photo: Matthew Liberatore (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)
In their 3-2 week, the revamped St. Louis Cardinals rotation made four quality starts. Matthew Liberatore had his best outing yet, but skidding Adam Wainwright had his worst. Our history feature on underperforming Cards teams looks back at the 71-83 squad from 1959.
Game Recaps
Monday, August 7, 2023 – Off day
Tuesday, August 8, 2023 – Cardinals 2 at Rays 4
The St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Rays in the first of a three-game series in St. Pete. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched seven-plus innings, gave up two runs on eight hits and struck out five. Still, Mikolas took the loss, his eighth of the season.
Andre Pallante relieved Mikolas and surrendered two runs in just 1/3 of an inning. Drew VerHagen secured the final two outs of the eighth.
The Cardinals scored first on a second inning solo home run by Nolan Arenado. In the seventh, the Rays tied the game at 1-1.
Tampa Bay scored three runs in the eighth to take a 4-1 lead. The Cardinals cut the lead to 4-2 on a solo home run by Willson Contreras but the scoring ended there.
The Cardinals offense scored two runs on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Extra base hits included a triple by Lars Nootbaar and a double by Alec Burleson.
On the base paths, Tommy Edman was caught stealing for the second time. In the field, Jordan Walker had an outfield assist at second base.
Wednesday, August 9, 2023 – Cardinals 6 at Rays 4
The Cardinals bounced back to defeat the Rays 6-4 in the second game of the series. Starter Dakota Hudson pitched seven innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out two and walked one to earn his third win of the season.
John King relieved Hudson and threw a scoreless sixth. Drew VerHagen surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Nolan Gorman singled. Jordan Walker doubled. Gorman came home on a ground out by Alec Burleson.
In the home half of the second, the Rays went up, 2-1. The Cardinals answered in the third to regain the lead at 3-2. Lars Nootbaar singled and later scored on a single by Nolan Arenado. Arenado later came home on a single by Jordan Walker.
In the top of the fourth, St. Louis increased the lead to 5-2. Dylan Carlson walked. Tommy Edman singled. Both crossed the plate on a single by Paul Goldschmidt. The Rays cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the inning.
In the seventh, Lars Nootbaar’s solo home run made the score 6-3. The Rays scored a run in the bottom frame for the final score of 6-4.
Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Walker was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Goldschmidt had two RBI.
On the base paths, Nootbaar stole his eighth base of the season.
Thursday, August 10, 2023 – Cardinals 5 at Rays 2
The Cardinals won the rubber game of the series with the Rays. Starter Matthew Liberatore was brilliant against his former team, pitching eight scoreless innings with only two hits allowed and seven strikeouts. Liberatore earned his second win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Liberatore and surrendered two runs in the ninth.
The Cardinals went up in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Andrew Knizner. The Cardinals added to their lead with one in the sixth. Nolan Arenado singled and later scored on a single by Alec Burleson.
St. Louis made it 4-0 in the seventh. Taylor Motter singled and later came in on a force out by Lars Nootbaar.
The Cardinals scored their sixth and final run in the top of the ninth on a solo home run by Tommy Edman. The Rays finally got on the board with two runs in the home half of the ninth.
Knizner was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Edman was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Nootbaar was 2-for-5.
In the field, Liberatore picked off a runner at second base.
Friday, August 11, 2023 – Cardinals 8 at Royals 12
The Cardinals lost a Friday slugfest with the Royals in the first of a two-game road series. Starter Adam Wainwright pitched only one full inning, gave up eight runs on nine hits.
Zack Thompson relieved Wainwright with no outs in the second inning and surrendered one run in four innings. James Naile hurled a scoreless sixth. Andre Pallante relinquished three runs, two earned, in the final two innings.
The Royals scored four times in the first and five in the second to lead 9-0. The Cardinals cut the lead to 9-3 in the third. Lars Nootbaar singled. Nolan Arenado reached on an error. Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Willson Contreras cleared the bases with a double.
St. Louis cut the lead further to 9-5 in the fifth on a two-run home run by Tyler O’Neill. The Cardinals made it 9-6 in the sixth. Tommy Edman doubled and scored on a double by Nootbaar.
The Royals added one run in the seventh and two in the eighth to widen their lead to 12-6. The Cardinals plated two in the ninth on a two-run home run by Contreras.
Contreras was 3-for-3 with five RBI and two runs scored. O’Neill was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Nootbaar was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Edman was 2-for-4.
In the field, Gorman made a fielding error. Jordan Walker had an outfield assist at second base.
Saturday, August 12, 2023 – Cardinals 5 at Royals 4
The Cardinals edged the Royals to win the second game and split the series in Kansas City. Starter Steven Matz pitched six innings, gave up two runs on four hits and struck out five to win his fourth game of the season.
Drew VerHagen relieved Matz and threw a scoreless seventh. Giovanny Gallegos surrendered one run in 1/3 innings. JoJo Romero relinquished one run in 1 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals took the lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by Tommy Edman. St. Louis made it 3-0 in the top of the third. Andrew Knizner walked and later came home on a double by Nolan Arenado.
The Royals cut the lead to 3-2 in the home half third. The Cardinals responded with one run in the fifth to increase the lead to 4-2. Lars Nootbaar walked and later crossed the plate on a single by Willson Contreras.
In the top of the eighth, Edman homered again to make it 5-2. The Royals put up one run in the bottom of the eighth then added a final run in the ninth for the final score of 5-4.
Edman was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Paul Goldschmidt was 2-for-5.
Sunday, August 13, 2023 – Off day
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a record of 3-2 in the short week, taking two of three from the Rays and splitting the two games with the Royals. The Cardinals remain in last place in the NL Central Division.
Most crucial is the situation with Adam Wainwright who continues to struggle terribly. His last start ended in the second inning of Friday’s game after nine runs were relinquished. While there was some talk briefly of a change, the recent news is that Wainwright will make his next start.
On the other hand, others have surprisingly stepped up. Matthew Liberatore, who up until recently was not producing, threw a gem against his former team this week. Steven Matz continues to show he has improved over his early season problems that sent him to the bullpen for a time. Dakota Hudson has also demonstrated some improvement since his return from Triple-A.
The bullpen has changed some and with the absence of Ryan Helsley, others have had to step in for the end of games. Giovanny Gallegos and JoJo Romero have spent time in the ninth inning with mixed results. New addition John King has been good so far. Andre Pallante has been inconsistent in his role. Zack Thompson has evolved into the role of fill in starter and top long relief man with better results. Drew VerHagen has been okay.
The offense has been fine for the most part, though there have been a few players whose production needs improvement. One is Dylan Carlson, who is now on the IL with an oblique strain. Paul Goldschmidt has not been his normal self. Several others have been hit and miss.
The top offensive performers for the week by OPS are Tommy Edman (1.533), Willson Contreras (1.367), Lars Nootbaar (1.220), Andrew Knizner (1.089), and Nolan Arenado (.980). At the bottom are Dylan Carlson (.286), Alec Burleson (.364), Jordan Walker (.435), Paul Goldschmidt (.477) and Nolan Gorman (.485).
The defense and base running have been good.
The Cardinals begin a homestand this week with the Athletics and the Mets. Both teams have struggled, as have the Cardinals.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 65 | 54 | 0.546 | ||
| Chicago | 61 | 57 | 0.517 | 3.5 | 0.5 |
| Cincinnati | 62 | 58 | 0.517 | 3.5 | 0.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 53 | 65 | 0.449 | 11.5 | 8.5 |
| St. Louis | 52 | 66 | 0.441 | 12.5 | 9.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 8/6 The Cardinals sent RHP Ryan Helsley on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
- 8/8 The Cardinals activated RHP Miles Mikolas from his five-game suspension.
- 8/9 The Cardinals sent RHP Jake Woodford on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
- 8/12 The Cardinals recalled 1B Luken Baker from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/12 The Cardinals placed CF Dylan Carlson on the 10-day injured list. Left oblique strain.
Injury Report
- RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder strain) went on the 60-day injured list after May arthroscopic surgery. There is a possibility of a late-season return.
- 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 and is expected to return to the roster sometime this month.
- 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 by late August.
- 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) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 12, retroactive to August 10. Carlson felt something after his first at bat against the Rays on August 9 and had been kept out of the lineup since. Imaging revealed a strain in his left oblique. Carlson is likely to be out at least a couple of weeks.
Looking Ahead
Beginning on Monday the team starts a six game homestand with the Athletics and the Mets. Miles Mikolas is scheduled to make the Monday start, with Dakota Hudson and Matthew Liberatore to follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Pitchers for the Mets series have not been announced, but Adam Wainwright’s next turn would be on Thursday.
Following the homestand, the Cardinals go on a Pennsylvania road trip starting on August 21 with three games each in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
The month of August ends with three games with the Padres in Busch Stadium. The homestand continues into September with three against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After a travel day on Monday, September 4, the team plays the Braves in Atlanta and the Reds in Cincinnati for three games each.
Blast from the Past
St. Louis is having one of the 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 ninth installment in the series showcasing the worst seasons in the franchise’s long history.
The current Cardinals are 52-66 with a win percentage of .441. The teams that ended in worst shape than the current Cardinals with at least 154 games played have almost been exhausted in this series (the exceptions being a few teams within a year or two of teams already covered).
This week we jump to a team that fared a little better than the 2023 squad, the 1959 Cardinals, which ended the season with a record of 71-83 and a win percentage of .461.
The 1959 Cardinals team was owned by Gussie Busch. The general manager was Bing Devine. The team was managed by Solly Hemus.
The 1959 Cardinals finished in seventh place in the National League, 16 games back of the first place Los Angeles Dodgers. They were seven games ahead of the last place Philadelphia Phillies.
The primary starters for the 1959 squad were C Hal Smith, 1B Stan Musial, 2B Don Blasingame, SS Alex Grammas, 3B Ken Boyer, LF Bill White, CF Gino Cimoli, and RF Joe Cunningham.
A key offensive performer that season was Cunningham, who slashed .345/.453/.478 with seven home runs and 60 RBI. Cunningham finished second to Hank Aaron for the NL batting title. Boyer also led the way with a slash line of .309/.384/.508 with 28 home runs and 94 RBI. Legend Stan Musial was on the tail end of his career and did not perform as well.
Other notable players on the 1959 team were Curt Flood and Tim McCarver.
The rotation for the 1959 team was Larry Jackson, Vinegar Bend Mizell, Ernie Broglio, and Bob Miller. Listed as a relief pitcher, Gary Blaylock made 12 starts that season.
The 1959 team also included 23-year-old rookie Bob Gibson, who made nine starts.
The starting pitcher with the best ERA was Jackson, at 3.30. Miller’s ERA was 3.31. Miller also had the best FIP of 2.63.
The 1959 Cardinals never led in the standings and never had a record over .500. They did have a 40-30 run between early May and late July.
The team’s longest winning streak was four games and the longest losing streak was seven games. They had 34 comeback wins, 36 blown leads, 10 walk off wins and 10 walk off losses.
The 1959 squad was shut out by opponents 14 times and shut out their opponents eight times.
The team had a winning record against two teams, the Cubs and the Phillies. They tied the Reds.
The 1959 Cardinals outperformed their Pythagorean Expectation, which was 68-86.
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