photo: Alec Burleson (Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports)
Heading into the break, the St. Louis Cardinals went a disappointing 3-4 last week, but are only 4 ½ games out of first. Alec Burleson has been leading the offense. Our history feature highlights “rare feats” by Cardinals during the past week in prior years.
Cardinals pick West Virginia infielder in the first round of the draft
The 2024 MLB Draft began on Sunday night. Day 1 included the first two rounds plus competitive balance and compensation rounds. The final rounds will take place on Monday and Tuesday.
The Cardinals had only one pick Sunday because they lost their second round pick due to the signing of Sonny Gray, who had received a qualifying offer from the Minnesota Twins. The Cardinals were not due any picks in either the competitive balance or compensation rounds.
The Cardinals had the seventh selection, the highest they have picked since adding J.D. Drew in the first round (5th pick) in the 1998 draft.
The player selected by the Cardinals was J.J. Wetherholt, a college SS/2B from the University of West Virginia. The 21-year-old is a switch hitter. Before the draft, Wetherholt was the No. 4 draft prospect or better, depending on the source.
Wetherholt was graded by some scouts as “the best pure hitter in the draft”. His profile includes a low strikeout rate, a high walk rate and the national batting title in 2023.
His college career included eight All-American selections, and he was named West Virginia’s first Big 12 Player of the Year. The former teammate of Victor Scott is the highest drafted player in the West Virginia program’s history.
Wetherholt’s 2024 season was marred by a hamstring injury which caused him to miss 24 games. Nevertheless, he ended the season with a .331 batting average with eight home runs, 30 RBI and a team leading .472 OBP.
Let us all welcome J.J. Wetherholt to the Cardinals family.
For more information:
Cardinals Select J.J. Wetherholt on 2024 MLB Draft’s First Day
Game recaps
Monday, July 8, 2024 – Cardinals 6 at Nationals 0
On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Nationals in a 6-0 win to close out the road trip. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed six hits and struck out three to earn his seventh win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Mikolas and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Nolan Gorman and Michael Siani singled. Alec Burleson grounded into a force out. As Siani was thrown out at second, Gorman scored.
A solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt increased the lead to 2-0 in the fourth. In the eighth inning, the Cardinals extended the lead to 4-0. Burleson thumped a solo home run. Goldschmidt reached on an error and came home on a double by Brendan Donovan.
The Cardinals topped off the score with two final runs in the ninth for the 6-0 win. Gorman and Siani singled. Siani stole second base. With Gorman on third and Siani on second, both came home on Burleson’s single.
The Cardinals scored six runs on 11 hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Gorman was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Siani was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Siani stole his 10th base of the season.
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 – Cardinals vs. Royals (postponed)
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 – Cardinals 4, Royals 6 (Game 1)
The Cardinals fell to the Royals in the first game of a twin bill on Wednesday. This game was Tuesday’s originally scheduled contest. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up four runs on six hits and struck out five.
Chris Roycroft relieved Pallante and surrendered two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning on a solo home run by Nolan Arenado. They increased the lead to 3-0 on a two-run home run by Alec Burleson.
The Royals came back to tie the game in the fifth. They took the lead 4-3 in the sixth and increased the lead to 6-3 in the eighth.
A solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt in the ninth reduced the final score to 6-4.
St. Louis scored four runs on six hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI and was the only Cardinal with multiple hits. Burleson had two RBI.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 – Cardinals 5, Royals 8 (Game 2)
The Cardinals were swept by the Royals as they also lost the second game of the twin bill. Starter Gordon Graceffo, called up from Memphis for the game, pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits and struck out two.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Graceffo and surrendered three runs in 1 2/3 innings. Ryan Fernandez yielded one in 1 1/3 innings. John King tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Cardinals went ahead in the second inning on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar.
The Royals tied the game in the third and added two runs in the fourth to lead 3-1. St. Louis answered with one run in the home half fourth to cut the lead to 3-2. Nootbaar doubled and scored on a ground-rule double by Nolan Gorman.
The Royals responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to increase the lead to 5-2. The Cardinals added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 5-4. Willson Contreras singled. Alec Burleson plated Contreras on a double. Burleson came home on a single by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Royals added single runs in the sixth and seventh to widen their lead to 7-4. The Cardinals scored their final run in the home seventh. Dylan Carlson singled. Brendan Donovan doubled. Contreras drove in Carlson on ground out.
Kansas City put up an insurance run in the ninth to win 8-5.
The Cardinals scored five runs on 10 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Donovan was 2-for-5.
Thursday July 11, 2024 – Off day
Friday, July 12, 2024 – Cardinals 1, Cubs 5
On Friday, the Cardinals were defeated by the Cubs in the first game of four over the weekend at Busch Stadium. St. Louis juggled the rotation so Sonny Gray could start the opener of this important series, but it didn’t work due to the sputtering offense. Gray pitched seven innings, gave up three runs on nine hits and struck out six.
Chris Roycroft relieved Gray and surrendered two runs in 2/3 of an inning. John King collected one out. Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the third inning and added another run in the fourth. In the seventh, Chicago increased the lead to 3-0 and they made it 5-0 in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored their only run of the game in the ninth. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Willson Contreras walked. Paul Goldschmidt plated Winn on a single.
The offense scored one run on six hits. Lars Nootbaar was 2-for-4 and was the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
On the bases, Alec Burleson was caught stealing.
Saturday, July 13, 2024 – Cardinals 11, Cubs 3 (Game 1)
The Cardinals blew out the Cubs in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday. Starter Lance Lynn pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out six and walked two to earn his fifth win of the season.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn and threw a scoreless seventh. The 27th man for the day, Kyle Leahy, surrendered one run in the final two innings.
The Cubs went up 1-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals roared out of the gate in the home half first to pummel the Cubs with nine runs. Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson singled, advancing Winn to third. Willson Contreras drove in Winn on a single. Lars Nootbaar reached on fielder’s choice and Burleson scored. Nolan Arenado reached on a fielder’s choice. Brendan Donovan reached on an error, sending Contreras home. Michael Siani was hit by a pitch and Nootbaar scored. Winn plated Arenado and Donovan on a single. Burleson followed with a three-run home run.
St. Louis added a 10th run in the second inning. Arenado and Donovan singled. Arenado came home on a single by Pedro Pagés.
The Cubs scored their second run in the top of the fourth. St. Louis answered with a run in the home fourth to lead 11-2. Arenado walked and came home on a double by Nolan Gorman.
Chicago managed a final run in the ninth to bring the final score to 11-3.
The Cardinals scored 11 runs on 13 hits. Burleson was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Saturday, July 13, 2024 – Cardinals 5, Cubs 4 (Game 2)
The Cardinals squeezed out a win at the back end of the second game of the doubleheader for a sweep. Starter Kyle Gibson pitched four innings, gave up four runs on 10 hits, struck out three and walked two.
John King relieved Gibson and threw two scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero earned his fourth win with 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth for his MLB-leading 32nd save.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning as Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras hit solo home runs.
The Cubs came back in the top of the second to steal the lead at 4-2. St. Louis scored one run in the home half second to cut the gap to 4-3. Matt Carpenter singled. Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Winn singled and Carpenter was thrown out at home. Alec Burleson plated Gorman on a sac fly.
The Cardinals rallied in the eighth for two runs that gave them a 5-4 lead and the win. Contreras walked. Paul Goldschmidt thumped a ground-rule double. Nolan Arenado drove in Contreras and Goldschmidt on a single.
The Cardinals scored five runs on 11 hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4.
Sunday, July 14, 2024 – Cardinals 3, Cubs 8
The Cardinals had to settle for a home series split by losing an ugly game to the Cubs on the final day before the All-Star break. Starter Miles Mikolas did not pitch well, as he gave up four home runs. The right hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up a total of six runs on eight hits and struck out two. Mikolas took the loss, his eighth of the season.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Mikolas and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Liberatore secured the final out of the seventh. Andrew Kittredge surrendered two runs on two more home runs in the eighth. Chris Roycroft tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado singled. Pedro Pagés drove in Donovan and Arenado on a single.
The Cubs quickly tied the game in the third. They added two runs each in the fifth and sixth to lead 6-2.
St. Louis added a run in the home sixth on a solo home run by Alec Burleson. Chicago ran up the score to 8-3 in the eighth.
The offense scored three runs on eight hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4. Donovan was 3-for-3. Pagés had two RBI.
On the bases, Donovan stole his third base of the season.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended this final week before the All-Star break with a disappointing 3-4 record. They played two double headers, one with the Royals and one with the Cubs. The one with the Cubs was set in advance, but the Royals twin bill resulted from Tuesday’s rain out.
The Cardinals lost both games to the Royals and split the four games with the Cubs. The other win last week was the finale of the four-game series in Washington that ended on Monday.
St. Louis remains in second place in the NL Central, 4.5 games behind Milwaukee. Their record is 50-46.
This week, the weakness was not the offense but the pitching. The offense scored 35 runs in their seven games, but their run differential remains high because the pitching gave up 34 runs.
Only two players had an OPS over .900 this past week. Dylan Carlson made the most of his three at bats for an OPS of 1.334. Alec Burleson had an OPS of 1.228 in 28 at bats.
The next closest were Brendan Donovan (.895), Paul Goldschmidt (.840), and Willson Contreras (.838). At the low end was Brandon Crawford (.143). Everyone else had an OPS between .500 and .800.
The pitching this week was not the best. On the positive side, Sonny Gray had an ERA of 3.38 and Lance Lynn had an ERA of 3.00 over the last seven days. The rest were Miles Mikolas (4.63), Andre Pallante (5.68), Gordon Graceffo (8.10) and Kyle Gibson (9.00).
Graceffo was called up for one start because of the two sets of doubleheaders. He was immediately sent back down afterward. Both Gibson and Graceffo were out before the fifth inning. Mikolas had two starts, one good and the other a disaster. Mikolas gave up four home runs in his final start against the Cubs.
The bullpen hiccups included Andrew Kittredge (5.79), who gave up two home runs in the same game Mikolas gave up four long balls. Matthew Liberatore (9.00) and Chris Roycroft (10.80) rounded out the relief stumblers.
The only bright spot for this past week is that the Brewers played worse.
The best thing that can be said is the All-Star break couldn’t have come at a better time. They can only hope the four days rest for everyone except lone All-Star Ryan Helsley will set things right.
The first series after the break is in Atlanta (53-42), followed by three in Pittsburgh (48-48).
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Milwaukee | 55 | 52 | 0.567 | |
| St. Louis | 50 | 46 | 0.521 | 4.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 48 | 48 | 0.500 | 6.5 |
| Cincinnati | 47 | 50 | 0.485 | 8 |
| Chicago | 47 | 51 | 0.480 | 8.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Foul Territory discussed some potential deadline deals that the Cardinals could make last week. Rosenthal suggested that catcher Iván Herrera and outfielder Dylan Carlson may be pieces the Cardinals would be willing to offer in a trade.
Herrera has recently been activated from the injured list and optioned to Memphis. In the past, he had been considered the heir apparent to Yadier Molina, but the acquisition of Willson Contreras sent Herrera to the backup catcher chair. Herrera hit well but could not throw out opposing basestealers. Now, the team favors defensively oriented Pedro Pagés in the backup role, seemingly making Herrera superfluous.
Carlson, once considered one of the Cardinals’ top prospects, has also fallen out of favor due to several seasons of injury and subpar offensive performance. Rosenthal sees Carlson as a “change of scenery” move for the Cardinals.
Transactions
- 7/8 The Cardinals optioned IF José Fermín to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/8 The Cardinals activated OF Lars Nootbaar from the 10-day injured list.
- 7/9 The Cardinals sent IF/OF Tommy Edman on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
- 7/10 The Cardinals recalled RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds as the 27th man for the doubleheader.
- 7/11 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/12 The Cardinals activated C Iván Herrera and optioned him to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/13 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from the Memphis Redbirds as the 27th man for the doubleheader.
- 7/14 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kyle Leahy to the Memphis Redbirds
Injury Report
- CF Tommy Edman (arthroscopic wrist surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 15-day injured list on May 6. Edman has started a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals that should continue well after the break.
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season ending forearm surgery. The right hander will not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
- LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
- RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien has been throwing and is close to starting a rehab period with Springfield.
- LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 28. Matz was cleared to begin throwing on July 4. Matz is expected to be out until August.
- OF Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) was activated from the 10-day injured list.
- C Iván Herrera (lower back tightness) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 19. Herrera completed his rehab assignment and was optioned to Memphis.
- CF Michael Siani (left elbow contusion) was hit by a pitch in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday. Siani was kept out of the lineup through the remainder of the Cubs series. Siani is considered day to day.
Looking Ahead
Following Ryan Helsley’s All-Star Game appearance, the first series after the break is against the Braves in Atlanta. The Cardinals then return to Pittsburgh for a series with the Pirates.
After a travel day on Thursday, July 25, the Cardinals take on the Nationals again at Busch Stadium. The final series in July is three games with the Texas Rangers in St. Louis.
The month of August begins at Wrigley Field for a four-game series with the Cubs. The Cardinals return to St. Louis to play a rain makeup game with the Mets on Monday, August 5. Next will be three games against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The team leaves for a road trip following the Rays series. The Cardinals face the Royals in Kansas City for two games on August 9-10 to complete the home and home season series. They then travel to Cincinnati for three with the Reds.
After a travel day, the Cardinals have a weekend series at Busch Stadium with the Dodgers on August 16-18.
Blast from the Past
Last week’s Blast from the Past debuted a new feature that showcases rare feats accomplished by Cardinals in the history of the franchise. This week we continue with three more rare feats accomplished by Cardinals. In a twist, two of the three rare feats belonged to the same player in different seasons. Both players showcased here played for the Cardinals in the first half of the 20th Century.
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.
During the period July 8 through 14, the following rare feats are featured. For each rare feat, the type of feat, the date it occurred, and some details of each occurrence are listed below.
Johnny Mize – First baseman Mize played for the Cardinals from 1935-1941. His rare feat was hitting for the cycle on July 13, 1940. The Cardinals were playing a doubleheader against the New York Giants at Sportsman’s Park.
In the first game, the Cardinals beat the Giants 7-6. Mize was the cleanup hitter. The cycle proceeded as follows. In the bottom of the third inning Mize hit a solo home run to right field for the first run for St. Louis.
Mize came to bat in the bottom of the fifth and doubled to right field. He was left stranded. In the bottom of the seventh, Mize singled for an RBI. In his last at bat in the bottom of the ninth, Mize tripled to center and scored on an error for the winning run.
Mize, a Hall of Famer, still holds the franchise record for most home runs in a season by a left-handed batter, most RBI in a season for a lefty, and most games with three or more home runs. (This is the hint for his other rare feat).
Jim Bottomley – Like Mize, Bottomley was a first baseman and future Hall of Famer. He played for the Cardinals from 1922-1932 and afterward with the St. Louis Browns, for whom he later managed.
Nicknamed “Sunny Jim” for his sunny disposition, Bottomley’s rare feat was also hitting for the cycle. His cycle occurred on July 14, 1927, in a 9-7 win over the Phillies at the Baker Bowl.
The cleanup hitter’s cycle began with a single to center field in the first inning. No run scored.
Bottomley singled to center again in the fourth with the same outcome. He led off the sixth inning with a double to right and scored on a single by Billy Southworth.
In the next inning, Bottomley hit a home run to right. Then in the ninth, Bottomley completed the cycle with a triple to center. He later scored on a fielder’s choice.
In other notable feats, Bottomley set a major league record in 1924 by driving in 12 runs in a single game. This is also considered a rare feat and could be featured in another installment at some point, but it occurred much later in the season. He had six hits in a game twice.
Johnny Mize – The second rare feat by Mize during this period was hitting three home runs in a game. Like Bottomley, Mize performed this rare feat more than once. In fact, he did it six times, so look to possibly see his name pop up in future installments. Four of these six times occurred while he was a Cardinal.
This rare feat occurred on July 13, 1938 against the Boston Bees. The Bees were not an earlier version of the Red Sox, as one might think. The Bees were in existence for only six seasons, and eventually became the Boston Braves, then moved to Milwaukee and are today in Atlanta.
The game against the Bees was a 10-5 loss played at Sportsman’s Park. Mize was hitting fifth. He hit his first long ball, a two-run shot, in the fourth inning. It was preceded by a single from cleanup hitter Joe “Ducky” Medwick.
The second home run, a solo shot, was in the sixth. In the eighth, he hit another two-run home run, again following a single from Medwick.
Some notable facts about Mize include his two nicknames “Big Jawn” and “The Big Cat”. Both nicknames reportedly arose for his fielding at first base.
Mize served in World War II after he was traded to the New York Giants in 1941. He once sued a baseball card company for using his image without permission. Mize lost the suit, but the company stopped producing the card.
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Drawing: Return to Tommy Herr’s 1987 Cardinals Seat Cushion Night
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