photo: Willson Contreras (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
The last-place St. Louis Cardinals dropped both series for the second week in a row but broke their seven-game losing streak on Sunday. Due to injury, the club lost its best hitter, Willson Contreras, for an extended period. Our history feature highlights team happenings this week in prior years.
Game recaps
Monday, May 6, 2024 – Cardinals 3, Mets 4
The St. Louis Cardinals began a three-game series with the Mets at Busch Stadium on Monday. The opener was a one run loss to the visitors. Starting pitcher Kyle Gibson went six innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on seven hits. The right hander struck out four and walked two.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Gibson in the seventh and surrendered one run and was tagged with the loss. Ryan Fernandez threw a scoreless eighth. John King and Nick Robertson combined for the ninth, with no additional runs allowed.
The Mets got on the board in the first, posting one run. New York added two more in the fifth to widen their lead to 3-0.
In the sixth, St. Louis tied the game at 3-3. José Fermín singled and Willson Contreras’ double plated Fermín. Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk. Iván Herrera doubled to score Contreras and Goldschmidt.
The Mets came back in the seventh with one run to raise the score to 4-3.
The St. Louis offense produced three runs on eight hits. Fermín was 2-for-4. Herrera drove in two runs.
Lars Nootbaar made a fielding error.
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – Cardinals 5, Mets 7
The second game of the Mets series ended with another Cardinals loss, St. Louis’ fourth in the last five games. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched only four innings, gave up six runs on nine hits and struck out three. Mikolas earned the loss, his fifth of the season.
The pen did a good job, but the offense could not rally. Kyle Leahy relieved Mikolas in the fifth and threw two scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez followed with two innings of scoreless relief. Chris Roycroft took the ninth and surrendered one Mets run.
The game began well for the Cardinals, with three runs in the first inning. Brendan Donovan led off with a solo home run. Lars Nootbaar walked and Willson Contreras doubled. Nolan Arenado’s sac fly plated Nootbaar. Alec Burleson singled to bring Contreras home.
In the fifth, the Mets came back with a vengeance with six runs on the board to take the lead 6-3. St. Louis added a run in the sixth on a Burleson long ball.
In the top of the ninth, New York increased their lead to 7-4. The Cardinals rallied for one run in the home half of the ninth but fell short of the goal. The fifth run was a solo home run by Nootbaar for the final score of 7-5.
Burleson was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Donovan was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Iván Herrera was 2-for-4. Nootbaar had an RBI and scored two runs.
On defense, Willson Contreras was charged with catcher interference and suffered a fractured left arm in the process.
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 – Cardinals vs. Mets (postponed)
This final game of the series was postponed due to rain. The game is scheduled to be made up on August 5 at Busch Stadium at 4:15 CT.
Thursday, May 9, 2024 – Cardinals 1, Brewers 7
The Cardinals continued their homestand with the first-place Brewers visiting. St. Louis was soundly crushed in this first of four as the usually steady Sonny Gray faltered. The right hander pitched five innings and gave up six runs on seven hits, with six strikeouts and one walk. Gray suffered his second loss of the season.
Nick Robertson replaced Gray in the sixth and surrendered one run. John King and Chris Roycroft followed with a scoreless inning each.
The Brewers took the lead in the first inning with three runs and added a fourth run in the second.
St. Louis plated their only run of the game in the third on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar.
The Brewers scored three more runs, one each in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings.
St. Louis’ offense was held to one run on six hits. Michael Siani was 2-for-4. The team was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
Friday, May 10, 2024 – Cardinals 2 at Brewers 11
On Friday night, the Cardinals were routed by the Brewers in the second game of the series. Starter Lance Lynn pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits, struck out five and walked two. Lynn received the loss, his first.
In the fifth with the score 3-3, Matthew Liberatore relieved Lynn with the bases loaded. All three scored plus one of his own in just 1/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy struggled, too, yielding four runs in 1 1/3 innings. Only Chris Roycroft came out unscathed with a scoreless 1 2/3 inning appearance.
The Cardinals finally scored in the top of the seventh, with a walk to Iván Herrera followed by a double by Alec Burleson.
Milwaukee continued to post runs with four in the bottom of the seventh. The Brewers led 11-1. St. Louis managed one more run in the ninth on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman.
The lackluster Cardinals offense generated only two runs on five hits. No Cardinal hitter had more than one hit. The team was 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
On the bases, Masyn Winn stole his sixth base of the season. On defense, Lars Nootbaar made a fielding error.
Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Brewers 5
The losing streak continued to seven games with a 5-3 loss to the Brewers on Saturday. Kyle Gibson took the mound for St. Louis and pitched five innings. The right hander gave up two runs on three hits, struck out seven and walked four.
JoJo Romero threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Andrew Kittredge followed with 2/3 of an inning during which he allowed three runs on a home run by Rhys Hoskins and took the loss. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless eighth.
The Brewers went up 1-0 in the third inning. The Cardinals rallied in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. Matt Carpenter led off with a double. Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Masyn Winn singled to load the bases. After a Brendan Donovan pop out, Lars Nootbaar singled to score Carpenter and Gorman.
The Cardinals added one run in the top of the sixth. Iván Hererra singled and came home on a double by Gorman.
The Brewers came back with one run in the bottom of the sixth and three in the seventh to conclude the scoring.
St. Louis’ offense had 12 hits that resulted in only three runs. Nootbaar was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Gorman was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Herrera, Carpenter, and Winn were each 2-for-4.
Sunday, May 12, 2024 – Cardinals 4 at Brewers 3
The Cardinals broke their seven-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Brewers on Sunday. Manager Oliver Marmol and bench coach Daniel Descalso were ejected in the third inning after two replay challenges.
Starting pitcher Miles Mikolas went six innings, gave up three runs (all in the first inning) on six hits, struck out three and walked three. The right hander earned his third win of the 2024 season.
JoJo Romero relieved Mikolas and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Kittredge added 2/3 of a scoreless inning. In his first action in a week of losing, Ryan Helsley tossed a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts to earn his 12th save.
The game began as did the others with a Brewers lead, 3-0 in the first inning. St. Louis posted one run in the second. Brendan Donovan singled and later scored on a bases loaded walk by Lars Nootbaar.
The Cardinals added a run in the fifth on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt. The tying run came home in the sixth. Michael Siani singled. Nootbaar singled. Siani scored on a single by Goldschmidt.
The winning run crossed the plate in the seventh. Brendan Donovan grounded into a force out and came home on a double by Siani.
Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Siani was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Iván Herrera was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Siani stole his third base of the season. Nolan Gorman was picked off second base.
On defense, Alec Burleson had an outfield assist at home plate.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a wretched week, winning only one of six games and losing their best hitter for an extended period due to injury. The team lost both games to the Mets with the final game postponed.
The finale of the four-game series at Milwaukee was the only Cardinal win, with the narrow 4-3 victory breaking a seven-game losing streak. It also avoided the team’s first time being swept in a four-game series in three years.
About the only good thing to report about the entire week is that Paul Goldschmidt had two hits, a home run and a single, in the Sunday win, breaking an 0-for-32 streak. Whether this portends an end to Goldschmidt’s dismal showing offensively this season is anyone’s guess.
The lifeless performance of the offense was exacerbated by the starting pitching beginning to look like they have caught the sickness. Against the Brewers, Sonny Gray had his worst outing of 2024. Miles Mikolas gave up six runs in four innings against the Mets. Lance Lynn was substandard in the 11-2 rout by the Brewers.
The current joke is that the Cardinals are so bad they made the lowly White Sox look better. After winning 2 of 3 in St. Louis, the White Sox have gone on a tear. The Cardinals, on the other hand, lost seven games in a row before the win on Sunday.
The top offensive performers for the week include the starting catcher, Willson Contreras (1.200), who is now on the IL with a fractured arm and will not be hitting at all for 10 weeks. Next is Lars Nootbaar (1.080) who was at the bottom just a week ago. The rest of the top performers are Iván Herrera (1.000), Michael Siani (1.000), Nolan Gorman (.982), and Matt Carpenter (.944), who recently returned from the IL and has played in only two games.
At the bottom is Dylan Carlson (.071), whose return from the IL had been anticipated. Carlson was supposed to be the starting CF to replace Siani, but Siani is hitting better than Carlson and is a better defender, as well. Next on the bottom of the barrel is Pedro Pagés (.250 in one game), Brandon Crawford (.311) and both middle of the order hitters, Nolan Arenado (.401) and Paul Goldschmidt (.447).
The starting pitching had a big hiccup this week but hopefully it isn’t a long-term problem. Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas and Lance Lynn all had an ERA over 4.00 for the week. The Cardinals are playing with four actual starters and a fifth starter to be named later (decided each turn through the rotation). This is not a recipe for success.
The Cardinals go west and play the Los Angeles Angels in three games. The Angels aren’t a good team, but neither are the Cardinals, and neither were the White Sox until they came to St. Louis. The team ends the week at home against the Red Sox and former Cardinal Tyler O’Neill, who got better when he went to Boston (don’t they all?).
NL Central Standings
With their Sunday series-ending win, the Cardinals avoided falling 10 games out of the division lead. They are on a pace to finish 65-97 for the season.
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Milwaukee | 24 | 16 | 0.600 | |
| Chicago | 24 | 17 | 0.585 | 0.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 18 | 23 | 0.439 | 6.5 |
| Cincinnati | 17 | 23 | 0.425 | 7 |
| St. Louis | 16 | 24 | 0.400 | 8 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 5/6 The Cardinals placed RHP Giovanny Gallegos on the 15-day disabled list. Right shoulder impingement.
- 5/6 The Cardinals transferred CF Tommy Edman from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
- 5/6 The Cardinals added RHR Chris Roycroft to the 40-man roster and promoted him from Memphis.
- 5/7 The Cardinals sent DH Matt Carpenter on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/8 The Cardinals recalled C Pedro Pagés from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/8 The Cardinals placed C Willson Contreras on the 10-day injured list. Left arm fracture.
- 5/10 the Cardinals claimed LHP Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Texas Rangers and optioned him to Memphis.
- 5/10 The Cardinals transferred RHP Riley O’Brien from the 15- day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right forearm flexor strain.
- 5/11 The Cardinals activated DH Matt Carpenter.
- 5/11 The Cardinals optioned SS José Fermín to 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 is set to be sent on a rehab assignment this week.
- 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 at least 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 started a throwing program and could pitch off a mound as early as next week.
- DH Matt Carpenter (right oblique strain) was activated from the 10-day injured list.
- LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3, retroactive to May 1. Matz 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 IL on May 6 after two outings in which he failed to retire a batter. Gallegos has given up 12 runs in the nine innings he has pitched this season. The right hander is expected to be out until late May at the earliest.
- C Willson Contreras (left arm fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 8. Contreras’ arm was fractured by a swing from Mets DH J.D. Martinez that resulted in a catcher’s interference call. Contreras had surgery on the arm and is expected to be out at least 10 weeks.
Looking Ahead
Following the final game of the Brewers series in Milwaukee on Sunday, the team traveled to Los Angeles for a three game series with the Angels.
The Cardinals return to St. Louis on Thursday, May 16 and begin a weekend series on Friday with the Boston Red Sox. The homestand continues with three against the Baltimore Orioles, followed by an off day and a weekend set with the Cubs.
The month of May ends with a three-game series in Cincinnati with the Reds, followed by a weekend series with the Phillies in Philadelphia. The road trip concludes with three with the Astros in Houston.
The Cardinals return home for a six game homestand with the Rockies and the Pirates.
Blast from the Past
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we look back at the period May 6 through 12 to highlight unique events in Cardinal history. Some may be game happenings, or team-related events that are odd or just notable.
May 8, 1966 – In the last game at Sportsman’s Park (aka Busch Stadium I), the Cardinals lost to the San Francisco Giants 10-5. The next home game was played on May 12 against the Atlanta Braves at the newly opened Busch Stadium II. The Cardinals moved to Busch Stadium III in 2006.
May 8, 1973 – Bob Gibson started his 242nd game, setting a major league record. The result was a 9-7 loss to the Giants at Candlestick Park.
May 8, 1998 – Mark McGwire hit his 400th career home run in the third inning of a 9-2 loss to the Mets at Shea Stadium. The long ball was a two-run shot off Mets starter Rick Reed.
May 9, 1967 – Roger Maris (wearing uniform #9) hit his first National League home run on this ninth day of May into Section 9, seat 9 of Forbes Field. The Cardinals won over the Pirates, 6-3.
May 9, 1979 – In a game against the Astros at the Astrodome, umpire David Pallone, a minor league substitute umpire, ejected the entire Cardinals bench for protesting a call by throwing helmets and bats onto the field.
May 10, 2013 – Cardinals starter Shelby Miller pitched a one hit complete game against the Colorado Rockies. The one hit was a single by leadoff hitter Eric Young Jr. in the first inning. Miller retired the next 27 hitters and earned a Game Score of 98 for this outing.
May 11, 2003 – The Cardinals played the Cubs at Wrigley Field during which a total of seven home runs were hit with the wind blowing out to right field at 23 mph. They included a grand slam by Albert Pujols. The game was rained out in the top of the fifth inning and had to be replayed from the beginning on September 2 as part of a doubleheader.
May 12, 1937 – In a 15-3 rout of the Phillies by the Cardinals at the Baker Bowl, Joe “Ducky” Medwick hit two home runs and two doubles for a total of 12 bases.
May 12, 1966 – The first-ever game played at Busch Stadium II lasted 12 innings. The Cardinals beat the Braves 4-3, with the winning run provided by Lou Brock on a ground-ball single.
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