photo: Ryan Helsley (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
For the first time this season, the St. Louis Cardinals won consecutive series, but have yet to escape the division cellar. The back end of the bullpen – JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Helsley – has been strong. Our history feature highlights Cardinals happenings this week in prior years.
Game recaps
Monday, April 22, 2024 – Cardinals 5, Diamondbacks 3
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Diamondbacks in a 5-3 contest on Monday at Busch Stadium. Starter Lance Lynn pitched five innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out seven and walked three.
Ryan Fernandez relieved and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge and JoJo Romero combined for two run-free innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth and received the win.
Arizona took a 2-0 lead in the second inning and added a run in the fifth.
St. Louis cut the visitors’ lead to 3-2 in the sixth. Masyn Winn, Michael Siani and Brendan Donovan walked. Lars Nootbaar plated Winn and Siani on a single. In the seventh, Paul Goldschmidt tied the game on a solo home run.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk it off 5-3. Goldschmidt singled. Nolan Gorman hit a walk off two-run home run on the first pitch he saw.
The Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Nootbaar and Gorman each drove in two.
On the base paths, Winn stole his fourth base of the season.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 – Cardinals 1, Diamondbacks 14
The Cardinals suffered a 14-1 blowout by the Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. Starter Steven Matz pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up seven runs on six hits, struck out four and walked three. Matz took the loss, his second of the season.
Zack Thompson surrendered seven runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Nick Robertson tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Cardinals scored their only run of the game in the first inning on a solo home run by Willson Contreras.
The Diamondbacks scored four runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead. Arizona continued to put runs on the board with six in the fifth, and four in the sixth to go up 14-1.
The Cardinals scored one run on six hits. Nolan Gorman was 2-for-4.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 – Cardinals 5, Diamondbacks 1
The Cardinals won the home series over the Diamondbacks with a 5-1 victory on Wednesday. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched six innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out six and walked two to earn his second win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Gibson and threw a scoreless seventh. Andrew Kittredge hurled a run-free eighth and Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth.
Arizona took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals took the lead in the sixth with two runs. Brendan Donovan singled and Willson Contreras doubled. Nolan Arenado singled and Donovan scored. Contreras came home on a wild pitch.
St. Louis increased the lead to 3-1 in the seventh. Masyn Winn singled and scored on a single by Nolan Gorman. In the eighth, the Cardinals made it 5-1. Arenado walked and later crossed the plate on a double by Lars Nootbaar.
Donovan and Paul Goldschmidt were each 2-for-4. Nootbaar had two RBI.
Thursday, April 25, 2024 – Off day
Friday, April 26, 2024 – Cardinals 4 at Mets 2
The Cardinals prevailed over the Mets in the first of a three-game series at Citi Field on Friday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out five to earn his second win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Mikolas and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge hurled a run-free eighth and Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save.
St. Louis went up 3-0 in the second inning. Nolan Arenado was hit by a pitch and Paul Goldschmidt walked. Alec Burleson followed with a three-run home run to right center field. The Cardinals added a fourth run in the third on a solo home run by Willson Contreras.
New York tried to come back with single runs in the fifth and sixth to cut the lead to 4-2.
The Cardinals scored four runs on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Burleson had three RBI.
Saturday, April 27, 2024 – Cardinals 7 at Mets 4
The Cardinals won Game 2 on Saturday to take the series with the Mets. Starter Sonny Gray pitched six innings, gave up four runs, one earned, on four hits, struck out nine and walked three to earn his third win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and threw a scoreless seventh. Andrew Kittredge hurled a run-free eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his ninth save.
St. Louis went up 4-0 in the first inning. Brendan Donovan doubled and Willson Contreras singled. Nolan Arenado singled to score Donovan. Paul Goldschmidt plated Contreras and Arenado on a double. Goldschmidt came home on a single by Masyn Winn.
The Cardinals increased the lead to 5-0 in the third. Arenado walked and later scored on a double by Nolan Gorman. St. Louis made it 6-0 in the top of the fifth. Paul Goldschmidt singled and later cross the plate on a balk.
The Mets rallied for four runs in the home half of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-4. The Cardinals added one more run to make it 7-4 in the eighth. Gorman singled. Winn walked. The runners advanced on a sac bunt by Michael Siani. Gorman scored on a sac fly by Donovan.
Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Gorman was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Arenado had an RBI and two runs scored.
On the base paths, Goldschmidt and Nootbaar each stole a base. In the field, Arenado made a fielding error.
Sunday, April 28, 2024 – Cardinals 2 at Mets 4 (11 innings)
The Cardinals lost an extra innings game with the Mets on Sunday, failing to complete the sweep. Starter Lance Lynn pitched five innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out three and walked three.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Lynn and threw two scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos hurled 2/3 of a run-free ball. Pitching the final three innings, Matthew Liberatore surrendered three runs, two earned – all in the 11th – and took the loss.
The Cardinals scored first with a first inning run. Masyn Winn doubled and advanced to third on a ground out by Nolan Gorman. Michael Siani bunted and plated Winn on a squeeze play.
The Mets tied the game in the sixth and it remained tied through regulation. Neither team scored in the 10th. The Cardinal added one in the top of the 11th. Brendan Donovan singled and ghost runner Michael Siani came home.
In the home half of the 11th, Liberatore gave up a two-out single to Harrison Bader as the Mets scored their ghost runner to re-tie the game. Pinch hitter Mark Vientos then hit a two-run home run to give the Mets the 4-2 walk off win.
St. Louis scored two runs on just four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense was 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
On the base paths, Siani stole his second base of the season.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals improved their record with a 4-2 week, winning both series against the Diamondbacks and the Mets. The Cardinals remain in last place in the NL Central with a record of 13-15, 4.5 games back of the Brewers.
The offense has improved somewhat over the previous two weeks. The top offensive players by OPS over the last seven days are Alec Burleson (1.238), Willson Contreras (.979, despite dealing with lingering hand soreness), and Nolan Gorman (.960). Gorman climbed up from a previous OPS of .000.
In the basement are Ivan Herrera (.000), Michael Siani (.105) Jordan Walker (.250), Brandon Crawford (.334), Lars Nootbaar (.368), and Nolan Arenado (.482).
There is clearly room for more offense, but the small improvement over the last week has put the team closer to a .500 record.
The Cardinals optioned struggling right fielder Jordan Walker to Memphis with the hope he can fix his swing without the pressure of the major leagues. Michael Siani is the sole option in center with both Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson on the IL. The team is hesitant to play Nootbaar in center given his recent injury history. Siani has contributed with his defense, and though his stats don’t show it, he has come in clutch on several occasions with his excellent bunting skills and speed.
On the pitching side, the staff has performed well, with the only black marks for the disastrous 14-1 loss to the Diamondbacks due to Steven Matz and Zack Thompson giving up seven runs apiece in that game. Thompson has been optioned to Memphis for more work.
The bullpen has been very good. The big three of JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge, and Ryan Helsley were excellent in the final three innings. Rookie Ryan Fernandez has also pitched well when needed.
The Cardinals play three games in Detroit with the Tigers and then return home for three with the struggling Chicago White Sox.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Milwaukee | 17 | 10 | 0.630 | |
| Chicago | 17 | 11 | 0.607 | 0.5 |
| Cincinnati | 15 | 13 | 0.571 | 2.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 14 | 15 | 0.483 | 4 |
| St. Louis | 13 | 15 | 0.464 | 4.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 4/24 The Cardinals optioned RF Jordan Walker to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/24 The Cardinals optioned LHP Zack Thompson to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/24 The Cardinals recalled SS José Fermín from the Memphis Redbirds
- 4/24 The Cardinals recalled LHP John King from the Memphis Redbirds
Injury Report
- CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) has been on the 10-day injured list since March 25. Edman has begun hitting off a tee. His projected return remains at least a month away.
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) has been on the 15-day injured list since March 25. Middleton has progressed through a throwing program with the aim of beginning a rehab assignment soon. Early May is the target for return.
- LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis) has been on the 15-day injured list since March 25. No further updates are available.
- CF Dylan Carlson (left AC joint sprain) has been on the 10-day injured list since March 26. Carlson successfully took batting practice at Busch Stadium over the weekend. The outfielder is expected to begin a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds on April 30 or May 1.
- RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) has been on the 15-day injured list since March 29. O’Brien has started a throwing program. A potential early May return continues to be the expectation.
- DH Matt Carpenter (right oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 2. Carpenter took batting practice with the team during the Brewers series at Busch Stadium. He received a pain-killing injection on April 22. He was shut down for three days and then resumed batting practice with the Cardinals at Citi Field. He is being evaluated for a rehab assignment.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals traveled from New York to Detroit for a three-game series. Steven Matz is set to start Monday vs. the Tigers. Kyle Gibson will make the Tuesday start (vs. Jack Flaherty) followed by Miles Mikolas on Wednesday.
The team travels home on Thursday, May 2 to play a weekend series with the Chicago White Sox. The homestand continues with the Mets beginning Monday, May 6.
The next road trip opens with a four in Milwaukee against the Brewers beginning Thursday, May 9. The team then travels to Los Angeles for a three-game set with the Angels.
The Cardinals return to St. Louis on Thursday, May 16 for a weekend series starting Friday with the Boston Red Sox. The homestand continues with three against the Baltimore Orioles, followed by an off day and a weekend series with the Cubs.
Blast from the Past
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we look back at the period April 22 through April 28 to highlight unique events in Cardinals history. Some may be from a game, or team-related events that are odd or just notable.
The following lists happenings in Cardinals history during the period of April 22 through April 28.
April 22, 1925 – In the home opener against the Cincinnati Reds at Sportsman’s Park, the Cardinals rack up 11 runs on 12 hits in the first inning. St. Louis won the game 12-3.
April 22, 2000 – The Cardinals set the National League record for most home runs in the month of April with 42. The team finished the month with 55 home runs. Prior to this date the Braves had the record for the month of April with 41.
April 23, 1954 – Hank Aaron hit the first of his 755 home runs in a game against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
April 23, 1999 – Fernando Tatis became the only player in major league history to hit two grand slams in the same inning. Both long balls were hit off Dodgers starter Chan Ho Park in the third inning. Eleven runs scored in that inning.
April 25, 1978 – The Cardinals fire unpopular manager Vern Rapp and replace him with Ken Boyer.
April 26, 1941 – The Cardinals beat the Cubs 4-2 at Wrigley Field, a game which featured the first time an organ was used to entertain fans.
April 26, 1992 – Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith stole his 500th base at Busch Stadium. Smith stole three bags in a 6-0 loss to the Montreal Expos.
April 27, 1932 – Cardinals manager Gabby Street is fined for violating an NL policy prohibiting talking to spectators.
April 27, 2005 – Cardinals 2B Mark Grudzielanek becomes the 16th Cardinal to hit for the cycle at Busch Stadium in a 6-3 win over the Brewers.
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