photo: Michael McGreevy (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
At home, the St. Louis Cardinals went 4-2 for the week. Over two starts, Michael McGreevy allowed four runs in 12 innings and Andre Pallante yielded one run in 5 2/3 innings. Our history feature revisits unusual occurrences during this past week in Cardinals history.
Game Recaps
Monday, June 1, 2026 – Cardinals 1, Rangers 2
The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Texas Rangers by a 2-1 score at Busch Stadium on Monday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out one. McGreevy took the loss.
Justin Bruihl relieved McGreevy and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryne Stanek hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. George Soriano tossed a scoreless ninth.
Texas single runs in the fourth and fifth to lead 2-0.
St. Louis scored their only run of the game in sixth on a solo home run by Masyn Winn.
The offense scored one run on five hits. The Cardinals were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
Nolan Gorman made a throwing error.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 – Cardinals 4, Rangers 7
The Cardinals lost to the Rangers in the second game of the three-game series at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. Starter Dustin May pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on five hits, walked two and fanned nine.
JoJo Romero relieved May and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Gordon Graceffo threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. George Soriano hurled a clean eighth. Riley O’Brien relinquished three runs in the ninth and took the loss.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Bryan Torres drew a walk. Masyn Winn singled. Jimmy Crooks plated Torres on a single.
St. Louis made it 2-0 in the fourth on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman.
Texas put up two runs in the fifth to tie the game, took a 3-2 lead in the sixth and made it 4-2 in the top of the seventh.
In the home the seventh, the Cardinals posted two runs to tie the game. JJ Wetherholt singled. Iván Herrera was hit by a pitch. Alec Burleson doubled to score Wetherholt. Herrera came home on a single by Jordan Walker.
Texas rallied for three unanswered runs in the ninth to win the game 7-4.
The Cardinals scored four runs on 13 hits. Burleson was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Crooks was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Wetherholt and Winn were both 2-for-5.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 – Cardinals 5, Rangers 3
The Cardinals took the final game of the series by the score of 5-3 on Wednesday at Busch Stadium. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked two and fanned five to win his sixth game of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Pallante and surrendered two runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Ryne Stanek threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 15th save.
St. Louis went up 1-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn walked. Jordan Walker grounded into a force out, eliminating Winn at second. Nelson Velázquez walked. Alec Burleson singled to score Walker.
Texas tied the game in the top of the third. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home third to retake the lead. Walker singled. Velázquez doubled. Burleson plated Walker and Velázquez on a double.
The Cardinals added a run in the fifth to increase the lead to 4-1. José Fermín singled and scored on a triple by Thomas Saggese.
In the sixth, St. Louis extended the lead to 5-1. Walker singled and stole second base. Velázquez drove in Walker on a single.
The Rangers scored two runs in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-3.
The offense scored five runs on 11 hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Walker was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Velázquez was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Saggese was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Saggese stole his first base of the season. Fermín swiped his first bag. Walker stole his eighth base.
Burleson made a fielding error.
Thursday, June 4, 2026 – Off day
Friday, June 5, 2026 – Cardinals 10, Reds 3
The Cardinals blew past the Reds in a 10-3 win at Busch Stadium on Friday. Starter Kyle Leahy pitched four innings, gave up three runs on five hits, walked two and struck out one.
Hunter Dobbins relieved Leahy and threw five scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.
The Reds went up 3-0 in the top of the first inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home first to cut the lead to 3-2. Lars Nootbaar singled and advanced to second on a throwing error. Ivan Herrera reached on a fielder’s choice. Nootbaar was tagged out at third. Alec Burleson singled, advancing Herrera to third. Herrera came home on a missed catch error. Burleson later scored on a wild pitch.
St. Louis tied the game in the third on a solo home run by Burleson. They took a 4-3 lead in the fifth as Herrera walked and later scored on a double by Jordan Walker.
In the sixth, the Cardinals ran up the score with six runs. Victor Scott singled and scored on a double by Nootbaar. Herrera plated Nootbaar on a single. Burleson drew a walk. Herrera and Burleson advanced on a wild pitch. Bryan Torres walked. Masyn Winn was hit by a pitch and Herrera scored. José Fermín drove in Burleson on a single. Jimmy Crooks walked, sending Torres home. Scott walked, scoring Winn.
The Cardinals scored 10 runs on 10 hits. Walker was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4 with an RBI and four runs scored. Nootbaar was 2-for-6 with an RBI. Herrera scored two runs.
Scott stole his eighth base of the season. Walker swiped his ninth bag.
Saturday, June 6, 2026 – Cardinals 6, Reds 5
The Cardinals edged the Reds by a 6-5 score on Saturday at Busch Stadium. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up five runs, three earned, on four hits, walked three and fanned four.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Liberatore and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryne Stanek hurled a scoreless seventh. George Soriano pitched a scoreless eighth. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth for his 16th save.
The Cardinals went ahead 3-0 in the second inning. Alec Burleson and José Fermín singled. Bryan Torres singled. Victor Scott singled to score Burleson. Masyn Winn drove in Fermín and Torres on a single.
The Reds tied the game in the third, then added two runs in the fourth to lead 5-3. St. Louis responded with a run in the fifth on a solo home run by Jordan Walker to cut the lead to 5-4.
In the eighth, the Cardinals took a 6-5 lead. Fermín singled and Lars Nootbaar followed with a two-run home run.
The Reds threatened in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs. A ball four call to Sal Stewart seemingly tied the game, but Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks challenged and the call was overturned. Stewart grounded out to second on the next pitch and the Cardinals won the game.
The offense scored six runs on 12 hits. Masyn Winn was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Walker was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Fermín was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Nootbaar had two RBI as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement in center.
Walker stole his 10th base of the season. Fermín swiped his second bag. Torres stole his first career MLB base.
Burleson made a fielding error.
Sunday, June 7, 2026 – Cardinals 5, Reds 3
The Cardinals swept the Reds with a 5-3 win on Sunday in the final game of the weekend series at Busch Stadium. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits and fanned five.
George Soriano relieved McGreevy and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryne Stanek hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning to earn the win. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.
The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The Cardinals scored three runs in the fifth to take the lead at 3-2. Alec Burleson doubled. Jordan Walker doubled to score Burleson. Bryan Torres followed with a two-run home run.
Cincinnati tied the game in the seventh. In the eighth, St. Louis put up two runs to regain the lead at 5-3. José Fermín and Nelson Velázquez singled. Victor Scott reached on a fielder’s choice and Fermín scored on a throwing error. JJ Wetherholt walked. Iván Herrera reached on an error and Velázquez came home.
The offense scored five runs on six hits. Walker was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Torres had two RBI.
Scott stole his ninth base of the season.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a 4-2 week at home. They lost 2 of 3 to the Texas Rangers but swept the Reds in three games. The Cardinals are in second place in the NL Central, five games back of the Brewers and 2.5 games ahead of the Cubs.
The offense welcomed the return of Lars Nootbaar from the 60-day injured list on Friday and he made an impact right away. In just three games and 10 at bats, Nootbaar led the offense in OPS for the week among the Cardinals currently on the roster.
Prior to being optioned on Friday, Thomas Saggese had the highest OPS for the week (1.500), but in only four at bats. Next was Nootbaar with an OPS of 1.162. Rounding out the list are Alec Burleson (1.069) and Jordan Walker (1.037).
At the bottom were Pedro Pagés (.000 in 2 ABs), Nolan Gorman (.392), Iván Herrera (.410) and JJ Wetherholt (.453). Wetherholt was held out of three of the six games during the week due to a sore groin. He returned to play in Sunday’s game and was 0-for-3 with two walks.
Andre Pallante had the best pitching performance for the week, with an ERA in his one start of 1.59. Michael McGreevy finished the week with an ERA of 3.00 in two starts. The remaining three starters, Dustin May, Matthew Liberatore and Kyle Leahy finished the week with ERAs over 4.00.
The bullpen had hiccups from both JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien for the week. Hunter Dobbins made another solid appearance in relief, piggybacking Kyle Leahy, who pitched only four innings in his start against the Reds on Friday.
Dobbins will make his first start since being recalled in the upcoming Mets series, slotting into the rotation following Pallante and before Leahy. There is no indication that Leahy will miss a start but perhaps the rotation is being given an extra day of rest.
In injury news, Ryan Fernandez was put on the 15-day injured list with low back pain and replaced in the bullpen by Matt Svanson. The rehab of Ramón Urías was paused due to new pain in his non-throwing elbow. The diagnosis is tennis elbow, the same condition that put him on the injured list to begin with, though now in both arms. Nathan Church is progressing in his rehab and may be returning to the roster as soon as Monday.
The team begins the upcoming week in New York to play the Mets in a three-game series beginning Tuesday. They then travel to Minnesota to face the Twins in a weekend set.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Milwaukee | 40 | 23 | 0.635 | |
| St. Louis | 35 | 28 | 0.556 | 5 |
| Chicago | 34 | 32 | 0.515 | 7.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 34 | 32 | 0.515 | 7.5 |
| Cincinnati | 31 | 33 | 0.484 | 9.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 6/2 The Cardinals moved LF Lars Nootbaar’s rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/3 The Cardinals returned Rule 5 RHP Matt Pushard to the Miami Marlins.
- 6/4 The Cardinals sent LF Nathan Church on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/4 The Cardinals sent 3B Ramón Urías on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/5 The Cardinals placed RHP Ryan Fernandez on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 3. Low back pain.
- 6/5 The Cardinals recalled RHP Matt Svanson from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/5 The Cardinals optioned 3B/LF Thomas Saggese to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/5 The Cardinals activated LF Lars Nootbaar from the 60-day injured list.
- Not confirmed: Outfielder Victor Scott II is being optioned to Triple-A Memphis, according to a reportfrom KMOV’s Tamar Sher. Nathan Church is expected to be activated off the IL in the corresponding move. These transactions should be official on Tuesday.
Injury Report
- OF Lars Nootbaar was activated from the 60-day injured list on June 5.
- 3B Ramón Urías went on the 10-day injured list on May 5. He has right elbow lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Urías was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds on June 4 but experienced pain in his other, non-throwing, elbow following his most recent rehab start. Urías has returned to St. Louis for evaluation.
- LF Nathan Church (left shoulder strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 22, retroactive to May 21. Church was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds on June 4. He played over the weekend and is close to return.
- RHP Ryan Fernandez was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 5 with low back pain. Fernandez has received an injection.
- 2B JJ Wetherholt was out of the lineup for the three games with groin soreness. He returned to action on Sunday in the final game against the Reds.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals head out on a road trip on Monday, June 8, traveling to New York to play the Mets in a three-game series beginning Tuesday, June 9. The rotation for the series has not been set, though Dobbins will make a start.
The road trip concludes in Minnesota with a three-game series against the Twins.
The Cardinals briefly return home to play three games with the Padres that end on Wednesday, June 17. They then travel across the state to face the Royals on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
The last homestand of June begins on Monday, June 22 with four games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, followed by a weekend set with the Marlins.
Blast from the Past
On Saturday, June 6, the Cardinals beat the Reds in the second game of a weekend series at Busch Stadium. The game ended with the second unusual occurrence of the game, the first being when Lars Nootbaar pinch hit for Pedro Pagés in the middle of an at bat in which no injury occurred. The final occurrence was the overturning of a ball four call in the ninth inning that would have tied the score. The hitter, Sal Stewart, then grounded out on the next pitch to end the game.
Over the course of the 162-game season, unusual things are bound to happen from time to time. Sometimes, unusual occurrences involve a player or team doing something for the first time or breaking or tying a record. It is often said that in any baseball game, one can witness something that has never been seen before.
This week’s Blast from the Past chronicles some unusual or first-time occurrences during a St. Louis Cardinals game during the period June 1 through June 7 in the history of the franchise. The date of the occurrence and the details are specified for each event.
June 1, 1910 – Against the Phillies at the Baker Bowl, Cardinals second baseman Miller Huggins came to the plate six times but did not record an official at bat. Huggins drew four walks, plus a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt. Huggins did record two RBI and a run scored.
June 3, 1902 – Against the Boston Beaneaters at South End Grounds III, Cardinals right-handed pitcher Mike O’Neill pinch hit in the ninth inning and hit an inside the park grand slam. It was the first pinch hit grand slam in major league history, which came against Boston hurler Togie Pittinger. The Cardinals beat Boston 11-9.
June 5, 1940 – The Cardinals faced the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first night game played by the franchise. Joe Medwick went 5-for-5 in the 10-1 loss.
June 6, 1937 – The Cardinals were scheduled to play a doubleheader with the Phillies at the Baker Bowl. The first game was delayed by rain for 88 minutes before the Cardinals won, 7-2. The second game began and the Cardinals were ahead 8-2 in the fourth inning. A Philadelphia law required games to be completed by 7 pm. The Phillies began delaying tactics to force the game beyond deadline. The game was forfeited to the Cardinals benefit but because the game failed to reach the required five innings, all the statistics were wiped out. Joe Medwick had hit a home run, and had it been counted, Medwick would have won the home run title that season. Instead, he tied with Mel Ott for the title.
June 7, 1966 – In a 9-1 loss to the Pirates at Forbes Field, Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson recorded four strikeouts in one inning, with one occurring on a wild pitch that allowed the batter to reach base.
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