photo: Nelson Velazquez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals went 2-4 in the week. Nelson Velázquez was called up from Memphis and made an immediate impact as he blasted a three-run home run in his first game with the team. Catcher Jimmy Crooks was also promoted and made his season debut. This week’s Blast from the Past examines series sweeps over the past 29 years.
Game Recaps
Monday, May 25, 2026 – Cardinals 1 at Brewers 5
The Cardinals lost to the Brewers by a 5-1 score in Milwaukee on Monday.
Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched five innings and gave up three runs on seven hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts. Liberatore took the loss.
Brycen Mautz relieved Liberatore and surrendered two runs across the final three innings.
The Brewers went up 3-0 in the first inning. In the top of the sixth, the Cardinals scored their only run of the game.
Pedro Pagés singled but was eliminated from the bases on a force out by Victor Scott II. JJ Wetherholt singled. Scott scored on a ground out by Iván Herrera.
Milwaukee answered with a run in the home half of the sixth to increase the lead to 4-1. They added their final run in the seventh for a 5-1 win.
The Cardinals scored one run on two hits. Both hits were singles. The offense was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left two men on base.
Pagés made a throwing error. Jordan Walker had an outfield assist at home plate.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 – Cardinals 0 at Brewers 6
The Cardinals were blanked by the Brewers in a 6-0 game on Tuesday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched four innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, walked three, and fanned six. McGreevy took his fourth loss.
Ryan Fernandez relieved McGreevy and surrendered one run in the fifth. Justin Bruihl threw two scoreless innings. Matt Pushard tossed a scoreless eighth.
Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. They added five runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Cardinal offense scattered seven hits. Bryan Torres was 2-for-4. There were no extra base hits. The offense was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 – Cardinals 1 at Brewers 2
The Cardinals fell to the Brewers on Wednesday and suffered a sweep in the three game series in Milwaukee.
Dustin May started and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and came out after a giving up a double and single to begin the eighth. May pitched seven innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits and nine strikeouts. May took the loss.
JoJo Romero relieved May and allowed one inherited runner to score and a second run scored on a fielding error. Romero allowed no other runs and was charged with a blown save.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Jordan Walked singled and scored on a triple by Bryan Torres.
The Brewers scored two runs in the eighth to win the game 2-1.
The Cardinals scored one run on eight hits. Walker was 2-for-4. The offense was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
Masyn Winn stole his fifth base of the season.
On defense, shortstop Winn made a fielding error and Pedro Pagés was charged with catcher interference.
Thursday, May 28, 2026 – Off day
Friday, May 29, 2026 – Cardinals 6, Cubs 5
The Cardinals edged the Cubs in a 6-5 win at Busch Stadium in the first game of a three-game series.
Starter Andre Pallante pitched three innings, gave up four runs on eight hits, walked one, and struck out three.
Justin Bruihl relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless fourth inning. Gordon Graceffo hurled a scoreless fifth and picked up the win. George Soriano, JoJo Romero, and Ryne Stanek each tossed a scoreless inning. Riley O’Brien surrendered one run in the ninth but held on to earn his 14th save.
The Cubs went up 3-0 in the top of the first inning. The Cardinals tied the game in the home half of the first on a three run home run by Nelson Velázquez.
Chicago added a run in the second to take a 4-3 lead. St. Louis tied the game in the fourth on a solo home run by Thomas Saggese.
The Cardinals took the lead 5-4 in the fifth on a solo home run by Iván Herrera.
They extended the lead to 6-4 in the eighth. Velázquez and Masyn Winn singled. José Fermín plated Velázquez on a single.
The Cubs rallied for one run in the ninth to shrink the final score to 6-5.
The Cardinals scored six runs on nine hits. Velázquez was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Fermín was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Winn was 2-for-4.
Saturday, May 30, 2026 – Cardinals 1, Cubs 6
The Cardinals fell to the Cubs in the second game of the series by a 6-1 score. The game was lost on errors and bad baserunning as well as a lack of offense.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up one run on six hits, and fanned four.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Leahy and surrendered two unearned runs in one inning of relief, taking the loss. Justin Bruihl threw 1/3 scoreless innings. Gordon Graceffo yielded one run in 1 2/3 innings. Matt Pushard gave up two runs, one earned, in the final 1 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the fourth inning to lead 1-0. JJ Wetherholt singled and later scored on a single by Alec Burleson.
The Cubs tied the game in the fifth and scored twice in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead.
Chicago added one run in the eighth and two runs in the ninth.
The offense scored one run on five hits. Wetherholt was 3-for-4. Burleson was 2-for-5 with an RBI. These two Cardinals had the only hits for the team.
Pitcher Ryan Fernandez made a throwing error. Third baseman Nolan Gorman committed a fielding error. Jimmy Crooks was charged with catcher interference. Iván Herrera made a baserunning blunder and was thrown out at third base in the ninth trying to take an extra base on Burleson’s single.
Sunday, May 31, 2026 – Cardinals 5, Cubs 1
The Cardinals won the series with a 5-1 victory over the Cubs on Sunday night.
Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed three hits, walked one and fanned four to earn his third win.
Hunter Dobbins relieved Liberatore and surrendered one run in 3 2/3 innings of relief to earn his first save.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera singled. Jordan Walker brought Wetherholt home on a single. Herrera advanced to third on a forceout by Nelson Velázquez and scored on a popout by Alec Burleson.
St. Louis added three runs in the third to extend the lead to 5-0. Wetherholt and Herrera singled. Burleson singled home Wetherholt. Masyn Winn drove in Herrera and Burleson on a fourth single in the frame.
The Cubs scored their only run in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-1.
The offense scored five runs on eight hits. Wetherholt and Herrera both went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Burleson and Winn each had two RBI.
Wetherholt stole his seventh base of the season.
Big Picture
The Cardinals finished the week with a record of 2-4. They were swept in three games by the Brewers and won 2 of 3 from the Cubs. The Cardinals are in second place in the NL Central, 4.5 games back of the Brewers. The Brewers are beginning to pull away from the rest of the teams in the Division, which is not a good sign for the competitiveness in the division that has existed since the season began.
The offense cooled off this week and was virtually non-existent until the Cubs series over the weekend. None of the regulars in the offense had an OPS for the week over .900. The top two players in that category were part-time players. They were Thomas Saggese (1.883 in three ABs) and Nelson Velázquez (1.357 in seven ABs). The next closest was JJ Wetherholt (.872).
At the bottom were Nolan Gorman (.142), Victor Scott (.277), Alec Burleson (.382), Jordan Walker (.399) José Fermín (.417), and Masyn Winn (.417).
As for the starting pitching, Matthew Liberatore, Kyle Leahy and Dustin May had ERAs under 4.00 for the week. Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante had poor outings in their starts during the week.
The bullpen was not terrible but not good either. JoJo Romero, George Soriano, and Ryne Stanek had the best performances for the week. The remainder of the bullpen needs improvement.
Brycen Mautz, who was already on the 40-man roster, was brought up to start the last game of the Reds series the previous week, but that game was rained out. He instead pitched out of the bullpen in the first game of the Brewers series and did not pitch well. He was returned to Memphis the next day. Hunter Dobbins was recalled on Sunday to pitch out of the bullpen against the Cubs and did fine, finishing out the game after Liberatore was removed with one out in the sixth.
Two position players were added to the roster for the Cubs series. Jimmy Crooks and Nelson Velázquez came up before the series began, sending Yohel Pozo and César Prieto back to Memphis. Velázquez was added to the 40-man roster, filling the spot that was opened when Jared Shuster was designated for assignment on May 16.
Crooks will likely be staying for the foreseeable future and will take playing time away from Pedro Pagés. It is uncertain how long Velázquez will remain on the roster.
On Sunday, reliever Matt Pushard, a Rule 5 pick from the Marlins, was designated for assignment at the same time Dobbins was recalled for Sunday’s game. The DFA of Pushard was likely done to create a 40-man spot for Lars Nootbaar, whose return from the 60-day IL appears imminent. If Pushard is not claimed off waivers, he will be offered back to the Marlins.
The Rangers come to town on Monday for a three-game series. At the end of the week, the Cardinals play the Reds at Busch Stadium for a three-game series.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB
|
Milwaukee |
35 |
21 |
.625 |
—— |
|
St. Louis |
31 |
26 |
.544 |
4.5 |
|
Pittsburgh |
32 |
28 |
.533 |
5 |
|
Chicago |
32 |
28 |
.533 |
5 |
|
Cincinnati |
30 |
28 |
.517 |
6 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 5/26 The Cardinals optioned LHP Brycen Mautz to the Memphis Redbirds
- 5/26 The Cardinals recalled RHP Ryan Fernandez from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/26 The Cardinals sent LF Lars Nootbaar on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals.
- 5/29 The Cardinals optioned 3B César Prieto to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/29 The Cardinals optioned C Yohel Pozo to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/29 The Cardinals recalled C Jimmy Crooks from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/29 The Cardinals selected the contract of OF Nelson Velázquez from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/31 The Cardinals designated RHP Matt Pushard for assignment.
- 5/31 The Cardinals recalled RHP Hunter Dobbins from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) was sent on a rehab assignment to the Springfield Cardinals on May 26. Nootbaar will finish his assignment in Springfield on Sunday and will likely be sent on a final rehab assignment to Memphis, who play at home beginning Tuesday, June 2. Return to the major league roster is possible as early as the weekend series with the Reds at Busch Stadium.
- 3B Ramón Urías was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 5. He has right elbow lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Urías has progressed to dry swings and a plyo program. He could start a throwing program soon.
- LF Nathan Church was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 22, retroactive to May 21. Left shoulder strain. Imaging showed inflammation and a mild strain. Church has begun a plyo program and taking swings.
Looking Ahead
The month of June begins with a three-game series against the Rangers at Busch Stadium. Michael McGreevy is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Dustin May on Tuesday, and Andre Pallante on Wednesday.
After an off-day on Thursday, the homestand continues with a weekend series with the Reds.
The team heads out on a road trip on Monday, June 8, traveling to Citi Field to play the New York Mets in a three-game series. The road trip ends in Minnesota playing the Twins in a three-game series.
The Cardinals briefly return home to play a three-game series with the Padres that ends on Wednesday, June 17. They then travel across the state to play the Royals in three games 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 series with the Marlins.
Blast from the Past
This past week, the Cardinals played the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game series at American Family Field. The series did not go well for the Cardinals as they were swept in all three games.
The Brewers have existed as a team since 1969. They began in 1969 as a team in the American League. They remained in the AL until 1998 when they were moved to the National League and into the NL Central Division, the division in which the Cardinals play.
Interleague play came into existence in 1997. Prior to that, the Cardinals had only played the Brewers once, in the 1982 World Series, which the Cardinals won in seven games.
Since the inception of interleague play in 1997, the two teams have met in a total of 459 games. The Cardinals have won 251 of those 459 games, good for a 251-208 record.
Since 1997, the Cardinals have been swept by the Brewers in a three or four-game series 11 times, including the most recent time. The 1997 sweep was the first and only interleague sweep, as the Brewers moved to the NL the next season.
This week’s Blast from the Past chronicles all 11 sweeps of the Cardinals by date and score. Below is the list of the 11 sweeps starting with the most recent and going down in descending order.
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- May 25-27, 2026 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 5-1, 6-0, and 2-1 at American Family Field.
- April 19-21, 2024 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 2-1 in 10 innings, 12-5, and 2-0.
- September 24-26, 2018 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 6-4, 1-4 and 2-1 at Busch Stadium III.
- June 10-12, 2011 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 8-0, 5-3, and 4-3 at Miller Park.
- May 16-18, 2009 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 1-0, 8-2, and 8-4 at Busch Stadium III.
- October 2-4, 2009 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 12-6, 5-4, and 9-7 at Busch Stadium III
- July 21-24, 2008 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 6-3, 4-3, 3-0, and 4-3 at Busch Stadium III.
- April 30- May 2, 2007 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 7-1, 12-2, and 4-0 at Miller Park.
- April 18-21, 2002 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 7-5, 6-1, 5-3, and 5-3 at Miller Park.
- September 13-15, 1999 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 4-3, 4-1, and 10-8 at Busch Stadium II.
- June 16-18, 1997 – Brewers beat the Cardinals 1-0, 4-3, and 8-4 at County Stadium.
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