St. Louis Cardinals Major League Notebook – March 6–12

photo: Brendan Donovan (Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports)

St. Louis Cardinals news from last week includes a 5-2 record in spring training games and 9-5 mark overall. Brendan Donovan leads the team with four home runs as Tommy Edman is returning from the WBC. Our weekly history feature highlights the club’s five best starting pitchers ever, starting with Bob Gibson.



Spring Training game recaps

Monday, March 6 – Cardinals 7, Astros 1

The St. Louis Cardinals blew past the Houston Astros on Monday at Roger Dean Stadium. Jack Flaherty started and pitched three innings, gave up one run on one hit, struck out five and walked one.

Steven Matz, Drew VerHagen, Tink Hence, and Chris Stratton followed on the mound.

Dylan Carlson

A solo home run by Dylan Carlson headlined the seven-run offensive effort. Carlson also drove in a run on a single. Juan Yepez was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Wilson Contreras and Juniel Querecuto each contributed a run driven in.

Carlson’s long ball was the only extra base hit.

Tuesday, March 7 – Cardinals 3 at Tigers 16

The Cardinals were the victims of a blowout at the hands of the Tigers on Tuesday in Lakeland. Starter Gordon Graceffo threw 2 2/3 innings, gave up four runs on five hits, struck out one and walked three.

Relievers to see action were Jake Walsh, Michael McGreevy, Andrew Suarez, Packy Naughton, Inohan Paniagua, Kyle Leahy, and Anthony Misiewicz. McGreevy gave up six runs, Naughton allowed one run, and Paniagua and Misiewicz relinquished two each.

Cardinals scores came on solo home runs by Nolan Gorman and Dylan Carlson and an RBI single by Ivan Herrera.

Gorman was 2-for-2 and was the only Cardinal with multiple hits.

Kramer Robertson made a throwing error and Juan Yepez had a fielding miscue. Chase Pinder had an outfield assist at home plate.

Wednesday, March 8 – Cardinals 4 at Yankees 0

The Cardinals blanked the Yankees on Wednesday at George Steinbrenner Stadium in Tampa. Jake Woodford pitched four scoreless innings with three hits, one walk and one punchout.

Jake Woodford

Wilking Rodriguez, Zack Thompson, Ryan Loutos, Dalton Roach, and Kodi Whitley followed in relief.

Brendan Donovan was 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored. His hits included a two-run home run. Jordan Walker was 2-for-4 with an RBI. A double by Masyn Winn was the only other extra base hit.

Winn and Walker each stole a base. Jeremy Rivas made a fielding error.

Thursday, March 9 – Cardinals 6, Nicaragua 4

On Thursday in Jupiter, the Cardinals played the Nicaraguan World Baseball Classic team in an exhibition game. Dakota Hudson threw four scoreless innings with two hits, two strikeouts and three walks.

Dakota Hudson

Following in relief were Ryan Helsley, Jordan Hicks, Grant Black, Chris Stratton, Tink Hence, and Drew VerHagen. Hicks gave up two runs and Stratton allowed one run.

There were no home runs by the Cardinals and no Cardinal had multiple hits. Jeremy Rivas drove in two runs. Andrew Knizner, Scott Hurst, and Kramer Robertson each had one RBI.  The only extra base hit was a double by Luken Baker.

Hurst had a stolen base. Juniel Querecuto made a throwing error. Mike Antico had an outfield assist at second base.

Friday, March 10 – Cardinals 7, Mets 5

The Cardinals defeated the Mets in a 7-5 contest at Roger Dean Stadium on Friday. Jordan Montgomery started and pitched four innings, gave up two runs on three hits, struck out four and walked one.

Pitching out of the bullpen were Matthew Liberatore, Anthony Misiewicz and Andrew Suarez. Liberatore surrendered two runs and Misiewicz allowed one.

Juan Yepez

Brendan Donovan hit his fourth home run of the spring, a solo shot. Juan Yepez blasted a three-run shot, and Masyn Winn had a two0run long ball. Yepez was 2-for-3 with four RBI. Jordan Walker was 2-for-4.

Liberatore made an error on a pickoff. Scott Hurst had an outfield assist at second base.

Saturday, March 11 – Cardinals 2 at Astros 3

The Cardinals were edged by the Astros in Palm Beach on Saturday. Starter Jack Flaherty pitched four innings, gave up two runs on five hits and punched out two.

In relief of Flaherty were Wilking Rodriguez, Zack Thompson, Packy Naughton, Kodi Whitley and James Naile. Naile gave up one run and took the loss.

Chase Pinder’s two-run double scored the only Cardinals runs. Wilson Contreras went 2-for-3. The offense managed five hits, was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

Contreras stole his first base of the season.

Sunday, March 12 – Cardinals 5, Nationals 1

The Cardinals beat the Nationals 5-1 at Roger Dean Stadium on Sunday. Starter Steven Matz pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out five and walked three.

Steven Matz

Kyle Leahy, Ryan Helsley, Drew VerHagen, Jordan Hicks, Chris Stratton, Tink Hence, and Ryan Loutos followed Matz on the mound.

Kramer Robertson was 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two RBI. Juniel Querecuto was 2-for-4. Taylor Motter was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson drove in one each.

Motter stole his second base of the spring. Winn was picked off first base.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals were 5-2 in the second week of Grapefruit League play and have an overall record of 9-5. St. Louis stands in second place in the Grapefruit League behind the Boston Red Sox with a winning percentage of .643.

On offense, Brendan Donovan continues to rake in Grapefruit League play with four home runs, the most on the Cardinals roster.  Jordan Walker is second with three long balls. Walker also leads in OPS with 1.212, followed by Masyn Winn (1.081) and Donovan (1.079)

Brendan Donovan

Among the lowest OPS’s are carried by catchers Andrew Knizner (.112) and Willson Contreras (.563) and outfielders Moises Gomez (.600) and Alec Burleson (.613). Gomez has fanned 14 times in 29 at-bats.

On the pitching side, the starters are doing well, including youngsters Jake Woodford and Matthew Liberatore. Opportunities are greater as both Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas are currently out of camp while playing in the World Baseball Classic. Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz are both pitching well. Jordan Montgomery struggled a little in his last start.

In the bullpen, Jordan Hicks has been shaky in the first couple of weeks but pitched very well in Sunday’s game.

All remain on track for a good spring for the Cardinals. In the coming week the Cardinals play the Astros and the Mets twice. The remaining two games are with the Marlins and the Tigers.

WBC update

The World Baseball Classic has begun. Team USA won its first game against Great Britain behind Adam Wainwright. Four Cardinals, Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado, play for Team USA. Team Italy with Andre Pallante has advanced to the quarterfinal round.

Lars Nootbaar

Team Japan with fan-favorite Lars Nootbaar has also advanced, but Team Korea with Tommy Edman was eliminated in the process. In the WBC, Edman slashed .182/.250/.432/.682, going 2-for-11 with a walk, two strikeouts, a run scored and two RBI. He was caught in his only stolen base attempt.

Tommy Edman

The World Baseball Classic concludes on March 21 with the finals in Miami. Players will rejoin the Cardinals sooner as their teams are eliminated.

News and Notes from Spring Training

  • Tickets for Cardinals 2023 Spring Training games are on sale. There are 15 games on the home schedule, with the final game to be played on March 25 against the Marlins.

Fans can buy tickets online at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training

  • Single game tickets for the 2023 season are now on sale. Opening Day will be March 30 at Busch Stadium against the Toronto Blue Jays. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/single-game-tickets
  • The Grapefruit League games now feature new rules that include a pitch clock, larger bases, and a ban on the shift. Several players have already been tagged with pitch clock violations across both the Grapefruit League and Cactus League.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors.

Transactions

  • 3/11 The Cardinals optioned RHP Jake Walsh to the Memphis Redbirds.
  • 3/11 The Cardinals optioned SS Jose Fermin to the Memphis Redbirds.
  • 3/11 Non-roster invitees Cs Wade Stauss and Nick Raposo, Ps Gordon Graceffo, Michael McGreevy and Dalton Roach were reassigned to minor league camp.

Cardinals Drop Seven in Second Spring Cuts

Injury Report

  • OF Jordan Walker was removed from Saturday’s game for precautionary reasons. Walker injured his shoulder sliding headfirst into second base. As of Sunday morning, Walker was reported to have been medically cleared to return to playing and may do so on Tuesday.

Brendan Donovan

Looking Ahead

The second full week of Grapefruit League play has concluded. Monday is an off day for the Cardinals and the third full week of the spring begins on Tuesday with a game against the Astros in Palm Beach. Dakota Hudson is scheduled to start.

Following Tuesday’s contest, the Cardinals travel to Port St. Lucie to play the Mets. Zack Thompson will get the start.  The Cardinals return to Jupiter on Thursday to play the Astros again.

On Friday, the Cardinals are the visiting team in Jupiter against the Marlins. The Detroit Tigers come to Jupiter on Saturday. The Cardinals return to Port St. Lucie on Sunday.

Grapefruit League play will conclude on March 27 with a game against the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.

The regular season begins on March 30 with the Cardinals taking on the Blue Jays at Busch Stadium.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast from the Past is the 10th and final installment in a series looking back on the best Cardinals players in history by position. There isn’t enough time and space to go in depth on such a long list of great Cardinals, so this series focuses on five of the best players by position in the history of the franchise. The term “best” is subjective and can encompass an endless number of factors that one would choose to determine who is indeed the best.

This week we look at the five best starting pitchers in franchise history based on WAR. The following list is not a ranking but a chronological list.

The following are the top five starting pitchers in franchise history.

Jesse Haines

Jesse Haines – The Cardinals purchased Haines from the Kansas City Blues minor league team in 1920. Haines then pitched his entire 18-season MLB career for St. Louis.

“Pop” Haines’ record was 210-158 with an ERA of 3.64. He won 20 games in three seasons, 1923 (20-13,) 1927 (24-10), and 1928 (20-8).

Haines career WAR is 36.1, fourth in franchise history among pitchers. He retired from baseball in 1937 at the age of 43. Haines was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970 by the Veteran Committee and as such, was part of the 2014 inaugural class of the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

Dizzy Dean

Dizzy Dean – Dizzy’s birth name was Jay. His brother Paul (Daffy) also pitched for the Cardinals. Dizzy signed as a free agent with the Cardinals in 1930.

Dizzy pitched seven seasons with the Cardinals including as the NL MVP in 1934 and was second in 1935 and 1936. He was a four-time All-Star. Dean was a 30-game winner in 1934 and led baseball in strikeouts for four consecutive years from 1932-35. His career record with St. Louis was 134-75 with an ERA of 2.99.

Dean’s St. Louis WAR is 37.6, third-best among starters in franchise history. Dean was traded to the Cubs in 1938. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 and was part of the inaugural class of the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

Harry Brecheen

Harry Breechen – Breechen, a left-hander, was acquired by the Cardinals from the Cubs in 1938. Breechen pitched for 11 seasons for St. Louis.

Breechen was a two-time All-Star and in 1948 led the NL in strikeouts with 149 and in ERA at 2.24. Breechen’s career record with the Cardinals was 128-79 with an ERA of 2.91.

Breechen’s career WAR with St. Louis was 35.5, fifth in franchise history for a starter. He was released by the Cardinals in 1952 and inducted into the team Hall of Fame in 2018.

Bob Gibson – Gibson signed as a free agent with the Cardinals in 1957. He played his entire 17-year career with St. Louis.

Gibson won the Cy Young Award twice, in 1968 and 1970. He was named the NL MVP in 1968. The imposing right-hander won nine Gold Gloves and was an eight-time All-Star.

Gibson’s career record was 251-174 with an ERA of 2.91. His ERA of 1.12 in 1968 remains the current MLB record. He pitched 255 career complete games including an MLB-leading 28 in 1969.

Gibson’s career WAR is 82.3, most in franchise history for a pitcher. Gibson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 in his first year of eligibility and was in the inaugural class of the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

Adam Wainwright (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)

Adam Wainwright – As a minor leaguer, Wainwright was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in 2003. He debuted in September 2005 and has remained with the Cardinals ever since. He has announced that 2023 will be his final season.

Wainwright is a two-time All-Star, has won two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. He finished second in the Cy Young Award voting twice and third twice.

Wainwright has two 20-game and two 19-game seasons. His 2009 19-game performance led baseball, and his 19 wins in 2013 led the NL.  He also topped MLB in innings pitched in 2013 with 241 2/3 and led the NL in innings pitched in 2009 with 233.

Wainwright’s WAR as of this writing is 46.7, second in franchise history among starting pitchers.


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