photo: Michael McGreevy (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals had a 3-3 week as starting pitching improved, but the offense declined. Michael McGreevy had a career-best start of six innings on one hit with nine strikeouts. Little League home runs in team history are recounted.
Game Recaps
Monday, May 4, 2026 – Cardinals 6, Brewers 3
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers by a 6-3 score on Monday at Busch Stadium. Starter Kyle Leahy pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up one run on six hits, walked two and fanned five to earn his fourth win.
George Soriano relieved Leahy and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless seventh. Ryne Stanek pitched a scoreless eighth. Gordon Graceffo surrendered two runs in 1/3 of an inning. Riley O’Brien tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning to earn his 10th save.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Victor Scott singled, advancing Winn to third. JJ Wetherholt plated Winn on a single.
St. Louis added three runs in the fourth to lead 4-0. Nathan Church doubled. Pedro Pagés walked. Both runners advanced on a sac bunt by Scott. Wetherholt was intentionally walked. Iván Herrera doubled to clear the bases.
The Brewers got on the board with one run in the sixth. The Cardinals extended their lead with a run in the seventh to make it 5-1. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Nolan Gorman singled. Winn singled to score Walker.
St. Louis increased the lead to 6-1 in the eighth. Scott doubled and came home as Wetherholt singled.
Milwaukee added two runs in the ninth to narrow the final score to 6-3.
The Cardinals offense scored six runs on 11 hits. Herrera was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Wetherholt was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Gorman was 2-for-4. Scott was 2-for-3.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 – (postponed)
This game was postponed due to rain and will be made up on July 7 as the first game of a doubleheader.
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 – Cardinals 2, Brewers 6
The Cardinals lost to the Brewers in the final game of the series on Wednesday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched six innings, gave up five runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out three. Pallante took the loss.
Jared Shuster relieved Pallante and threw two scoreless innings. Matt Svanson surrendered one run in the ninth.
The Brewers went up 4-0 in the first inning and added a run in the fifth.
The Cardinals scored their first run in the eighth. Victor Scott singled and stole second base. Alec Burleson plated Scott on a single.
Milwaukee put up another run in the top of the ninth to extend their lead to 6-1.
St. Louis answered with one run in the home ninth for the final score of 6-2. Nolan Gorman doubled and advanced to third on a ground out by Masyn Winn. Gorman came home on a fielding error by the Brewers shortstop.
The offense scored two runs on four hits. Herrera’s double was the only extra base hit. The team was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
Jordan Walker stole his seventh base of the season. Scott swiped his sixth bag.
Pallante picked a runner off first base.
Thursday, May 7, 2026 – Cardinals 2 at Padres 1
On Thursday, the Cardinals edged the Padres in the first of a four-game series in San Diego. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked three and fanned six to earn his second win.
George Soriano relieved Liberatore and threw a scoreless seventh. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless eighth. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his MLB-leading 11th save.
The Padres took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals tied the game in the fourth on a solo home run by Alec Burleson.
St. Louis took the lead 2-1 in the seventh. Jordan Walker doubled and scored on a triple by Masyn Winn.
The Cardinals scored two runs on five hits. Walker was 2-for-4.
Victor Scott was caught stealing for the third time. Liberatore picked a runner off first base.
Friday, May 8, 2026 – Cardinals 6 at Padres 0
The Cardinals blanked the Padres by a 6-0 score at Petco Park in the second game of the series on Friday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six scoreless innings on one hit and nine strikeouts to earn his third win.
Gordon Graceffo relieved McGreevy and threw two scoreless innings. Ryne Stanek tossed a scoreless ninth to preserve the shutout.
The Cardinals scored all six runs in the fifth inning. Masyn Winn and Nathan Church singled. Victor Scott walked to load the bases. JJ Wetherholt followed with a little league home run, a ground ball single to right field that Fernando Tatis failed to scoop up and the ball rolled to the wall. All runners, including Wetherholt, scored.
Following that event, Iván Herrera hit a normal single. Alec Burleson doubled. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Nolan Gorman plated Herrera on a single. Burleson came home on a sac fly by Winn.
The offense scored six runs on 11 hits. Herrera was 4-for-5. Burleson was 2-for-5. Church was 2-for-4. Wetherholt received two RBI on the little league home run as Tatis was charged with an error on the final two runners.
Walker was caught stealing.
Saturday, May 9, 2026 – Cardinals 2 at Padres 4
The Cardinals lost the third game of the series to the Padres by the score of 4-2 on Saturday. Starter Dustin May pitched six innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on three hits, walked two and fanned seven. Despite contributing a quality start, May took the loss.
Justin Bruihl relieved May and threw a scoreless seventh. Matt Svanson allowed a Padres insurance run in the eighth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the fourth inning. Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman singled. Masyn Winn grounded into a double play. Nathan Church doubled to score Walker.
The Padres came back with three runs in the fifth to take the lead. In the top of the eighth, the Cardinals added a second run to cut the lead to 3-2. JJ Wetherholt was hit by a pitch. Iván Herrera doubled to plate Wetherholt.
The Padres answered with an insurance run in the home eighth to bring the score to 4-2.
The Cardinals scored two runs on seven hits. Herrera was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Church was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Wetherholt stole his fifth base of the season. Winn made a fielding error. Pedro Pagés had a passed ball.
Sunday, May 10, 2026 – Cardinals 2 at Padres 3 (10 innings)
The Cardinals lost to the Padres in extra innings in the finale of the four-game series in San Diego. Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked four and fanned five.
Ryne Stanek relieved Leahy and threw a scoreless sixth. JoJo Romero hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. George Soriano pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Riley O’Brien was just one strike away from victory but surrendered a two-run home run for the blown save. Gordon Graceffo gave up the winning run in the 10th and took the loss.
The Cardinals went up in the fourth on a two-run home run by Jordan Walker. They failed to score any additional runs as the Padres came back late.
The offense scored two runs on three hits. JJ Wetherholt and Alec Burleson had the only hits other than the Walker home run.
Burleson stole his second base of the season.
The series ended in a 2-2 split.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week with a 3-3 record after going 6-1 the previous week. The Cardinals are tied with the Brewers for second place with the Cardinals having one more win and one more loss than the Brewers. Both teams are 3.5 games behind the Cubs.
Considering this is a rebuilding team with little expectation of contending when the season started, the Cardinals have done more than most hoped they would.
Yet it remains frustrating when tough losses occur like in the final game against the Padres on Sunday. For the second straight game, the offense disappeared except for the home run by Walker and a couple of singles. Other than the six-run game on Friday, this series could have gone much worse for the Cardinals if the Padres had not been even more inept at the plate. The Cardinals scored 12 runs to the Padres’ eight over four games.
Therefore, it should be no surprise that only one Cardinal had an OPS of .900+ over the last week. That player is Jordan Walker with an OPS of exactly .900. Next closest was Iván Herrera at .865.
At the bottom are Masyn Winn (.446), José Fermín (.200), Pedro Pagés (.063), César Prieto (.000) and Thomas Saggese (.000).
Then there is the pitching, which for the first time this season I can say was better than the offense. Andre Pallante was the only starter who had a bad start during the week. Kyle Leahy, Dustin May, and Matthew Liberatore all had ERAs for the week under 4.00. Michael McGreevy was the best of the lot with an ERA of 0.00. His outing against the Padres was the best he has pitched since he came up as a starter.
The bullpen was much better as well. Matt Svanson is still struggling a bit. Gordon Graceffo and Riley O’Brien had hiccups (O’Brien who gave up the tying home run in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game). Otherwise, the usual suspects in the bullpen pitched surprisingly well (knock on wood it continues).
It doesn’t get any easier in the coming week as the Cardinals leave San Diego for Sacramento where they play another surprising team, the Athletics, who are in first place in the AL West. Then they return home to play the Royals, who were not playing as well but have picked up the pace in the last week. The Royals always play the Cardinals like it is Game 7 of the World Series. In-state rivalries can be intense.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Chicago | 27 | 14 | 0.659 | |
| Milwaukee | 22 | 16 | 0.579 | 3.5 |
| St. Louis | 23 | 17 | 0.575 | 3.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 22 | 18 | 0.550 | 4.5 |
| Cincinnati | 22 | 19 | 0.537 | 5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 5/4 The Cardinals optioned LF Thomas Saggese to the Memphis Redbirds
- 5/4 The Cardinals recalled 2B César Prieto from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/5 The Cardinals placed 3B Ramón Urías on the 10-day injured list. Right elbow lateral epicondylitis.
- 5/5 The Cardinals recalled LF Thomas Saggese from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) is expected to begin a rehab assignment this coming week. Nootbaar is eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list on May 24.
- LHP Matt Pushard was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 30. Right knee patellar tendinitis. Pushard is on an extended rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
- 3B Ramón Urías was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 5. He has right elbow lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Urías will be shut down multiple weeks before being reevaluated.
Looking Ahead
Following the Padres series which ended on Sunday and a day off Monday, the Cardinals travel north to Sacramento for a three-game series with the Athletics beginning Tuesday, May 12.
The Cardinals return from the West Coast to begin a six game homestand with the Royals and the Pirates.
After the Pirates, the Cardinals go on the road to play the Reds and Brewers in a six-game road trip.
The team will end the month of May at home for a weekend series with the Cubs.
The month of June begins with a three-game series against the Rangers. After a Thursday off day, the homestand continues with a weekend set with the Reds.
Blast from the Past
In the Friday, May 8 game between the Cardinals and the Padres, JJ Wetherholt hit a single to right field that was misplayed by the Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. The misplay resulted in four runs scoring, including Wetherholt. This type of play is referred to as a “little league home run”.
A little league home run is distinguishable from an inside the park home run. A little league home run requires one or more errors to be committed on the defense that allows the batter to score. An inside the park home run generally goes far enough inside the park for the batter/runner to score without any defensive errors. Typically, a hit off the outfield wall or deep into a corner by a speedy runner could result in an inside the park home run.
This week’s Blast from the Past recalls little league home runs hit by Cardinals players in the past. This list is not complete but contains those found by diligent search. The following list provides the date, the player who hit the little league home run and other relevant details.
May 8, 2026 – JJ Wetherholt hit a ground ball single to right field that is misplayed by Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres. The bases were loaded for Wetherholt and all four runners scored.
May 22, 2024 – In a game against the Orioles at Busch Stadium, Brendan Donovan doubled to center field, scoring Nolan Arenado and Dylan Carlson. Donovan came home on a throwing error by Orioles catcher James McCann.
June 23, 2022 – Versus the Brewers at American Family Field, Paul Goldschmidt doubled to left field with Nolan Gorman on first base. Both runners scored on throwing errors by shortstop Willy Adames, and pitcher Jason Alexander, who was backing up the play at home.
August 10, 2019 – As the Cardinals were playing the Pirates at Busch Stadium, in the sixth inning, Tommy Edman doubled to right center field. Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman, who was the cutoff man, threw the ball too wide to third base and the ball landed in the Pirates’ dugout. Edman scored on the play.
April 12, 2006 – Against the Brewers at Busch Stadium, Jim Edmonds doubled to right field with the bases loaded. All four runners scored on a fielding error by RF Geoff Jenkins and a subsequent throwing error by second baseman Rickie Weeks.
July 25, 1985 – The Padres were the opponent at Jack Murphy Stadium. In the ninth inning, Terry Pendleton hit a single to center field with one runner, Jack Clark, on base. Errors by centerfielder Al Bumbry and second baseman Tim Flannery allowed both Clark and Pendleton to score.
August 14, 1980 –In a game against the Cubs at Busch Stadium, Ted Simmons hit a little league home run in the bottom of the fifth with Tony Scott and Keith Hernandez on base. Based on written accounts, it appears the hit was a single to the pitcher Doug Capilla, who fielded the ball but threw it into right field instead of to first base. Scott and Hernandez scored as did Simmons on a second error by right fielder Bill Buckner.
June 8, 1971 – The Cardinals were playing the Braves at Atlanta Stadium. In the eighth inning, with Matty Alou and Ted Simmons on base, Joe Torre singled to third base. Alou scored on a throwing error by third baseman Earl Williams to first baseman Orlando Cepeda. Simmons and Torre scored on a throwing error to home plate by Cepeda.
Other little league home runs not listed here were hit by Mike Shannon on May 4, 1968, two by Curt Flood on July 27, 1965 and June 7, 1962, one by Julian Javier on April 14, 1962 and one by Wally Moon on August 7, 1954.
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