photo: Steven Matz (Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports)
The last-place St. Louis Cardinals dropped home series to the Twins and Rockies as the offense scored just nine runs in the four defeats. Lefty Steven Matz has registered three straight solid starts, allowing one run in 17 innings. Our history feature on underperforming Cards teams looks back at the 73-89 squad from 1997.
The Cardinals make final deadline deals
As reported in last week’s Notebook, the St. Louis Cardinals became sellers at the deadline, trading pitcher Jordan Hicks to Toronto, and pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton to Texas on Sunday, July 30.
The selling continued through the final day, Tuesday, August 1, with the trade of pitcher Jack Flaherty to Baltimore and shortstop Paul DeJong to Toronto.
The deal that sent Flaherty to the Orioles returned three players: 2B César Prieto, LHP Drew Rom, and RHP Zack Showalter.
Prieto, 24, was an international free agent signing by the Orioles out of Cuba in 2022. Prieto slashed .305/.348/.433 with 17 home runs and 107 RBI in two seasons in the Orioles minor league system and played in the 2022 Arizona Fall League. Prieto was assigned to the Memphis Redbirds.
The 23-year-old Rom joined the Orioles in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. Rom last pitched for the Norfolk Tides, Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate, where he posted a record of 7-6 with an ERA of 5.34 and 100 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched. Rom has been assigned to Memphis.
Showalter, 19, was the 11th round pick by the Orioles in the 2022 draft. Showalter most recently pitched for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds of the Carolina League. Showalter posted an 0-2 record with a 3.10 ERA, and 25 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings pitched. Showalter is currently assigned to the Palm Beach Cardinals.
The trade of DeJong to Toronto garnered the Cardinals RHP Matt Svanson. The 24-year-old reliever was drafted by the Orioles in the 13th round in 2021. Svanson pitched at two levels in the Orioles system in 2023, beginning with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays, and ending with the A-Advanced Vancouver Canadiens. Svanson posted a 4-1 record, an ERA of 1.23, and had 36 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings with Vancouver. Svanson was assigned to the Springfield Cardinals.
For detailed scouting reports on all of the newly acquired #stlcards, check out @bt_newberry 's exceptional four-article series, exclusively at The Cardinal Nation. Next up, we place them into our Top 50 Prospect List. If you're not a member, join today! https://t.co/DZOENXZ6Nc pic.twitter.com/42DQshcke7
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) August 7, 2023
Game Recaps
Monday, July 31, 2023 – Off day
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 – Cardinals 2, Twins 3
The Cardinals lost a one run decision to the Twins in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Monday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched seven innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits, struck out seven and walked one. Mikolas took the loss, his seventh of the season.
John King relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless eighth. Drew VerHagen tossed a scoreless ninth.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Twins took a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals answered with a run to tie in the sixth. Taylor Motter singled and later came home on a single by Nolan Arenado.
Minnesota added two runs in the seventh to lead 3-1. In the ninth, the Cardinals cut the lead to 3-2 on a solo home run by Tyler O’Neill.
Lars Nootbaar was 2-for-4. Motter was 2-for-3.
In the field, Tommy Edman made a throwing error.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 – Cardinals 7, Twins 3
The Cardinals defeated the Twins in the second game of the series on Wednesday. Starter Dakota Hudson pitched seven innings, gave up three runs on two hits, struck out seven and walked three to earn his second win.
Andre Pallante relieved Hudson and threw a scoreless eighth. JoJo Romero tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals put up four runs in the second inning on solo home runs by Tyler O’Neill and Jordan Walker, and a two-run long ball by Lars Nootbaar. St. Louis added three runs in the third on a three-run blast by Alec Burleson.
The score remained 7-0 until the seventh inning when Minnesota scored three runs.
Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Walker was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Willson Contreras was 2-for-4. Burleson had three RBI.
On the base paths, Contreras stole his sixth base of the season.
Thursday, August 3, 2023 – Cardinals 3, Twins 5
The Cardinals fell to the Twins in the final game of the series on Thursday. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on six hits, struck out one and walked two. Liberatore took the loss.
Drew VerHagen relieved Liberatore and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Zack Thompson hurled a scoreless eighth. James Naile tossed a scoreless ninth.
Minnesota went up 4-0 in the second inning. The Cardinals answered with one run in the home half of the second. Alec Burleson singled but was eliminated on a force out by Tommy Edman. Edman scored on a double by Dylan Carlson.
The Twins widened the lead to 5-1 in the top of the sixth. The Cardinals added another run in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Burleson to cut the lead to 5-2.
St. Louis added a third run in the ninth. Burleson singled and later scored on a ground out by Dylan Carlson.
Burleson was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Jose Fermín was 2-for-3. Carlson had two RBI.
Friday, August 4, 2023 – Cardinals 4, Rockies 9
The Cardinals lost the opener of the home weekend series versus the Rockies by a 9-4 score on Friday. Starter Adam Wainwright lasted only three innings, gave up seven runs on nine hits, struck out five and walked two. Wainwright took the loss, his sixth of the season.
Andrew Suarez surrendered one run in 4 2/3 innings of relief. James Naile allowed one run in the final 1 1/3 innings.
The Rockies took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and added three more runs in the top of the second. The Cardinals scored one run in the home second on a solo home run by Nolan Arenado to cut the lead to 6-1.
In the top of the third, the Rockies widened the lead to 7-1. St. Louis made it 7-2 in the bottom of the third. Tommy Edman singled. Lars Nootbaar doubled. Edman came home on a single by Paul Goldschmidt.
Colorado scored another run in the fourth to lead 8-2. The Cardinals shrunk the lead to 8-3 in the fifth on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman.
St. Louis made it 8-4 in the seventh on another solo home run by Gorman. The Rockies added their ninth and final run in the ninth.
Gorman was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Nootbaar was 2-for-5. Alec Burleson was 2-for-4.
Saturday, August 5, 2023 – Cardinals 6, Rockies 2
The Cardinals came back to defeat the Rockies in the second game of the series on Saturday. Starter Steven Matz pitched six innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out six and walked two to earn his third win of the season.
Andre Pallante relieved Matz and surrendered one run in two innings. Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals took the lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Tyler O’Neill. St. Louis made it 2-0 in the fourth as Willson Contreras singled and later came home on a sac fly by Dylan Carlson.
The Rockies scored their first run in the top of the fifth. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home half of the fifth. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado singled and both were driven in on a double by Contreras.
In the sixth, a two-run triple by Tommy Edman increased the lead to 6-1. Colorado scored their final run in the eighth.
Edman was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Contreras was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4.
Sunday, August 6, 2023 – Cardinals 0, Rockies 1
The Cardinals were blanked 1-0 by the Rockies in the rubber match of the series on Sunday. In a bullpen start due to Miles Mikolas’ suspension, Zack Thompson pitched four innings, gave up one run on two hits, struck out eight and walked one. Thompson took the hard-luck loss.
Drew VerHagen relieved Thompson and threw a scoreless fifth. John King and Andre Pallante each hurled a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero tossed the final two scoreless frames.
The Rockies scored the only run of the game in the third. The hapless Cardinals scattered eight hits with no one having multiple hits. There were two extra base hits, doubles from Dylan Carlson and Paul Goldschmidt. The offense went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left an incredible 15 men on base.
On the base paths, Tommy Edman stole his 15th base of the season.
The Big Picture
The picture continues to be grim. The Cardinals were 2-4 on the week at home, winning only one game from each of the Twins and the Rockies (who have a worse record than the Cardinals). The Cardinals remain in last place in the NL Central, 11 games back of the Brewers (and two games behind the fourth place Pirates). They are 9.5 games back in the Wild Card race.
Now that the trade deadline has passed, three of their original five starters remain. The two open spots, vacated by Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty, are currently held by Matthew Liberatore and Dakota Hudson. Possible competitors are Zack Thompson and anyone else who may be brought up from the minors. It is difficult to see how the situation can be worse at this point, other than a season ending injury from one or more of the starters.
Of the five current starters, three had ERAs below 4.00 over the last seven days. They are Steven Matz (1.50), Miles Mikolas (2.57) and Dakota Hudson (3.86). Matthew Liberatore and Adam Wainwright pitched poorly in their starts.
The offense has fallen back over the last week, scoring just nine runs in total in the four losses. In the Sunday game against the Rockies in particular the offense was the worst they have been since the beginning of the season. Getting hits with runners in scoring position has been the most egregious problem.
The top offensive performers over the last seven days by OPS are: Alec Burleson (1.462), Nolan Gorman (1.077), Tyler O’Neill (.970), Nolan Arenado (.915), and Lars Nootbaar (.838). At the bottom is Dylan Carlson (.474).
The defense and base running have been fine. The outfield has stabilized as much as it is likely to this season. The infield defense is good. Gorman has been surprisingly good at second base, with some nifty plays there of late.
The Cardinals head out on a road trip this week to play the Tampa Bay Rays and the Kansas City Royals.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 60 | 53 | 0.531 | ||
| Chicago | 58 | 54 | 0.518 | 1.5 | |
| Cincinnati | 59 | 55 | 0.518 | 1.5 | |
| Pittsburgh | 50 | 61 | 0.450 | 9 | 7.5 |
| St. Louis | 49 | 64 | 0.434 | 11 | 9.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
The trade deadline has passed, and the Cardinals made a couple of final deals as discussed in this Notebook. There are no new trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 7/31 The Cardinals recalled LHP Zack Thompson from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/1 The Cardinals traded RHP Jack Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles for 2B César Prieto, LHP Drew Rom, and RHP Zack Showalter.
- 8/1 The Cardinals recalled SS Jose Fermin from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/1 The Cardinals recalled LHP Andrew Suarez from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/1 The Cardinals traded SS Paul DeJong and cash to the Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Matt Svanson.
- 8/1 The Cardinals recalled RHP James Naile from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/1 The Cardinals activated LHP John King.
- 8/1 The Cardinals activated SS Tommy Edman from the 10-day injured list.
- 8/1 The Cardinals placed 3B Brendan Donovan on the 10-day injured list. Left elbow strain.
- 8/2 The Cardinals changed the roster status of RHP Miles Mikolas. Five-day suspension.
Injury Report
- RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder strain) went on the 60-day injured list after May arthroscopic shoulder surgery. He was to throw a bullpen session on Saturday, August 5, with the 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. The earliest Helsley could return is August 11. Helsley began a rehab assignment in Springfield on Sunday, August 6.
- 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.
- INF/OF Tommy Edman was activated from the 10-day injured list.
- INF/OF Brendan Donovan (right elbow) had season ending surgery on August 2 to repair a damaged elbow 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. Donovan is on the 10-day injured list for now but could be moved to the 60-day when a 40-man spot is needed.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals are now in Florida for a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The road trip ends with two games in Kansas City with the Royals.
The following week the team will have a six-game homestand with the Athletics and the Mets. A Pennsylvania road trip begins 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.
September opens with a three-game set at Busch Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates to conclude the six-game homestand.
Blast from the Past
The 2023 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 in the history of Major league baseball. Nevertheless, St. Louis had had periods of underperforming.
This week’s Blast from the Past is the eighth installment in the series showcasing the worst seasons in the franchise’s long history.
The current Cardinals are 49-64 with a win percentage of .434. The teams that ended in worse shape than the current Cardinals with at least 154 games played have almost been exhausted (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 and look at the 1997 Cardinals, a transition club that ended the season with a record of 73-89 and a win percentage of .451.
The 1997 Cardinals were led by current Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. The general manager was Walt Jocketty with the manager Tony La Russa, in his second season with St. Louis.
The 1997 Cardinals finished in fourth place in the NL Central, 11 games back of the first place Houston Astros and five games ahead of the last place Chicago Cubs.
The primary starters for the 1997 club were C Mike Difelice, 1B Dimitri Young, 2B Delino DeShields, SS Royce Clayton, 3B Gary Gaetti, LF Ron Gant, CF Ray Lankford, and RF John Mabry.
The best offensive player was Lankford, who slashed .295/.411/.585 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI. Just behind him was DeShields, who slashed .295/.357/.448 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI.
Mark McGwire was acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics at the July 31 trade deadline. Willie McGee was also a member of this team, having signed consecutive one year free agent deals with the team in 1995 and 1996. He would go on to sign two more times in 1997 and 1998 before retiring from baseball.
The starting rotation consisted of Matt Morris, Todd Stottlemyre, Andy Benes, Alan Benes, Donovan Osborne, and Manny Aybar. Osborne and Aybar made 14 and 12 starts respectively. Alan Benes had the best ERA at 2.89. The best FIP belonged to Andy Benes. The Cardinal closer was Dennis Eckersley.
Unlike the previous teams profiled, the 1997 Cardinals were in the race past the first month of the season. The last date that the Cardinals held the first-place spot was July 4. They were in first place a total of just five days during the season.
However, the Cardinals never had a record above .500. which demonstrates how weak the NL Central Division was in 1997. The Division winner, the Astros, were the only one of the five teams to conclude the season with a winning record.
The team’s longest winning streak was five games. Their longest losing streak was seven games. They had 32 comeback wins, 44 blown leads, six walk off wins and 11 walk off losses.
The 1997 team was shut out by an opponent eight times and shut out their opponent three times.
The team had a winning record against the Cubs, White Sox, Marlins, Dodgers, Twins, Padres and Giants. They tied the Reds.
The 1997 team underperformed their Pythagorean Expectation, which was 79-83.
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