photo: Richie Palacios (Memphis Redbirds)
The St. Louis Cardinals sink deeper, losing five of six in Pennsylvania while being outscored 43-13. Filling in as the center fielder, Richie Palacios has performed well. Our history feature on underperforming Cards teams looks back at the 76-86 squad from 1988.
Game Recaps
Monday, August 21, 2023 – Cardinals 1 at Pirates 11
The St. Louis Cardinals were walloped by the Pirates by 10 runs on Monday. In his MLB debut, starter Drew Rom pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up eight runs, six earned, on eight hits, struck out four and walked four. Rom took the loss.
Casey Lawrence surrendered three runs in 4 1/3 innings of relief.
The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Pittsburgh continued to score, putting up two in the third and four in the fourth to lead 8-0.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the fifth on a solo home run by Andrew Knizner.
The Pirates added three additional runs in the eighth for the final margin of 11-1.
St. Louis had one run on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
In the field, José Fermin made a throwing error.
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 – Cardinals 3 at Pirates 6
The Cardinals lost to the Pirates in the second game of the road series on Tuesday. Starter Adam Wainwright pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up six runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked one. Wainwright suffered his ninth loss of the season and remains two short of 200 for his career.
John King threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Jacob Barnes hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Andre Pallante tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Pirates scored one run in the fourth to lead 1-0. The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the fifth on a solo home run by Richie Palacios.
The Pirates put up five runs in the home fifth to go up 6-1. The Cardinals made it 6-2 in the sixth as Paul Goldschmidt walked and scored on a double by Willson Contreras. St. Louis added a third and final run in the seventh. Jordan Walker singled and later came home on a single by Alec Burleson.
Burleson was 2-for-4 with an RBI. He was the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
Wednesday, August 23, 2023 – Cardinals 6 at Pirates 4
The Cardinals avoided being swept by winning the final game of the series from the Pirates on Wednesday. Starter Zack Thompson pitched five innings, gave up two runs on six hits, struck out five and walked one to earn his third win.
Andre Pallante surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Drew VerHagen threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero relinquished one run in the final two innings.
The Cardinals took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Alec Burleson singled and advanced to second on an error. Burleson came home on a single by Paul Goldschmidt. Nolan Arenado drew a walk. Richie Palacios doubled to plate Goldschmidt and Arenado.
The Cardinals added two runs in the second inning. Burleson and Goldschmidt walked. Both came home on a double by Nolan Arenado.
The Pirates came back with single runs in the third, fifth, and sixth innings to cut the lead to 5-3.
In the top of the ninth, the Cardinals made it 6-3. Andrew Knizner singled and crossed the plate on a force out by Masyn Winn. The Pirates made it 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth.
Palacios was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
On the base paths, Masyn Winn stole his first base of his MLB career.
Thursday, August 24, 2023 – Off day
Friday, August 25, 2023 – Cardinals 2 at Phillies 7
The Cardinals fell to the Phillies in the first game of a weekend series in Philadelphia on Friday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up five runs on eight hits and struck out three.
Andrew Suarez surrendered two runs in the final two innings.
In the top of the first inning, Paul Goldschmidt launched a two-run home run. These were the Cardinals’ only runs all evening.
The Phillies put up three runs in the second and a fourth run in the third. In the sixth the Phillies added one and followed that with two more in the seventh for a 7-2 lead.
The Cardinals offense scored two runs in five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Goldschmidt had two RBI.
Nolan Arenado made a fielding error.
Saturday, August 26, 2023 – Cardinals 1 at Phillies 12
The Cardinals suffered their second humiliating blow out loss of the week on Saturday. Starter Dakota Hudson pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on six hits, struck out one and walked five. Hudson took the loss.
Andre Pallante relieved Hudson and surrendered three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Giovanny Gallegos relinquished four runs while securing just one out. Andrew Suarez tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals scored their lone run in the top of the third inning on a solo home run by Luken Baker, his first in the majors. From then on it was a Phillies slugfest.
The Phillies scored twice in the home third. They followed with one run in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, and capped it off with a seven-run seventh.
The Cardinals managed just three hits. Tommy Edman and Tyler O’Neill singled in addition to the Baker long ball.
In the field, Alec Burleson had an outfield assist at second base.
Sunday, August 27, 2023 – Cardinals 0 at Phillies 3
The Cardinals were blanked and swept by the Phillies in the final game of the series on Sunday. Starter Drew Rom pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out six and walked one. Rom took his second loss of the season.
Jacob Barnes relieved and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. John King threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning and James Naile tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first. They increased their lead to 2-0 in the fifth, and to 3-0 in the seventh.
The Cardinals offense managed just two hits. Both were doubles, by Edman in the first inning, and Goldschmidt in the ninth inning. They were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
Richie Palacios made a fielding error.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a terrible time in Pennsylvania, going 1-5 for the week while being outscored 43-13. Their one win was against the Pirates on Wednesday. They were swept by the Phillies over the weekend. The Cardinals maintain their last place position in the Division and are a season worst 19 games under .500. They are a highest 17 games back of first place.
The poor performance is a group effort between the offense and the pitching. Zack Thompson was the lone starter with a win. Newcomer Drew Rom had two starts. The first one was poor and the second one was much better. The other starters were not good at all.
Thompson was the only starter with an ERA under 4.00 for the week. Adam Wainwright’s ERA was 11.57. Dakota Hudson was significantly worse in his last start than previous ones.
The bullpen was no better. Only John King, Drew VerHagen (now away from the team), and James Naile (just back from Triple-A) performed well. The performance of Giovanny Gallegos has declined significantly. Andre Pallante has also been worse of late.
The offense was just not there during the road trip. They scored a total of 13 runs spread over six games. Only two players had an OPS for the week over .800 and neither are full time starters. They were Richie Palacios (1.043 in five games), and Luken Baker (1.000 in three games). Paul Goldschmidt fell just short of the .800 mark with a .798 OPS.
At the bottom was basically half the team: Nolan Arenado (.498), Jordan Walker (.451), Willson Contreras (.407), Tommy Edman (.407), Masyn Winn (.278), Taylor Motter (.250), and Nolan Gorman (.143 in three games).
This week felt like the lowest point of the season. There remains just over one month of games in which to have the possibility of being worse.
There is not much else left to say. With the exception of the 1978 club, this team is the worst in this writer’s memory. The 1978 team had a winning percentage of .426 as compared to the current .427 for the 2023 team. There is no farther to fall and not be the worst team since the 1920s.
The team returns to St. Louis for a six game homestand against the Padres and the Pirates.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 73 | 57 | 0.562 | ||
| Chicago | 69 | 61 | 0.531 | 4 | 0.5 |
| Cincinnati | 68 | 64 | 0.515 | 6 | 1.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 58 | 73 | 0.443 | 15.5 | 11 |
| St. Louis | 56 | 75 | 0.427 | 17.5 | 13 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 8/21 The Cardinals recalled LHP Drew Rom from the Memphis Redbirds
- 8/21 The Cardinals optioned RHP Guillermo Zuñiga to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/22 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Jacob Barnes from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/22 The Cardinals placed LHP Matthew Liberatore on the 15-day injured list retroactive to August 19. Lower back tightness.
- 8/23 The Cardinals sent RHP Jake Woodford on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
- 8/25 The Cardinals optioned SS José Fermin to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/25 The Cardinals recalled RHP Guillermo Zuñiga from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/25 The Cardinals activated 2B Nolan Gorman from the 10-day injured list.
- 8/25 The Cardinals placed RHP Drew VerHagen on the bereavement list.
- 8/27 The Cardinals placed RHP Guillermo Zuñiga on the 15-day injured list retroactive to August 25. Right forearm strain.
- 8/27 The Cardinals recalled RHP James Naile from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder strain) went on the 60-day injured list after May arthroscopic surgery.
- LHP Packy Naughton (left forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 17. Naughton underwent season ending surgery on June 26.
- RHP Ryan Helsley (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on July 24. Helsley is currently on a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals. Helsley’s return to the roster is unknown at this time because of his ongoing forearm discomfort.
- RHP Jake Woodford was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 30. Right shoulder strain. Woodford is currently on a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals and is expected to return to the roster soon.
- INF/OF Brendan Donovan (right elbow) had season ending surgery on August 2 to repair a damaged ligament. Donovan had pain in his throwing arm and had been participating in games as a DH only for weeks. With the Cardinals selling at the deadline, the decision to have the internal brace surgery was made. Donovan is out for the remainder of the season but is expected to be fully ready for Spring Training in 2024. He is on the 10-day injured list for now but could be moved to the 60-day when a 40-man spot is needed.
- CF Dylan Carlson (left oblique strain and left ankle sprain) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 12, retroactive to August 10. Carlson is dealing with two injuries at the moment, as his earlier ankle injury which occurred in May has never healed completely. Prior reports had him contemplating season ending ankle injury, but since that report Carlson has indicated he hopes to play again this season. Carlson received a pain injection in his ankle and may be able to return to light drills within a week. No update have been given on the oblique injury. No expected return date has been announced.
- 2B Nolan Gorman was activated from the 10-day injured list for the weekend series in Philadelphia.
- OF Lars Nootbaar was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 18, retroactive to August 17. Nootbaar suffered a right groin injury from a foul ball off his bat during the August 16 game with Oakland. After a trip to the ER where no significant damage was found, the OF went on the IL to recover. Nootbaar has been doing running drills, shagging fly balls, and taking batting practice. All signs indicate a return is imminent.
- LHP Matthew Liberatore (lower back tightness) was placed on the 15- day injured list on August 22, retroactive to August 19. Liberatore experienced back discomfort after lifting weights.
- RHP Guillermo Zuñiga was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday, August 27, retroactive to August 25. Right forearm strain. Zuñiga was recalled when Drew VerHagen was placed on the Bereavement List. The right hander then felt pain in his right arm during a bullpen session.
- 3B Nolan Arenado was kept out of the lineup for Friday and Saturday’s games with the Phillies with lower back tightness. He was back in the lineup as the designated hitter for Sunday’s game.
Looking Ahead
The month of August ends with three games with the Padres in Busch Stadium. Adam Wainwright is scheduled to make the start on Monday. Zack Thompson has been announced for Tuesday. Miles Mikolas is listed as the starter on Wednesday.
September begins with a three-game set at Busch Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates to conclude the six game homestand.
After a travel day on Monday, September 4, the team plays the Braves in Atlanta for three. Next will be three games in Cincinnati against the Reds. The road trip ends with three in Baltimore.
After a travel day on Thursday, September 14, the Cardinals return to St. Louis for a seven game homestand – three with the Phillies and four against the Brewers.
Blast from the Past
The Cardinals are having one of their worst seasons in 50 years. The Cardinals have been one of the most consistent franchises in terms of winning seasons over the history of major league baseball. Nevertheless, St. Louis had had periods of underperforming.
This week’s Blast from the Past is the 11th installment in the series showcasing the worst seasons in the franchise’s long history.
The current Cardinals are 56-75 with a win percentage of .427. The teams that ended in worst shape than the current Cardinals with at least 154 games played have almost been exhausted (the exceptions are a few teams within a year or two of teams already covered). We continue with looking at below .500 teams that finished with a better record than the current Cardinals now have.
The 1988 Cardinals finished the season with a record of 76-86 and a winning percentage of .469. They finished in fifth place in the NL East, 25 games back of the Mets and 10.5 games up on the Phillies.
The owner of the 1988 team was Gussie Busch. The general manager was Dal Maxvill and the manager was Whitey Herzog. The 1988 team had just come off a World Series appearance in 1987 in which they lost to the Minnesota Twins.
The primary starting position players for the 1988 team were C Tony Pena, 1B Bob Horner, 2B Luis Alicea, SS Ozzie Smith, 3B Terry Pendleton, LF Vince Coleman, CF Willie McGee, and RF Tom Brunansky.
The best offensive performer was Brunansky, who slashed .245/.345/.428 with 22 home runs and 79 RBI. Horner and Alcea played in only 60 and 93 games, respectively. Infielder Jose Oquendo played in 148 games. Utility players Tom Pagnozzi and Curt Ford played in 81 and 91 games respectively.
The starting rotation was Jose DeLeon, Joe Magrane, John Tudor, Danny Cox, and Greg Matthews. The best ERA belonged to Magrane (2.18). DeLeon had the best FIP (2.84).
The 1988 squad spent no days in first place and never led the NL East. They spent six days with an over .500 record, with the last day being June 8.
The team’s longest winning streak was seven games and their longest losing streak was eight games. They had 29 comeback wins, 32 blown leads, eight walk off wins, and seven walk off losses.
The 1988 Cardinals were shut out by opponents 16 times and shut out their opponents 14 times.
The team had winning records against three teams – the Braves, Cubs, and Phillies. They were tied with the Reds, Astros, and Padres.
The 1998 team outperformed their Pythagorean Expectation, which was 74-88.
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