photo: Nolan Arenado (Joe Puetz/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals swept Miami but are now on a three-game losing skid. All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado plated 12 runners in the seven games. Scott Rolen joined the Hall of Fame. Our history feature on underperforming Cards teams looks back at the 68-86 squad from 1955.
Rolen inducted into the Hall of Fame
On Sunday, July 24, former Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen joined Fred McGriff in induction ceremonies for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Rolen joined the Cardinals in a trade with the Phillies at the 2002 deadline. The Indiana native played in four All-Star Games and received three Gold Glove Awards as a Cardinal in recognition of his strong third base defense and power bat. Rolen was a standout with two NL pennant-winning Cardinals teams (2004 and 2006) and his 2006 club won the World Series.
Rolen is the 12th Hall of Famer whose cap on his plaque features the Cardinals logo. He previously joined the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2019.
Game Recaps
Monday, July 17, 2023 – Cardinals 6, Marlins 4
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Miami Marlins in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Monday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up three runs on seven hits and struck out three to earn his sixth win of the season.
Ryan Tepera relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Giovanny Gallegos threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Jordan Hicks tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save.
In the second inning, Miami took a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals tied the game in the third when Dylan Carlson doubled and scored on a single by Nolan Arenado.
In the top of the fifth, the Marlins brought a run home to lead 2-1. In the home half of the inning the Cardinals scored twice to lead 3-2. Carlson walked and Goldschmidt singled. Carlson came home on a sac fly by Arenado. Goldschmidt crossed the plate on a single by Jordan Walker.
In the top of the sixth, the Marlins tied the game again. The Cardinals responded with three in the bottom of the inning. Nolan Gorman doubled and crossed home on a single by Carlson. Goldschmidt singled. Arenado doubled to bring in Carlson and Goldschmidt. The Cardinals went ahead 6-3.
The Marlins added a final run in the seventh to cut the lead to 6-4.
Arenado was 2-for-3 with four RBI. Walker was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Carlson was 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
On the base paths, Paul DeJong was caught stealing for the fourth time.
Tuesday, July 18, 2023 – Cardinals 5, Marlins 2 (10 innings)
The Cardinals were the victors in the second game of the series with the Marlins. Starter Jordan Montgomery pitched six innings, gave up one run on six hits, struck out five and walked two.
Chris Stratton relieved Montgomery and surrendered one run in the seventh. Giovanny Gallegos threw a scoreless eighth. Jordan Hicks hurled a scoreless ninth. JoJo Romero tossed a scoreless 10th to earn his second win of the season.
The Marlins went up 1-0 in the fifth inning. The Cardinals tied the game in the sixth on a solo home run by Brendan Donovan.
The Marlins scored one run in the top of the seventh to regain the lead 2-1. The Cardinals re-tied the score in the home half of the frame as Dylan Carlson walked and came home on a double by Nolan Gorman.
The game remained tied until the end of regulation. In the top of the 10th, the Marlins failed to score. The Cardinals plated three runs in the bottom frame to walk it off 5-2. Paul DeJong started the inning at second base. Paul Goldschmidt was intentionally walked. Nolan Arenado hit a three-run home run to left field.
Arenado was 2-for-4 with three RBI as the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
On the base paths, Lars Nootbaar stole his sixth base of the season.
Wednesday, July 19, 2023 – Cardinals 6, Marlins 4
The Cardinals completed the sweep of the Marlins with a 6-4 win on Wednesday. Starter Dakota Hudson pitched three innings, gave up two runs on five hits and struck out one.
Zack Thompson threw two scoreless innings of relief to earn his second win. Andre Pallante hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Tepera surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Chris Stratton allowed one run in the ninth to earn his first save.
The Cardinals took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Lars Nootbaar walked. Nolan Arenado singled to score Goldschmidt. Nolan Gorman then hit a three-run home run.
The Marlins cut the lead to 4-2 in the third inning. In the seventh, the Cardinals added two more runs to make it 6-2. Brendan Donovan doubled. Nootbaar singled and Donovan came home. Nootbaar followed on a single by Gorman.
The Marlins scored single runs in the eighth and ninth to bring the final score to 6-4.
Gorman was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Alec Burleson was 2-for-4.
On the base paths, Gorman stole his fifth base of the season.
Thursday, July 20, 2023 – Cardinals 7 at Cubs 2
The Cardinals beat the Cubs in the first of a four-game series at Wrigley Field on Thursday. Starter Steven Matz pitched five innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out six and walked one to earn his first win of the season.
Andre Pallante relieved Matz and threw a scoreless sixth. Kyle Leahy surrendered one run in 2/3 innings. JoJo Romero hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt singled and scored on a double by Willson Contreras. The Cardinals added to their lead with a four-run fourth. Tyler O’Neill doubled and came in on a home run by Jordan Walker. Lars Nootbaar and Goldschmidt singled. Nolan Arenado doubled to plate Nootbaar and Goldschmidt.
The Cubs scored the first of their two runs in the home half of the fourth. The Cardinals increased their lead to 7-1 in the fifth on a two-run home run by Paul DeJong.
The Cubs scored their final run in the seventh.
Walker was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Goldschmidt was 2-for- 4 with two runs scored. Arenado and DeJong each had two RBI.
On the base paths, Nootbaar stole his seventh base of the season. In the field, Nootbaar had an outfield assist at second base.
Friday, July 21, 2023 – Cardinals 3 at Cubs 4
The Cardinals fell to the Cubs in Game 2 of the four-game set at Wrigley Field. Starter Jack Flaherty pitched six innings, gave up four runs on eight hits, struck out six and walked one. Flaherty took the loss.
Andre Pallante relieved Flaherty and threw a scoreless seventh. Chris Stratton tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Cardinals took the lead 1-0 in the second inning. Tyler O’Neill singled and later came home on a ground out by Andrew Knizner.
The Cubs scored four runs in the third to take the lead. The Cardinals rallied for two runs in the seventh to make it 4-3. Jose Fermin singled. Paul Goldschmidt walked. Both crossed the plate on a single by Nolan Arenado.
Willson Contreras was 2-for-4 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits. Arenado had two RBI.
On the base paths, O’Neill stole his second base of the season. Jordan Walker swiped his fourth bag.
Saturday, July 22, 2023 – Cardinals 6 at Cubs 8
The Cardinals lost again to the Cubs in Game 3 of the road series. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched five innings, gave up five runs on 11 hits, struck out three and walked one.
Losing pitcher Zack Thompson surrendered three runs in 1/3 of an inning of relief. Drew VerHagen threw 2/3 scoreless innings. Dakota Hudson tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Cardinals took the initial lead in the first inning on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar. The Cubs tied the game in the second.
St. Louis added two in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead. Nootbaar doubled and crossed home on a single by Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt later crossed the plate on a sac fly by Willson Contreras.
The Cubs tied it again the home half of the third. The seesaw scoring continued in the fifth with the Cardinals plating two runs to go up 5-3. Nolan Gorman hit a solo home run. Nolan Arenado singled and scored on a double by Contreras.
The Cubs rallied with two in the bottom of the fifth to knot it up at 5-5. The Cardinals made it 6-5 in the top of the sixth. Nootbaar singled and later ran home on a wild pitch.
The Cubs answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead 8-6.
Nootbaar was 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Gorman was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Ex-Cub Contreras plated two.
Sunday, July 23, 2023 – Cardinals 2 at Cubs 7
The Cardinals lost the fourth and final game of the series at Wrigley Field. Starter Jordan Montgomery pitched six innings, gave up seven runs, five earned, on six hits, struck out four and walked two. Montgomery suffered his eighth loss of the season.
Zack Thompson relieved Montgomery and tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Cubs scored two runs in the first aided by a botched fielding play by Montgomery that would have ended the inning. They added five more runs in the third against the starter.
The Cardinals finally scored in the sixth inning. Alec Burleson doubled and came home on a single by Dylan Carlson. St. Louis scored one more run in the eighth. Tyler O’Neill walked and was driven in on a single by Carlson.
Carlson was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Nolan Arenado was 3-for-4. Burleson was 2-for-4.
Montgomery made a costly fielding error.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished the week with a record of 4-3, but on a three-game losing skid. They swept the Marlins and lost 3 of 4 to the Cubs. They are in fourth place in the NL Central, a half game ahead of the last-place Pirates.
The trade deadline is eight days away. The team will be trading players, ostensibly for pitching, the greatest need.
The starters have not performed well over the last week. Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty, and Jordan Montgomery each pitched clunkers. Steven Matz had the best performance against the Cubs on Thursday. Dakota Hudson was used as a starter in one game in which he pitched three innings and relieved the next time out. Only Matz and Hudson have an ERA under 4.00 over the last seven days.
The bullpen has been hit and miss. Three bullpen pitchers – Ryan Tepera, Kyle Leahy and Genesis Cabrera – are no longer on the major league roster. Tepera was DFAed and Leahy was optioned to Memphis. Cabrera was traded to the Blue Jays for a minor league catcher. Chris Stratton and Zack Thompson have struggled at times, with both good and bad outings.
The offense has been fine, with the losses mostly attributable to pitching. The top performers by OPS for the week are Nolan Gorman (1.274), Nolan Arenado (1.059), Alec Burleson (.824), and Jordan Walker (.814). At the bottom are Paul DeJong (.483) and Ivan Herrera (.490).
The infield defense is fine, the outfield defense has improved, though Jordan Walker still struggles to learn the outfield. Base running has also improved.
The roster is likely to look different in a little over a week. The team is so far behind at this point that even improved pitching is not likely to make a whole lot of difference for 2023. A wild card is the most the Cardinals can hope for, and that possibility is remote. The front office will be making moves for 2024.
The Cardinals play the Diamondbacks in Phoenix to start the week and end the week with four games against the Cubs again at Busch Stadium.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| Milwaukee | 55 | 45 | 0.550 | |
| Cincinnati | 55 | 46 | 0.545 | 0.5 |
| Chicago | 48 | 51 | 0.485 | 6.5 |
| St. Louis | 44 | 55 | 0.440 | 11 |
| Pittsburgh | 43 | 56 | 0.434 | 11.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale reports the following:
“So, starters Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty, each who are eligible for free agency in November, could be gone. Closer Jordan Hicks and perhaps injured reliever Ryan Helsley. Infielders Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong could be gone too. And outfielders Dylan Carlson and Tyler O’Neill better not send out their laundry, either.”
Later in the article, Nightengale added catcher Willson Contreras to the list of Cardinals reportedly being made available.
Transactions
- 7/17 The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Ryan Tepera.
- 7/17 The Cardinals designated LHP Genesis Cabrera for assignment.
- 7/20 The Cardinals sent RHP Drew VerHagen on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
- 7/20 The Cardinals designated RHP Ryan Tepera for assignment.
- 7/20 The Cardinals activated LF Tyler O’Neill from the 10-day injured list.
- 7/21 The Cardinals traded LHP Genesis Cabrera to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league C Sammy Hernandez.
- 7/22 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kyle Leahy to the Memphis Redbirds
- 7/22 The Cardinals activated RHP Drew VerHagen from the 15-day injured list.
- 7/23 The Cardinals optioned SS Jose Fermin to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/23 The Cardinals selected the contract of INF Taylor Motter from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/23 The Cardinals have given RHP Jake Walsh his unconditional release.
Injury Report
- RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder strain) is on the 60-day injured list. Rodriguez is out for the season with shoulder 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.
- LF Tyler O’Neill (low back strain) has been activated from the 10-day injured list.
- RHP Ryan Helsley was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 10. Right forearm strain. Helsley felt tightness in his right forearm on June 11 and was sent for an MRI. The MRI revealed a tendon strain. Helsley has begun a throwing program and is still several weeks away from a return.
- RHP Jake Woodford was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 30. Right shoulder strain. Woodford felt pain in his shoulder after pitching in the game on Thursday, June 29. The timing of Woodford’s return is unknown.
- RHP Drew VerHagen was activated from the 15-day injured list.
- INF/OF Tommy Edman was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 4 with a right wrist injury. Tests showed no structural damage. Edman received an injection in his wrist and will be out an indeterminate number of days.
- C Willson Contreras left Saturday’s game with right hip tightness. The catcher is listed as day-to-day.
- OF Lars Nootbaar left Sunday’s game with right heel soreness.
- RHP Adam Wainwright was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 5 with a right shoulder strain. The veteran right hander is set to be activated and make the start on Monday, July 24.
Looking Ahead
Following the four-game series with the Cubs at Wrigley Field, the team travels to Phoenix for three with the Diamondbacks. Adam Wainwright is set to come off the injured list and make the Monday start. Steven Matz and Jack Flaherty will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Cardinals then return home for four with the Cubs in St. Louis to end July.
The month of August begins with a six game homestand with the Twins and the Rockies. The team then travels to Florida for three with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The road trip ends with a two-game set in Kansas City with the Royals.
The following week, the team begins a six game homestand with the Athletics and the Mets.
Blast from the Past
The 2023 Cardinals have had one of the team’s worst starts to a season 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 prior periods of underperforming.
This week’s Blast from the Past is the sixth installment in the series showcasing the worst seasons in the franchise’s long history.
The current Cardinals are 44-56 with a win percentage of .440. This week we look at the 1955 Cardinals, who were 68-86 on the season with a win percentage of .442. That team finished seventh in the National League.
The team owner was Gussie Busch. Busch bought the team in 1953 after previous owner Fred Saigh was convicted of tax evasion.
The 1955 team had two managers. The first was Eddie Stanky, who had been manager since 1952. Stanky was fired early in 1955 by Busch after a 17-19 start to the season. Busch hired Harry Walker, who managed the remainder of the season.
The General Manager was Dick Meyer, who was fired at the end of the 1955 season.
The 1955 Cardinals’ seventh place finish was next to last in the NL. The Pittsburgh Pirates were eighth and last.
The primary starters for the Cards were C Bill Sarni, 1B Stan Musial, 2B Red Schoendienst, SS Alex Grammas, 3B Ken Boyer, LH Rip Repulski, CF Bill Verdon, and RF Wally Moon.
The best offensive player was Musial, who slashed .319/.408/.566 with 33 home runs and 108 RBI. In second was Repulski, with 23 homers and 73 RBI and a slash line of .270/.333/.467.
The starting rotation was Harvey Haddix, Larry Jackson, Luis Arroyo, Tom Poholsky, and Willard Schmidt. Schmidt had the best ERA and FIP (2.78, 3.15).
The 1955 team never led the National League. They most games they were over .500 was three and they were there last on May 1. The most games they were under .500 was 24.
The longest winning streak was five games and the longest losing streak was seven games, which occurred twice, in May and August.
The team was shut out nine times and shut out their opponents 10 times. They had 19 comeback wins, and 42 blown leads.
They had 11 walk off wins and seven walk off losses.
In the pre-division days, the 1955 team finished 30.5 games back of the pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers and eight games ahead of the last place Pirates.
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