photo: Willson Contreras (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals went 3-2 this week after a split in London against the Cubs. Catcher Willson Contreras had a .409 OBP this week highlighted by a 4-for-4 performance on Sunday. Our history feature highlights the worst-ever seasons by a Cardinal team.
Game Recaps
Monday, June 19, 2023 – Cardinals 8 at Nationals 6
The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a comeback win over the Nationals on Monday. Starter Jack Flaherty pitched 6 1/3 innings, gave up six runs on 10 hits, struck out five and walked one to earn his fourth win of the season.
Genesis Cabrera relieved Flaherty and threw 2/3 scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos threw a scoreless eighth and Jordan Hicks tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Nationals went up 3-0 in the first inning then scored two more in the second for a 5-0 early lead.
St. Louis got back in the game in the third with two runs scored. Paul DeJong singled and scored on a triple by Tommy Edman. Edman scored on a single by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Cardinals took the lead in the fifth with a four-run inning. DeJong doubled to start the inning and Edman singled. Brendan Donovan then whacked a three-run home run and Goldschmidt followed with a solo long ball. The Cardinals led 6-5.
The Cardinals increased the lead to 8-5 in the seventh. Edman walked and scored on a single by Nolan Arenado. Lars Nootbaar walked and came across on a Willson Contreras single.
Washington added a run in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 8-6.
Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Edman was 2-for-2 with an RBI and three runs scored. DeJong collected two hits with two runs scored and Jordan Walker recorded two hits. Donovan had three RBI.
In the field, Nootbaar had an outfield assist at third base. Donovan had an outfield assist at second base.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 – Cardinals 9 at Nationals 3
The Cardinals defeated the Nationals and took the series with a 9-3 win on Tuesday. Starter Jordan Montgomery pitched seven innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out six and walked one to earn his fourth win of the season.
Drew VerHagen relieved Montgomery and surrendered one run in the eighth. Jake Woodford allowed one run in the ninth.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by Dylan Carlson. The Nationals cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth.
St. Louis added two runs in the fifth for a 4-1 lead. Tommy Edman and Paul Goldschmidt each singled. Edman and Goldschmidt executed a double steal and Edman scored on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado. Willson Contreras doubled to score Goldschmidt.
Carlson homered for the second time in the sixth to widen the lead to 5-1. In the seventh, Goldschmidt singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a ground out by Arenado and scored on a single by Contreras. The Cardinals led 6-1.
In the eighth, Andrew Knizner singled and later scored on a Goldschmidt ground out. The Nationals scored one in the home half of the eighth to make it a 7-2 Cardinals lead.
St. Louis added two final runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run home run by Paul DeJong. The Nationals posted their final run of the game in the bottom of that inning.
Carlson was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Contreras went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Goldschmidt recorded two hits with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 3-for-5 and DeJong had two RBI.
On the base paths, Edman stole his 13th base of the season. Goldschmidt swiped his eighth bag.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 – Cardinals 0 at Nationals 3
The Cardinals were blanked on a rainy Wednesday by the Nationals 3-0. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched seven innings, gave up two runs on eight hits, struck out three and walked one. Mikolas took the loss, his fifth.
Andre Pallante relieved Mikolas and surrendered one run in the eighth.
Neither team scored until the fifth inning when the Nationals put up a run to lead 1-0. Washington then scored one in the sixth, and one more in the eighth for the 3-0 win.
The Cardinals scattered seven hits. The offense was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
In the field, Tommy Edman had an outfield assist at third base.
Thursday, June 22, 2023 – Off day
Friday, June 23, 2023 – Off day
Saturday, June 24, 2023 – Cardinals 1, Cubs 9 (London Series)
The Cardinals were pounded by the Cubs in the first game of the two-game series in London. Starter Wainwright was “terrible” as he himself told the media after the game. The right-hander pitched three innings, gave up seven runs on 11 hits and walked one. Wainwright took the loss, his second of the season.
Steven Matz relieved Wainwright and threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Jake Woodford hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Drew VerHagen relinquished two unearned runs in the ninth.
The Cubs went up 2-0 in the second, then scored three runs in the third and two runs in the fourth to lead 7-0.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the sixth. Tommy Edman doubled and scored on a single by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Cubs added a two-run topper to their already substantial lead in the ninth.
The Cardinals’ meager offense scored one run on six hits. Doubles by Edman and DeJong were the only extra-base hits.
In the field, DeJong made a throwing error. Edman had an outfield assist at third base.
Sunday, June 25, Cardinals 7, Cubs 5 (London Series)
The Cardinals reclaimed their dignity after the embarrassing loss on Saturday to defeat the Cubs in the final game 7-5. Starter Matthew Liberatore was thrust into the position of starter after Jack Flaherty was scratched with hip tightness. Liberatore did not last three innings. The left-hander pitched 2 1/3 innings, gave up four unearned runs on four hits, struck out three and walked two.
Jake Woodford relieved Liberatore and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his second win. Genesis Cabrera followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos hurled a scoreless seventh and Andre Pallante tossed a scoreless eighth. Jordan Hicks surrendered a run in the ninth but earned his fourth save.
The Cubs went up 4-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals answered with three runs in the second. Willson Contreras singled, Nolan Gorman singled and Jordan Walker drew a walk. Contreras scored on a missed catch error by Cubs 1B Trey Mancini. Brendan Donovan plated Gorman and Walker on a single.
St. Louis tied the game in the third. Lars Nootbaar singled and later scored on a single by Walker. The Cardinals then took the lead in the fourth with two runs scored. Edman singled and stole second base. Donovan was hit by a pitch. Paul Goldschmidt singled and Edman scored.
Contreras doubled and scored on a single by Gorman in the fifth to give the Cardinals a 7-4 lead. The Cardinals took that score into the ninth inning. The Cubs scratched across one more run to cut the lead to 7-5.
Contreras was 4-for-4 with two runs scored against his former team. Gorman was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Donovan had two RBI.
On the base paths, Edman stole his 14th base of the season. Walker was picked off and caught stealing.
In the field, Paul DeJong made a fielding error. Gorman had a missed catch error.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a positive week for a change, going 3-2 in a shortened week. They won 2 of 3 from the Nationals and split the two-game series with the Cubs in London.
The team remains in last place in the NL Central however, 8.5 games back of the ever-changing first-place team which is the Reds at this point. They are three games back of the fourth-place Pirates.
The team’s main weakness, pitching, has not improved. This fact is constantly being pointed out by everyone with eyes and a desire to comment. Adam Wainwright had probably his worst start of the season in the London Series on Saturday. Wainwright acknowledged he was “terrible.” Even in the game the Cardinals won in London, the starter, Matthew Liberatore, didn’t get out of the third inning.
The pitching must get better, for the 1,000,000th time, or the Cardinals will finish in last place in the division, a place they haven’t been since 1918. Yes, not since World War I.
For just this past week, Jordan Montgomery and Miles Mikolas were good, and Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright were bad. Matthew Liberatore couldn’t finish the third inning in Sunday’s game but has an ERA of 0.00 because all four of the runs he allowed were unearned.
The problem is, next week the good and the bad will likely be different. Not one of the starting pitchers can be counted on, that is the issue.
Moving on to offense, they were better, other than the two games in which they didn’t show up. The top performers by OPS are Dylan Carlson (1.203), Tommy Edman (1.005), Brendan Donovan (.955), Willson Contreras (.933), and Paul DeJong (.826). At the bottom is Nolan Arenado (.385).
The defense is somewhat better and would be even better if DeJong would cut down on the errors. The outfield defense has improved with the additions of Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson from the injured list. Tommy Edman continues to play CF for now.
Baserunning needs work. The worst offender has been Jordan Walker. He’s a rookie so one hopes he will get better.
The Cardinals come home from London and play two interleague series with the Astros and the Yankees.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| Cincinnati | 41 | 37 | 0.526 | |
| Milwaukee | 40 | 37 | 0.519 | 0.5 |
| Chicago | 37 | 39 | 0.487 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | 35 | 42 | 0.455 | 5.5 |
| St. Louis | 32 | 45 | 0.416 | 8.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors.
Transactions
- 6/17 The Cardinals sent OF Lars Nootbaar on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/19 The Cardinals optioned 1B Luken Baker to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/19 The Cardinals activated OF Lars Nootbaar from the 10-day injured list.
- 6/24 The Cardinals recalled C Ivan Herrera from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder strain) was transferred to 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). The outfielder has been out since May 5 with low back pain. O’Neill’s planned rehab has been cancelled at least once and the outfielder was sent for new testing on his back. The result was “no new findings.” O’Neill will refrain from all baseball activities for 10 days, after which he will begin some light activity. There is no timetable for O’Neill’s return. O’Neill was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL on June 16. O’Neill will be out until at least July 4 at the latest update.
- OF Lars Nootbaar was 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 went 10 days without throwing a baseball and the next step is likely to be an evaluation and possibly a rehab assignment.
- RHP Jack Flaherty was scratched from Sunday’s start in London with tightness in his right hip. The team doesn’t believe the injury is serious, but Flaherty is likely to have imaging done when he returns to St. Louis.
Looking Ahead
The final series in the month of June is a three-game set with the Astros at Busch Stadium. Following that series, the Yankees come to town on June 30 for a three-game series.
Following the home series with the Yankees, the team goes on the road to play a four-game series with the Marlins in Miami, followed by a three-game series with the White Sox in Chicago.
The All-Star break begins after the White Sox series. The Cardinals play a six-game homestand with the Nationals and the Marlins after the break.
Another road trip starts after the homestand that includes a four-game series with the Cubs at Wrigley and then a three-game series in Phoenix with the Diamondbacks.
Blast from the Past
The Cardinals have had one of the 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 has had periods of underperforming.
This week’s Blast from the Past is the second installment in the series showcasing the worst seasons in the franchise’s long history.
The current Cardinals are as of this writing 32-45, which is a winning percentage of .416. As we look at the worst teams in franchise history (154 games minimum) the closest of the worst teams that had a WP less than .416 is the 1905 Cardinals, with a WP of .377.
The 1905 Cardinals team was owned by brothers Frank and Stanley Robison. The Robison brothers had purchased the team from Chris Von der Ahe in 1899.
The 1905 team had three different managers during that season, Kid Nichols, Jimmy Burke, and Stan Robison. Nichols was a player-manager who managed the team from April 14 through May 3. Nichols was claimed off waivers by the Phillies in July of 1905. Burke was a St. Louis native who was traded to the Cardinals in 1903. He managed the team from May 4 through August 9. Robison was the co-owner of the team who became the manager on August 10 through the end of the season.
The team finished with a record of 58-96, which was good for sixth place in the eight-team National League. The primary starters for the teams included Burke, who was the third baseman. Other starters were C Mike Grady, 1B Jake Beckley, 2B Harry Arndt, SS George McBride and outfielders Homer Smoot, Spike Shannon, and Jack Dunleavy.
The two best offensive players on the team were Grady (.794 OPS) and Smoot (.791 OPS).
The starting pitchers were Jack Taylor, Chappie McFarland, Jake Thielman, Buster Brown and Wish Egan. Manager Nichols was a relief pitcher on the team.
The best starting pitcher depends on what metric one looks at. None of the five had a winning record. Theilman had the best record (15-16, .484 WP). Brown had the best ERA (2.97). Taylor compiled the most strikeouts (102). McFarland had the best FIP (2.85).
The 1905 team never spent a day in the season with a record over .500. They were at .500 twice, both times in the first month of the season at 1-1 on April 15 and 2-2 on April 17. From there it was all downhill to the end.
The team’s longest winning streak was four games and the longest losing streak was 14 games. The team had a winning record over three teams that season, the Brooklyn Superbas (12-10), the Boston Beaneaters (14-8) and the Cincinnati Reds (12-10). Brooklyn and Boston finished 8th and 7thth respectively in the NL. The Reds finished 5th, ahead of the Cardinals.
The Cardinals finished 47.5 games back of the first-place New York Giants. They had no walk-off wins or losses, no comeback wins and no blown leads. They did not suffer the fate of our current team in that regard.
This team was never in the race at any time. Whether the 2023 Cardinals suffer that same fate is yet to be determined.
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