photo: Brendan Donovan (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
As the pitching falters, the St. Louis Cardinals head into the break after going 3-3 at home against two losing NL East squads. Brendan Donovan will be the team’s only representative in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Our history feature details the five prior All-Star Games held in St. Louis.
Cardinals pick four in first day of draft
The Cardinals had four picks in the first three rounds of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, which began on Sunday night. Their first-round selection was fifth overall, the highest pick since they picked J.D. Drew at the same spot in 1998.
In the first round, the Cardinals chose LHP Liam Doyle from the University of Tennessee. Doyle is a flamethrower with a 70-grade fastball. Doyle was ranked #8 by Baseball America.
Doyle fell to the Cardinals after the Nationals picked high school shortstop Eli Willits, a surprising pick according to analysts. The Angels, who picked second, chose a pitcher outside the top 10 in rankings, which left several of the top ranked picks available. Doyle was the SEC Pitcher of the Year and led the NCAA in strikeouts.
The remaining three picks were Ryan Mitchell at #55, RHP Tanner Franklin, another Tennessee pitcher at #72, and Jack Gurevitch, first baseman from the University of San Diego at #89.
Mitchell played shortstop in high school but the Cardinals will play him in center field. From Houston High School in Tennessee, he is a left handed bat who is 6’2” and 185 pounds. He is ranked 55th by MLB Pipeline.
Franklin was another pitcher from the University of Tennessee, whose coach is Anthony Vitello, a St. Louis native. Franklin was deployed as a reliever this season but the Cardinals plan to try him a starter. Like Doyle, he also possesses a 70-grade fastball. Franklin struck out 52 in 38 2/3 innings in 2025.
The third-round pick, Gurevitch, posted good power numbers at the University of San Diego. He is a left-handed hitter who slashed .371/.477/.681 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI in 2025.
The last day of the draft begins Monday morning with rounds 4 through 20.
Further details here:
Game recaps
Monday, July 7, 2025 – Off day
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 – Cardinals 4, Nationals 2
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Washington Nationals by the score of 4-2 on Tuesday at Busch Stadium. Starter Sonny Gray pitched five innings, gave up two runs on five hits, fanned six and walked one to earn his ninth win of the season.
Four relievers threw a scoreless inning each. Steven Matz took the sixth. Phil Maton the seventh, JoJo Romero the eighth and Ryan Helsley earned his 18th save with a clean ninth.
Washington went up 2-0 in the top of the third.
St. Louis answered with three runs in the home half third to lead 3-2. Victor Scott hit a ground-rule double. All-Star Brendan Donovan followed with a two-run home run. Masyn Winn singled and scored on a double by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals scored their fourth and final run in the sixth on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar.
The offense scored four runs on seven hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Donovan had two RBI.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 – Cardinals 2, Nationals 8
The Cardinals fell to the Nationals by an 8-2 score on Wednesday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched six innings, gave up seven runs on eight hits, struck out one and walked one. Pallante took the loss.
John King relieved Pallante and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Matt Svanson tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Nationals took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
St. Louis answered with one run in the home first. Willson Contreras doubled and scored on a single by Alec Burleson.
The Nationals increased the lead with a three run fourth and added a run in the fifth to lead 7-1.
In the top of the seventh, Washington widened the lead to 8-1.
The Cardinals scored their second and final run in the bottom of the seventh. Lars Nootbaar doubled and later came home on a single by Masyn Winn.
The Cardinals scored two runs on seven hits. Winn was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Nootbaar was 2-for-4.
Thursday, July 10, 2025 – Cardinals 8, Nationals 1
The Cardinals won the rubber match of the series over the NL East last-place Nationals on Thursday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed two hits, fanned six and walked one to earn his fifth win.
Steven Matz relieved Mikolas and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Kyle Leahy surrendered one run in the final two innings.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Brendan Donovan singled. Masyn Winn doubled. Donovan scored on a ground out by Alec Burleson.
St. Louis added a run in the third. Donovan singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Burleson plated Donovan on a single.
The Cardinals posted a five-run sixth to increase the lead to 7-0. Willson Contreras singled. Lars Nootbaar hit a ground-rule double. Nolan Arenado singled and Contreras scored. Nolan Gorman walked. Yohel Pozo singled to drive in Nootbaar. Arenado came home on a force out by Victor Scott. Gorman scored on a sac fly by Donovan. Scott stole second base and scored on a double by Winn.
St. Louis added an eighth run in the seventh on a solo home run by Contreras. The Nationals scored their only run in the eighth.
The offense scored eight runs on 10 hits. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Burleson had two RBI.
Scott stole his 23rd base of the season.
Friday, July 11, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Braves 6
The Cardinals lost to the Atlanta Braves by a 6-5 score on Friday at Busch Stadium. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched three innings, gave up six runs on nine hits and walked one. Liberatore took the loss.
Riley O’Brien relieved Liberatore and threw two scoreless innings. Matt Svanson hurled 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. JoJo Romero pitched one scoreless inning. Phil Maton secured the final out of the ninth.
The Braves were on the board immediately with three runs in the top of the first.
The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home first. Brendan Donovan singled and scored on a double by Alec Burleson. Burleson came home on a single by Willson Contreras.
Atlanta added one run in the second and two in the third to widen the lead to 6-2.
In the home third, St. Louis cut the lead to 6-5. Burleson hit a ground rule double. Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman walked. Pedro Pagés singled to plate Burleson and Nootbaar. Victor Scott drove in Gorman on a single.
There was no scoring by either side over the final six innings.
The Cardinals plated five runs on 10 hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Contreras was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Scott was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Pagés had two RBI.
Scott was picked off first base and had an outfield assist at home plate.
Saturday, July 12, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Braves 7
On Saturday, the Cardinals pen faltered as they fell to the Braves in another one- run loss at home. Starter Erick Fedde pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on six hits, struck out one and walked one.
Called up before the game, Gordon Graceffo relieved Fedde and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Phil Maton surrendered three runs in the eighth. Ryan Helsley yielded one run in the ninth and took the loss.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the first and added two runs in the top of the second.
The Cardinals answered with three runs in the home half of the second to tie the game. Yohel Pozo doubled. Thomas Saggese singled and Pozo scored. Nolan Gorman followed with a two-run home run.
St. Louis took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on a solo home run by Pozo. They made it 5-3 in the seventh. Gorman singled and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Victor Scott. Brendan Donovan plated Gorman on a single.
In the top of the eighth, Atlanta put up three runs to lead 6-5.
The Cardinals tied the game at 6-6 in the home eighth. Alec Burleson walked. Garrett Hampson pinch ran and stole second base. José Fermín walked. Saggese walked. Hampson scored on a wild pitch.
The Braves regained the 7-6 lead in the ninth and the Cardinals did not answer.
The Cardinals scored six runs on seven hits. Gorman was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Pozo was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Hampson stole his third base.
Sunday, July 13, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Braves 4
In the third straight one-run decision, the Cardinals edged the Braves in the final game of the series to avoid being swept at home.
Starter Sonny Gray pitched only three innings due to one of three weather delays. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits and fanned five before the rain came.
Steven Matz relieved Gray and surrendered two runs, one earned, in 1 2/3 innings. Gordon Graceffo yielded one run in 1 2/3 innings. Riley O’Brien hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 19th save.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Masyn Winn walked and stole second base. Victor Scott singled and Winn scored.
The Braves tied the game in the third and added two runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead 3-1.
The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home half of the fifth to tie at 3-3. Scott walked. Alec Burleson singled. Willson Contreras plated Scott and Burleson on a double.
St. Louis expanded its lead in the sixth on a two-run home run by José Fermín.
Atlanta cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh but could come no closer.
The Cardinals scored five runs on eight hits. Burleson was 2-for-3. Contreras and Fermín each had two RBI. Winn scored two runs.
In his return to the lineup, Iván Herrera singled, walked and stole two bases. Winn swiped his fifth bag. Scott stole his 24th bag. Burleson stole his fourth base.
On defense, Burleson made a throwing error. Graceffo had a missed catch error.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended their week before the All-Star Break with a 3-3 record at home against two sub-.500 teams. They won 2 of 3 from the Nationals and lost 2 of 3 to the Braves. The team remains in third place in the NL Central, and farther away from the Cubs and Brewers than they have been for a while.
The offense was there, but the issue was pitching. The offense could score runs, but the pitching allowed too many more.
The top offensive performers for the week by OPS were Yohel Pozo (1.117), Lars Nootbaar (1.018), José Fermín (.953) and Alec Burleson (.916). At the bottom were Nolan Arenado (.473), Pedro Pagés (.308), and Thomas Saggese (.237).
Again, pitching was the problem this week with only two starters posting ERAs under 4.00 – Sonny Gray (3.38) and Miles Mikolas (0.00). Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante were in double digits. Erick Fedde showed some improvement against the Braves compared to his last few starts, which were disasters.
The bullpen was a little better this week than last. The big hiccup was Phil Maton (11.57) who had a bad outing against the Braves. John King (6.75) continues to be underwhelming out of the pen.
The team is beat up so the upcoming break should be welcome. Nootbaar went on the IL with a persistent intercostal issue and will miss the road trip after the break. Nolan Arenado has a finger issue but has not been put on the IL. Iván Herrera is back and was in the lineup Sunday. Jordan Walker should be back from his rehab right after the break.
The road trip after the break will consist of three games at the Arizona Diamondbacks and three at the Colorado Rockies.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Chicago | 57 | 39 | 0.594 | |
| Milwaukee | 56 | 40 | 0.583 | 1 |
| St. Louis | 51 | 46 | 0.526 | 6.5 |
| Cincinnati | 50 | 47 | 0.515 | 7.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 39 | 58 | 0.402 | 18.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 7/10 The Cardinals sent C Iván Herrera on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/12 The Cardinals optioned RHP Matt Svanson to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/12 The Cardinals recalled RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/13 The Cardinals placed LF Lars Nootbaar on the 10-day injured list. Left costochondrial sprain.
- 7/13 The Cardinals activated C Iván Herrera from the 10-day injured list.
Injury Report
- LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 7. Thompson had a setback in his rehab and was sent for an evaluation. He returned to the Cardinals spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida to resume his throwing program. There have been no updates on Thompson’s progress for quite some time.
- C Iván Herrera was activated from the 10-day injured list on Sunday, July 13.
- RF Jordan Walker (appendicitis) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 23. Walker began a rehab assignment in Memphis and moved to Springfield for a couple of weeks. He was expected to return before the All-Star Break but was kept on the assignment “to get his timing back” according to manager Oli Marmol. A return after the break is now the expectation. Since joining Springfield, Walker is just 6-for-38, .158.
- 3B Nolan Arenado (right index finger sprain) has been in and out of the lineup since June 30. He last exited the lineup early on July 11 and did not play on July 12 or 13.
- LF Lars Nootbaar (left costochondrial sprain) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, July 13. Nootbaar had been dealing with left side discomfort for over a week and was removed from games early on several occasions. Herrera replaced Nootbaar on the active roster.
Looking Ahead
After the All-Star Break, the Cardinals embark on a West Coast road trip with the first stop in Phoenix to play the Diamondbacks in a weekend three-game series. The road trip ends in Denver with three against the Rockies.
The team returns home from Colorado for a seven-game homestand to end July. The San Diego Padres come to Busch Stadium for four beginning Thursday, July 24, then the Cardinals will play three with the Miami Marlins.
The month of August begins with another road trip, first to San Diego, then to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers.
After a travel day on Thursday, August 7, a nine-day homestand begins, three each with the Cubs, Rockies, and Yankees.
Blast from the Past
The 95th annual MLB All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. The very first All-Star Game took place on July 6, 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The American League won, 4-2.
The All-Star Game was cancelled in 1945 because of World War II travel restrictions and was cancelled again in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
From 1958 through 1962, two All-Star Games were held. From 1963 through the present, the All-Star Game has only occurred once per season.
The All-Star Game MVP award began in 1962.
The Midsummer Classic has been held in St. Louis on five occasions. (1) July 9, 1940 at Sportsman’s Park; (2) July 13, 1948 at Sportsman’s Park; (3) July 9, 1957 at Busch Stadium I; (4) July 12, 1966 at Busch Stadium II; and July 14, 2009 at Busch Stadium III.
This week’s Blast from the Past looks back at each of these five local All-Star Games. Noted is which team won, the score, the MVP (if applicable), the winning and losing pitcher, Cardinals in the starting lineup and reserves and any other notable occurrences.
July 9, 1940 – This was the eighth annual All-Star Game. The National League won the game, 4-1. The winning pitcher was Paul Derringer of the Cincinnati Reds. The losing pitcher was Red Ruffing of the New York Yankees.
First baseman Johnny Mize, and center fielder Terry Moore were starters and the only Cardinals named.
July 13, 1948 – This was the 15th annual All-Star Game. The St. Louis Browns were the hosts, not the Cardinals. The American League won, 5-2. The winning pitcher was Vic Rashi of the New York Yankees. The losing pitcher was Johnny Schmitz of the Chicago Cubs.
2B Red Schoendienst (replacing injured Eddie Stanky), LF Stan Musial, and RF Enos Slaughter were starters. Pitcher Harry Breechen and SS Marty Marion were also on the NL squad.
Stan Musal hit a home run in the first inning.
July 9, 1957 – This was the 24th annual All-Star Game. The American League won, 6-5. The winning pitcher was Jim Bunning of the Detroit Tigers. The losing pitcher was Curt Simmons of the Philadelphia Phillies.
1B Stan Musial was the only Cardinal in the starting lineup. Pitcher Larry Jackson, OF Wally Moon and C Hal Smith were on the NL team.
This game was marred by controversy as an investigation found that the Cincinnati Redlegs stuffed the ballot box. Originally the entire starting lineup, except for Musial, were Redlegs. Two of the Cincinnati players were removed and replaced by Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
As a result of the investigation, fan-voting rights were suspended until 1970.
July 12, 1966 – This was the 37th annual All-Star Game, played in Busch Stadium II in the first year of its existence. The National League won, 2-1 in 10 innings. Brooks Robinson of the Orioles was named the MVP, even though the AL lost the game. The winning pitcher was Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants. The losing pitcher was Pete Richert of the Washington Senators.
No Cardinals were in the starting lineup. Pitcher Bob Gibson, C Tim McCarver and CF Curt Flood were on the NL squad. Gibson didn’t pitch because he was injured.
July 14, 2009 – This was the 80th annual All-Star Game. The American League won, 4-3. Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays was the MVP. The winning pitcher was Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox. The losing pitcher was Heath Bell of the San Diego Padres.
St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina and 1B Albert Pujols were in the starting lineup. Pitcher Ryan Franklin was also on the team.
Stan Musial gave the ceremonial first pitch to President Barack Obama, who threw it to Pujols. Obama was the first sitting President to throw the first pitch at an All-Star Game since Gerald Ford in 1976.
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