photo: Masyn Winn (Memphis Redbirds)
The St. Louis Cardinals went 5-0 on the week with their first series sweep this season, The offense continues to get better as Masyn Winn led the charge with a 1.307 OPS during the week and a 15-game hitting streak. Our history feature looks at notable events during these dates in team history.
Game recaps.
Monday, May 20, 2024 – Cardinals 6, Orioles 3
The Cardinals defeated the Orioles in a 6-3 win at Busch Stadium on Monday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up three runs, one earned, on three hits, struck out six and walked two to earn his sixth win of the season.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. John King hurled a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Andrew Kittredge got the final out of the eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 14th save.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Nolan Gorman drew a walk and stole second base. Michael Siani plated Gorman on a single.
The Cardinals added four runs in the fourth to lead 5-0. Alec Burleson and Iván Herrera each singled. Masyn Winn doubled to score Burleson. Michael Siani followed with a three-run home run.
Baltimore came back to score three runs in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 5-3. St. Louis plated a sixth run in the seventh. Paul Goldschmidt walked and later scored on a single by Masyn Winn.
The Cardinals offense scored six runs on eight hits. Siani was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Winn was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Gorman stole his first base of the season. Siani swiped his fifth bag. Goldschmidt stole his third base and Burleson stole his second.
On defense, Winn made two fielding errors.
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 – (suspended)
The game was suspended due to inclement weather. It was completed as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, May 22.
Wednesday, May 22, 2024 – Cardinals 3, Orioles 1 (completion of suspended game)
The Cardinals won over the Orioles in the completion of the suspended game from Tuesday. Starter Lance Lynn pitched six innings, gave up one unearned run on two hits and struck out five to earn his second win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Lynn and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 15th save.
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Alec Burleson singled and later scored on a double by Nolan Gorman. The Orioles tied it in the fifth.
The Cardinals made it 3-1 in the sixth on a two-run home run by Gorman.
The offense scored three runs on five hits. Gorman was 2-for-3 with three RBI.
On defense, Gorman made a fielding error.
Wednesday, May 22, 2024 – Cardinals 5, Orioles 4 (game two)
The Cardinals finally completed their first sweep of the season against the Orioles, who haven’t been swept in two years. This nail-biter was started by former Oriole, Kyle Gibson, who pitched four innings, gave up three unearned runs on five hits and struck out three.
John King relieved Gibson and threw two scoreless innings of relief to earn his first win. Kyle Leahy followed with two scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez surrendered one run in the ninth and earned his first save.
The Orioles took a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The Cardinals cut the lead to 3-1 in the fifth. Masyn Winn doubled and scored on a single by Lars Nootbaar.
St. Louis added three runs in the sixth to lead 4-3. Nolan Arenado singled. Dylan Carlson reached on a fielder’s choice with a fielding error. Brendan Donovan hit a little league home run that was scored as a double. Arenado, Carlson and Donovan scored.
The Cardinals plated a fifth run in the seventh on a solo home run by Winn. Baltimore scored one run in the ninth to bring the final score to 5-4.
The offense scored five runs on eight hits. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 2-for-4. Donovan had two RBI.
On defense, Arenado made a fielding error. Nootbaar had an outfield assist at first base.
Thursday, May 16, 2024 – Off day
Friday, May 24, 2024 – Cardinals, Cubs (postponed)
This game was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be played as part of a doubleheader on July 13 at Busch Stadium
Saturday, May 25, 2024 – Cardinals 7, Cubs 6
The Cardinals edged the Cubs in a 7-6 nail-biter at Busch Stadium on Saturday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched six innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out six and walked two.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Mikolas and surrendered one unearned run in 2/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn his second win. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 16th save.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the third inning to lead 2-0. Brendan Donovan singled. Lars Nootbaar singled. Donovan advanced to third. Nootbaar stole second base. Paul Goldschmidt plated Donovan on a ground out. Nootbaar came home on a single by Nolan Arenado.
The Cubs took the lead 3-2 in the fourth. St. Louis tied the game in the sixth. Nolan Gorman singled and scored on a double by Masyn Winn.
Chicago regained the lead 4-3 in the seventh. In the eighth, the Cardinals rallied for four runs to lead 7-4. Alec Burleson singled. Gorman singled. Matt Carpenter plated Burleson on a single. Dylan Carlson pinch-ran for Carpenter. Brendan Donovan singled and Gorman and Carlson scored. Donovan scored on a triple by Nootbaar.
The Cubs rallied for two runs in the ninth but the Cardinals held on to win.
Donovan was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Nootbaar was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
On the bases, Nootbaar stole his third base. Gorman swiped his second bag. On defense, Goldschmidt made a missed catch error.
Sunday, May 26, 2024 – Cardinals 4, Cubs 3
The Cardinals beat the Cubs in another nail-biting one-run game on Sunday after a 2 ½ hour rain delay. Starter Sonny Gray pitched five scoreless innings, allowed one hit, struck out eight and walked two to earn his seventh win.
John King relieved Gray and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge surrendered two runs in the seventh. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley allowed one run in the ninth but earned his 17th save.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a two-run home run by Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt hit a second two-run long ball in the fifth to increase the lead to 4-0.
The Cubs cut into the lead with two runs in the seventh, then added a run in the ninth to shrink the final score to 4-3.
Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Alec Burleson was 2-for-4.
On the bases, Iván Herrera stole his first base of the season. On defense, Masyn Winn made a fielding error. Gray picked a runner off second base.
Big Picture
The Cardinals played five games during the week after one game was postponed for weather reasons. They swept the Orioles in three games and beat the Cubs in both the games played for a 5-0 week. The third game will be made up on July 13.
The team is one game below .500 with a 25-26 record and stands in third place in the NL Central, 4.5 games back of the Brewers and one game back of the Cubs.
The offense continues to improve. The top offensive performers for the week by OPS are Masyn Winn (1.307), Nolan Gorman (1.283), Paul Goldschmidt (.985), and Matt Carpenter (.933). At the bottom are Pedro Pagés (.000 in 4 ABs), Dylan Carlson (.143), Nolan Arenado (.350), Iván Herrera (.424), and Michael Siani (.489).
Starters with an ERA under .400 for the week are Kyle Gibson (0.00), Lance Lynn (0.00), and Sonny Gray (.084). In the bullpen, Andrew Kittredge (5.40), Ryan Helsley (6.75) and Ryan Fernandez (9.00) all had hiccups during the week. Helsley gave up ninth inning runs in both Cubs games.
The team is 8-2 over their last 10 games. The streak of wins has pulled them out of the cellar of the NL Central. Hopefully, this will continue and no regression will occur.
Several hitters need to pick up their game, most notably Nolan Arenado, who is mired in a terrible slump of late. The absence of Willson Contreras has put Iván Herrera front and center and his offense has suffered over the last few weeks. Dylan Carlson has been relegated to a late-inning replacement because his offense is considerably lacking. These players and a few others need to improve and keep the team moving in the right direction.
The Cardinals head out for a road trip this week, first in Cincinnati to play the Reds in three games and then on to Philadelphia to play the red-hot Phillies. This coming week will be a challenge.
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB
|
Milwaukee |
30 |
22 |
.577 |
——- |
|
Chicago |
27 |
26 |
.509 |
3.5 |
|
St. Louis |
25 |
26 |
.490 |
4.5 |
|
Pittsburgh |
25 |
29 |
.463 |
6 |
|
Cincinnati |
23 |
30 |
.434 |
7.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 5/20 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds
- 5/20 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Ryan Loutos from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/20 The Cardinals activated RHP Ryan Loutos.
- 5/20 The Cardinals designated IF Alfonso Rivas III for assignment.
- 5/22 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds
- 5/23 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/23 The Cardinals sent IF Alfonso Rivas III outright to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/26 The Cardinals placed RHP Nick Robertson on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 23. Right elbow inflammation.
- 5/26 The Cardinals recalled RHP Andre Pallante from 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 is swinging off a tee from both sides with no issues. A late May return remains the hope.
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. Middleton reported being “pretty sore” after his last rehab appearance. The right-hander will return to St. Louis where the team will decide the next steps.
- 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 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 from 90 feet.
- LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. Matz has had a setback in his recovery and has been shut down from throwing. Matz felt pain after a mound session on Friday. The left-hander was given a pain-killing injection. His return is now likely not until June.
- RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement). Gallegos was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 6. Gallegos threw a bullpen session on May 25.
- C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras had surgery on the arm and has had the cast removed. The catcher has resumed conditioning drills and is hopeful he will be medically cleared to swing at pitches with this right arm. Return is expected after the All-Star break if not sooner.
Looking Ahead.
The Cardinals finish the homestand against the Cubs on Sunday night. The team then begins a road trip that takes them to Cincinnati to play the Reds in a three-game series. Lance Lynn is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Kyle Gibson on Tuesday. The starter for Wednesday is yet to be named.
The series with the Reds is followed by a weekend series with the Phillies in Philadelphia. The road trip concludes with a three-game series against the Astros in Houston.
The Cardinals return home for a six-game homestand with the Rockies and the Pirates. They then head out on another road trip that begins at Wrigley Field for three games and ends at Loan Depot Park in Miami against the Marlins for a three-game series.
The Cardinals will play the Giants in the annual Field of Dreams game on Thursday, June 20. That game will be played at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama rather than the Field of Dreams field in Dyersville Iowa. That field is undergoing major renovations.
Blast from the Past
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we look back at the period May 20 through May 26 to highlight some unique events in Cardinal history. Some may be things that happened in a game, or they may be team-related events that are odd or just notable.
The following are a list of the happenings in Cardinal history during the period May 20 through May 26 for various years in the past.
May 20, 2004 – Cardinals’ catcher Mike Matheny handles his 1,295th chance without an error breaking the major league record for catchers set by Marlins’ catcher Charles Johnson in 1997.
May 21, 1975 – Cardinal pitcher Bob Gibson pitched the last complete game of his career. The Cardinals lost 1-0 to the Padres. Gibson’s line was 8IP/4H/0ER/3BB/1K.
May 21, 2009 – A first-inning home run by Albert Pujols in a 3-1 win over the Cubs at Busch Stadium, knocked out the “I” in the Big Mac Land sign.
May 22, 1993 – Ozzie Smith plays in his 2,223rd game as a shortstop, breaking the record previously held by Larry Bowa.
May 24, 1964 –Seven major league teams, including the Cardinals, are shut out on this night. The remaining six are the Pirates, Phillies, White Sox, Twins, and Mets.
May 24, 1994 – The Cardinals strand 16 men on base and don’t score, setting a major league record in a 4-0 loss to the Phillies at Busch Stadium.
May 25, 1998 – Mark McGwire becomes the first player in major league history to hit 25 home runs before June 1.
May 26, 1953 – The Cardinals sign their first black player, outfielder Len Tucker, to a $3,000 contract. However, Tucker never makes it to the big leagues. Tom Alston became the first black player signed by the Cardinals to make the major league team. This happened a year later.
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF or printed book copy today!
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
Follow Marilyn Green on Twitter @Marilyncolor.
© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.