photo: Alec Burleson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals took both series last week behind Game 3 wins to return to .500. The big-league roster changed as four prospects joined the system via trade. Our history feature compares Alec Burleson’s three two-run home runs in a game to other “rare feats” in team history.
Cardinals trade veterans for youth
Following their stated blueprint, the rebuilding St. Louis Cardinals made multiple trades at the August 3 deadline.
Announced first was a deal with their NL Central rival, the Milwaukee Brewers. The last trade between the two was in 2015, when the Cardinals sent minor league outfielder Malik Collymore to the Brewers for reliever Jonathan Broxton and cash considerations.
In the trade, the Cardinals sent RH starter Dustin May and LH reliever JoJo Romero to the Brewers for two minor league outfield prospects, Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.
Frias, an 18-year-old outfielder from Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic, bats left-handed and was signed by the Brewers as an international free agent in 2025. Frias was the Brewers No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline and has been assigned to the Palm Beach Cardinals.
Also in the trade was outfielder Josiah Ragsdale, age 22. Ragsdale was drafted by the Brewers in the seventh round in 2025 out of Boston College. The left-handed hitter was the Brewers No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Ragsdale was assigned to the Springfield Cardinals.
In the second trade of the day, the Cardinals sent outfielder Lars Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHS Daniel Eagen (Arizona’s No. 5 prospect) and LHR Sandro Santana (Arizona’s No. 26 prospect), and a player to be named later.
Eagen, 23, was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the seventh round in 2024 out of Presbyterian College in South Carolina. Eagen was assigned to the Springfield Cardinals.
Santana was signed as an international free agent from Barahona, Dominican Republic in 2023. Santana is 21 years old and has also been assigned to the Springfield Cardinals.
In a third trade, the Cardinals acquired major league LHR Caleb Ferguson from the Cincinnati Reds for $250,000 in international bonus pool space. Ferguson essentially replaces Romero in the St. Louis bullpen.
In a non-deadline transaction, on August 6, the Cardinals claimed OF Everson Pereira off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Pereira, 25, was signed by the Yankees as an international free agent in 2017. Pereira, from Cabudare, Venezuela, made his major league debut with the Yankees on August 20, 2023.
Pereira was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2025 deadline. The Rays then dealt him to the Chicago White Sox that November. He was designated for assignment by the White Sox on August 3.
Pereira was activated for Saturday’s game against the Rockies, playing left field. He was given Lars Nootbaar’s former uniform No. 21.
Game Recaps
Monday, August 3, 2026 – Cardinals 13 at Yankees 7
The Cardinals routed the Yankees by a 13-7 score at Yankee Stadium on Monday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on four hits, walked one and fanned five.
Justin Bruihl relieved McGreevy and surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings. Ryne Stanek relinquished three runs while securing just one out. George Soriano yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning. Gordon Graceffo tossed two scoreless innings to earn the win.
The Cardinals took the lead in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt walked and Alec Burleson followed with a two-run home run.
St. Louis added a run in the second to go up 3-0. Nathan Church walked. José Fermín doubled to score Church. The Cardinals put up another run in the third to increase the lead to 4-0. Iván Herrera walked and stole second base. Church drove in Herrera on a single.
In the fourth, the Cardinals extended their lead to 6-0 on a second two-run home run by Burleson.
In the fifth, the Yankees cut the lead to 6-3. They added four runs in the seventh to take the lead at 7-6.
St. Louis answered with a seven-run surge in the eighth inning to retake control at 13-7. Pinch hitter Blaze Jordan tripled. Masyn Winn walked. Church blasted a three-run home run. Fermín singled and Jimmy Crooks thumped a two-run home run. Wetherholt walked. Burleson followed with his third two home run of the night.
The Cardinals scored 13 runs on 13 hits. Burleson was 3-for-5 with six RBI and three runs scored. Church was 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored. Crooks had two RBI. Fermín was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Jordan Walker was 2-for-5. Wetherholt walked twice and scored two runs.
Herrera stole his seventh base. Church was caught stealing.
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 – Cardinals 0 at Yankees 2
The Cardinals were blanked by the Yankees by a 2-0 score on Tuesday in the second game of the series.
Starter Hunter Dobbins pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on four hits, walked three and fanned four. Despite the quality start, Dobbins took the loss due to no offensive support.
Caleb Ferguson threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
The Yankees scored single runs in the second and the fifth to extend the lead to 2-0.
The Cardinals scattered six hits. A double by Nelson Velázquez was the only extra base hit. The offense was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Three runners were left on base with two outs. The offense struck out 10 times and drew only three walks.
Wednesday, August 5, 2026 – Cardinals 3 at Yankees 1
The Cardinals recovered from a sour loss on Tuesday to come back and beat the Yankees 3-1 in the final game to take the series in New York.
Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked three and fanned four to earn his 12th win.
The pen was strong, with 3 2/3 scoreless innings. George Soriano relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless inning. Justin Bruihl collected two outs. Ryne Stanek pitched a scoreless eighth and Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 27th save.
The game was scoreless for the first four innings. In the fifth, St. Louis put up three runs. Blaze Jordan singled but was eliminated on a force out by Bryan Torres. Jimmy Crooks singled. JJ Wetherholt doubled to plate Torres and Crooks. Wetherholt scored on a ground-rule double by Iván Herrera.
The Yankees plated their only run of the game in the sixth.
The Cardinals made two errors. Herrera made a throwing error, and Alec Burleson had a fielding miscue. Pallante picked a runner off first base.
Thursday, August 6, 2026 – Off day
Friday, August 7, 2026 – Cardinals 3, Rockies 2
The Cardinals edged the Rockies in the first game of a weekend series at Busch Stadium.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five innings, gave up two runs on eight hits and fanned eight.
Again, the pen came through big, with four scoreless innings. Justin Bruihl relieved Leahy and took the sixth. Caleb Ferguson hurled 1 1/3 innings. Ryne Stanek collected two outs. Riley O’Brien took the ninth and earned his 28th save.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home half of the inning to take the lead 2-1. Jimmy Crooks singled. Masyn Winn doubled. Crooks scored on a sac fly by Nathan Church. Winn came home on a sac fly by Bryan Torres.
St. Louis added a run in the third on a solo home run by Iván Herrera to extend the lead to 3-1.
Colorado made it 3-2 in the fourth to end the night’s scoring.
The Cardinals scored three runs on four hits. The offense was 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. They struck out seven times and drew four walks.
Winn stole two bases. Church swiped his seventh bag.
Saturday, August 8, 2026 – Cardinals 6, Rockies 8
The Cardinals fell to the Rockies by an 8-6 score on Saturday at Busch Stadium.
Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched five innings, gave up five runs on nine hits, walked two and struck out three. Liberatore suffered his ninth loss of the season.
Luis Gastelum relieved Liberatore and surrendered two runs in two innings. Peter Stryzelecki yielded one run in the final two innings.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
The Cardinals responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 2-1. Iván Herrera doubled. Alec Burleson reached on third strike passed ball. José Fermín doubled to plate Herrera and Burleson.
Colorado came back to score three runs in the third to regain the lead and they made it 5-2 in the top of the fifth.
St. Louis added a run in the home fifth to cut the lead to 5-3. Herrera doubled. Burleson and Fermín walked. Herrera came home on a sac fly by Masyn Winn.
In the top of the sixth, the Rockies added two more runs to increase the lead to 7-3.
The Cardinals answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to shrink the lead to 7-4. Everson Pereira drew a walk and advanced to second on a ground out by Jordan Walker. Herrera drove in Pereira on a sac fly.
St. Louis continue to chip away on a solo home run by Walker in the eighth to decrease the gap to 7-5.
In the top of the ninth, Colorado put up one final run for an 8-5 lead.
The Cardinals added one run in the home ninth for the final score of 8-6. Fermín singled and stole second base. Nathan Church plated Fermín on a single.
The offense scored six runs on 10 hits. Fermín was 2-for-2 with two RBI and three walks. Herrera was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Fermín stole his fourth base.
Sunday, August 9, 2026 – Cardinals 7, Rockies 4
The Cardinals took the series against the Rockies with a 7-4 win on Sunday.
Starter Michael McGreevy pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on eight hits, walked two and fanned four.
Justin Bruihl relieved McGreevy and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. George Soriano surrendered a run in the eighth. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 29th save.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
The Cardinals tied the game in the home first. JJ Wetherholt walked. Iván Herrera singled. Jordan Walker singled to score Wetherholt.
St. Louis added two runs in the third to gain the lead 3-1. Herrera singled and advanced to second on an error. Alec Burleson walked. Both runners advanced on a fly out by Walker. Herrera came home on a sac fly by Jimmy Crooks. Masyn Winn doubled to plate Burleson.
The Cardinals made it 4-1 in the fifth on a solo home run by Burleson.
Colorado put up two runs I the sixth to cut the lead to 4-3 and the visitors tied the game in the top of the eighth.
The Cardinals answered with three runs in the home eighth to eventually win the game 7-4. Winn and Nathan Church singled. The runners advanced on a sac bunt by José Fermín. JJ Wetherholt doubled to drive in Winn and Church. Wetherholt came home on a single by Herrera.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 14 hits. Herrera was 4-for-5 with an RBI. Wetherholt was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Walker and Winn were both 2-for-4 with an RBI. Church was 2-for-4. Burleson scored two runs.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a much better week, going 4-2 in two three-game series. They took both series with the Yankees and Rockies, with the first and third games won in each.
The team is back to third place in the Division with a .500 record of 59-59. They are 15 games back of the Brewers and three games out of a Wild Card. Nevertheless, the Cardinals are not likely to make the postseason without an extended run of winning games.
The top performers by OPS by the week are Alec Burleson (1.275), Blaze Jordan (1.045), Iván Herrera (1.044), and Nathan Church (.923). Jordan Walker (.833) and JJ Wetherholt (.813) are the next closest.
At the bottom are Bryan Torres (.396) and César Prieto (.000).
The roster had major changes over the week, as the Cards sent three players to other teams on the Monday trade deadline. Starter Dustin May and relief pitcher JoJo Romero were traded to the Brewers for two minor league outfielders. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar was traded to the Diamondbacks for two young pitchers and a player to be named later.
May’s rotation spot was claimed by RHP Hunter Dobbins. The Cardinals added another lefty reliever to the mix, acquiring Caleb Ferguson from the Reds for international bonus pool money.
César Prieto was recalled to replace Nootbaar on the roster, though not as a positional replacement. That came a few days later when the Cardinals claimed outfielder Everson Pereira off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Pereira was given Nootbaar’s uniform number and is playing left field for now, though he can play all three outfield positions. Outfielder Nelson Velázquez was designated for assignment.
The pitching rotation changed slightly, but the mix remains mostly intact. Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy remain the most consistent members of the rotation. Michael McGreevy made two starts, both of which were a small improvement over his disastrous outing in the previous week. It is too early to tell about Hunter Dobbins, but so far, he has not had any major issues. Matthew Liberatore remains the weak link. He had another subpar outing, giving up five runs in a five-inning performance for a 9.00 ERA for the week.
The bullpen has not improved, nor will it likely do so. The addition of Caleb Ferguson has been fine so far, but he has only had two appearances. At best, one can hope his work resembles that of the traded Romero. Luis Gastelum continues to give up the long ball on almost a regular basis and is appearing in lower leverage situations. Ryne Stanek has not been good for a while and pitched to a 13.50 ERA over three appearances. George Soriano has not held up well recently and new addition Peter Strzelecki has pitched as one would expect for someone who has been dropped from multiple team rosters over a short space of time. Justin Bruihl, Gordon Graceffo and Riley O’Brien are the only relievers who have not had issues over the last week.
The Cardinals play the Phillies at Busch Stadium to begin the week, then leave for a road trip that begins with a weekend series with the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 74 | 44 | 0.627 | ||
| Chicago | 69 | 50 | 0.580 | 5.5 | |
| St. Louis | 59 | 59 | 0.500 | 15 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | 58 | 62 | 0.483 | 17 | 5 |
| Cincinnati | 56 | 61 | 0.479 | 17.5 | 5.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 8/3 The Cardinals recalled RHS Hunter Dobbins from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/3 The Cardinals traded RHS Dustin May and LHR JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers for OF Alexander Frias and OF Josiah Ragsdale.
- 8/3 The Cardinals acquired LHR Caleb Ferguson from the Cincinnati Reds for $250,000 in international bonus pool space.
- 8/3 The Cardinals traded LF Lars Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Daniel Eagen, LHP Sandro Santana and a player to be named later.
- 8/4 The Cardinals optioned LHS Quinn Mathews to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/4 The Cardinals recalled IF César Prieto from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/4 The Cardinals sent IF Ramón Urías on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/4 The Cardinals activated LHR Caleb Ferguson.
- 8/6 The Cardinals sent RHR Tink Hence outright to the FCL Cardinals.
- 8/6 The Cardinals claimed OF Everson Pereira off waivers from the Chicago White Sox.
- 8/8 The Cardinals designated OF Nelson Velázquez for assignment.
- 8/8 The Cardinals activated OF Everson Pereira.
Injury Report
- IF Ramón Urías was placed on the 60-day injured list on June 12. He has elbow lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) in both elbows. Urías is currently on a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
- RHR Max Rajcic had right UCL reconstruction surgery (Tommy John) on July 23. Rajcic will miss the remainder of the 2026 season and likely all of 2027.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals will complete their six-game homestand with a three-game series with the Phillies beginning Monday. Hunter Dobbins is scheduled to make the Monday start. Andre Pallante will make the start on Tuesday and Kyle Leahy will take the ball on Wednesday afternoon.
After a travel day on Thursday, the Cardinals go to Wrigley Field for a weekend set with the Cubs. The road trip continues with four against the Reds at Great American Ballpark.
The road trip concludes in Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park for a weekend series with the Phillies.
August ends with a six game homestand with the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Blast from the Past
The Cardinals played the Yankees in Yankee Stadium for three games this past week. During the 13-7 rout in Game 1, Cardinal first baseman Alec Burleson made the news by hitting three home runs, all two-run shots. By doing so, he became the first National League Player to hit three home runs in a game at Yankee Stadium.
Hitting three or more home runs in a game is called a “rare feat” in baseball parlance. A rare feat has been defined as one of the following: (1) a pitcher or pitchers throwing a no-hitter; (2) A batter hitting for the cycle, which is hitting at least one single, one double, one triple, and one home run in a single game; (3) A batter recording six hits in one game; (4) a player, either a position player or a pitcher, hitting a home run in their first major league at bat; and (5) a player hitting three or more home runs in a single game.
No other Cardinals hit three or more home runs in a game in the month of August in team history. Other Cardinals have achieved other rare feats listed above in the month, however.
Below is a list of present or former Cardinals who have performed a rare feat in August. For each player, the type of feat, the date it occurred, and details are listed below.
- Alec Burleson – Burleson hit three two-run home runs in a game against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 3, 2026. The long balls were hit in the first, fourth, and eighth innings.
-
Bob Gibson (AP photo) Bob Gibson – Gibson pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 14, 1971. It was a complete game shutout with three walks and 10 strikeouts.
- Lou Warnecke – Warnecke pitched a no-hitter on August 30, 1941, against the Cincinnati Reds. It was a complete game shutout with one walk and two strikeouts.
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Bill White Bill White – On August 14, 1960, White hit for the cycle in the first game of a doubleheader against the Pirates. White tripled in the first inning, doubled in the third inning, hit an RBI single in the fifth, and hit a solo home run in the seventh.
- Chick Hafey – Outfielder Chick Hafey hit for the cycle against the Phillies on August 21, 1930. Hafey hit a three-run home run in the first inning, an RBI triple in the second, a single in the fourth, and an RBI double in the seventh.
- Jim Bottomley – Bottomley had six hits in the second game of a doubleheader with the Pirates on August 5, 1931. He hit a single in the first inning, an RBI single in the third, a single in the fifth, a double in the sixth, a two-run single in the seventh, and a single in the ninth.
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