photo: Sonny Gray (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals went 3-3 on the road, winning two of three against the Orioles and then dropping two of three against the Rangers. Sonny Gray threw seven scoreless innings in his one outing this week, totaling 10 strikeouts to reach 1,800 in his career. In this week’s blast from the past, we remember players who performed rare feats during this period in team history.
Game recaps
Monday, May 26, 2025 – Cardinals 2 at Orioles 5
The Cardinals fell to the Orioles in a 5-2 loss on Monday in Baltimore. Starter Erick Fedde pitched five innings, gave up five runs, three earned, on seven hits, fanned five and walked one. Fedde took the loss.
Matt Svanson relieved Fedde and threw a scoreless inning. John King hurled a scoreless seventh. Gordon Graceffo tossed a scoreless eighth.
Baltimore took the lead 1-0 in the first inning. They added a run in the third to lead 2-0, then scored three more in the fourth to make it 5-0.
The Cardinals put up two runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-2. Nolan Gorman singled, and Pedro Pagés followed with a two-run home run.
St. Louis scored two runs on four hits. Gorman was 2-for-3. Pagés had two RBI.
On the bases, Victor Scott stole his 16th base of the season. On defense, Gorman and Brendan Donovan each made a throwing error.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 – Cardinals 7 at Orioles 4
The Cardinals beat the Orioles in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on six hits, fanned seven and walked three.
Steven Matz relieved Pallante and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Phil Maton hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 11th save.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar singled. Iván Herrera singled. Willson Contreras singled, scoring Nootbaar. St. Louis added two runs in the second on a two-run home run by Nootbaar to lead 3-0.
Baltimore scored their first run in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1. They took the lead 4-3 in the fifth. The Cardinals answered with one run in the seventh to tie the game. Victor Scott walked. Nootbaar singled to advance Scott to third, but Nootbaar was thrown out at second. Masyn Winn plated Scott on a single.
The Cardinals broke the tie with a three-run eighth. Nolan Arenado hit a solo home run. Nolan Gorman tripled. Jose Barrero pinch ran for Gorman. Jordan Walker drove in Barrero on a triple. Walker scored on a single by Winn.
The offense scored seven runs on 14 hits. Nootbaar was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Walker was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Alec Burleson was 2-for-5.
On defense, Burleson made a fielding error.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 – Cardinals 6 at Orioles 4
The Cardinals took the third game of the series to win the series with the Orioles on Wednesday. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched four innings, gave up four runs on nine hits and struck out three.
Kyle Leahy relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless inning. John King, Phil Maton, and JoJo Romero each hurled a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 12th save.
Baltimore took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The Cardinals came back to score two runs in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2. Masyn Winn singled. Brendan Donovan singled. Iván Herrera walked. Jordan Walker plated Winn and Donovan on a single.
The Orioles added a run in the home half of the fourth to lead 4-2. St. Louis took the lead 5-4 in the fifth. Lars Nootbaar doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Winn drove in Nootbaar on a double. Donovan hit a two-run home run.
The Cardinals added a sixth run in the seventh to lead 6-4. Winn doubled and later scored on a double by Herrera.
The offense scored six runs on 12 hits. Donovan was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Winn was 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Nootbaar was 2-for-5. Walker had two RBI.
On defense, Mikolas made a throwing error. Pagés made an error on a pickoff.
Thursday, May 29, 2025 – Off day
Friday, May 30, 2025 – Cardinals 1 at Rangers 11
The Cardinals were pummeled by the Rangers in an 11-1 blowout on Friday. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched five innings, gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits, fanned five and walked one. Liberatore took the loss.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Liberatore and surrendered four runs in the sixth. Matt Svanson yielded two runs in the seventh. Alec Burleson, a position player, was the only pitcher who didn’t give up runs.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. They added four runs in the second, four runs in the sixth, and two runs in the seventh to lead 11-0.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the eighth. Victor Scott singled and scored on a double by Lars Nootbaar.
The offense scored one run on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The offense was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
On defense, Winn made a throwing error.
Saturday, May 31, 2025 – Cardinals 2 at Rangers 0
The Cardinals blanked the Rangers in the second game of the series on Saturday. Starter Sonny Gray pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits, fanned 10 and walked one to earn his sixth win.
Phil Maton relieved Gray and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 13th save.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Willson Contreras drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Contreras went to third on a ground out by Iván Herrera and scored on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado.
St. Louis added a run in the fourth to lead 2-0. Masyn Winn doubled and scored on a double by Contreras.
The offense scored two runs on five hits. Winn was 2-for-4.
Sunday, June 1, 2025 – Cardinals 1 at Rangers 8
The Cardinals dropped the final game of the series and returned home with a series loss. Starter Erick Fedde pitched six innings, gave up two runs on four hits, fanned five and walked three. Fedde suffered his sixth loss of the season.
Kyle Leahy relieved Fedde and surrendered one run in 2/3 innings. Steven Matz yielded three runs, one earned in 1/3 innings. Roddery Muñoz allowed two runs in the eighth.
The Cardinals scored their only run of the game in the first inning to lead 1-0. Lars Nootbaar walked. Masyn Winn grounded out and advanced Nootbaar to second. Willson Contreras drove in Nootbaar on a single.
After the first inning, it was all Texas. They scored two runs in the second, one run in the seventh and a whopping five runs in the eighth due to sloppy infield defense and subpar bullpen performance.
The Cardinals scored one run on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits, and all the hits were singles. They were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
On the bases, Nootbaar was caught stealing. On defense, Yohel Pozo made a throwing error. Pedro Pagés picked a runner off second base.
Big Picture.
The Cardinals were 3-3 on the road trip, taking 2 of 3 from the Orioles and losing 2 of 3 against the Rangers. The team remains in second place in the NL Central, but their lead over the third-place team is shrinking, as the Brewers have a seven-game win streak. To make matters worse, the Cubs keep winning because they are playing a long stretch of below .500 teams.
The road trip was not as successful as it could have been because of some sloppy defense and seeing some excellent pitching that they couldn’t overcome, especially in Texas. The combination of Jack Leiter and Jacob DeGrom in Arlington was a gauntlet that couldn’t be conquered. Their only win was against an improved Patrick Corbin, and only because they scored two runs instead of one as they did in the other two games. Had the Rangers’ offense been better than it is, it might have been a bloodbath. One could say it could have been worse, so a 3-3 trip could be called a success if you squint hard enough.
There were no offensive performers during the road trip with an OPS above .900. There were four players with a seven-day OPS above .800. They are Nolan Gorman (.889 in 9 ABs), Masyn Winn (.865), Lars Nootbaar (.846), and Brendan Donovan (.807).
At the bottom were Iván Herrera (.470), Willson Contreras (.457), and Victor Scott (.259). Whether this offensive dip was due at least in part to the pitching they confronted on the road trip is a matter for conjecture, but it is not an illogical assumption. The offense has managed to overcome good pitching in previous series, so the conclusion is ambiguous at best.
On the pitching side of things, there was only one starter with an ERA under 4.00 for the week, and that was Sonny Gray, who pitched a scoreless game against the Rangers. Erick Fedde (4.09 in two starts) was just a hair over, so he gets a pass for now. Both Miles Mikolas (9.00) and Matthew Liberatore (7.20) had poor outings. Both had been pitching well for some time, so one could say they were due. Andre Pallante’s one start (4.76) was fairly similar to his more recent outings. Pallante has, to be honest, struggled quite a bit so far this season, for reasons unknown.
The bullpen this week has had its worst performances so far. When a position player (Alec Burleson) had a better pitching performance than half your bullpen, some soul searching needs to be done. Gordon Graceffo had his worst performance since being brought up and was, not surprisingly, sent down this week. The pitcher brought up to replace him, Matt Svanson, was not a whole lot better. The usually reliable Kyle Leahy and Steven Matz did not have a good week, and the reliever brought up for the last game of the Rangers series, Roddery Muñoz, was, in a word, horrendous, and should be returned forthwith.
The team is blessedly returning home for a nine-game homestand. Unfortunately, the teams they are facing, the Royals, Dodgers, and Blue Jays, are no walk in the park, but hopefully being at home will help some (we hope).
NL Central Standings
Team W L Pct GB
|
Chicago |
37 |
22 |
.627 |
—— |
|
St. Louis |
33 |
26 |
.559 |
4 |
|
Milwaukee |
32 |
28 |
.533 |
5.5 |
|
Cincinnati |
29 |
31 |
.483 |
8.5 |
|
Pittsburgh |
22 |
37 |
.373 |
15 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 5/31 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/31 The Cardinals recalled RHP Roddery Muñoz from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/31 The Cardinals selected the contract of Ryan Vilade from the Memphis Redbirds
- 5/31 The Cardinals placed RF Jordan Walker on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 29. Left wrist inflammation.
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 was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 29. This was apparently a lingering injury, although no indication has been given as to when it started and what caused it. Walker was unable to take batting practice on Friday, so the decision was made to make this move. A short stint, likely the minimum, is expected.
Looking Ahead
Following the Rangers series, which ends on Sunday, the Cardinals return home to begin a nine-game homestand. The first series is a three-game series with the Royals. Andre Pallante will get the Tuesday start, followed by Miles Mikolas on Wednesday and Matthew Liberatore on Thursday.
The final two series in the homestand include a weekend series against the Dodgers and a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays.
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
This week’s Blast of the Past returns to another series that began last season here, which is showcasing players who have performed rare feats. This series looked at rare feats from former Cardinals players that occurred during a relevant period in the history of the franchise. This week, we look at the period May 26 through June 1.
A rare feat has been defined as one of the following: (1) a pitcher or pitchers throwing a no-hitter; (2) A batter hitting for the cycle, which is hitting at least one single, one double, one triple, and one home run in a single game; (3) A batter recording six hits in one game; (4) a player, either a position player or a pitcher, hitting a home run in their first major league at bat; and (5) a player hitting three or more home runs in a single game.
During the period May 26 through June 1, the following rare feats are featured. For each rare feat, the type of feat, the date it occurred, and some details of each occurrence are listed below.
May 27, 1975 – In this 7-1 win over the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium, Cardinals LF Lou Brock hit for the cycle.
His first hit of the game in the first inning was a single to center. He stole second base but was ultimately left stranded. In the third inning, Brock hit a solo home run to right field. In the fifth, he hit a triple to center field, scoring Bob Forsch. Brock was thrown out trying to score. Finally, in the eighth, Brock doubled to right and later scored.
May 28, 2017 – Paul DeJong made his major league debut on this date as a pinch hitter for John Brebbia in the ninth inning of an 8-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. In this at bat, his first as a major leaguer, he hit a home run to LF off Rockies reliever Greg Holland.
One may call this feat a “Coors Special”, but it is nonetheless a rare feat according to the definition.
May 30, 2010 – Albert Pujols makes multiple appearances on the Rare Feats list, in more than one category. For our purposes here, the rare feat on this date was hitting three or more home runs in a game.
In this game, a 9-1 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Pujols hit his first long ball in the first inning. It was a solo home run to LF off Cubs starter Ryan Dempster.
His second home run came in the fifth inning and was a two-run shot to LF, again off Dempster.
The third homer was a solo long ball in the ninth off reliever John Grabow.
June 1, 1895 – Roger Connor was a 1B for the St. Louis Browns in 1895. This Browns team was a precursor team to the Cardinals, not the St. Louis Browns team that later became the Baltimore Orioles.
Connor had six hits in a game on this date. The game was against the New York Giants, and the Cardinals won the game 23-2 in New York. There is very little information on the game, and no play-by-play exists. Baseball Almanac records that Conner had six hits, and the hits were three singles, two doubles, and a triple.
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