photo: Alec Burleson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals flipped the script with a 6-1 week following a 1-5 one. The pitching improved as Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker heated up. Our history section highlights Cardinals teammates who later became Hall of Famers.
Three to Enter Cardinals Hall of Fame
The annual selection process for choosing inductees into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame concluded this past week with three new members announced. To no one’s surprise, former Cardinals Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina were selected by fan votes from the Modern Era. A third inductee, selected by the Hall of Fame Red Ribbon committee, was a left-handed pitcher from the Veterans Era category. Bill Sherdel pitched for the Cardinals from 1918 to 1930. Like his co-inductee Pujols, Sherdel left the Cardinals and later returned to play in his final season for the Cardinals, which in his case was 1932.
Pujols, widely considered one of the best right-handed hitters in MLB history, was drafted by the Cardinals in the 13th round in 1999 MLB. He debuted on April 2, 2001. What followed was 11 years of baseball excellence, culminating in a period that included the Rookie of the Year Award, three NL MVP selections, nine All-Star selections, six Silver Slugger Awards and two Gold Glove Awards.
Pujols returned to the Cardinals in 2022, after 9 1/2 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, and a half-season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pujols had announced he would retire after the 2022 season and wished to end his career where it started. During that magical 2022 season, Pujols reached the milestone of 700 career home runs. On September 23, he hit his 699th and 700th home runs in, ironically, a game with the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, his baseball home prior to returning to St. Louis.
Yadier Molina spent his entire baseball career with the Cardinals. Molina was drafted in the fourth round in 2000 and debuted on June 3, 2004. This Cardinals catching icon, and likely future Hall of Famer, retired from baseball in 2022 alongside his good friend Pujols.
Molina, widely considered one of the best defensive catchers in baseball history, won nine Gold Glove Awards, four Platinum Gloves and was a ten-time All-Star. He also led the NL in caught stealing percentage in four seasons (2005, 2007, 2010 and 2014). Molina, along with battery mate Adam Wainwright, broke the MLB record for career starts as a battery with 328. He led the league in other defensive categories not listed here.
Molina is currently employed with the Cardinals as a Special Assistant to President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom. He was in the dugout over the weekend when the Hall of Fame selections were announced.
Bill Sherdel (sure-DELL), the Red Ribbon Committee selection, was a left-handed pitcher for the Cardinals from 1918-1930. He helped the Cardinals win their first World Series titled in 1926. Sherdel led the NL in win percentage (.714) in 1925 and his 153 career wins are the most by any left-hander in franchise history. Sherdel ranks fifth overall in pitching wins for the Cardinals. Sherdel compiled a won/loss record of 153-131 with an ERA of 3.72 in 514 total games with St. Louis.
After Sherdel was traded to the Boston Braves in 1930, he returned to finish his career with the Cardinals in 1932 but pitched in only three games. Sherdel passed away on November 14, 1968 at the age of 72.
Pujols, Molina and Sherdel will be officially inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony on the field on September 12 in St. Louis.
Game Recaps
Monday, April 27, 2026 – Cardinals 4 at Pirates 2
The Cardinals beat the Pirates in the first of a four-game series at PNC Park on Monday. Starter Dustin May pitched six innings, gave up two runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out two.
Ryan Fernandez relieved May and threw two scoreless innings to earn the win. George Soriano tossed a scoreless ninth for his first save.
The Pirates scored single runs in the first and second innings to lead 2-0.
The Cardinals were scoreless until they executed a rally in the ninth inning with four runs to take the lead and win the game 4-2. Pedro Pagés began with a solo home run to end the shutout. JJ Wetherholt followed with a solo home run to tie the game. Iván Herrera drew a walk. Alec Burleson singled. Jordan Walker drew a walk. With the bases loaded, José Fermín doubled to plate Herrera and Burleson to lead 4-2.
The Cardinals scored four runs on six hits. Fermín was 2-for-2 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Cardinals 11 at Pirates 7
The Cardinals defeated the Pirates in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Starter Kyle Leahy pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on nine hits and fanned seven to earn his third win.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Leahy and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Justin Bruihl surrendered three runs, two earned, in the eighth. Matt Svanson yielded one run in the ninth.
The Cardinals took the lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman. St. Louis added two runs in the third. Victor Scott blasted a solo home run to right, out of the park and into the Allegheny River. JJ Wetherholt doubled. Jordan Walker singled to plate Wetherholt.
In the fifth, St. Louis put up three runs to extend the lead to 6-0. Wetherholt and Iván Herrera walked. Alec Burleson’s ground-rule double scored Wetherholt. Herrera came home on a sac fly by Walker. Gorman hit a sac fly to bring home Burleson.
The Pirates got on the board in the sixth with three runs to cut the lead to 6-3. The Cardinals answered with three more in the seventh to extend the lead to 9-3. Herrera and Burleson walked. Walker singled to score Herrera. Burleson crossed the plate on a ground out by Gorman. Masyn Winn plated Walker on a single.
St. Louis added two more runs in the top of the eighth to increase the lead to 11-3. Wetherholt was hit by a pitch. Herrera doubled. Burleson doubled to score Wetherholt and Herrera.
Pittsburgh responded in the home eighth with three runs to shrink the lead to 11-6. They added a final run in the ninth.
St. Louis’ offense scored 11 runs on 12 hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Walker was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Gorman had three RBI. Herrera and Wetherholt scored three runs.
Herrera stole his first base of the season. Walker swiped his fifth bag. Pedro Pagés had a passed ball.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 – Cardinals 5 at Pirates 4
The Cardinals edged the Pirates by a 5-4 score in the third game of the series on Wednesday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched six innings, gave up one run on five hits and fanned six to earn his third win of the season.
Ryne Stanek relieved Pallante and surrendered two runs in 1/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. George Soriano yielded one unearned run in the eighth. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Ramón Urías walked and scored on JJ Wetherholt’s double.
St. Louis took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run by Burleson. Pittsburgh cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the inning.
In the top of the seventh, the Cardinals scored two additional runs to extend the lead to 5-1. Victor Scott was hit by a pitch and stole second and third base. Iván Herrera singled to plate Scott. Herrera later came home on a single by Jordan Walker.
The Pirates responded in the home seventh with two runs to shrink the lead to 5-3. They pulled to within 5-4 in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored five runs on six hits. Herrera was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wetherholt was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Winn stole his fourth base of the season. Scott stole two bases. Winn and Urías each made a fielding error.
Thursday, April 30, 2026 – Cardinals 10 at Pirates 5
The Cardinals took the fourth game of the series and swept the Pirates in a 10-5 victory on Thursday. Starter Hunter Dobbins, making his Cardinals debut, pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on two hits, walked five and fanned four.
Justin Bruihl relieved Dobbins and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Gordon Graceffo hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. JoJo Romero surrendered a run in 2/3 of an inning. Ryne Stanek pitched a scoreless eighth. Matt Svanson yielded a run in the ninth.
The Cardinals went ahead 3-0 in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt led off with a solo home run. Iván Herrera singled. Jordan Walker followed with a two-run home run.
St. Louis made it 4-0 in the third. Alec Burleson singled and advanced to second on an error. Burleson came home on a single by Nolan Gorman.
Pittsburgh cut the lead to 4-1 in the fourth. The Cardinals scored one in the top of the fifth to increase the lead to 5-1. Wetherholt singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Burleson plated Wetherholt on a single.
The Pirates answered with two runs in the home fifth to shrink the lead to 5-3. They pulled to within 5-4 in the seventh.
In the eighth, the Cardinals surged for five runs to blow up the score to 10-4. Gorman and Masyn Winn singled. Nathan Church doubled to plate Gorman and Winn. Victor Scott and Herrera walked. Burleson singled to score Church and Scott. Walker drove in Herrera on a single.
The Pirates added one run in the ninth for the 10-5 final.
The Cardinals scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Burleson was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Walker was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Wetherholt was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Gorman was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Pedro Pagés was 2-for-5. Church had two RBI. Herrera scored two runs.
Walker made a throwing error.
Friday, May 1, 2026 – Cardinals 7, Dodgers 2
The Cardinals defeated the Dodgers in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Friday. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, walked two and fanned four to earn his first win.
George Soriano relieved Liberatore and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Gordon Graceffo hurled a scoreless eighth. Matt Svanson tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went ahead 3-0 in the first inning. Iván Herrera and Jordan Walker singled. Both runners advanced on a throwing error by Dodger catcher Will Smith. Herrera then scored on a balk and Walker advanced to third. Nolan Gorman hit a two-run home run.
Los Angeles scored one run in the second, but St. Louis made it 4-1 in the third on a solo home run by Alec Burleson.
The Dodgers shrunk the lead to 4-2 in the sixth. The Cardinals put up three runs in the seventh to lead 7-2. Herrera singled. Burleson walked. Walker doubled to plate Herrera and Burleson. Walker advanced to third on a fielding error. Masyn Winn was hit by a pitch. Walker scored on a force out by Nathan Church.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 12 hits. Walker was 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Herrera was 2-for-5 with two run scored. Winn was 2-for-3. Gorman had two RBI. Burleson scored two runs.
Walker stole his sixth base of the season.
Saturday, May 2, 2026 – Cardinals 3, Dodgers 2
The Cardinals edged the Dodgers in the second game of the series on Saturday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, walked three and struck out three.
Ryne Stanek relieved McGreevy and threw a scoreless seventh. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless eighth. Riley O’Brien surrendered two runs in the ninth but still received his ninth save.
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Iván Herrera doubled. Alec Burleson plated Herrera on a double. Jordan Walker followed with a two-run home run.
The score remained 3-0 when the Dodgers rallied for two runs in the ninth on some wonky base hits past the Cardinals middle infield. Closer O’Brien struck out the final hitter to end the rally.
The Cardinals scored three runs on six hits. Walker was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Despite the ninth inning Dodgers rally, the Cardinals’ middle infield made several dazzling double plays.
Sunday, May 3, 2026 – Cardinals 1, Dodgers 4
The Cardinals were unable to complete the sweep over the Dodgers on Sunday. Starter Dustin May pitched six innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out three. May took the loss.
Justin Bruihl relieved May and threw a scoreless seventh. Jared Shuster surrendered one unearned run in the final two innings.
The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the second and added a run in the fifth.
The Cardinals got on the board with one run in the eighth. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Alec Burleson singled and Walker scored from first.
Los Angeles scored a fourth run in the ninth due to a Masyn Winn error and won the game 4-1.
The Cardinals scored one run on seven hits, all singles. Winn and Nathan Church were 2-for-4. The offense was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
Church was caught stealing. Winn made a fielding error.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals massively improved their performance from the prior week. After going 1-5, they turned it around to go 6-1. St. Louis swept the Pirates in four games and won 2-of-3 from the Dodgers. They are 20-14 for the season and are tied for second place in the NL Central with the Reds. Both teams are two games back of the Cubs.
The offense was much improved over the previous week. Top performers over the last seven days by OPS are Alec Burleson (1.225), Jordan Walker (1.098), and Jose Fermín (1.167 in 6 ABs). Burleson was recently at the bottom in OPS. Walker’s performance had taken a nosedive as well but has come back, at least for the present.
At the bottom are Ramón Urías (.222), Victor Scott (.461) and Nathan Church (.467). Urías has been unproductive for a while now, but he continues to receive starts at third base against left-handed pitching. Thomas Saggese can also play third (and left) but has received very little playing time due the manager’s preference for Urías. If this continues, it perhaps would be better for Saggese to be optioned to Memphis for regular playing time. José Fermín is available to play in the outfield when needed until Lars Nootbaar returns from the injured list.
The pitching has improved somewhat, though whether this improvement continues remains to be seen. Starters Dustin May, Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, and Andre Pallante all had ERAs for the week under 4.00. Hunter Dobbins was brought up from Memphis for one start and his performance was the weakest of all the starting pitchers. Kyle Leahy pitched better over the last week than in his previous starts.
The bullpen remains the weak link but performed better this period. In other words, it was not the train wreck it has been since the season started, which is not exactly an endorsement. However, as has been stated repeatedly for weeks now, there is no help in Memphis for this bullpen. It is this group or bust, at least for the time being.
The Brewers are in town to begin the week for three games. The Brewers have not performed to their past level from the recent years and are currently tied for last place in the Division with the Pirates. However, the NL Central continues to be the best performing Division in either league with all five teams playing above .500 for quite some time.
The Cardinals end the week with a four-game series in San Diego. The Padres started the season strongly but have lost their last four games as of this writing.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Chicago | 22 | 12 | 0.647 | |
| St. Louis | 20 | 14 | 0.588 | 2 |
| Cincinnati | 20 | 14 | 0.588 | 2 |
| Milwaukee | 18 | 15 | 0.545 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | 19 | 16 | 0.543 | 3 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 4/27 The Cardinals claimed LHP Luis Peralta off waivers from the Colorado Rockies and optioned him to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/30 The Cardinals optioned RHP Ryan Fernandez to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/30 The Cardinals activated RHP Hunter Dobbins from the 15-day injured list.
- 5/1 The Cardinals optioned RHP Hunter Dobbins to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/1 The Cardinals selected the contract of LHP Jared Shuster from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/1 The Cardinals designated LHP Luis Peralta for assignment.
- 5/3: Peralta was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs.
To accommodate the return of Jared Shuster to St. Louis, Luis Peralta was sacrificed, even though he was not in the organization long enough to appear in even one game.
Injury Report
- OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) is expected to begin a rehab assignment on or about May 10 according to Cardinals manager Oli Marmol. Nootbaar will follow a spring training-like progression. He is eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list on May 24.
- RHP Hunter Dobbins was activated from the 15-day injured list on April 29 and recalled from the rehab assignment on that date to make a start for the Cardinals against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. After the start, Dobbins was optioned to the Memphis Redbirds.
- LHP Matt Pushard was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 30. Right knee patellar tendinitis. Pushard is on a continuing rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
Looking Ahead
The weekend series with the Dodgers concluded on Sunday. The homestand continues with three games against the Brewers. Kyle Leahy is expected to make the Monday start, followed by Andre Pallante on Tuesday. Wednesday’s starter is listed as to be determined but will likely be Matthew Liberatore.
The team follows the homestand with a six-game road trip to California that includes three at the Padres and three with the Athletics in Sacramento.
The Cardinals return from the West Coast for a six-game homestand with the Royals and the Pirates.
After the Pirates series, the Cardinals go on the road to play the Reds and Brewers.
The team will end May at home with a weekend series with the Cubs.
Blast from the Past
Last week, the Cardinals announced the selections for the 2026 class of the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Three players were chosen, two by fan vote and one by the Red Ribbon Committee. The fan vote selections were not a surprise, as teammates and friends Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina are in the 2026 class, their first year eligible. The Red Ribbon Committee selection was LHP Bill Sherdel.
This week’s Blast from the Past draws its subject from this announcement of Pujols and Molina as 2026 selections. We look at the past selections since the Cardinals Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2014 when teammates were selected in the same year.
We also look at Cardinals’ players selected for the National Baseball Hall of Fame who were teammates and inducted in proximity or Cardinals who were inducted in the same year who were not teammates. In this case we only choose players who went into the Hall of Fame as Cardinals.
Below is a list of the teammate selections for both the Cardinals Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame by year of selection.
Cardinals Hall of Fame
- Class of 2026 – Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. Teammates from 2004 through 2011 and in 2022.
- Class of 2020 – Tom Herr and John Tudor. Teammates from 1985 through 1988.
- Class of 2019 – Scott Rolen and Jason Isringhausen. Teammates from 2002 through 2007.
- Class of 2018 – Vince Coleman and Ray Lankford were teammates in 1990.
- Class of 2015 – Curt Flood and Ted Simmons were teammates in 1968 and 1969.
- Class of 2014 – The inaugural class was very large. Teammates inducted included Ken Boyer, Bob Gibson, and Lou Brock; Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee, and Bruce Sutter and Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst. The remainder of the class were teammates at various times from the 1920s through the 1930s as players. The class also included non-players.
Baseball Hall of Fame
No Cardinals were inducted in the same year who had been teammates. However, two pairs of teammates were inducted in consecutive years. Jesse Haines and Chick Hafey were inducted in 1970 and 1971, respectively. Joe Medwick and Stan Musial were inducted in 1968 and 1969.
Two Cardinals from different eras were inducted as Cardinals in the same year, Lou Brock and Enos Slaughter in 1985. Brock was voted in by the BBWAA (sportswriters) and Slaughter was selected by the Veterans Committee.
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