal Nation recognized Rainiel Rodriguez, whose August results are included among the finalists above. The Cardinals organization selected Saggese, covered in the section just prior to this one.
In related news, on Tuesday, September 3, the Cardinals announced the paperwork roster assignment change moving Rodriguez from the DSL to the Florida Complex League. I say “paperwork” because both rookie team’s 2024 season is over.
This formalizes what already seemed obvious – the 17-year-old will play his second professional season in the US.
What is next?
The Cardinal Nation’s August Pitcher of the Month award is coming next. In addition, the Cardinals organization should also name their own selections of August Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.
Once again this month for members of The Cardinal Nation, we will dig deeper into the prior month’s stats for more players in the system, both hitters and pitchers, than are covered here.
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Cardinals Only NLC Farm System on the Up, but Still Far from the Top
Now available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com or for fastest turnaround, pose your questions on The Cardinal Nation’s members-only forum. Follow Brian on Twitter.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.