photo: Willson Contreras (USA TODAY Sports)
The Cardinals once again had a 3-3 week, losing 2 of 3 to the Royals, but winning 2 of 3 from the Dodgers. Willson Contreras has been on fire recently, recording hits in five of his last six games while totaling seven RBI, four doubles, a home run, and a .946 OPS. Our Blast from the Past this week looks at walk-off wins from this past week in the team’s history.
Game recaps
Monday, June 2, 2025 – Off day
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 – Cardinals 7, Royals 10
The Cardinals lost to the Royals by the score of 10-7 in the first game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up seven runs on seven hits, and struck out two.
Steven Matz relieved Pallante and surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Matz took the loss. Kyle Leahy yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning. John King threw a scoreless inning. Matt Svanson tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Royals went up 2-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the second to tie the game on a two-run home run by Nolan Gorman.
St. Louis posted a five-run third inning to take the lead 7-2. Masyn Winn singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brendan Donovan walked. Willson Contreras hit a ground-rule double to score Winn. Nolan Arenado plated Donovan and Contreras on a single. Alec Burleson followed with a two-run home run.
In the sixth, the Royals burst out with a six-run inning to lead 8-7. They added two runs in the sixth to make it 10-7.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 12 hits. Burleson was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Gorman was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Winn was 2-for-4.
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 – Cardinals, Royals (postponed)
The game was postponed due to inclement weather. It was made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday, June 5.
Thursday, June 5, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Royals 5 (10 innings, game one)
The Cardinals edged the Royals to win the first game of the twin bill in extra innings on Thursday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up three runs on eight hits, struck out two and walked one.
Riley O’Brien relieved Mikolas and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. John King followed with a scoreless 1/3 of an inning. Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth and surrendered the tying run to earn a blown save. JoJo Romero yielded an unearned run in the 10th but got the win.
The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. They added one run in the fourth and one run in the fifth to lead 3-0.
The Cardinals finally scored in the seventh with a two-run inning to cut the lead to 3-2. Willson Contreras doubled. Iván Herrera singled. Nolan Arenado ground into a force out and Contreras scored. Herrera was out at second. Alec Burleson singled. Ryan Vilade reached on a fielder’s choice. Nolan Gorman pinch hit for Pedro Pagés, but didn’t swing the bat. A pitching change was followed by Yohel Pozo pinch-hitting for Gorman. Pozo drove in Arenado on a sac fly.
St. Louis scored two runs in the eighth to take the lead 4-3. Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch. Herrera followed with a two-run home run. The Royals tied the game in the ninth, and the game went into extra innings.
The Royals took the lead 5-4 in the top of the 10th. The Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the 10th to win the game in a walk-off. With Pozo on second to start the inning, Lars Nootbaar singled, moving Pozo to third. Masyn Winn plated Pozo on a ground out. Donovan was intentionally walked. Contreras drove in Nootbaar on a single to win the game.
The Cardinals scored six runs on eight hits. Herrera was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Nootbaar was 2-for-5.
Thursday, June 5, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Royals 7 (game two)
The Cardinals fell to the Royals in the final game of the twin bill and series on Thursday. Starter Matthew Libertore had a rough outing, going four innings and giving up seven runs on eight hits. He struck out two, walked one and took the loss.
John King relieved Liberatore and threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy hurled two scoreless innings. Matt Svanson and Phil Maton each tossed a scoreless inning.
The Royals scored two in the top of the first inning to lead 2-0. The Cardinals answered with one run in the home half of the first to cut the lead to 2-1. Lars Nootbaar walked. Masyn Winn singled. Nootbaar scored on a single by Willson Contreras.
Kansas City added three runs in the top of the third to increase their lead to 5-1. St. Louis responded with four runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game. Winn walked. Brendan Donovan singled. Contreras doubled to plate Winn and Donovan. Nolan Arenado followed with a two-run home run.
The Royals scored one run in the fourth to regain the lead 6-5. They added a run in the fifth to lead 7-5.
The Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits. Contreras was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
On the bases, Victor Scott stole his 17th base of the season.
Friday, June 6, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Dodgers 0
The Cardinals blanked the Dodgers on Friday in the first game of a three-game series. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed eight hits and fanned five to earn his seventh win.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Phil Maton hurled a scoreless eighth. Steven Matz tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the second inning on a two-run home run by Pedro Pagés. They added two runs in the fifth to lead 4-0. Pagés walked and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Victor Scott. Lars Nootbaar walked. All runners advanced on a ground out by Masyn Winn. Brendan Donovan cleared the bases on a single.
Willson Contreras hit a solo home run in the eighth to bring the score to 5-0.
The Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits. Pages had two RBI and two runs scored. Donovan had two RBI. Nolan Arenado was 3-for-4.
On the bases, Winn stole his third base of the season.
Saturday, June 7, 2025 – Cardinals 2, Dodgers 1
The Cardinals defeated the Dodgers in a 2-1 contest on Saturday. Starter Erick Fedde pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits, struck out two and walked four.
Steven Matz relieved Fedde and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Kyle Leahy hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley surrendered the tying run and was charged with a blown save. He was also awarded the win.
The game was scoreless until the Cardinals broke through in the eighth to score a run and go up 1-0. Masyn Winn singled. Brendan Donovan singled. Alec Burleson drove in Winn on a single.
The Dodgers tied the game in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch/passed ball on a strikeout of Freddie Freeman.
The Cardinals won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off. Nolan Gorman hit a ground-rule double. Jose Barrero pinch ran for Gorman. Pedro Pagés bunted and was safe on first on a throwing error by the Dodgers pitcher. Barrero advanced to third. Nolan Arenado pinch hit for Victor Scott, and with five Dodgers on the infield and an empty left field, Arenado hit a fly ball into left field to score Barrero.
St. Louis scored two runs on nine hits. Winn and Gorman were each 2-for-4.
On the bases, Winn was caught stealing home.
Sunday, June 8, 2025 – Cardinals 3, Dodgers 7
The Cardinals were unable to complete the sweep, instead losing 7-3 to the Dodgers. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six innings, gave up four runs on eight hits and fanned five. McGreevy took the loss.
John King relieved McGreevy and surrendered one run in the seventh. Matt Svanson yielded two runs in the final two innings.
The Dodgers went up 3-0 in the second inning, then added a run in the fourth to lead 4-0. The Cardinals scored a run in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-1. Alec Burleson singled. Pedro Pagés singled. Masyn Winn doubled to score Burleson.
St. Louis added a second run in the sixth to shrink the lead to 4-2. Willson Contreras doubled. Iván Herrera singled. Contreras scored on a sac fly by Burleson.
The Dodgers increased their lead to 5-2 in the top of the seventh. The Cardinals answered with a run in the home half of the inning to cut the lead to 5-3. Ryan Vilade walked. Brendan Donovan singled. Contreras plated Vilade on a single.
Los Angeles scored two more in the eighth to lead 7-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on 11 hits. Burleson was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Contreras was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Herrera was 2-for-4. Brendan Donovan was 2-for-5.
On defense, Pagés had a passed ball.
Big Picture.
The Cardinals once again had a 3-3 week, losing 2 of 3 to the Royals, but winning 2 of 3 from the Dodgers. The team remains in second place in the NL Central, 4 games back of the Cubs and 1.5 games ahead of the Brewers.
The offense keeps chugging along, perhaps not at the breakneck pace of May but still hanging in there. The top performers by OPS for the week are Nolan Gorman (1.389 in 9 ABs), Pedro Pagés (1.200), Alec Burleson (1.138) and Willson Contreras (.946).
At the bottom are Lars Nootbaar (.495), Ryan Vilade (.350), Victor Scott (.143), Jose Barrero (.000 in 2 ABs) and Yohel Pozo (.000 in 4 ABs).
On the pitching side, only two starters had ERAs under 4.00 for the week. They are Sonny Gray (0.00) and Erick Fedde (0.00). Matthew Liberatore (15.75) had his second clunker in a row against the Royals. He reports being “out of sync”. Andre Pallante (14.54) still has not pitched to the level he did last year. Miles Mikolas (4.50) was barely over the threshold. Michael McGreevy (6.00) was brought up to start on Sunday against the Dodgers and was thrown into the fire. Frankly, he held his own for the most part on short notice and was hampered by some unsavory outfield defense, as Jordan Walker remains on the IL and Victor Scott was benched for Jose Barrero, a less talented outfield defender.
The bullpen was fine except for Ryan Helsley, who has had two recent blown saves on his resume. There has been some churn in that pen and will likely be some more soon enough.
The Cardinals finish their homestand this coming week with three games against the Toronto Blue Jays and end the week on the road against NL Central rivals the Milwaukee Brewers. There is an opportunity to create more space between the Cardinals and the team that is trying to catch them.
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB
|
Chicago |
40 |
25 |
.615 |
—— |
|
St. Louis |
36 |
29 |
.554 |
4 |
|
Milwaukee |
35 |
31 |
.530 |
5.5 |
|
Cincinnati |
33 |
33 |
.500 |
7.5 |
|
Pittsburgh |
26 |
40 |
.394 |
14.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 6/5 The Cardinals recalled RHP Riley O’Brien from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/6 The Cardinals optioned RHP Riley O’Brien to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/8 The Cardinals recalled RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 6/8 The Cardinals optioned RHP Roddery Muñoz to the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- LHP Zack Thompson (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. Thompson missed most of spring training. Thompson had a setback in his rehab and has been sent for an evaluation. No other information is available.
- RF Jordan Walker (left wrist inflammation) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 29. Walker received a pain-killing injection in the wrist and has taken batting practice and lifted weights without pain. Walker is expected to go on a rehab assignment on June 10.
- LHP Matthew Liberatore was removed from his last start after four innings with “fatigue-related issues”. His fastball velocity dropped, and he had given up seven runs. He later reported he was “out of sync”. No word on whether or not he will make his next start.
Looking Ahead
Following the end of the Dodgers series on Sunday, the Cardinals continue the homestand with a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Andre Pallante is scheduled for the Monday start, followed by Miles Mikolas on Tuesday, and Matthew Liberatore on Wednesday.
The team goes on the road again to play the Brewers in Milwaukee for a four-game series. After an off day on Monday, June 16, the Cardinals play the White Sox in Chicago in a three-game series ending Thursday, June 19.
The Cardinals head home to play the Reds in a weekend series beginning June 20. The Cardinals see the Cubs for the first time this season as they come to St. Louis for a four-game series.
Another road trip begins to end the month, with two three-game series with the Guardians and the Pirates.
Blast from the Past
The Cardinals beat the Dodgers in an exciting walk-off win on Saturday, June 7. Walk-off wins are always a fun way to win, and this one was especially enjoyable given the opponent and how the walk-off happened.
So this week in Blast from the Past, we take a look at some walk-off wins from the past that occurred during the period June 2 through June 8.
Below is a list of walk-off wins during the relevant period, starting with the date of the game, the hitter who was responsible for the walk-off, and any other notable details.
June 2, 2018 – On this date, the Cardinals beat the Pirates in a 3-2 walk-off win at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals were ahead 2-1 going into the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, the Pirates tied the game on a solo home run by Austin Meadows off Cardinal reliever Bud Norris. In the bottom of the ninth, Kolten Wong hit a solo home run to right field to give the Cardinals the 3-2 win.
June 3, 1981 – On this day, the Cardinals defeated the Montreal Expos in an 11-inning walk-off 3-2 win at Busch Stadium. The game was tied 1 -1 at the end of regulation. The Expos scored a run in the top of the 10th, and the Cardinals did likewise in the bottom of the inning. Tied 2-2 in the 11th, the Expos failed to score in their half of the inning. With the Cardinals batting, Orlando Sanchez tripled to CF. Tom Herr hit a single to CF to score Sanchez, and the Cardinals won 3-2.
June 3, 1989 – On this date, the Cardinals won in a walk-off 6-5 against the Cubs at Busch Stadium in the 10th inning. The Cardinals were winning 5-4 going into the ninth, but the Cubs tied the game in the top of the ninth, and the Cardinals did not score in their half of the inning. In the 10th, the Cubs failed to score, but the Cardinals did not.
Ozzie Smith led off with a walk. Smith made it to third on a sac bunt and a single to CF. Tom Pagnozzi hit a sac fly to right field to score Smith from third.
June 4, 2011 – Another walk-off win against the Cubs at Busch Stadium occurred on this date in 2011. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 5-4 in 12 innings. The game was tied 4-4 after nine. Neither team scored in the 10th or 11th innings. In the bottom of the 12th, a solo home run by Albert Pujols put a wrap on the game for the home team.
June 5, 1979 – On this date, the Cardinals beat the Giants 5-4 in a walk-off in regulation. It was 4-4 entering the home half of the ninth inning. Jerry Mumphrey tripled to right field. Keith Hernandez and Ted Simmons were both intentionally walked to load the bases. With George Hendrick at the plate, Giants pitcher Randy Moffit threw a pitch that his catcher couldn’t handle, and Mumphrey scored on a passed ball.
June 5, 2007 – The Cardinals won over the Reds 4-3 in regulation at Busch Stadium on this date. The game was tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. Aaron Miles drew a walk to start the inning. David Eckstein bunted Miles over to second base, and Miles went to third on a wild pitch. Taguchi then singled to right field to bring Miles home for the win.
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