The St. Louis Cardinals today (Friday, July 5) announced their selections for Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for June, with Palm Beach Cardinals (A) outfielder Chase Davis and Springfield Cardinals (AA) left-handed starting pitcher Quinn Mathews taking home the honors.
Davis, 22, led all qualified Cardinals minor leaguers in OPS (1.147), on-base pct. (.464), slugging pct. (.683), extra-base hits (12) and RBI (23), while also ranking among the leaders in batting average (.333, 4th), home runs (5, T3rd), walks (17, 2nd), runs (16, 5th), and total bases (43, T5th). The left-handed batter reached safely in 18 of his 20 games played and recorded an RBI in 13 games, including a season-high 5 RBI vs. St. Lucie on June 28. It is Davis’ first career organizational Minor League Player of the Month award selection.
“In June, Chase led the league in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS, hitting five home runs in 20 games, helping the Palm Beach Cardinals win the first half of the FSL East Division and a playoff berth,” said Cardinals Assistant GM & Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque.
The 6’1, Sacramento native was selected in the 1st round (21st overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft following his junior year out of Arizona, where he finished his career with the third-most home runs in school history. He is currently rated as the 6th best prospect in the Cardinals organization by Baseball America, and leads Palm Beach on the season with 24 XBH and 40 RBI. Davis was also recognized as the Florida State League Player of the Week from June 10-16.
Mathews, 23, posted a 3-0 record with a 2.10 ERA (7 ER/30.0 IP), 0.80 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and just 15 hits allowed across five starts. He made four consecutive quality starts at High-A Peoria to begin the month before being promoted to Double-A Springfield where he allowed just one hit over 5.1 innings in a no-decision on June 30. He also tallied his third double-digit strikeout performance of the season, punching out 11 (with no walks) versus South Bend on June 16. The 6’4”, southpaw was named to the National League All-Star Futures Game roster on July 2.
“Before Quinn’s promotion to Springfield in late June, his month was highlighted by four quality starts in Peoria, 24.2 innings, seven earned runs, six walks and 34 strikeouts,” stated LaRocque.
Ranked as the 98th overall prospect by Baseball America in its latest midseason update, Mathews was selected in the 4th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Stanford, where he was named the 2023 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and ranked second in Division I with 158 strikeouts. Overall this season, Mathews is 6-2 in 14 starts across three different levels with a 2.03 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 113 strikeouts (2nd-most in MiLB).
After also being selected in April of this year, Mathews becomes the third pitcher ever to take home Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month honors twice in his first professional season, joining left-hander Rick Ankiel(May & June 1998) and right-hander Max Rajcic (June & August 2023).
Brian Walton’s take
Congratulations to the winners. In The Cardinal Nation’s earlier analysis and announcements, Davis was also our choice as the June Pitcher of the Month.
However, Mathews and his 2.10 ERA did not make our list of finalists. The lefty is clearly the system’s hottest prospect, ranked third in our monthly organizational rankings. Yet, others performed better. Specifically, five other qualifying pitchers registered ERAs under 2.00 in June, including our selection, Keiverson Ramirez, at 1.00.
Non-finalist pitchers with June ERAs comparable to Mathews are Michael McGreevy (Memphis) at 2.12, Ian Bedell (Springfield) at 2.20 and Ixan Henderson (Palm Beach) at 2.38. Had we raised our ERA bar above 2.00, this trio would have been considered alongside Mathews.
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photo: Chase Davis (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Palm Beach outfielder Chase Davis turned around a first year of frustration with a breakout June, topping eight other finalists as The Cardinal Nation’s top hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals system last month. 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 June across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The winner as well as a group of eight runners up are highlighted.
Using the MiLB rule of 2.7 plate appearances per team game played, we used 70 PAs as the qualifying line this month, except for players from the Florida Complex League, which played 20 games, for a minimum PA line of 54 for rookie ballers.
As a result, a total of 39 hitters in the system qualified. Nine further separated themselves with an OPS above .900. They are bunched in pairs with two over 1.085, two around 1.040, two in the mid .900s and the final three just over the qualification line.
When all is said and done, Palm Beach outfielder Chase Davis is our June winner.
Demographics
In a bit of a surprise, the rookie-level Dominican Summer League Cards tied Memphis with three finalists each. Palm Beach, Peoria and Springfield split three while the Florida Complex League Cards were shut out, with no qualifying hitter posting a June OPS of .850 or better.
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
June hitter
Tm
G
PA
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
SO
SB
CS
OPS
Chase Davis
PB
19
71
59
15
19
7
0
4
22
17
13
2
0
1.107
Nick Dunn
Mem
19
76
69
8
29
5
2
2
11
4
2
0
0
1.085
Luken Baker
Mem
22
94
79
14
22
3
0
9
17
14
19
0
0
1.041
Dakota Harris
Peo/Spr
20
87
76
15
30
6
0
5
23
5
9
3
1
1.039
Matt Koperniak
Mem
23
102
93
12
33
6
0
4
12
7
16
2
1
0.960
Chris Rotondo
Peo
19
85
72
15
24
3
0
3
11
9
23
6
2
0.935
Rainiel Rodriguez
DSL
15
69
58
12
19
4
2
1
15
5
11
0
0
0.908
Yairo Padilla
DSL
17
81
67
17
22
1
3
1
7
9
16
16
2
0.903
Facundo Velasquez
DSL
18
64
56
17
14
1
3
2
14
12
26
1
1
0.901
The top two hitters in OPS should be considered the early leaders, with Davis at 1.107 and Memphis infielder Nick Dunn at an also impressive 1.085.
The next stat that caught my eye was the run production of two players. Peoria-Springfield second baseman Dakota Harris impressively drove in 23 runners in just 20 games. Davis was right behind with 22 RBI.
Our May Player of the Month, Memphis first baseman Luken Baker, set the new Redbirds career home run record, capped off by a system-leading nine in June. However, Baker’s RBI count was “just” 17.
In his professional debut, switch-hitting DSL shortstop Yairo Padilla really stepped forward with 16 stolen bases in 18 tries – over just 17 games. Only one other player in the system, non-finalist Miguel Villarroel, had more than nine steals (12) during June.
In addition to his exceptional OPS, Dunn stands out for his very low walk total of four, which doubles his amazingly low strikeout total of two in 76 plate appearances. Wow!
The only other finalist who walked more than he struck out was Davis, with 17 free passes taken against 13 Ks.
Rate stats
June hitter
Tm
PA
BB%
K%
BABIP
ISO
BA
OBP
SLG
OPS
Chase Davis
PB
71
21.3%
16.3%
0.333
0.322
0.322
0.463
0.644
1.107
Nick Dunn
Mem
76
5.3%
2.6%
0.403
0.217
0.420
0.447
0.638
1.085
Luken Baker
Mem
94
14.9%
20.2%
0.250
0.380
0.278
0.383
0.658
1.041
Dakota Harris
Peo/Spr
87
5.7%
10.3%
~0.420
0.212
0.395
0.432
0.607
1.039
Matt Koperniak
Mem
102
6.9%
15.7%
0.397
0.194
0.355
0.412
0.548
0.960
Chris Rotondo
Peo
85
10.6%
27.1%
0.457
0.167
0.333
0.435
0.500
0.935
Rainiel Rodriguez
DSL
69
7.2%
15.9%
0.367
0.190
0.328
0.391
0.517
0.908
Yairo Padilla
DSL
81
11.1%
19.8%
0.412
0.149
0.328
0.425
0.478
0.903
Facundo Velasquez
DSL
64
16.2%
35.1%
0.414
0.232
0.250
0.419
0.482
0.901
As we get into the rate stats, we see that Dunn is joined by Harris, Memphis outfielder Matt Koperniak and DSL catcher Rainiel Rodriguez with walk rates under 7.3%.
The best walk rate among finalists by a considerable margin was compiled by Davis at 21.3%. This is not a flash in the pan, as the outfielder was known for his discriminating eye at the plate while in college at Arizona.
The candidacy of DSL center fielder Facundo Valasquez is hurt by his very high 35.1% strikeout rate. Peoria outfielder Chris Rotondo was next highest among finalists at 27.1%.
Dunn’s minuscule 2.6% strikeout rate dwarfed everyone, though Harris’ 10.3% mark is also notable.
Good fortune in the guise of a high BABIP pushes down many of the OBP leaders. Specifically, six of the nine finalists had BABIPs of .397 or higher and another came in at .367.
At the other end of the spectrum, Baker’s .250 BABIP suggests the big man was somewhat unlucky during June, making his strong results while overcoming BABIP misfortune even more impressive.
That leaves Davis as the only finalist with a June BABIP in a somewhat normal range, though a tad high at .333.
In Isolated Power, ISO, again Baker’s .380 led the way. The .322 ISO of Davis is also very notable as the only other finalist above .232.
Though aided by a high .403 BABIP, Dunn’s .420 batting average was still impressive, topping the entire system in June. Also exceptional was Harris at .395 (with an approximate .420 BABIP).
In fact, almost all the finalists hit for average in June, with only two, Baker (.250) and Velasquez (.278), below .322.
Davis’ .463 on-base percentage was highest, with Dunn, Rotondo and Harris all at .432 or above. No finalists reached base at a clip lower than .383 (Baker).
The top three hitters in OPS were also tops in slugging, though in a different sequence. Baker was the top slugger, followed by Davis, with Davis leading Dunn in OPS.
When all is said and done, Davis’s exceptional month across the board gives him the honors as The Cardinal Nation’s June Player of the Month. He led finalists in doubles, walks and walk rate, OBP and OPS. The Palm Beach outfielder was second in RBI, isolated power and slugging percentage, all while registering a reasonable BABIP.
Davis needs little introduction, as most readers know the 22-year-old was St. Louis’ first-round draft pick in 2023, receiving over $3.6 million to sign. It has been a tough road for the left-handed hitter since, however.
Randy Flores and Chase Davis (St. Louis Cardinals)
In his Low-A Palm Beach introduction last season, Davis slashed just .212/.366/.269/.636. That included just six doubles and no home runs in 131 plate appearances, despite coaches asking him to be more aggressive at the plate.
Davis returned to the Beach Birds in 2024 and did not show progress through April and May. In fact, he digressed offensively. Coming into June, Davis was hitting just .184 (26-for-141), with a 29.7% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate. This makes his June emergence as surprising as it was exceptional.
Judging by roughly halving his K rate and doubling his walk rate in June, Davis may have returned to his core strengths. He was the Florida State League Player of the Week for the period of June 10-16 and is The Cardinal Nation’s 11th-ranked prospect.
On Wednesday, July 3, Davis was also selected as the FSL Player of the Month, after ranking first or second in the Class-A circuit in OBP, slugging, OPS, RBI, extra-base hits and walks.
Continued success in Low-A should earn Davis a promotion to High-A Peoria, where he can catch up with other top hitting draft picks from last July. After all, the Cardinals 2024 draft class will be arriving in Palm Beach later this month.
Top 10 hitters in the system during May
Here is how the top 10 hitters in the Cardinals organization per The Cardinal Nation’s rankings fared last month.
#5 Thomas Saggese (Memphis) – The infielder digressed from his tepid .623 OPS in May to a .595 mark in June, far below his career history. Saggese’s June strikeout rate was 24.5%, up from 23% the month before. His June walk rate of just 5.3% was a minuscule improvement from 5% in May.
#6 Victor Scott (Memphis) – Known for his stolen bases, Scott took fewer chances in June, leading to six total steals for the month, down from 12 in May. The center fielder slashed just .233/.266/.289/.555, with the latter down from his unimpressive May OPS of .571.
#7 Leonardo Bernal (Peoria) – The 20-year-old catcher quietly continued his strong play for an offensively starved Peoria club. Bernal’s June slash line was .275/.375/.464/.839.
#8 Jimmy Crooks (Springfield) – Same goes for the backstop one level up, as Crooks fashioned a consistent and solid June Double-A line of .278/.366/.458/.824.
May’s winners in June
The June results of The Cardinal Nation’s May Player of the Month, Baker, are documented in the finalist tables above. It surprises me that while some fans are clamoring for his recently hot teammates Dunn and Koperniak to join St. Louis, the more consistent Baker is seemingly forgotten.
The Cardinals organization also looked away from Baker in May, making his prospect teammate Cesar Prieto the Player of the Month selection instead. This is despite the former having posted superior numbers.
In June, Prieto slashed .295/.353/.423/.776, credible results but ones that are far below our finalists. After a month of May in which it looked like his power was emerging, Prieto hit just one hone run and plated only four in 86 June plate appearances.
What is next?
The Cardinals organization should also name their own selections of June Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.
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.
photo: Cardinals Dominican Academy (St. Louis Cardinals)
Dominican Summer League right-hander Keiverson Ramirez had the top overall pitching performance in the St. Louis Cardinals system in June. The 18-year-old’s results are compared to four other finalists with ERAs under 2.00, Top 10 prospects and last month’s winner.
This article outlines the selection process for The Cardinal Nation’s Pitcher of the Month for June 2024. Pitchers across all levels of the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system, including the two rookie level Complex League teams, are eligible.
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.
Guidelines
To qualify, a pitcher must have thrown at least the minor league minimum of 0.8 innings per team game. At the top end, Memphis played 26 games, and at the bottom end, the Dominican Summer League played 20. So, we will use the latter as our bar for all pitchers, set at 16 innings during June.
Across the system, 19 pitchers made the first cut. To reach the short list of five finalists, an ERA below 2.00 was required.
The finalists represent three of the four full-season levels of the organization plus both the rookie level Florida Complex League and Dominican Summer League. The exception is Double-A Springfield, though High-A Peoria’s representative had just one start at the level.
Surprisingly, the DSL leads the pack with two finalists, with the other affiliates sporting one each. All are starters.
Counting Stats
In the following table, the finalists are listed in ascending ERA order.
Pitcher
Tm
W
L
ERA
G
GS
SV
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
SO
Keiverson Ramirez
DSL
1
0
1.00
4
4
0
18
15
3
2
0
2
18
Nelfy Ynfante
FCL
2
0
1.53
4
4
0
17.2
13
5
3
0
6
21
Jefferson Moran
DSL
2
0
1.59
4
3
0
17
12
3
3
2
5
17
Gordon Graceffo
Mem
3
0
1.69
3
3
0
16
11
4
3
2
3
15
Darlin Saladin
PB/Peo
3
0
1.88
4
4
0
24
19
6
5
1
8
19
As you can see, one of the finalists compiled an exceptional ERA of 1.00, with no one else closer than 1.53. This immediately makes DSL right-hander Keiverson Ramirez the early leader.
As a side point, some discount or completely ignore the results of rookie ball players because of the uneven quality of play. We don’t do that. Our take is that all players are competing to the best of their ability against their peers and as such, good results deserve to be recognized.
Having said that, I expect the Cardinals organization selection for June to be Memphis starter Gordon Graceffo. Not only did the right-hander post a strong 1.69 ERA in three starts for the Redbirds, Graceffo also made a solid 4 1/3-inning Major League debut for St. Louis (not that the latter matters here).
Finalist Graceffo would certainly not be a bad choice, but let the data tell you who is the best choice.
Advanced stats
Here are additional statistics from the finalists in the same ascending ERA sequence.
Pitcher
IP
K/9
BB/9
K/BB
BAA
BABIP
WHIP
ERA
Keiverson Ramirez
18
9.0
1.0
9.0
0.227
0.313
0.94
1.00
Nelfy Ynfante
17.2
10.7
3.1
3.5
0.200
0.295
1.08
1.53
Jefferson Moran
17
9.0
2.7
3.4
0.200
0.244
1.00
1.59
Gordon Graceffo
16
8.4
1.7
5.0
0.183
0.209
0.88
1.69
Darlin Saladin
24
7.1
3.0
2.4
0.209
~0.290
1.13
1.89
The three rookie-ball pitchers struck out at least one batter per inning, with the FCL’s Nelfy Ynfante on top at 10.7 K per nine. Ramirez and DSL rotation mate Jefferson Moran were also solid with the same rate of 9.0 per nine.
Consensus May Pitcher of the Month Darlin Saladin kept up his strong results, but his strikeout rate plummeted from 12.6 in May to just 7.1 in June. While Saladin was promoted during June and made one start for Peoria, his Palm Beach June K rate was just 5.2.
Ramirez, followed by Graceffo, were stingiest with free passes at just 1.0 and 1.7 per nine, respectively. The other three finalists were higher, clumped together in the 2.7 to 3.1 range.
By a country mile, Ramirez comes out on top in strikeout to walk ratio at 9.0. Graceffo was next at 5.0, which is better than many other monthly winners. At just 2.4, Saladin pulled up the rear.
Three of the five pitchers held opposing hitters to a collective batting average at .200 or lower. Graceffo at .183 is the best of a very good group with the highest mark just .227 (Ramirez).
In BABIP (batting average on balls in play), the candidacy of Graceffo loses steam. His very low .209 June mark suggests he was the benefit of considerable good fortune that balances out over time. To that point, for the season (including June), Graceffo’s BABIP is a reasonable .292.
While Ramirez has the highest finalist BABIP of .313, it is not excessive, and it clearly did not negatively impact his results.
In terms of baserunners allowed, with WHIP as a surrogate, three finalists allowed a stellar one or fewer runners per inning. Graceffo (0.88) was tops, with Ramirez close behind (0.94). Moran was third at 1.00.
In summary, Ramirez’ name was mentioned from the very start and was repeated often. Others had their high points, but Ramirez led the finalists in lowest ERA, lowest walk rate and highest strikeout to walk ratio and was second in strikeout rate and WHIP.
When considering all results, Ramirez is The Cardinal Nation’s June Pitcher of the Month.
Ramirez, 18, is a second-year DSL starter, after being a January 15 signing for $75,000 from Venezuela in 2023. Last season, the right-hander logged a 4.31 ERA in 39 2/3 innings.
Returning to the DSL in 2024, Ramirez began with two four-inning starts and followed with a pair of five-inning appearances. He allowed three runs, two earned, in his second start with the other three outings scoreless.
This season, the tall and slender Ramirez (6-foot-1, 170 pounds, up from 155 at signing) has been strong against right-handed batters (.250 BAA) as well as versus lefties (.211).
Baseball America praised Ramirez’ simple, low-effort delivery that leads to his plus control. Pre-signing, his fastball touched 90 mph with projection for more velocity, and he also throws a slider and changeup.
Top 10 prospects
Here is how Top 10 organizational pitching prospects per The Cardinal Nation fared in June. Just one of the six was a finalist for our Pitcher of the Month honors.
#1 Tink Hence (Springfield) – The right-hander left both June starts early with a trainer, throwing just three innings in total. Hence is neither on the injured list nor is among Springfield’s probable starters this week.
#2 Tekoah Roby (Springfield IL) – The oft-injured right-hander reportedly has not thrown since being placed on the injured list on May 27.
#3 Quinn Mathews (Peoria/Springfield) – The fast-rising lefty finished his High-A stint with a 2.55 ERA in four June starts including 34 punchouts in 24 2/3 innings. In his first Double-A start, Mathews allowed two runs, neither earned, in 5 1/3 frames.
#4 Cooper Hjerpe (Peoria/Springfield) – Twice the Texas League Pitcher of the Week to close the month, the lefty has been strong while capped to five inning starts. Over three starts with Springfield, Hjerpe had a 3.55 ERA including a current 10-inning scoreless streak after throwing four innings of no-hit ball in his final Peoria outing.
#9 Sem Robberse (Memphis IL) – Before going on the IL, the right-hander was bombed for 12 runs, 11 earned, in 5 1/3 innings over two June appearances.
#10 Gordon Graceffo (Memphis) – June finalist. See results above.
May’s winner in June
The consensus May Pitcher of the Month according to the Cardinals organization and The Cardinal Nation was Palm Beach right-hander Darlin Saladin. The June results for the 21-year-old, who was promoted to Peoria, are highlighted above.
What is next?
Next, The Cardinal Nation will announce our Player of the Month for June across the system. The Cardinals organization should also name their own selections in the upcoming days.
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.
photo: Cooper Hjerpe (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Springfield’s Cooper Hjerpe repeats from last week in the Texas League and is joined by Leonel Sequera, the top pitcher in the Florida Complex League from June 24-30.
Springfield Cardinals release
Minor League Baseball announced on Monday (July 1) that Springfield Cardinals starting pitcher Cooper Hjerpe has been named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 24 – 30. It’s the third time this season a Cardinal has won a weekly award, including his own (June 17-23) and Nathan Church’s honor (April 15-21).
After winning the same award the previous week, he becomes the fourth Springfield Cardinal all-time to win a weekly MiLB honor in consecutive weeks. LHP Tim Cooney is the only other pitcher to complete the feat August 5-18, 2013. Moises Gomez (April 11-24, 2022) and Colby Rasmus (August 13-27, 2007) both won Player of the Week in consecutive weeks.
Hjerpe faced the Arkansas Travelers on Wednesday, matching a career-high with eight strikeouts at Hammons Field. He threw five hitless frames for the second straight start, running his hitless innings streak to ten straight.
Including this latest award, Hjerpe has been named Pitcher of the Week three total times in his Minor League career. He also won the honor in the Midwest League (A+) while with the Peoria Chiefs on May 28, 2023. The southpaw is the number six overall prospect and number three pitching prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system. The organization drafted him 22nd overall in the 2022 MLB Draft after an electric season at Oregon State where he was a Golden Spikes Award finalist.
Cardinals announcement
Congratulations to RHP Leonel Sequera (FCL) on being named Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week!
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photo: Mike Shannon, Bob Gibson, Tim McCarver and Orlando Cepeda (Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals went 4-3 at home last week despite the sputtering offense scoring just 17 total runs. The entire baseball world mourns the passing of former Cardinals and Giants great Orlando Cepeda. Our history feature highlights four former Cardinals who debuted during the past week in prior years.
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda passes away at age 86
The baseball world was saddened to hear of the passing of Hall of Fame first baseman Orlando Cepeda at the age of 86. The death was announced by his family on Friday.
Cepeda began his baseball career with the San Francisco Giants. Nicknamed “Baby Bull”, Cepeda played nine seasons with the Giants, and was named Rookie of the Year in 1958. In those nine seasons, he appeared in six All-Star Games, led the National League in home runs with 46 and led the majors in RBI with 142 in 1961.
The Giants traded Cepeda to the Cardinals in May 1966. In 1967, Cepeda hit a career high .325 with 25 home runs and an NL leading 111 RBI. The Cardinals won the pennant and defeated the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Cepeda was named the NL MVP.
In his final season in St. Louis in 1968, the Cardinals again won the pennant but lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers. Cepeda had a down year in 1968, hitting only .248 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI. Before the 1969 season started, the Cardinals traded Cepeda to the Atlanta Braves for Joe Torre.
Cepeda played for the Braves, Athletics, Red Sox and finally the Royals during his last season, 1974.
Cepeda has the distinction of being the first player in NL history to win both the Rookie of the Year and the MVP unanimously. The only other one to follow was Albert Pujols.
Due to legal troubles after his retirement, Cepeda was not elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame during his years of eligibility. He was selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1999.
Cepeda’s death comes just 10 days after the passing of another beloved Giant and Hall of Famer, the great Willie Mays.
The Cardinals community along with Major League baseball mourns the passing of Orlando Cepeda.
The Cardinals edged the Braves by a 4-3 score on Monday at Busch Stadium. Starter Lance Lynn pitched 6 2/3 innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out five to earn his third win of the season.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Lynn and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley surrendered two runs in the ninth but received his 27th save.
The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the third inning. Michael Siani singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Alec Burleson doubled to drive in Siani. Burleson scored on a single by Willson Contreras. Nolan Gorman singled. Brendan Donovan plated Contreras on a single. Donovan was caught stealing and Gorman came home on the attempt.
The Braves scored their first run in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-1. Atlanta pushed across two runs in the ninth.
The Cardinals scored four runs on 11 hits. Donovan was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Burleson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Siani was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Donovan was caught stealing.
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 – Cardinals vs. Braves (postponed)
Tuesday night’s game was postponed due to rain and was played as part of a day/night doubleheader on Wednesday.
The Cardinals fell to the Braves in the first game of a twin bill on Wednesday. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched four innings, gave up four runs on four hits, struck out four and walked five. Gibson took the loss, his third of the season.
Kyle Leahy relieved Gibson and surrendered two runs in three innings. Giovanny Gallegos threw a scoreless eighth and John King tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Braves went up 4-0 in the top of the second inning and the Cardinals scored one run in the home second. Paul Goldschmidt led off with a double. Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman walked. Matt Carpenter plated Goldschmidt on a sac fly.
St. Louis made it 4-2 in the fifth. Carpenter singled. Siani doubled. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Aleb Burleson plated Carpenter on a sac fly.
The Braves put up two runs in the sixth to lead 6-2.
St. Louis’ offense scored two runs on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense was 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
The Cardinals defeated the Braves by the score of 4-1 in the second game of the twin bill on Wednesday. Fill in starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out eight and walked one to earn his second win of the season.
Chris Roycroft relieved Liberatore and threw a scoreless seventh. Andrew Kittredge surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero hurled 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 28th save.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Michael Siani and Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson doubled to score Siani and Winn.
The Braves scored their only run in the top of the eighth. St. Louis answered with two runs in the home half to increase the lead to 4-1. Burleson doubled. Dylan Carlson pinch ran for Burleson. Paul Goldschmidt plated Carlson on a single. Goldschmidt stole second base. Brendan Donovan drove in Goldschmidt on a single.
The Cardinals scored four runs on eight hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Siani was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Donovan stole his second base of the season. Nolan Gorman swiped his sixth bag. Goldschmidt stole his fourth base.
On defense, Liberatore picked a runner off first base.
The Cardinals were mauled by the Reds in an 11-4 blowout on Thursday at Busch Stadium. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up 10 runs, nine earned, on 12 hits, struck out one and walked one. Mikolas took the loss, his seventh of the season.
John King relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run in two innings. Giovanny Gallegos threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Reds put up one run in the first, added one in the second and three in the top of the third to lead 5-0.
The Cardinals responded with two runs in the home third to cut the deficit to 5-2. Willson Contreras drew a walk. Nolan Arenado hit a two-run home run.
The Reds scored two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth, and one in the seventh to run up the score to 11-2. The Cardinals plated two more runs in the eighth to shrink the lead to 11-4. Michael Siani tripled and scored on a double by Brendan Donovan. Donovan came home on a double by Dylan Carlson.
St. Louis’ offense scored four runs on seven hits. Carlson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Arenado had two RBI.
The Cardinals blanked the Reds by the score of 1-0 on Friday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits, struck out five and walked three to earn his fourth win of the season.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Pallante and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge combined for a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 29th save.
The Cardinals scored the only run of the game in the third inning. Michael Siani doubled. Willson Contreras walked. Alec Burleson plated Siani on a sac fly.
St. Louis scored one run on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
On Saturday, the Cardinals lost to the Reds in the third of the four-game series. Starter and former Red Sonny Gray had a tough outing. The right hander pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up six runs, three earned, on seven hits, struck out six and walked one. Gray took the loss, his fifth of the season.
John King relieved Gray and surrendered two runs in 1/3 of an inning. In his MLB debut, Gordon Graceffo yielded one run in 4 1/3 innings, but the damage was done.
The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Cardinals answered with one run in the home half. Matt Carpenter doubled and scored on a single by Michael Siani.
The Reds took a big jump ahead with a six-run fifth inning to lead 8-1. The Cardinals chipped away at the lead in the sixth on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt to make it 8-2.
The Reds added a ninth run in the top of the seventh. St. Louis responded with one run in the bottom of the inning. Nolan Arenado singled. Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Carpenter drove in Arenado on a single.
The Cardinals made it 9-4 in the eighth. Willson Contreras singled. Arenado singled and Contreras advanced to third on an error. Gorman plated Contreras on a single.
The offense scored four runs on eight hits. Carpenter was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4.
On defense, Arenado made a fielding error that led to three unearned runs against Gray.
To salvage a home series split, the Cardinals blanked the Reds for the second time in the series by the score of 2-0. Starter Lance Lynn pitched six scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out six and walked one. In a career milestone, Lynn struck out his 1,000th hitter as a Cardinal.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Lynn and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 30th save.
The Cardinals scored the first run of the game in the fifth inning. Pedro Pagés and Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson plated Pagés on a single.
St. Louis added the second run in the sixth. Nolan Arenado and Pagés singled. Winn drove in Arenado on a double.
The Cardinals scored two runs on seven hits. Pagés was 3-for-4. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week at home with a 4-3 record. They took two of three from the Braves but split the four-game series with the Reds. The Cardinals are 43-40 and remain in second place in the NL Central, 6.5 games back of the Brewers.
The Cardinals did not score more than four runs in any of the seven games. They won two games 1-0 and 2-0. The offense is still absent and the pitching is having to make up the difference. It failed to do so in three games. The team’s run differential for the season is -40 yet they still hold one of the NL Wild Card spots. This reliance on pitching to keep them in the race cannot continue.
The top offensive performers for the week by OPS are role players Michael Siani (1.111), Pedro Pagés (1.055), and Matt Carpenter (.962). The next closest is Brendan Donovan (.726).
At the bottom are Brandon Crawford (.000), José Fermín (.200), Nolan Gorman (.317), and Masyn Winn (.422). Winn has been in a mini slump but his slumps have been short lived. Gorman on the other hand has been hitting poorly for quite some time.
It is now close to the All-Star break with no noticeable improvement by the offense over any extended period of time.
The pitching has been the savior for the most part. There have been hiccups in both the rotation and the bullpen, but they have been relatively mild.
Three of the starting pitchers had ERAs over 4.00 over the past seven days. Miles Mikolas pitched a clunker against the Reds on Thursday. Sonny Gray was not his usual self against the Reds as well. Only Lance Lynn and Andre Pallante had good weeks. Lynn has had two good starts in a row. Matthew Liberatore pitched very well in an unplanned start against the Braves. Kyle Gibson had a subpar start against the Braves. Despite all this, it was the pitching rather than the offense that contributed more to the four wins.
The starting pitching ERAs for the week are Pallante (0.00), Liberatore (0.00), Lynn (0.71), Gray (6.23), Gibson (9.00) and Mikolas (18.69). The bullpen misses were John King (8.10), Kyle Leahy (6.00) and Andrew Kittredge (5.40). Leahy is back in Memphis. Kittredge pitched better at the end of the week.
The Cardinals leave on Monday for a road trip that begins in Pittsburgh and ends in Washington. The Pirates have been sneaky good and are three games behind the Cardinals. The Nats are four games back in the Wild Card race. The offense needs to show up.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
50
34
0.595
St. Louis
43
40
0.518
6.5
Pittsburgh
40
43
0.482
9.5
Cincinnati
39
45
0.464
11
Chicago
39
46
0.459
11.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
6/24 The Cardinals optioned C Nick Raposo to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/24 The Cardinals activated RHP Nick Robertson from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Memphis.
6/24 The Cardinals activated C Willson Contreras from the 10-day injured list.
6/26 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds as the 27th player for Wednesday’s doubleheader.
6/27 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/28 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kyle Leahy to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/28 The Cardinals transferred LHP Steven Matz from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Lower back strain.
6/28 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/28 The Cardinals sent OF Lars Nootbaar on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
6/30 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/30 The Cardinals designated Memphis LHP Kolton Ingram for assignment.
6/30 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Jacob Bosiokovic from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman has had a setback in his return, as he sprained his ankle while fielding ground balls. Edman’s rehab has been paused until the severity of the injury can be assessed.
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season ending forearm surgery. The right hander did not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien was scheduled for a rehab assignment but it was paused due to continued arm issues. Scans were sent out for a second opinion and no decision will be made until the consultation is completed.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 28. Matz is expected to be out until August.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. Nootbaar is currently on a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals. His expected return is July 5.
RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was activated from the 15-day injured list and optioned to the Memphis Redbirds on June 24.
Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 19. Herrera has been swinging the bat and may be catching bullpens in the coming days. A rehab stint may follow.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals begin July with a three-game series in Pittsburgh with the Pirates beginning Tuesday, July 2. Kyle Gibson is set to make the Tuesday start, followed by Miles Mikolas on Wednesday and Andre Pallante on Thursday.
The Pittsburgh series is followed by a weekend set with the Nationals in Washington.
The Cardinals return to St. Louis for two games against the Kansas City Royals. After a Thursday off day, the Cubs come to town for a weekend series before the All-Star Break.
The first series after the All-Star Break is against the Braves in Atlanta. The Cardinals then return to Pittsburgh.
After a travel day on Thursday, July 25, the Cardinals take on the Nationals again at Busch Stadium. The final series in July is with the Texas Rangers in St. Louis.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the Debut Series with a look at former Cardinals who debuted during the period June 24 through 30.
This week’s group of four debuts are all occurred during the 21st Century and are recognizable names, though several had short careers in St. Louis. The four bounced around with other teams with varying degrees of success. Only one of the four is currently on a major league roster and he is on the injured list.
Four former Cardinal players made their major league debuts with the team during the period June 24 through 30 in past seasons. The dates of the debuts, the game and how they performed is summarized.
Marco Gonzales (USA TODAY Sports Images)
Marco Gonzales – Gonzales made his major league debut with the Cardinals on June 25, 2014. The left-hander was the starting pitcher against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Cardinals won the game 9-6. Gonzales was called up to replace injured Jaime Garcia in the rotation.
Gonzales pitched five innings and gave up five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks. He had one plate appearance. In the third inning, he doubled to center and scored on a single by Matt Holliday.
Gonzales made five starts in 2014 but spent all of 2015 in Triple-A with the exception of one start with St. Louis. The Colorado native had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2016 season. He returned in June 2017 and made one start that lasted only 3 1/3 innings. He was traded that July to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Tyler O’Neill.
Gonzalez pitched for the Mariners through the 2023 season and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates last December. He is currently on the Bucs’ 60-day injured list.
Luke Voit (Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports)
Luke Voit – Voit made his major league debut with the Cardinals on June 25, 2017 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won, 8-4.
Voit appeared as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning for Trevor Rosenthal. Voit was hit by a pitch but was stranded.
Voit collected his first major league hit the next day against the Cincinnati Reds in a makeup game for a previous rainout. At Busch Stadium, Voit started at first base and hit sixth in the lineup. Voit went 1-for-4. His hit was a double to center in the fifth inning. He was left stranded. His other plate appearances were a strikeout swinging, a hit into a double play and a ground out to the shortstop.
Voit was traded to the Yankees in July 2018 for current Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos. He played for the Yankees for four seasons with his highlight the COVID year of 2020.
From there, Voit became a journeyman. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in August 2022. He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent in February 2023 but was released a month later. He was signed and released twice by the New York Mets in 2023 and the beginning of 2024. Voit is currently playing in the Mexican League.
Clayton Mortensen
Clayton Mortensen – Mortensen debuted on June 29, 2009 against the San Francisco Giants in Busch Stadium. The Cardinals lost, 10-0.
Mortensen is notable for two things. One is the shortness of the Cardinals phase of his career, consisting of three innings in this one game. The second notable fact is that he was one of three players traded to the Oakland Athletics for Matt Holliday.
Mortensen’s debut was in relief of starter Brad Thompson in the seventh inning. He gave up six runs, two earned, on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk in three innings. He had one plate appearance in the eighth inning and flied out to center.
Mortensen pitched a total of 33 2/3 innings for the Athletics in 2009 and 2010. He was designated for assignment by Oakland in January 2011 and then traded to the Colorado Rockies. He pitched in 16 games for the Rockies in 2011 and was traded to the Boston Red Sox in January 2012. Boston designated him for assignment on June 29, 2013, four years to the day after his Cardinals debut. The Red Sox traded Mortensen to the Royals, who traded him to the Marlins. Mortensen played in the minor leagues for both teams. The Royals re-signed him on a minor league deal in 2018 but he did not pitch. He retired at the end of the 2018 season.
Mortensen, who was a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2007, is currently a pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs Complex League team.
Dan Haren
Dan Haren – Haren debuted with the Cardinals on June 30, 2003 against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals lost, 5-1.
Starter Haren pitched six innings, gave up four runs, two earned, on seven hits, struck out three and walked one. He was the losing pitcher.
Haren made two plate appearances and was 1-for-2. His first major league hit was a double to right field in the third inning. He was left stranded.
Haren made 14 starts in 2003 and then spent the 2004 regular season in Triple-A. He was called up again for the postseason in 2004 in which he made five appearances, including two in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. Haren pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in that World Series as the Cardinals were swept.
After the 2004 season, Haren was traded along with Kiko Calero and Daric Barton to the Oakland Athletics for Mark Mulder.
Haren’s major league career spanned 13 seasons. In addition to the Athletics, Haren pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs. He appeared in three All-Star Games and finished in the top 10 of the Cy Young Award vote twice.
Haren retired from baseball after the 2015 season. St. Louis’ second-round draft pick in 2001 is currently employed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a pitching strategist.
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The rookie-level Cardinals suffered their sixth consecutive losing week, losing three more one-run games to go 0-11 in games decided by one run. Jonathan Mejia had a solid week, totaling four hits with two doubles in his seven plate appearances.
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St. Louis Cardinals’ 2022 Minor League Pitcher of the Year Gordon Graceffo to make his MLB debut. Kyle Leahy was optioned out and Steven Matz was moved to the 60-day injured list.
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A pair of 22-year-old St. Louis Cardinals minor league prospect infielders with strong first halves in Class-A have been promoted upward just a few days into the second half.
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On Monday, June 24, the St. Louis Cardinals made a series of announcements that impacted all five US-based teams in the organization. Included is the return of the major league team’s top hitter and good news for the system’s third- and fourth-ranked prospects.
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The 4-2 Cardinals lost 2 of 3 in a series against the last-place Marlins, which they followed up by sweeping the Giants. Alec Burleson led the team with a 1.276 OPS during the week. Our rewind feature highlights notable debuts in Cardinals history from June 17-23.
The Cardinals edged the Marlins in a 12-inning nail-biter on Monday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 7 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out four and walked two.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and surrendered two runs in 1/3 of an inning. Ryan Fernandez threw two scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge yielded two unearned runs in the final two innings and earned the win, his first of the season.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Michael Siani. The Marlins tied the game in the sixth.
In the eighth, St. Louis put up three runs to lead 4-1. Masyn Winn singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk. A second wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third. Iván Herrera plated Winn and Goldschmidt on a triple. Herrera came home on a single by Brendan Donovan.
The Marlins answered with three runs in the home half of the eighth to tie the game again.
The game went into extra innings and in the top of the 11th, the Cardinals took the lead again 5-4. The Marlins responded by tying the game a third time in the bottom of the inning.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the 12 to break the tie and lead 7-5. The Marlins rallied for one run in the bottom frame but fell short, and the Cardinals took the game 7-6.
The offense scored seven runs on 10 hits. Winn was 2-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored. Herrera was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Michael Siani was caught stealing for the third time. On defense, Dylan Carlson had an outfield assist at home plate. Pedro Pagés had a passed ball.
The Cardinals became embroiled in a second extra-inning game with the Marlins. This one was a loss. Starter Lance Lynn pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up six runs, five earned, on 10 hits and struck out five.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. John King hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Chris Roycroft yielded two runs, one earned in the final 2/3 of the inning. Roycroft took the loss.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Alec Burleson reached on an error. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a two-run home run. The Marlins answered with three runs in the home half of the first to lead 3-2.
The Cardinals regained the lead in the top of the second on a two-run home run by Brendan Donovan. The Marlins answered with one run in the bottom of the second to tie the game 4-4.
The Cardinals came back in the third to plate two runs for a 6-4 lead. Iván Herrera singled. Matt Carpenter singled and Herrera advanced to third. Brandon Crawford plated Herrera on a groundout. Carpenter came home on a single by Michael Siani.
The Cardinals increased their lead to 7-4 in the fourth on a solo home run by Alec Burleson. The Marlins answered in the bottom of the fourth with a run to cut the lead to 7-5.
The Marlins tied the game again with two runs in the sixth. The game went into extra innings and the Cardinals scored one run in the top of the 10th to lead 8-7. The determined Marlins won the game in the bottom of the tenth with two runs for a 9-8 win.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on 10 hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Siani was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Carpenter was 2-for-4. Goldschmidt had two RBI.
On defense, Brandon Crawford made a fielding error.
The Cardinals were defeated again by the Marlins in a one-run game on Wednesday. Scheduled starter Kyle Gibson was a late scratch for the game due to back tightness. Matthew Liberatore, who had pitched in the game the day before, was brought in to start the game. Liberatore pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on three hits, struck out one and walked one.
Chris Roycroft relieved Liberatore and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. John King surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss.
The Marlins took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the second to tie the game. Nolan Gorman thumped a solo home run. Nolan Arenado singled and stole second base. Brendan Donovan plated Arenado on a single.
The Marlins broke the tie with one run in the sixth. St. Louis quickly tied it again in the seventh. Masyn Winn singled. Paul Goldschmidt reached on an error and Winn scored.
Miami walked it off with a run in the ninth to win 4-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on 10 hits. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Matt Carpenter was 2-for-4. Arenado was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Arenado stole his first base of the season. Michael Siani stole two bases. José Fermín was caught stealing.
The Cardinals beat the Giants in the first game of a three-game series that was played at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was a celebration of the Negro Leagues and a commemoration of the life of Willie Mays, who passed away two days before the game. The game was a home game for the Cardinals.
Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, struck out five and walked three to earn his third win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless inning. John King hurled a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Adam Kloffenstein, who was recalled from Memphis to appear in this game, tossed a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley earned his MLB-leading 25th save with a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 3-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn walked. Alec Burleson singled. Winn scored on a sac fly by Nolan Gorman. Brendan Donovan followed with a two-run home run.
The Giants tied the game in the top of the third. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home half of the third to lead 5-3. Winn doubled. Burleson singled. Gorman plated Winn on a sac fly. Donovan doubled. Burleson scored on a wild pitch.
St. Louis added a run in the fifth to lead 6-3. Burleson was hit by a pitch. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Burleson came home on a single by Donovan.
The Giants scored two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-5. The Cardinals held on to win the game.
St. Louis scored six runs on seven hits. Alabama native Donovan was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Burleson was 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Gorman had two RBI.
On the bases, Brandon Crawford was picked off second base.
The series with the Giants continued back home in St. Louis on Saturday. The Cardinals defeated the Giants 9-4 to win the series. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up four runs on six hits, struck out three and walked two to earn his sixth win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Fernandez hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Kyle Leahy tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Giants went up 3-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home half of the first to cut the lead to 3-2. Alec Burleson singled and Paul Goldschmidt followed with a two-run home run.
The Giants added a run in the third to lead 4-2. The Cardinals put up three runs in the fourth to take a 5-4 lead. Dylan Carlson singled. Masyn Winn doubled. Burleson followed with a three-run home run.
St. Louis increased the lead to 7-4 in the sixth on a two-run home run by Burleson. The Cardinals added to the total with two runs in the seventh. Brendan Donovan hit a solo home run. Pedro Pagés singled. Dylan Carlson singled. Winn plated Pagés on a single.
The offense scored nine runs on 13 hits. Burleson was 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. Winn was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Carlson was 2-for-3. Goldschmidt had two RBI.
On the bases, Nolan Gorman stole his fourth base of the season. Burleson swiped his third bag.
The Cardinals swept the Giants in the series ender with a 5-3 win on Sunday. Starter Sonny Gray lost a perfect game with a seventh-inning home run. The right-hander threw seven innings, gave up one run on one hit and struck out eight. Gray earned his ninth win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and almost gave up the lead, surrendering two runs in 1/3 of an inning. Andrew Kittredge got the final two outs of the eighth. Ryan Helsley mowed them down in the ninth with two strikeouts and a flyout for a scoreless ninth. Helsley earned his MLB-leading 26th save.
The Cardinals went after Giants starter Logan Webb, scoring three runs in the first inning. Masyn Winn double. Alec Burleson singled to plate Winn. Burleson stole second base. Burleson came home on a ground-rule double by Brendan Donovan. Matt Carpenter drove in Donovan on a single.
St. Louis added a fourth run in the second inning. Pedro Pagés singled and stole second base. Burleson plated Pagés on a single.
The Cardinals cruised on four runs until the Giants got on the board in the seventh. In the eighth, the bullpen faltered and allowed the Giants to get within one run and cut the Cardinals lead to 4-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, Dylan Carlson doubled, and former Giant Brandon Crawford drove him home on a double for an insurance run. Ryan Helsley came into the ninth and shut the door.
The offense scored five runs on 11 hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Carlson and Pagés were both 2-for-4.
On the bases, the slow guys ran all over Giants’ starter Logan Webb. Burleson stole two bases. Pagés swiped his first bag. Nolan Gorman stole his fifth base.
Big Picture
The Cardinals had a 4-2 week, with a bad series against the last-place Marlins in which they lost 2 of 3 and then a sweep of a better team in the Giants. The Cardinals sit in second place in the NL Central, 5 games back of the Brewers and 2.5 games ahead of the third-place Pirates.
The offense was more prolific this week than the previous week despite the two losses to the Marlins, which was more about the pitching. The pitching issue was mostly a product of Lance Lynn not performing and a late scratch of Kyle Gibson in the final game of the series that threw a wrench into the works. A very aggressive Marlins’ offense versus poor pitching from Lynn and a hastily thrown-together bullpen start was a recipe for disaster.
The pitching ship was righted for the Giants series and the Cardinals’ offense did its part. Rather, it did until Sunday’s game when it got lazy and sat on a four-run lead for four innings. Luck and a fiery performance from the closer, aided by a last-ditch insurance run provided by a former Giants player saved the day.
The top offensive performers over the last seven days by OPS are Alec Burleson (1.276), Brendan Donovan (1.269), Iván Herrera (1.069), and Masyn Winn (.984). Herrera is now on the injured list with a back issue but Willson Contreras is set to return on Monday.
At the bottom are José Fermín (.286), Nolan Gorman (.310), Pedro Pagés (.400), and Nolan Arenado (.453). Gorman needs to sit out a few games in this author’s opinion and contemplate something. Arenado has an arm (and another arm) that needs attention and maybe an IL stint. Willson Contreras is coming back to remedy the catching dilemma and Fermín is on the Memphis shuttle which may be leaving the station sooner rather than later.
On the pitching side, Sonny Gray is the only starter to have an ERA under 4.00 for the week (1.84). Starter has been loosely defined over the last week, as one didn’t pitch, and one was a reliever who had pitched the previous game. Lance Lynn was, in a word, awful and gave up earned runs this time. Miles Mikolas and Andre Pallante gave up some runs, but the team won anyway and it happens sometimes. It appears the imminent return of Steven Matz is no longer imminent and no longer a return, therefore, Andre Pallante will continue to fill the void (until he doesn’t). Matz might be gone until after the trade deadline, so the future is ours to see.
The bullpen has had some hiccups in the form of JoJo Romero, who almost gave away the store in Sonny Gray’s beautiful start on Sunday. Romero has a not-so-beautiful ERA of 27.00 for the week to show for it. Other than Romero and some bad fielding from the now-optioned Chris Roycroft, the bullpen has been pretty decent as usual.
The Braves come to town this week, minus their best pitcher and best player, who are both out for the season. They are still a formidable team, so the Cardinals must have both their pitching and offense working (preferably at the same time). They end the homestand with the Reds, who have been up and down this season and who have been trading places with the Cubs for last place in the Division. The Reds currently occupy that spot but only by a half-game. Their offense is good and will need to be kept at bay.
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB
Milwaukee
45
33
.577
——-
St. Louis
39
37
.513
5
Pittsburgh
37
40
.481
7.5
Chicago
37
41
.474
8
Cincinnati
36
41
.468
8.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
6/18 The Cardinals sent C Willson Contreras on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/18 The Cardinals sent RHP Nick Robertson on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/19 The Cardinals optioned RHP Ryan Loutos to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/19 The Cardinals activated RHP Kyle Gibson from the Bereavement List.
6/20 The Cardinals recalled RHP Adam Kloffenstein from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/20 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/20 The Cardinals recalled CF Victor Scott II from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/21 The Cardinals optioned RHP Adam Kloffenstein to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/21 The Cardinals optioned CF Victor Scott II to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/21 The Cardinals activated RHP Giovanny Gallegos from the 15-day injured list.
6/22 The Cardinals selected the contract of C Nick Raposo from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/22 The Cardinals placed C Iván Herrera on the 10-day injured list. Lower back tightness.
6/22 The Cardinals transferred RHP Keynan Middleton from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right forearm flexor strain.
Injury Report
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman has spent four days at the Cardinals complex in Jupiter ramping up baseball activities. Manager Oli Marmol is optimistic that Edman will return relatively soon.
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season-ending forearm surgery. The right-hander has not thrown a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left-hander is expected to be out until September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien was scheduled for a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds but that rehab was paused due to continued arm issues. Imaging on O’Brien was clear, but the team will seek a second opinion.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. Matz woke up with back tightness after his most recent rehab start. The setback means a return won’t be for another 4-6 weeks.
RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement). Gallegos was activated off the 15-day injured list on June 21.
C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras is on a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds. Contreras could be activated as early as Monday, June 24 for the Braves series.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. Nootbaar is taking full swings and is close to taking batting practice. Manager Oli Marmol is optimistic that Nootbaar’s return will be relatively soon.
RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 23. Robertson is currently on a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
3B Nolan Arenado (right elbow contusion) was hit by a pitch in the June 19 game against the Marlins. Arenado did not play in the Rickwood Field game on June 20 but was back in the lineup for the June 22 game with the Giants. In the eighth inning of the June 22 game, Arenado was removed for “left forearm discomfort”.
RHP Kyle Gibson (back tightness) was scratched from his scheduled start on Wednesday, June 19. Gibson is set to make his next start against the Braves on Tuesday, June 25.
CF Michael Siani left the June 22 game after diving to catch a fly ball. The report was bruised ribs. X-rays were negative. Siani is considered day-to-day.
C Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 19. Herrera’s back tightened up on him when he reached to pick up an equipment bag. No further information is available.
Looking Ahead.
Following the Giants series ending on Sunday, the homestand then continues with three games against the Atlanta Braves. Lance Lynn is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Kyle Gibson on Tuesday, and Andre Pallante on Wednesday.
The final series of the homestand is a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds that ends the month of June.
The Cardinals begin the month of July with a three-game series in Pittsburgh with the Pirates beginning Tuesday, July 2. That series is followed by a weekend series against the Nationals in Washington.
The Cardinals return to St. Louis to play two games at Busch Stadium against the Kansas City Royals. After a Thursday off day, the Cubs come to town for a weekend series before the All-Star Break.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to the subject of major league debuts. Two weeks ago, the debuts of several recognizable Cardinals were showcased. This week, Blast looks at a handful of other notable past and present Cardinals. These Cardinals are notable for being names most Cardinal fans would recognize but not necessarily because of their baseball pedigree.
The following is a list of Cardinals who made their major league debut during the period of June 17-23 in past years. The date of their debut, what game it was in and how they performed are highlighted.
Andy Van Slyke – Former Cardinal outfielder Andy Van Slyke made his major league debut on June 17, 1983. Van Slyke was in the starting lineup at RF batting sixth, in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. The game was a night game that the Cardinals won 7-2.
Van Slyke had his first plate appearance in the bottom of the second inning. He struck out looking. His second plate appearance was in the bottom of the fourth. Van Slyke hit a double to right field for his first major league hit. It was also his first major league RBI, as his double scored George Hendrick for the Cardinals’s second run. Three more runs scored in that inning, including Van Slyke, who scored on a sacrifice bunt with a fielding error hit by Ozzie Smith. Van Slyke flew out to CF in the sixth and grounded out to first in the eighth.
Stubby Clapp –Clapp is likely more well-known by Cardinals fans for being the current first base coach for the Cardinals than he is for his playing career. In fact, Clapp’s entire major league career consisted of 26 plate appearances in 25 games for the Cardinals in 2001. Clapp was almost exclusively a pinch hitter for the team.
Stubby made his debut on June 18, 2001, in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium in which the Cardinals beat the Cubs 6-2. Clapp entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter for reliever Mike Timlin. Clapp struck out swinging.
Stubby’s first major league hit occurred on June 22, 2001, in a game against the Giants at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals lost this game 10-5. Clapp’s one plate appearance in this game was in the ninth inning, pinch-hitting for reliever Luther Hackman. Stubby hit a line drive double to left field off Giants reliever Liván Hernández. Clapp was left stranded on third base.
Bo Hart – Like Clapp, Hart’s major league career was very short. Hart is famous for breaking a record set by Kirby Puckett for having the highest batting average (.460) in the first ten games of his career. The first month of his career is considered one of the best debuts in major league history.
Hart made his major league debut on June 19, 2003, in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park that the Cardinals won 8-4. He was in the starting lineup playing second base and batting eighth. Hart’s first plate appearance was also his first major league hit. He doubled to left field in the top of the second inning off Brewer’s starter Rubén Quevedo. His second plate appearance was a ground out to second base in the fourth. Hart tripled to CF and drove in Kerry Robinson in the fifth inning for the Cardinals’s eighth and final run of the game. Hart’s last plate appearance was a walk in the eighth inning.
Hart finished the season in St. Louis with 82 hits and a .277 batting average. He played for the Cardinals for the first month of 2004 and then was sent down to the minor leagues. Hart never played in another major league game. He bounced around in the minor leagues of the Rockies, the Cardinals again, the Cubs and the Orioles through the 2007 season. His baseball career also included a few years in independent league baseball.
Lars Nootbaar – The Cardinals’ currently injured outfielder made his major league debut on June 23, 2021, in a game against the Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park. The Cardinals lost the game 6-2.
Nootbaar was in the starting lineup playing right field and hitting ninth. Nootbaar’s first major league plate appearance was also his first major league hit. In the top of the third inning, Nootbaar hit a triple to CF off Tigers’ starter Matt Manning. Nootbaar scored the Cardinals’s second run on a single by Tommy Edman.
Nootbaar’s second plate appearance was a ground out to second base in the fifth. He grounded out to the shortstop in the seventh.
In addition to going 1-for-3 with a triple and a run scored, Nootbaar also had an outfield assist, throwing Tigers’ shortstop Isaac Paredes out at home plate in the sixth inning.
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St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera is out with lower back tightness, replaced by Nick Raposo with Keynan Middleton moved to 60-day injured list.
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals have placed catcher Iván Herrera on the 10-day Injured List with lower back tightness, retroactive to June 19. Rookie catcher Nick Raposo (ra-POH-so) was selected from Memphis (AAA). Right-handed pitcher Keynan Middleton has been transferred from the 15-day to 60-day Injured List.
Raposo, 26, was signed by the Cardinals as a non-drafted free agent in June 2020 following a career at Wheaton (Mass.) College. The Providence, Rhode Island native began his career in Double-A Springfield in 2021 and played three seasons there before a promotion to Memphis in 2023 and has played in 47 games there in 2024. He was batting .187 with 5 HR, 22 RBI and six doubles when he was selected. Behind the plate, he retired seven of 43 attempted base stealers (16.3%).
When he first appears in a game, Raposo will become the seventh Cardinals player to make his Major League debut in 2024 and the first Cardinals player born in Rhode Island to appear in a Major League game since right-handed pitcher Phil Paine on September 19, 1958, against the San Francisco Giants at Sportsman’s Park. As of today, he will be the only active player on a 2024 Major League roster born in Rhode Island.
Herrera, 24, last played on Tuesday, June 18 at Miami and did not play on Thursday at the Rickwood Field game in Birmingham against the San Francisco Giants. He was batting .279 with 3 HR and 19 RBI at the time of injury.
Raposo will wear uniform number 70.
Brian Walton’s take
Due to his superior defensive skills, Pedro Pages had migrated into the regular catching duties with the offensive oriented Herrera more often serving as the designated hitter. Raposo is up because starting catcher Willson Contreras is in the early stages of his Triple-A rehab.
Injured during spring training, Middleton has never appeared in a regular season game for St. Louis. The free agent relief signing had season-ending right forearm surgery.
For more
To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round, check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.
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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Needing long relief, the St. Louis Cardinals added Memphis starter Adam Kloffenstein on Thursday, while promoting starter Ian Bedell to Triple-A. Brian Walton considers many ramifications of these and other moves across the system.
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In our monthly update of the St. Louis Cardinals 2024 Top 50 Prospect List, six players including a Palm Beach contingent join the rankings and amid questions, a Top 10 shakeup occurs, with Quinn Mathews a continued beneficiary.
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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 Wednesday podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 15-20 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.
This week, Brian and Blake cover three main topics across the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system. They are player moves announced Tuesday, led by Willson Contreras’ Memphis rehab, league Players of the Week Dakota Harris and Chase Davis and a half-dozen names linked to the organization’s seventh overall selection in next month’s draft.
Notes
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 on your favorite podcast apps.
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
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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.
photo: Miles Mikolas (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)
Behind solid pitching, the 4-2 St. Louis Cardinals narrowly won two series over division rivals. Miles Mikolas threw 13 1/3 innings, yielding just one run. Our rewind feature highlights the history of the prior June 15 trade deadline and key moves made by the Cardinals.
On Monday, in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium, the St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates by one run. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed one hit, struck out six and walked one.
JoJo Romero relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley surrendered two runs in the ninth and took the loss, his third of the season.
The game was scoreless until the ninth inning.
The Cardinals managed to rally for one run to avoid the shutout on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman. The Cardinals were unable to figure out Pirates rookie ace Paul Skenes, who kept them off the board for 6 1/3 innings. The Pirates bullpen did the rest until closer David Bednar gave up the Gorman long ball.
The offense scattered eight hits, including the Gorman home run. Alec Burleson was 3-for-4. Nolan Arenado was 2-for-4. They were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
The Cardinals turned it around and defeated the Pirates 4-2 in the second game of the series on Wednesday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched seven innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out nine and walked one to earn his eighth win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Gray and surrendered one run in the eighth. Ryan Helsley bounced back from his Tuesday struggles and tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 22nd save.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Paul Goldschmidt singled and scored on a double by Nolan Arenado. St Louis added two runs in the fourth to lead 3-0. Iván Herrera and Brendan Donovan singled. Dylan Carlson plated Herrera on a single. Michael Siani advanced the runners on a bunt. Donovan came home on a force out by Masyn Winn.
Pittsburgh scored their first run in the top of the fifth. The Cardinals answered with a run in the home fifth to increase the lead to 4-1. Arenado and Herrera singled. Arenado was driven in by a single by Donovan.
The Pirates added a run in the eighth to shrink the lead to 4-2.
The offense scored four runs on 11 hits. Arenado was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Herrera was 3-for-4. Donovan was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
On the bases, Herrera stole his third base of the season. Donovan swiped his first bag. On defense, Herrera made a throwing error.
On Thursday, the Cardinals edged the Pirates to take the series. Starter Lance Lynn pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out five and walked three.
John King threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Chris Roycroft hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning and received his first major league win. Matthew Liberatore pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Fernandez and Andrew Kittredge tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth. With Helsley having pitched the two prior nights, Kittredge earned his first save.
St. Louis went up 2-0 in the third inning. Masyn Winn tripled and scored on a two-run home run by Paul Goldschmidt. The Cardinals added a run in the fourth. José Fermín tripled and came home on a single by Pedro Pagés. The Cardinals led 3-0.
Pittsburgh came back to tie the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning. In the sixth, the Cardinals recaptured the lead on a solo home run by Brendan Donovan.
The Cardinals scored four runs on eight hits. Winn was 2-for-4. Fermín was 2-for-3. Goldschmidt had two RBI.
Michael Siani stole his seventh base of the season.
The Cardinals met the Cubs at Wrigley Field for a three-game series. In the opener, the Cardinals blanked the Cubs 3-0. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out six and walked one to earn his fifth win of the season.
Ryan Fernandez threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning of relief. JoJo Romero followed with 1/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a clean ninth to earn his 23rd save.
The game was 0-0 until the eighth inning, when Pedro Pagés hit a solo home run, the first of his career.
St. Louis added two insurance runs in the ninth. Nolan Arenado doubled. Iván Herrera plated Arenado on a double. Herrera came home on a single by Dylan Carlson.
The Cardinals scored three runs on nine hits. Carlson was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Cardinals fell to the Cubs in the second game of the series by the score of 5-1. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits and struck out four. Pallante took the loss.
Chris Roycroft threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief but allowed the two Pallante inherited runners to score on two singles. Kyle Leahy surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings. John King yielded two runs in 2/3 innings. Matthew Liberatore tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the top of the fourth. Alec Burleson doubled and later came home on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado.
The Cubs answered with two runs in the home fourth and added three runs in the seventh for a 5-1 lead.
St. Lous’ offense scored one run on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
The Cardinals won the final game of the series by the skin of their teeth to take the series in Chicago. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out five to earn his fifth win of the season.
Ryan Fernandez threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning of relief. Andrew Kittredge hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
The Cardinals went up in the second inning on a two-run home run by Pedro Pagés. The Cubs scored their only run in the seventh.
St. Louis scored two runs on nine hits. Paul Goldschmidt was 2-for-4. Pagés had two RBI.
On the bases, Nolan Gorman stole his third base of the season. Michael Siani was picked off first base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished the week with a record of 4-2. They won 2 of 3 from both the Pirates and the Cubs. The 35-35 Cardinals are in second place in the NL Central, 6.5 games back of the Brewers.
Pitching was the main reason the Cardinals were able to win four games. The offense was once again mostly absent. The Cardinals currently maintain a run differential of -38 despite being in second place in the Division and holding the third NL Wild Card.
Why this seemingly talented offense continues to fail at producing runs in any substantial amount is a great mystery. In a stroke of luck, the Cardinals’ opponents this past week were two NL Central teams that also didn’t score runs in any substantial amount.
Three top performers for the last seven days by OPS included two bench players who play infrequently. They are Brandon Crawford (3.000 in one AB) and José Fermín (1.300 in five ABs). The third top performer was Iván Herrera (1.145), who is being supplanted behind the plate by a better defensive catcher in Pedro Pages.
At the bottom were Masyn Winn (.480), Dylan Carlson (.462), Michael Siani (.428), Nolan Gorman (.291) and Matt Carpenter (.000 in two ABs).
The pitching was good over the week for the most part. Four of the five starters had ERAs under 4.00 for the week. They were Kyle Gibson (0.00), Miles Mikolas (0.68), Sonny Gray (1.29) and Andre Pallante (2.70). Only Lance Lynn had a subpar outing during the week.
The offense must improve soon or the Cardinals cannot succeed over the long term. As good as the pitching has been, it can’t carry the season.
The Cardinals have had a break with the schedule over the last few series, playing sub .500 teams like the Rockies, Pirates and Cubs. That trend will continue with series against the Marlins and the Giants this coming week. Beating up on lesser teams, however, has not proved to be a panacea, and the chickens will come home to roost at some point.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
42
29
0.592
St. Louis
35
35
0.500
6.5
Cincinnati
34
37
0.479
8
Pittsburgh
34
37
0.479
8
Chicago
34
38
0.472
8.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
6/11 The Cardinals sent RHP Giovanny Gallegos on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
6/11 The Cardinals sent LHP Steven Matz on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
6/16 The Cardinals recalled RHP Ryan Loutos from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/16 The Cardinals placed RHP Kyle Gibson on the Bereavement List.
Due to a death in the family, starter Kyle Gibson has left the team for a period defined by MLB to be between three and seven days. At this point, it is unclear whether the right-hander will return in time to make his next start.
Reliever Ryan Loutos was recalled from Memphis to replace Gibson on the active roster.
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman is relocating his rehab to the Cardinals’ spring training complex in Jupiter in preparation for getting into some games there for either the FCL Cardinals, the Palm Beach Cardinals, or both.
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. Middleton is set to undergo season ending forearm surgery. The right hander did not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien will be sent on a rehab assignment on Tuesday.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. Matz made a successful rehab start with the Springfield Cardinals on Sunday. The timing of his St. Louis return is unclear.
RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement). Gallegos was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 6. Gallegos is currently on a rehab assignment but has not pitched well, including yielding three runs his most recent time out.
C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras is expected to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. Nootbaar. The outfielder will be out for several weeks with a moderate oblique strain. His return time is uncertain.
RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 23. His return time is uncertain.
SS Brandon Crawford was removed during his at-bat in the eighth inning of Sunday’s game with a left hamstring cramp. Crawford is not expected to miss any time.
Looking Ahead
Following the series at Wrigley Field, the road trip ends at Loan Depot Park in Miami for three against the Marlins. Sonny Gray will make the Monday start, followed by Lance Lynn on Tuesday, and Kyle Gibson (if back from his leave) on Wednesday.
The Cardinals will play the Giants in the annual Field of Dreams game on Thursday, June 20 at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama, rather than the Field of Dreams field in Dyersville, Iowa. That field is undergoing major renovations.
The Cardinals will finish the three-game series with the Giants at Busch Stadium after an off-day Friday. The homestand then continues with three against the Atlanta Braves and a four-game set with the Cincinnati Reds to end the month of June.
The Cardinals begin July with a three-game series in Pittsburgh with the Pirates beginning Tuesday July 2. That series is followed by a weekend set against the Nationals in Washington.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past will cover a brief history of the MLB trade deadline. Though the current trade deadline is still more than a month away, in the past the deadline was earlier. From 1923 through the end of the 1985 season, the trade deadline was on June 15.
The following is a brief history of when and why the trade deadline came to be and the various changes that have occurred since its origination. Also included are some notable Cardinals trades that occurred on June 15 in past years.
Prior to 1920, MLB had no trade deadline. Teams acquired players from other teams by purchasing them. In the American League, this practice was very prevalent among a handful of teams. Two teams in particular, the New York Yankees and the New York Giants, made most of these purchases. The Yankees frequently bought players from the Boston Red Sox. The issue back then, which continues to this day, is that the bigger market, richer teams, had a huge advantage over the smaller market, less financially well-off teams. The problem came to a head indirectly due to the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees by the Red Sox.
After that, the American League instituted a rule in 1920 that prohibited the buying and selling of players between August 1 and the end of the World Series.
Lou Brock
Prior to the 1923 season, the Commissioner of Baseball, Kennesaw Mountain Landis, ordered the creation of a uniform rule that applied to both leagues. The rule set a trade deadline of June 15. This rule allowed the trade of players between teams between the beginning of the season and June 15 and remained in effect through the 1985 season.
Several notable trades made by the Cardinals on the June 15 deadline include the infamous acquisition of future Hall of Famer Lou Brock from the Cubs. The 1964 trade sent Brock, Jack Spring, and Paul Toth to the Cardinals in exchange for pitcher Ernie Broglio, Doug Clemens, and Bobby Shantz.
Keith Hernandez (Getty Images)
A key June 15 trade that was imbalanced in the other direction was the Cardinals sending future team Hall of Fame first baseman Keith Hernandez to the New York Mets for right-handed pitchers Rick Owenby and Neil Allen. This trade happened on June 15, 1983.
In 1986, by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement agreed to after the 1985 strike, the trade deadline was moved from June 15 to July 31.
The July 31 deadline was in place until the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement that occurred because of a lockout, which modified the terms of the rule. Under the current CBA, the trade deadline can be any date between July 28 and August 3.
In 2023 the trade deadline was August 1 at 6 pm ET. In 2024, the trade deadline will be July 30 at 6 pm ET.
The current CBA expires on December 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm. The current trade deadline flexibility will remain in effect until then. It could possibly change again in future CBAs or it may remain the same.
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.
On June 15, 1964, the Chicago Cubs gift-wrapped outfielder Lou Brock to the St. Louis Cardinals in a package headlined by former 20-game winner Ernie Broglio. 60 years later to the day, Paul Lore looks back at the late Hall of Famer’s career.
By Paul Lore, guest contributor
On June 15, 1964, the hated Chicago Cubs gift-wrapped outfielder Lou Brock to the St. Louis Cardinals in a package headlined by former 20-game winner Ernie Broglio. The Wrigley faithfully rejoiced with the departure of a player they derisively called Brock as in Rock. The trade proved synonymous with Brock as in Mock as Redbirds fans ‘thanked’ the Cubs for 15 years for delivering one of the most dynamic and beloved players in St. Louis Cardinals history.
Born on June 18, 1939 to a sharecropper family, Brock grew up near El Dorado, Arkansas, a small town in the Deep South located just north of the Louisiana state line. He was born too late to play in the old the Negro Leagues, but young enough to be infused with the soul of old school black baseball whose players ran the bases with aggressive abandon.
As a youngster, Brock played sandlot baseball in the rural south, a far cry from today’s organized baseball with uniforms, score boards and coaches. He attended Southern University, a ‘black college’ for those who sought escape from a segregated, poverty-stricken world, where he tried out for the school’s baseball team. As an unknown, the 18-year-old had to prove himself quickly or be cut from the squad. There, he first demonstrated his penchant to perform under pressure as he tattooed baseballs driven by an explosive bat that sprang like spring steel from a tightly wound body blessed with sinewy power.
By the late 1950’s, scouts scoured the hinterlands for an untapped talent pool to compete with the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, and later the Milwaukee Braves, teams that won every National League pennant from 1951 to 1959 because they struck black gold by signing talented African American players.
The Chicago Cubs paid heed and sent Buck O’Neil to search the bushes for players to pull their team out of the doldrums.
O’Neil ‘discovered’ Billy Williams and Lou Brock, two players who made the Hall of Fame, albeit in decidedly different paths. Sweet swinging Billy Williams made it as Cub. However, the raw backwoods talent took more time to refine. The impatient Cub fans road him because of his defensive miscues. After three years in Chicago, the Cubs traded Brock to the Cardinals in a trade that left Cardinals players—both black and white—scratching their heads. History proved otherwise.
Lou Brock (Scott Rovak/US Presswire)
The 24-year-old arrived in St. Louis in June of 1964 to play for a team with pennant hopes after a near miss in 1963. He brought with him a mediocre .253 batting average that matched his new team’s moribund .500 record. St. Louis manager Johnny Keane, a religious man without bias except for those who could help the team win, told his young speedster that he was his everyday leftfielder, and gave the young greyhound the green light to run the base paths.
Brock hit .348 the rest of the season and stole 33 bases igniting the Cardinals that rallied from far back to win their first pennant in 18 years. He hit .300 in his first World Series, with Game 1 highlighting his impact when he scored the opener’s first run when he singled, took third on another hit, and scored on a short fly to the outfield.
The Cardinals won two more pennants and another World Championship with their leadoff man extraordinaire. St. Louis romped to the pennant in 1967, as Brock hit .299 with 21 home runs while leading the league in runs scored and stolen bases.
Game 1 of the World Series against Boston typified Brock’s electrifying post-season play, in a game won by St. Louis, 2 to 1. Lou collected four hits, stole two bases and scored both runs for the Cardinals.
In Game 3, he rocketed a drive over a startled Carl Yastrzemski in left field as he cut the bases in record time for a hard-slide triple to ignite that victory. The Cardinal leftfielder finished the Fall Classic with a .414 average, and ordinarily would have won Series MVP but for his famed teammate Bob Gibson who won the award and the car based on three overpowering World Series victories. KMOX radio recognized Brock’s excellence by giving him a car, too.
It was more of the same the following season known as the “Year of the Pitcher” when Brock led the league in doubles, triples and stolen bases. The World Series against the Detroit Tigers provided Brock with yet another opportunity to display his unique talent.
The preceding year, he set a Series record with seven stolen bases against the Red Sox, and he would swipe seven more against Detroit. Brock possessed what Stan Musial called inner conceit. Lou ran the bases with a swagger that said you cannot throw me out. It was a part of his psyche that made for clutch hitting and compelling devil dare on the base paths. But like a tragic Greek figure, he was destined for a reversal of fortune.
With the Cardinals clinging to a one run lead in Game Five, the Tigers’ nemesis cracked another double, his third straight hit. Javier followed with a line-drive single hit directly towards leftfielder Willie Horton. Nonetheless, Lou had grown to believe that he could not be thrown out by anyone. But on this fateful play, Horton fielded the ball on a big hop, and fired a missile on a line to home plate.
The Cardinal speedster went in standing up and collided with the Tiger catcher just as he caught the ball. The umpire called Brock out in a hotly disputed call. Brock maintained that he was correct in trying to score on the dead run rather than sliding, and after having turned in such a superman performance that he was unfairly scapegoated for his role in the Series’ pivotal play. Lou was certainly correct on the latter point. That lost run proved critical as the Tigers rallied to win that game, and later the Series in seven games despite Brock’s phenomenal performance that included three doubles, a triple and two long home runs with a .464 batting average.
In the end analysis, Brock’s World Series statistics match any of the Games’ greats. In 21 games, he lit up the scoreboard with a .391 batting average (second all-time); a slugging percentage of .655 (sixth); four home runs, and 14 stolen bases (first).
St. Louis failed to make it to the post season in the 1970’s, due to blundering trades that included giveaways of pitchers Steve Carlton and Jerry Reuss, either of whom would have made the difference in several close but no cigar pennant races. Brock did his best to carry the team that lacked the excellence and esprit de corps of previous Redbirds ball clubs. The fleet-footed batsman continued his consistent hitting and electrifying base running. He led the league in runs scored in 1971, and in 1974 he carried a mediocre team to a near-miss division crown when he stole 118 bases at the age of 35.
Lou Brock
Throughout this pennant-barren decade, Lou Brock remained a St. Louis favorite whose partisans knew baseball on an intellectual and visceral level. The St. Louis favorite possessed charisma—a rare trait in the pastoral world of baseball—whenever he came to the plate, and especially when he ran the bases. His deadpan stares and feints on the base paths, the stolen bases and his audacious sprints stretching singles into doubles and doubles into triples upset opponents and thrilled fans.
Aggravated opposing pitchers oft shaved the Cardinals’ roadrunner high and tight in retaliation. Bob Gibson once remarked that he earned his stern reputation in part because he defended his teammate with his own chin music.
In August of 1979, he needed two more hits to reach 3000. The audio system played Paul McCartney’s hit, “With a Little Luck”, but Lou hardly needed it as he seemed to always rise to the occasion. He led off the first inning with a single, and in his second time up pitcher Dennis Lamb threw one high and tight that nearly decked the Redbird favorite. On the next pitch, he lined a drive right back at the sacrificial Lamb that drilled the Cub hurler for hit number 3000.
Brock finished his career with over 900 stolen bases and 3,023 hits, yet inadequate numbers for some statistical desk jockeys like Bill James who only ranked Lou #15 as all-time leftfielders behind the likes of such luminaries as Tim Rains, Minnie Minoso and Jessie Burkett, presumably because they drew more bases on balls that fit within their defining formula for winning baseball games.
Lou Brock (USA TODAY Sports Images)
Yet, Brock’s career defies the modern-day statistical number crunchers who attempt to rank players with the precision of diamond cutters. Statisticians whiff on the true measure of Brock’s greatness because his dynamic play and clutch performances cannot be numerically quantified. While he owned impressive career numbers, the whole of his game was greater than the sum of its’ parts. Indeed, Lou Brock possessed that indefinable je ne sais quoi, which translated into pennants.
In response, one can quote a show me Missourian named Mark Twain who once said: “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” Limiting analysis to Brock’s career through numerical analysis leads to underrating his ‘ranking’ in the pantheons of baseball greats. The man who rose from the backwoods of the old Jim Crow world of the Deep South played the game fearlessly, with the flair for the dramatic that ignited his team and electrified his fans. Louis Clark Brock defined winning baseball, and his charismatic play made the game a thrill to watch.
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The 31-33 St. Louis Cardinals had another losing week, struggling to split at home with the last-place Rockies. Outfielder Dylan Carlson had a .929 OPS for the week and may be earning more playing time. Our history feature looks at notable Cardinals debuts during these dates in team history.
The St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Houston Astros by a 7-4 score on Monday. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on five hits, struck out eight and walked three.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Gibson and threw a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero surrendered four runs, three earned, in one inning and took the loss. Ryan Loutos secured the final out of the eighth.
The Cardinals took the lead in the first inning on solo home runs by Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman. They added a run in the top of the third. Paul Goldschmidt doubled and scored on a single by Nolan Gorman.
The Astros answered with two runs in the bottom of the third. St. Louis posted a fourth run in the fifth on a solo home run by Gorman.
Houston came back with one run in the sixth and four in the eighth to win, 7-4.
The Cardinals scored four runs on eight hits. Gorman was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. He was the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
On the bases, Iván Herrera stole his second base of the season. On defense, Gorman and Masyn Winn each made a fielding error.
The Cardinals were defeated again by the Astros in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched three innings, gave up six runs on six hits, struck out one and walked three. Pallante took the loss.
Kyle Leahy surrendered one run in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Matthew Liberatore threw 1/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Fernandez yielded one unearned run in the seventh. Chris Roycroft tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Cardinals went up in the first inning on a solo home run by Alec Burleson. The Astros answered with two runs in the home first to take the lead. Houston added four runs in the third.
The Cardinals cut the lead to 6-2 with a run in the top of the fifth. Iván Herrera doubled and Masyn Winn singled. Herrera came home on a ground out by Michael Siani. The Astros responded with one run in the bottom of the inning to increase their lead to 7-2.
St. Louis answered with a two-run home run by Winn in the sixth and a solo home run by Nolan Gorman in the seventh to shrink the lead to 7-5.
Houston plated their last run in the home seventh for a final score of 8-5.
The Cardinals scored five runs on 11 hits. Winn was 3-for-3 with two RBI. Gorman was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Herrera was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
On the bases, Winn stole his eighth base of the season. On defense, Gorman made two errors, a missed catch and a fielding miscue. Pallante picked a runner off first base.
The Cardinals salvaged the final game of the series with the Astros and avoided being swept. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits and struck out three to earn his fourth win of the season.
The big three in the bullpen delivered per the script. JoJo Romero relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless seventh. Andrew Kittredge hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the third inning. Brandon Crawford doubled and later came home on a sac fly by Michael Siani. St. Louis added two runs in the fifth to lead 3-0. Pedro Pagés walked and later scored on a single by Brendan Donovan. Alec Burleson plated Donovan on a double.
The Astros responded with two runs in the home fifth to cut the lead to 3-2. The Cardinals came back in the sixth with a solo home run by Nolan Arenado to lead 4-2.
The Cardinals scored four runs on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
The Cardinals lost the first of a four-game home series to the NL West last place Rockies. Coming into the series, the Rockies were the third worst team in baseball.
Starter Sonny Gray pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on two hits, struck out five and walked four. Gray took the loss, his fourth of the season.
Matthew Liberatore threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. John King hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Chris Roycroft tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Rockies went up 1-0 in the third inning and added two runs in the fifth.
The Cardinals got on the board with two runs in the sixth. Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan singled. Iván Herrera plated Gorman on a force out. Donovan was out at second base. Matt Carpenter singled. Michael Siani singled to score Herrera.
The offense amassed two runs on eight hits. Masyn Winn was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Matt Carpenter was picked off and caught stealing.
The Cardinals picked up a win to even the Rockies series at one game apiece. Starter Lance Lynn pitched four innings, gave up four runs on six hits, struck out six and walked two.
Kyle Leahy surrendered one run in one inning of relief. John King threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge, JoJo Romero, and Ryan Helsley each tossed a scoreless inning. Romero earned the win. Helsley earned his 21st save.
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Masyn Winn doubled and Alec Burleson singled. Paul Goldschmidt plated Winn on a single. Burleson and Goldschmidt advanced on a wild pitch. Burleson crossed the plate on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado. Goldschmidt came home on a single by Nolan Gorman.
St. Louis added a run in the second. Winn drew a walk. Burleson singled. Winn scored on a single by Goldschmidt.
The Rockies tied the game with four runs in the fourth and took a 5-4 lead in the fifth.
The Cardinals tied the game at 5-5 in the sixth. Iván Herrera singled and later scored on a single by Dylan Carlson. St. Louis produced a three-run eighth to lead 8-5. Gorman walked. Michael Siani pinch ran for Gorman. Herrera singled. Brendan Donovan singled to score Siani. Carlson plated Herrera and Donovan on a double.
The Cardinals offense scored eight runs on 12 hits. Carlson was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Herrera went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Burleson was 2-for-5.
On defense, Gorman made a throwing error. Goldschmidt dropped a foul ball.
The Cardinals lost again to the Rockies by the score of 6-5. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched six innings, gave up three runs on eight hits, struck out seven and walked two.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Gibson and surrendered three runs in the seventh to take the loss. Chris Roycroft tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Rockies put up one run in the first and two in the sixth to lead 3-0.
The Cardinals plated four runs in the home sixth to pull ahead by one run. Matt Carpenter drew a walk. Dyaln Carlson singled. Alec Burleson reached on an error. Paul Goldschmidt reached on a fielder’s choice with a throwing error that allowed Carpenter, Carlson, and Burleson to score. Nolan Arenado plated Goldschmidt on a single.
The lead evaporated quickly as the Rockies added three runs in the top of the seventh to regain the lead 6-4. The Cardinals cut the lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh on a Carpenter solo home run, but their scoring ended there.
The offense scored five runs on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The team was gifted three runs on an error.
The Cardinals committed their own costly errors. Iván Herrera and Nolan Gorman both made throwing errors. Brendan Donovan had an outfield assist at second base.
The Cardinals beat the Rockies in Sunday finale to split the series 2-2. Starter Andre Pallante pitched five scoreless innings, allowed three hits, struck out six and walked one to earn his second win.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless sixth. Ryan Fernandez hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings. John King surrendered one run in the final 1 1/3 innings.
The Cardinals scored the game’s first run in the second inning. Dylan Carlson doubled and advanced to third on a fly out by Brendan Donovan. Pedro Pagés drove in Carlson on a sac fly.
St. Louis added a run in the third on a solo home run by Alec Burleson. Two more Cardinals runs came home in the fourth. Donovan and Pagés singled. Michael Siani advanced both runners on a sac bunt. Carlson and Donovan came home on a single by Masyn Winn.
The Cardinals increased their lead to 5-0 in the sixth. Pagés walked and Winn singled. Alec Burleson grounded into a force out and Pagés came home on a throwing error.
The Rockies scored their only run in the ninth to avert being shut out.
The offense scored five runs on 10 hits. Winn was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Nolan Arenado was 2-for-4.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week with a record of 3-4. They took 1 of 3 from the Astros and split the four games with the Rockies. The team is now in a three-way tie for second place in the division with the Cubs and the Reds and is in a four-way tie for the third Wild Card spot. All three teams are 6.5 games back of the Brewers. The Pirates are seven games back, so it is a tight race for all four teams.
The offense has seemed to reach a wall in terms of improvement. It is one step forward and two steps back. The only relative constant in the lineup has been Masyn Winn. The offense needs the return of Willson Contreras as soon as possible. Lars Nootbaar would be a help as well, though he has been inconsistent.
The top performers by OPS is a short list over the last seven days. They are Alec Burleson (.944) and Dylan Carlson (.929). Nipping at their heels is Winn (.893). Burleson appears to be boom or bust. Carlson is hitting better due to more playing time. He is playing because Michael Siani, though he is the superior defender, went ice cold with the bat. In addition, Burleson is a poor defender and Nootbaar is absent. If Carlson can stay healthy, which is a great big “if”, he will hopefully continue to contribute.
In the basement by OPS for the week is Siani (.321) and Brendan Donovan (.491). Both contributed with the bat in the final game of the Rockies series, however.
The starting pitching has seen better days. Miles Mikolas was the only starter to post an ERA under 4.00 this week. Lynn, Gibson, and Gray all had shaky outings. Andre Pallante was very bad in one start and very good in the second one. Steven Matz should be returning soon, though as he is the weak link in the rotation, how much his return will help remains to be seen.
The bullpen has been very good and is the only part of the collective team that has performed consistently well.
The formerly good to very good defense was very bad over the week. It has not been very good for a couple of weeks, in fact. There were some ugly defensive games against the Rockies. To be fair, the final game was much better defensively, and the Rockies aren’t exactly terrific on defense themselves.
Another last place team, the Pirates, come to town this week, though that isn’t the good news anyone should hope for. Pittsburgh has some ferociously good starting pitching and the Cardinals are going to see the best one in the first game. Can this offense meet the challenge? Stay tuned.
The Cardinals leave on a road trip after the Pirates series and their first challenger is the rival Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have been as bad or worse as the Cardinals lately, but that could change on a dime.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
38
27
0.585
Chicago
32
34
0.485
6.5
Cincinnati
32
34
0.485
6.5
St. Louis
31
33
0.484
6.5
Pittsburgh
31
34
0.477
7
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
6/4 The Cardinals optioned RHP Ryan Loutos to the Memphis Redbirds.
6/4 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
6/6 The Cardinals sent LHP Steven Matz on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds
Injury Report
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman has been taking some batting practice. There is no timetable for his return.
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. Middleton is set to undergo season ending forearm surgery. The right hander has not thrown a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien has thrown several bullpen sessions and is close to a rehab assignment.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. On Thursday, June 6, Matz was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds. He has made one rehab start and is scheduled to make a second one on Tuesday.
RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement). Gallegos was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 6. Gallegos was sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis and has made four appearances with an 11.25 ERA.
C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras had a CT scan that showed significant healing of the arm. He has received medical clearance to begin baseball activities. He caught a bullpen session for Andre Pallante on Friday. Contreras will begin taking two handed swings off a tee and off soft toss throws. The catcher could return as soon as late June.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. The outfielder will be out for several weeks with a moderate oblique strain. The timing of his return is uncertain but could be as soon as late June.
RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 23. Robertson could return by late June.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals will take on the Pirates in a three game home series beginning Tuesday. Miles Mikolas is set to make the Tuesday start, Sonny Gray on Wednesday, followed by Lance Lynn on Thursday.
The team then heads out on another road trip that begins at Wrigley Field for three games and ends at Loan Depot Park in Miami against the Marlins for three.
The Cardinals will face the Giants in the annual Field of Dreams Game on Thursday, June 20. That game will be played at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama rather than the Field of Dreams field in Dyersville Iowa. That field is undergoing major renovations.
The Cardinals will finish the three-game series with the Giants at Busch Stadium after a Friday off day. The homestand then continues with three games against the Atlanta Braves and four with the Cincinnati Reds that ends the month of June.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past centers around current or very recent St. Louis Cardinals who made their major league debuts during the period June 3 through June 9. One recently retired Cardinal and three current Cardinals who are either on the active roster or the 40-man roster, made their major league debuts during this period in June.
What follows is the name of the debuting Cardinal, the date of his debut, and particular details about the debut. This may be a recurring feature in Blast from the Past if the number of debuts during a particular period warrant coverage.
Yadier Molina – The possible future Hall of Fame catcher for the Cardinals made his MLB debut on June 3, 2004. Molina played for 19 seasons in St. Louis and retired after the 2022 season.
On June 3, 2004, the Cardinals faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in a night game at PNC Park. It was a night game. Molina was in the starting lineup as the catcher, batting seventh and played the entire game. The starting pitcher was Woody Williams as the Cardinals defeated the Pirates 4-2.
Molina appeared in all nine innings. After he caught Williams for six innings, he caught in succession Steve Kline, Julián Taverás, Ray King, and Jason Isringhausen.
Molina made four plate appearances that evening. He went 2-for-4 with one run scored. Molina made the last out of the second inning on a pop fly to second base. In the fifth inning, Molina had his first major league hit, a single to left field off Pirates starter Óliver Peréz. Molina’s second hit was a double to left field in the seventh inning. His final at bat was a ground out to third base in the eighth.
Zack Thompson – Thompson is currently pitching for the Memphis Redbirds. Thompson made his major league debut on June 3, 2022.
On June 3, 2022, the Cardinals played the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. It was a day game. Thompson pitched in relief of Miles Mikolas for the final four innings. He was caught by Andrew Knizner. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 14-5.
Thompson gave up one earned run on three hits. He struck out three and walked one. Thompson earned his first career save. Two of his four innings were straight 1-2-3 outs. All three of the hits he gave up were singles.
Luken Baker – Baker, who is currently playing for the Memphis Redbirds, made his major league debut on June 4, 2023.
That day, the Cardinals again played the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Baker was in the starting lineup at DH, batting seventh. Baker was replaced on the bases by a pinch runner in the bottom of the ninth. The Cardinals lost the game 2-1.
Baker made four plate appearances and had two hits. His first at bat was in the second inning as he collected his first major league hit, a single to right field off Pirates starter Rich Hill. The Cardinals did not score in that inning. Baker’s second at bat was in the fourth. He struck out swinging. He was the first hitter up in the seventh and flied out to right field. His last bat was in the ninth inning, when he singled to right field, and Oscar Mercado replaced him as a pinch runner. The Cardinals did not score in that inning.
Tommy Edman – Edman is currently on the 60-day injured list. Edman made his major league debut on June 8, 2019.
On June 8, 2019, the Cardinals played the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in a night game. Edman was not in the starting lineup. He pinch hit for Ryan Helsley in the ninth inning and struck out swinging.
Edman’s first start was on June 14, 2019. The Cardinals played the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Cardinals won the game 9-5. Edman started at second base, batting eighth.
Edman made three plate appearances and was 1-for-3 with two runs scored. His first major league hit was a double to center field in the third inning off then-Mets starter and current teammate Steven Matz. He scored the Cardinals first run of the game on a sac fly by Matt Carpenter. Edman reached on an error in the fifth inning and was driven in by a home run by José Martínez. His final at bat was in the top of the seventh. He flied out to center field. Edman was replaced in a double switch by relief pitcher Andrew Miller in the bottom of the seventh.
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Darlin Saladin led all organizational pitchers with a 0.69 ERA, including 15.0 scoreless inning streak; Cesar Prieto among Cardinals minor league leaders in OPS, HR, RBI; set monthly high for XBH.
St. Louis Cardinals press release
The St. Louis Cardinals today (Wednesday, June 5) announced their selections for Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for May, with Memphis Redbirds (AAA) infielder César Prieto and Palm Beach Cardinals (A) right-handed starting pitcher Darlin Saladin taking home the honors.
Prieto, 25, ranked among all qualified Cardinals minor leaguers in OPS (.880, 2nd), extra-base hits (14, 2nd), home runs (5, T2nd), slugging percentage (.537, 2nd), total bases (51, 3rd), RBI (15, 4th), and runs scored (16, 4th). His 14 extra-base hits and eight doubles in May both established new single-month career-highs. The left-handed batter reached safely in 20 of his 24 games played, and had a 20-game on-base streak from April 26-May 21. It is Prieto’s first career organizational Minor League Player of the Month award selection.
“César Prieto’s productive month produced seven multi-hit games with a .880 OPS, helping Memphis to their 17-12 record in May,” said Cardinals Assistant GM & Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque.
The 5’9”, Cuban native was acquired by the organization at last year’s trade deadline from Baltimore along with pitchers Drew Rom and Zack Showalter in exchange for Jack Flaherty. He finished sixth in all of Minor League Baseball last season with 161 hits between the Orioles and Cardinals organizations, while also ranking sixth-lowest among full season minor leaguers in strikeout rate (9.6%). He entered 2024 as the Cardinals No. 17 prospect and “Best Hitter for Average” by Baseball America and is currently slashing .297/.335/.508 with 9 HR, 22 extra-base hits, 29 runs and 29 RBI in 49 games with Memphis.
Saladin, 21, posted a 1-0 record with a 0.69 ERA (2 ER/26.0 IP), 0.81 WHIP with 37 strikeouts across five starts in May. He began the month with a 15.0 inning scoreless streak and back-to-back quality starts, while matching his career single-game high with nine strikeouts on May 1 vs. Daytona. He ranked among the organization’s monthly leaders in ERA (1st), WHIP (2nd), strikeouts (T2nd), and opponent average (2nd, .157) and only allowed one extra-base hit (double) across his 96 batters faced. The 6’0”, Dominican native is the fourth different foreign-born player to take home Pitcher of the Month honors since the start of 2021, joining RHPs Hancel Rincón (May 2023), Inohan Paniagua (June & July 2022) and Wilfredo Pereira (July 2021).
“Darlin Saladin started five games, striking out 37 with just seven walks and limited opponents to a .387 OPS, while Palm Beach competes to win the first half of the Florida State League East Division,” stated LaRocque.
Signed as an international free agent in September 2019, Saladin pitched his first two professional seasons for the club’s Dominican Summer League affiliate from 2021-22 before coming stateside to pitch for the Florida Complex League Cardinals (12 games) and Palm Beach (1 game) in 2023. Through eight games (seven starts) at Single-A Palm Beach this season, Saladin owns a 2-0 record with a Florida State League leading 1.98 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts across 41.0 innings pitched and has yet to allow a home run this season.
Brian Walton’s take
Congratulations to the winners. Earlier, The Cardinal Nation selected Saladin and Prieto’s teammate first baseman Luken Baker as our May choices for Pitcher and Player of the Month.
Refer to these articles for full May stats from the winners and top candidates.
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.
In Monday night’s bullpen loss in Houston, Loutos took over with the Cardinals down 6-4 in the eighth. Before securing the final out, he yielded a ground rule RBI double, scoring a runner inherited from JoJo Romero.
In his first two MLB appearances, Loutos has been charged with no runs in 1 1/3 innings on two hits and a walk. He joined the Cardinals on May 20 from Memphis. With the Redbirds, Loutos had a 1.72 ERA in 13 appearances.
In the corresponding transaction to Loutos’ arrival with St. Louis on May 20, Roycroft was sent down to Memphis. Roycroft, 26, has a 6.00 ERA in six innings over five outings with St. Louis. He first came up on May 6 and also served as the 27th man for the May 22nd doubleheader.
With Memphis in 2024, Roycroft is 1-0 with two saves and a 0.98 ERA in 14 appearances.
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With leading home run, RBI, walk rate, slugging and OPS stats, Memphis first baseman Luken Baker topped eight other finalists as The Cardinal Nation’s choice as the top hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals system during May. Top 10 prospects and last month’s winner’s results are also reviewed.
This article details the selection of The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Month. Considered were offensive results during May across the entire St. Louis Cardinals system. The winner as well as a group of eight runners up are highlighted.
Using the MiLB rule of 2.7 plate appearances per team game played, we used 76 PAs as the qualifying line this month, except for players from the Florida Complex League, which played 20 games, for a minimum PA line of 54.
As a result, a total of 37 hitters in the system qualified. Nine further separated themselves with OPSes above .850, but just one was over .987 and excelled in other areas as well, making this a relatively easy decision.
Memphis first baseman Luken Baker is our winner – again.
Demographics
In a bit of a surprise to me, Low-A Palm Beach led the way with three finalists while Memphis, Springfield and rookie level FCL had two apiece. High-A Peoria was shut out, with no hitter posting a May OPS above .742.
As an aside, the 16-35 Chiefs are at the bottom of their circuit in most key hitting stats for the season. For example, Peoria is last in the 12 team Midwest League in runs scored, 29 fewer than the 11th-place squad and 102 runs behind the league leader.
The Chiefs’ slash stats of .218/.288/.330 are also 12th/last in the MWL. Their team OPS is .618, again last by 42 points and ranked 28th among the 30 High-A teams. So it shouldn’t be a surprise Peoria has no Player of the Month finalists.
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
Hitter
Tm
G
PA
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
SO
SB
CS
OPS
Luken Baker
Mem
24
98
83
13
21
7
0
9
22
15
25
0
0
1.030
Yancel Guerrero
FCL
19
73
59
16
16
2
2
4
13
8
25
3
0
0.987
César Prieto
Mem
23
100
91
15
26
8
1
5
15
7
7
0
1
0.910
Trey Paige
PB
18
79
66
16
21
4
2
1
10
11
13
2
2
0.908
Miguel Villarroel
PB
25
105
102
20
39
9
0
1
16
3
23
10
0
0.900
Johnfrank Salazar
PB
21
89
77
11
26
9
0
0
8
11
10
0
0
0.882
Matt Lloyd
Spr
24
90
73
13
21
2
0
4
14
13
21
4
0
0.879
Mike Antico
Spr
24
94
88
20
29
4
1
3
14
6
18
2
3
0.872
Jose Suarez
FCL
20
82
71
12
20
5
0
3
10
8
24
1
1
0.857
Baker’s dominance is clear from the start with his system-leading total of 22 RBI (in 24 games). Even more impressive is his nine home runs, with only two other players in the system having even half as many in May (Peoria’s Michael Curialle and finalist Cesar Prieto with five apiece).
Memphis third baseman Prieto also stands out for his very low walk total of seven, which equals his very low strikeout total. The only finalist who walked more than he struck out was Palm Beach infielder Johnfrank Salazar.
Salazar’s teammate Miguel Villarroel stole 10 bases without being caught (second to Victor Scott, who was 12-for-14). Villarroel and Salazar co-led the system with nine doubles apiece. (Prieto had eight and Baker had seven.) Both Palm Beach infielders were Rule 5 pick-ups by the Cardinals last December.
The top two hitters in OPS distanced themselves from the others with marks of 1.030 (Baker) and FCL outfielder Yancel Guerrero at an impressive .987.
Rate stats
Hitter
Tm
PA
BB%
K%
BABIP
ISO
BA
OBP
SLG
OPS
Luken Baker
Mem
98
15.3%
25.5%
0.245
0.410
0.253
0.367
0.663
1.030
Yancel Guerrero
FCL
73
11.0%
34.2%
0.400
0.305
0.271
0.411
0.576
0.987
César Prieto
Mem
100
7.0%
7.0%
0.266
0.275
0.286
0.350
0.560
0.910
Trey Paige
PB
79
13.9%
16.5%
0.385
0.167
0.318
0.423
0.485
0.908
Miguel Villarroel
PB
105
2.9%
21.9%
0.487
0.118
0.382
0.400
0.500
0.900
Johnfrank Salazar
PB
89
12.4%
11.2%
0.388
0.117
0.338
0.427
0.455
0.882
Matt Lloyd
Spr
90
14.4%
23.3%
0.340
0.192
0.288
0.400
0.479
0.879
Mike Antico
Spr
94
6.4%
19.1%
0.388
0.170
0.330
0.372
0.500
0.872
Jose Suarez
FCL
82
9.8%
29.3%
0.386
0.197
0.282
0.378
0.479
0.857
As we get into the additional stats, we see that Villarroel (2.9%) and Springfield’s Mike Antico (6.4%) walked even less frequently than Prieto (7%).
The best walk rate among finalists was compiled by none other than big bopper Baker, at 15.3%.
Guerrero’s candidacy is hurt by his very high 34.2% strikeout rate. Teammate Jose Suarez was next highest among finalists at 29.3%. Salazar’s 11.2% strikeout rate was second lowest only to Prieto.
Good fortune in the guise of a high BABIP (from .340 to an amazing .487 by Villarroel) benefited seven of the finalists. That left only the Memphis duo of Baker (.245) and Prieto (.266) in the range of somewhat unlucky, making their strong results overcoming BABIP misfortune even more impressive.
In Isolated Power, ISO, again Baker’s amazing .410 led the way, but the ISOs of Guerrero (.305) and Prieto (.275) would lead the system in many months.
Clearly aided by that high BABIP, Villarroel’s .382 batting average topped the entire system in May. Other .300 hitting finalists are Salazar, Antico and Palm Beach’s Trey Paige.
Salazar’s .427 on-base percentage was highest, with Paige, Guerrero and Villarroel all at .400 or above.
The top three hitters in OPS were also tops in slugging with Baker’s .663 a whopping 87 points higher than the next highest slugger, Guerrero.
When all is said and done, Baker’s exceptional month across the board gives him the honors as The Cardinal Nation’s May Player of the Month. He led in home runs, RBI, walk rate, slugging and OPS.
Baker needs no introduction as I imagine everyone reading this knows who he is. Since becoming a Cardinal in the 2018 draft, the 27-year-old power-hitting first baseman was a long-time prospect in the Cardinals system before his graduation – but has yet to take off in several big-league trials.
This April, Baker got off to a slow start with Memphis, including a .210 batting average and .726 OPS. Even so, he tied for the organization home run lead with five and with 18 RBI was just one off the system first-month lead.
The year before, Baker was our April Player of the Month. He went on to rack up individual awards that season which included International League Most Valuable Player and All-Star honors as well as The Cardinal Nation’s system-wide Comeback Player of the Year and overall Player of the Year for 2023.
The signing of veteran free agent Matt Carpenter blocked Baker’s bid to break 2024 spring camp with St. Louis, so he returned to the level he first reached in 2021.
In a good-and-bad news case, Baker is approaching the Memphis career home run record, held by Nick Stavinoha with 74. Baker has hit his 68 in almost 900 fewer plate appearances and in 222 fewer games played than Stavinoha.
Top 10 hitters in the system during May
Here is how the top 10 hitters in the Cardinals organization per The Cardinal Nation’s prospect rankings fared last month.
#3 Victor Scott (Memphis) – As noted above, Scott led the system with 12 May steals in 14 tries. Another positive is his 14 walks against 12 strikeouts. However, the center fielder slashed just .187/.318/.253/.571.
#4 Thomas Saggese (Memphis) – The infielder had another month far below his career .300 hitting expectations, with a slash line of .198/.260/.363/.623. Saggese’s May strikeout rate was 23% against a walk rate of just 5%.
#6 Leonardo Bernal (Peoria) – The 20-year-old catcher did not play poorly at all in May, with a Midwest League slash line of .261/.329/.377/.706.
#8 Jimmy Crooks (Springfield) – Same goes for the backstop one level up, as he fashioned a solid May line of .279/.429/.361/.790. Crooks drew 12 walks against 14 strikeouts.
April’s winner in May
The Cardinal Nation’s April Player of the Month, Memphis infielder Jose Fermin, spent the first 10 days of May on the back end of St. Louis’ bench and returned there to close the month.
In between, the 25-year-old returned to the Redbirds from May 11-30 and had 56 plate appearances in 14 games. Fermin continued right where he left off with an International League slash line of .341/.464/.568. His OPS of 1.032 was almost identical to our May winner Baker.
With the end of month injury to Lars Nootbaar, Fermin is back with St. Louis as a reserve.
What is next?
The Cardinals organization should also name their own selections of May Player and Pitcher of the Month in the upcoming days.
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.
The St. Louis Cardinals went 3-3 for the week on the road. They remain in second place but are seven games behind the Brewers. Kyle Gibson continues to be solid in the rotation. Our history feature looks at notable events during these dates in team history.
The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of a three-game series at Great American Ballpark. Starter Lance Lynn pitched six innings, gave up three runs, one earned, on five hits, struck out five and walked three. Lynn took the loss, his third.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Kyle Leahy tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals scored in the top of the first inning on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Reds answered to tie the game in the home first. Cincinnati added two runs in the second for a 3-1 lead that held through the end of regulation.
The offense scored one run on five hits. No Cardinal had multiples. The Cardinals were 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
On defense, Goldschmidt and Arenado each made a fielding error which led to the two unearned runs and the loss.
On Tuesday, the Cardinals bounced back to take the second game of the series. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched six innings, gave up one run on two hits, struck out six and walked two to earn his fourth win of the season.
John King relieved Gibson and threw two scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as Brendan Donovan singled and scored on a double by Masyn Winn. St. Louis added two runs in the fourth on a home run by Nolan Arenado to increase the lead to 3-0.
The Reds scored their only run of the game in the sixth. The Cardinals responded with three runs in the seventh to widen their lead to 6-1. Dylan Carlson walked. Nolan Gorman followed with a two-run home run. Brendan Donovan doubled. Michael Siani pinch ran for Donovan and scored on a ground out by Masyn Winn.
St. Louis produced their seventh and final run in the ninth. Paul Goldschmidt doubled and came home on a single by Iván Herrera.
Herrera went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4. Donovan was 2-for-3. Winn and Arenado each had two RBI.
On the bases, Siani stole his sixth base of the season. Herrera was picked off first base.
The Cardinals took the series with a 5-3 win in the final game on Wednesday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, struck out four and walked three to earn his first win of the season.
Kyle Leahy relieved Pallante and surrendered one run in 1/3 of an inning. John King threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Andrew Kittredge yielded one run in the eighth. Ryan Helsley allowed one run in the ninth for his 18th save.
St. Louis went up in the third inning on a solo home run by Matt Carpenter. They added two runs in the fourth to lead 3-0. Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk and scored on a double by Nolan Gorman. Gorman came home on a single by Masyn Winn.
The Reds got on the board with one run in the seventh. The Cardinals answered in the top of the eighth with a solo home run by Gorman.
Cincinnati responded with one run in the home eighth to cut the lead to 4-2. St. Louis made it 5-2 in the top of the ninth. Michael Siani and Donovan singled. Paul Goldschmidt walked to load the bases. Siani came home on a walk by Alec Burleson.
The Reds scored one run in the bottom of the ninth for the final score of 5-3.
Gorman was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Donovan was 3-for-4. Lars Nootbaar was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Winn was caught stealing twice. Nootbaar was picked off first base. On defense, Dylan Carlson made a throwing error.
The Cardinals lost to the Phillies in the first game of a weekend series in Philadelphia. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up three runs on five hits, struck out five and walked one. Mikolas took the loss, his sixth of the season.
Kyle Leahy surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning of relief. Matthew Liberatore tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Phillies took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The Cardinals answered in the third on a solo home run by Brandon Crawford.
St. Louis closed the gap to 3-2 in the top of the seventh on a solo home run by Nolan Arenado. Philadelphia scored one run in the home half of the seventh to widen the lead to 4-2.
The Cardinals offense scored two runs on three hits. Crawford was 2-for-2 with an RBI and was the only Cardinal with multiple hits. The offense was 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position and left three men on base.
The Cardinals were defeated for the second time in the series on Saturday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched five innings, gave up four runs on five hits, struck out 10 and walked three. Gray took the loss, his third.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Gray and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. John King surrendered two unearned runs in 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Loutos tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Phillies again took a 3-0 lead, this time in the first inning. The Cardinals plated their only run of the game in the top of the third. Nolan Gorman singled and Michael Siani doubled. Gorman scored on a sac fly by Masyn Winn.
Philadelphia responded with one run in the home third to widen the lead to 4-1. They added two runs in the seventh for the 6-1 lead.
The Cardinals meager offense scored one run on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Doubles by Siani, Iván Herrera and Paul Goldschmidt were the only extra base hits. The team was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
The Cardinals salvaged one game from the series by beating the Phillies in extra innings in the final game on Sunday night. Starter Lance Lynn pitched four innings, gave up four unearned runs on three hits, struck out four and walked two.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and threw a scoreless fifth. Ryan Fernandez hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge and John King each pitched a scoreless inning. King earned the win. Ryan Helsley ended the game with a scoreless 10th inning.
The Cardinals took the lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Nolan Gorman. The Phillies came back to tie the game in the second.
The Cardinals regained the lead in the third on a two-run home run by Alec Burleson. In the fifth, the Phillies knotted it up again at 4-4.
The game remained 4-4 through regulation. The Cardinals scored the Manfred runner, Winn, on a single by Gorman to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th. The Phillies were kept off the board in the bottom of the inning.
The game was riddled with infield errors beginning with a botched double play in the second inning that led to the first two of the four unearned runs. The last two unearned runs were caused by errors committed by Lynn and catcher Iván Herrera.
The offense scored five runs on nine hits. Gorman was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Nolan Arenado was 2-for-4. Burleson had two RBI. Winn scored three runs.
Winn and Lynn had fielding miscues. Herrera made a throwing error.
The Big Picture
By the skin of their teeth, the Cardinals pulled off a 3-3 week on the road. They won two of three at the Reds and took one of three at the Phillies. The team remains in second place in the NL Central due to the Reds beating the Cubs twice over the weekend. The Cardinals would be the third NL Wild Card if the playoffs started tomorrow (they don’t, of course).
The team record hit .500 after the Reds series but fell back to one game under after two losses to the Phillies. The Brewers widened their lead in the division to seven games over St. Louis after beating up on the Cubs and the White Sox. After losing both games played in St Louis, the Cubs have lost five of their last seven games (no tears here).
The offense did not look good in the Phillies series. It didn’t help that two good hitters were unavailable for the weekend, Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan. Nootbaar is on the IL, but Donovan should be able to avoid a long outage due to neck stiffness. There remains a considerable amount of lethargy in this offense. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are still not back to their normal selves offensively despite some recent improvement.
The top performer for the week by OPS was Brandon Crawford (3.500), who had one good offensive game against the Phillies on Friday. Also, the currently ailing Brendan Donovan had a 1.542 OPS, all in the Reds series. Finally, Nolan Gorman came in at .988.
At the bottom are Alec Burleson (.303, home run on Sunday notwithstanding), and Dylan Carlson (.466). Pedro Pagés and José Fermín are both at .000, but with little to no playing time.
Carlson has been lackluster offensively since returning from the IL. He plays only because of recent injuries in the outfield, specifically to Nootbaar and Donovan.
The team needs Goldschmidt and Arenado to come out of their doldrums or whatever it is that is ailing them. Otherwise, it is going to be difficult to keep up the pace with the Cubs nipping at the heels and the Pirates still trying to be relevant. The Reds may put something together too at some point, as they have the knack for that.
The pitching is another matter. It is hanging in there but there have been hiccups. Sonny Gray has been looking a little green around the gills lately (metaphorically speaking). He still gets strikeouts but is giving up more runs and “walking dudes”, as he so eloquently put it. Lance Lynn has a penchant for wildness (and unearned runs). Miles Mikolas has been a little better of late and Kyle Gibson has been good. The fifth starter merry-go-round appears to have settled on Andre Pallante for the time being. He had a good start against the Reds.
Mikolas and Gray both had ERAs over 4.00 for the week, 4.50 and 7.20, respectively. Lynn has kept his down due to the unearned runs. Pallante (0.00) and Gibson (1.50) had good weeks.
The bullpen has been its usually sunny self, even though Ryan Helsley has attempted to give us cardiac arrest a few times at the end of games. He threw a good inning in Sunday’s game though. The characters keep changing, with new ones coming in to replace the ones going out with injuries. The newest addition to the gang is Ryan Loutos, who threw a scoreless inning this week.
The Cardinals finish their road trip in Houston starting on Monday. They end the week with the Rockies, who have played better of late and could be a handful. The Astros could be a challenge as well, especially with their good offense. The Cardinals pitching needs to step up in Houston.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Milwaukee
36
23
0.610
St. Louis
28
29
0.491
7
Chicago
29
31
0.483
7.5
Pittsburgh
27
32
0.458
9
Cincinnati
26
33
0.441
10
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
5/31 The Cardinals placed OF Lars Nootbaar on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. Left oblique strain.
5/31 The Cardinals recalled IF José Fermín from the Memphis Redbirds.
5/31 The Cardinals sent RHP Giovanny Gallegos on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman recently had a left-handed batting practice session and came through with no ill effects. Edman is expected to take BP next week. There is no timetable for his return.
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. Middleton is seeking a second opinion from a specialist this week. Middleton’s rehab assignment was halted due to continued soreness in his forearm.
LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left hander is expected to be out until September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien has thrown one bullpen session and will throw a second one at Busch Stadium. A rehab assignment appears on the horizon.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. Matz will throw a full intensity bullpen on Monday and then will be evaluated for a possible rehab assignment.
RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement). Gallegos was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 6. Gallegos was sent on a rehab assignment to Memphis and pitched one inning in the Redbirds game on Friday.
C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras had surgery on the arm and has had the cast removed. The catcher has resumed conditioning drills and is hopeful he will be medically cleared to swing at pitches with his right arm. Return is expected after the All-Star break if not sooner.
OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 30. Nootbaar injured the oblique while batting in the seventh inning in the final game in Cincinnati. The strain was described as “moderate” by manager Oli Marmol, and Marmol expects Nootbaar to be out several weeks.
RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 23. Robertson felt tightness while playing catch. A prolonged stay on the IL is not expected.
UT Brendan Donovan (neck) was held out of the Phillies series due to persistent neck stiffness. Donovan is considered day to day.
Looking Ahead
Continuing the road trip, the team travels to Houston for a three-game series against the Astros. Kyle Gibson is set to make the Monday start, followed by Andre Pallante on Tuesday and Miles Mikolas on Wednesday.
The Cardinals return home for a six game homestand with the Rockies and the Pirates. They then head out on another road trip that begins at Wrigley Field for three games and ends at Loan Depot Park in Miami against the Marlins for three.
The Cardinals will play the Giants in the annual Field of Dreams Game on Thursday, June 20 at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama, rather than the Field of Dreams field in Dyersville, Iowa. The latter field is undergoing major renovations.
The Cardinals finish the three-game series with the Giants at Busch Stadium after a Friday off day. The homestand then continues with three games against the Atlanta Braves and a four-game set with the Cincinnati Reds that ends the month of June.
Blast from the Past
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we look back at the period May 27 through June 2 to highlight unique events in Cardinal history. Some happened in a game, and others are team related events that are odd or just notable.
The following happenings in Cardinal history occurred during the period May 27 through June 2 for various years in the past.
Dizzy Dean
May 27, 2000 – The Cardinals dedicate a statute to Cardinals Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean outside Busch Stadium.
May 29, 1905 – Cardinals’ shortstop David Braun hit three triples in a 6-3 win over the Pirates.
May 30, 1922 – Before the second game of a doubleheader between the Cardinals and the Cubs, the two teams made a trade. The players, Cliff Heathcote and Max Flack, exchange their uniforms and play the second game for the other team. Both players had a hit.
Rogers Hornsby
May 30, 1925 – Between games of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates, second baseman Rogers Hornsby replaced Branch Rickey as manager of the Cardinals. Hornsby remained an active player and Rickey remained the team’s General Manager.
May 31, 1999 – In a game between the Cardinals and the Marlins in Miami, umpire Frank Pulli uses a dugout TV monitor to change a fifth inning home run by Cliff Floyd to a ground rule double in the first use of instant replay in an MLB game. The umpire is admonished by National League officials for using technology to make a call.
June 1, 1910 – In a 10-5 win over the Phillies, Cardinals shortstop Miller Huggins comes to the plate six times but has no official at bat. Huggins records four walks and two sacrifices.
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photo: Tommy Edman and Lars Nootbaar (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Lars Nootbaar on the 10-day injured list and recalled infielder Jose Fermin from Triple-A.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is back on the 10-day injured list. The 26-year-old strained the oblique muscle in his left side on a checked swing during Wednesday’s game.
Nootbaar also missed most of spring training and the first two weeks of the regular season due to two fractured ribs after being on the IL three times in 2023. The left-handed hitter had been on a spurt recently, but for the season is slashing .234/.337/.404/.741.
In an earlier stint with St. Louis from April 24 to May 11, Fermin batted .200, but with Triple-A Memphis, the 25-year-old has been exceptional. With the Redbirds, the right-handed hitter is slashing .346/.461/.615/1.076 to go with six home runs, 20 RBI and 10 steals in 32 games.
Nootbaar has become the ninth player on St. Louis’ injured list and the second outfielder, along with Tommy Edman.
For more
To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round, check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.
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.
The St. Louis Cardinals went 5-0 on the week with their first series sweep this season, The offense continues to get better as Masyn Winn led the charge with a 1.307 OPS during the week and a 15-game hitting streak. Our history feature looks at notable events during these dates in team history.
The Cardinals defeated the Orioles in a 6-3 win at Busch Stadium on Monday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs, one earned, on three hits, struck out six and walked two to earn his sixth win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. John King hurled a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Andrew Kittredge got the final out of the eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 14th save.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Nolan Gorman drew a walk and stole second base. Michael Siani plated Gorman on a single.
The Cardinals added four runs in the fourth to lead 5-0. Alec Burleson and Iván Herrera each singled. Masyn Winn doubled to score Burleson. Michael Siani followed with a three-run home run.
Baltimore came back to score three runs in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 5-3. St. Louis plated a sixth run in the seventh. Paul Goldschmidt walked and later scored on a single by Masyn Winn.
The Cardinals offense scored six runs on eight hits. Siani was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Winn was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Gorman stole his first base of the season. Siani swiped his fifth bag. Goldschmidt stole his third base and Burleson stole his second.
On defense, Winn made two fielding errors.
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 – (suspended)
The game was suspended due to inclement weather. It was completed as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, May 22.
The Cardinals won over the Orioles in the completion of the suspended game from Tuesday. Starter Lance Lynn pitched six innings, gave up one unearned run on two hits and struck out five to earn his second win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Lynn and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 15th save.
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Alec Burleson singled and later scored on a double by Nolan Gorman. The Orioles tied it in the fifth.
The Cardinals made it 3-1 in the sixth on a two-run home run by Gorman.
The Cardinals finally completed their first sweep of the season against the Orioles, who haven’t been swept in two years. This nail-biter was started by former Oriole, Kyle Gibson, who pitched four innings, gave up three unearned runs on five hits and struck out three.
John King relieved Gibson and threw two scoreless innings of relief to earn his first win. Kyle Leahy followed with two scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez surrendered one run in the ninth and earned his first save.
The Orioles took a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The Cardinals cut the lead to 3-1 in the fifth. Masyn Winn doubled and scored on a single by Lars Nootbaar.
St. Louis added three runs in the sixth to lead 4-3. Nolan Arenado singled. Dylan Carlson reached on a fielder’s choice with a fielding error. Brendan Donovan hit a little league home run that was scored as a double. Arenado, Carlson and Donovan scored.
The Cardinals edged the Cubs in a 7-6 nail-biter at Busch Stadium on Saturday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out six and walked two.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Mikolas and surrendered one unearned run in 2/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn his second win. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 16th save.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the third inning to lead 2-0. Brendan Donovan singled. Lars Nootbaar singled. Donovan advanced to third. Nootbaar stole second base. Paul Goldschmidt plated Donovan on a ground out. Nootbaar came home on a single by Nolan Arenado.
The Cubs took the lead 3-2 in the fourth. St. Louis tied the game in the sixth. Nolan Gorman singled and scored on a double by Masyn Winn.
Chicago regained the lead 4-3 in the seventh. In the eighth, the Cardinals rallied for four runs to lead 7-4. Alec Burleson singled. Gorman singled. Matt Carpenter plated Burleson on a single. Dylan Carlson pinch-ran for Carpenter. Brendan Donovan singled and Gorman and Carlson scored. Donovan scored on a triple by Nootbaar.
The Cubs rallied for two runs in the ninth but the Cardinals held on to win.
Donovan was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Nootbaar was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
On the bases, Nootbaar stole his third base. Gorman swiped his second bag. On defense, Goldschmidt made a missed catch error.
The Cardinals beat the Cubs in another nail-biting one-run game on Sunday after a 2 ½ hour rain delay. Starter Sonny Gray pitched five scoreless innings, allowed one hit, struck out eight and walked two to earn his seventh win.
John King relieved Gray and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge surrendered two runs in the seventh. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley allowed one run in the ninth but earned his 17th save.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a two-run home run by Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt hit a second two-run long ball in the fifth to increase the lead to 4-0.
The Cubs cut into the lead with two runs in the seventh, then added a run in the ninth to shrink the final score to 4-3.
Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Alec Burleson was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Iván Herrera stole his first base of the season. On defense, Masyn Winn made a fielding error. Gray picked a runner off second base.
Big Picture
The Cardinals played five games during the week after one game was postponed for weather reasons. They swept the Orioles in three games and beat the Cubs in both the games played for a 5-0 week. The third game will be made up on July 13.
The team is one game below .500 with a 25-26 record and stands in third place in the NL Central, 4.5 games back of the Brewers and one game back of the Cubs.
The offense continues to improve. The top offensive performers for the week by OPS are Masyn Winn (1.307), Nolan Gorman (1.283), Paul Goldschmidt (.985), and Matt Carpenter (.933). At the bottom are Pedro Pagés (.000 in 4 ABs), Dylan Carlson (.143), Nolan Arenado (.350), Iván Herrera (.424), and Michael Siani (.489).
Starters with an ERA under .400 for the week are Kyle Gibson (0.00), Lance Lynn (0.00), and Sonny Gray (.084). In the bullpen, Andrew Kittredge (5.40), Ryan Helsley (6.75) and Ryan Fernandez (9.00) all had hiccups during the week. Helsley gave up ninth inning runs in both Cubs games.
The team is 8-2 over their last 10 games. The streak of wins has pulled them out of the cellar of the NL Central. Hopefully, this will continue and no regression will occur.
Several hitters need to pick up their game, most notably Nolan Arenado, who is mired in a terrible slump of late. The absence of Willson Contreras has put Iván Herrera front and center and his offense has suffered over the last few weeks. Dylan Carlson has been relegated to a late-inning replacement because his offense is considerably lacking. These players and a few others need to improve and keep the team moving in the right direction.
The Cardinals head out for a road trip this week, first in Cincinnati to play the Reds in three games and then on to Philadelphia to play the red-hot Phillies. This coming week will be a challenge.
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB
Milwaukee
30
22
.577
——-
Chicago
27
26
.509
3.5
St. Louis
25
26
.490
4.5
Pittsburgh
25
29
.463
6
Cincinnati
23
30
.434
7.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
5/20 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds
5/20 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Ryan Loutos from the Memphis Redbirds.
5/20 The Cardinals activated RHP Ryan Loutos.
5/20 The Cardinals designated IF Alfonso Rivas III for assignment.
5/22 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds
5/23 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
5/23 The Cardinals sent IF Alfonso Rivas III outright to the Memphis Redbirds.
5/26 The Cardinals placed RHP Nick Robertson on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 23. Right elbow inflammation.
5/26 The Cardinals recalled RHP Andre Pallante from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman is swinging off a tee from both sides with no issues. A late May return remains the hope.
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. Middleton reported being “pretty sore” after his last rehab appearance. The right-hander will return to St. Louis where the team will decide the next steps.
LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left-hander is expected to be out until September.
RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien has been throwing from 90 feet.
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. Matz has had a setback in his recovery and has been shut down from throwing. Matz felt pain after a mound session on Friday. The left-hander was given a pain-killing injection. His return is now likely not until June.
RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement). Gallegos was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 6. Gallegos threw a bullpen session on May 25.
C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras had surgery on the arm and has had the cast removed. The catcher has resumed conditioning drills and is hopeful he will be medically cleared to swing at pitches with this right arm. Return is expected after the All-Star break if not sooner.
Looking Ahead.
The Cardinals finish the homestand against the Cubs on Sunday night. The team then begins a road trip that takes them to Cincinnati to play the Reds in a three-game series. Lance Lynn is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Kyle Gibson on Tuesday. The starter for Wednesday is yet to be named.
The series with the Reds is followed by a weekend series with the Phillies in Philadelphia. The road trip concludes with a three-game series against the Astros in Houston.
The Cardinals return home for a six-game homestand with the Rockies and the Pirates. They then head out on another road trip that begins at Wrigley Field for three games and ends at Loan Depot Park in Miami against the Marlins for a three-game series.
The Cardinals will play the Giants in the annual Field of Dreams game on Thursday, June 20. That game will be played at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama rather than the Field of Dreams field in Dyersville Iowa. That field is undergoing major renovations.
Blast from the Past
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we look back at the period May 20 through May 26 to highlight some unique events in Cardinal history. Some may be things that happened in a game, or they may be team-related events that are odd or just notable.
The following are a list of the happenings in Cardinal history during the period May 20 through May 26 for various years in the past.
May 20, 2004 – Cardinals’ catcher Mike Matheny handles his 1,295th chance without an error breaking the major league record for catchers set by Marlins’ catcher Charles Johnson in 1997.
May 21, 1975 – Cardinal pitcher Bob Gibson pitched the last complete game of his career. The Cardinals lost 1-0 to the Padres. Gibson’s line was 8IP/4H/0ER/3BB/1K.
May 21, 2009 – A first-inning home run by Albert Pujols in a 3-1 win over the Cubs at Busch Stadium, knocked out the “I” in the Big Mac Land sign.
May 22, 1993 – Ozzie Smith plays in his 2,223rd game as a shortstop, breaking the record previously held by Larry Bowa.
May 24, 1964 –Seven major league teams, including the Cardinals, are shut out on this night. The remaining six are the Pirates, Phillies, White Sox, Twins, and Mets.
May 24, 1994 – The Cardinals strand 16 men on base and don’t score, setting a major league record in a 4-0 loss to the Phillies at Busch Stadium.
May 25, 1998 – Mark McGwire becomes the first player in major league history to hit 25 home runs before June 1.
May 26, 1953 – The Cardinals sign their first black player, outfielder Len Tucker, to a $3,000 contract. However, Tucker never makes it to the big leagues. Tom Alston became the first black player signed by the Cardinals to make the major league team. This happened a year later.
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On Saturday, the St. Louis Cardinals placed three players on the injured lists of their full-season minor league teams, including The Cardinal Nation no. 3 prospect Tekoah Roby.
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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 Wednesday podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 15-20 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.
This week, Brian and Blake discuss Top 20 prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system per the May rankings at The Cardinal Nation who are not yet meeting lofty expectations. Ten players are profiled – Tekoah Roby, Victor Scott, Thomas Saggese, Cooper Hjerpe, Gordon Graceffo, Chase Davis, Won-Bin Cho, Michael McGreevy, Max Rajcic and Ian Bedell.
Notes
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Looking Ahead
Cardinals Select Reliever Jacob Bosiokovic from Memphis
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide