photo: Andre Pallante (St. Louis Cardinals)
It was too little, too late, as the St. Louis Cardinals were eliminated from the post-season despite going 5-2 for the week. Andre Pallante starred, allowing just one run in 14 innings. Our history feature highlights four former Cardinals who had rare feats during this week in the past.
Game recaps
Monday, September 16, 2024 – Cardinals 4, Pirates 0
The St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a four-game series at Busch Stadium on Monday. Andre Pallante started for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits, fanned nine and walked one to earn his seventh win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the fourth inning. Alec Burleson singled. Burleson advanced to second on disengagement by Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. Nolan Arenado drove in Burleson on a single.
St Louis added a run in the seventh to lead 2-0. Brendan Donovan drew a walk. Lars Nootbaar reached on throwing error and Donovan advanced to second. Jordan Walker took a free pass. Donovan scored on a single by Pedro Pagés.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 4-0 with two runs in the eighth. Paul Goldschmidt walked. Arenado singled. Donovan plated Goldschmidt on a double. Arenado came home on a sac fly by Nootbaar.
The Cardinals scored four runs on seven hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Masyn Winn made a throwing error.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 – Cardinals 3, Pirates 1
The Cardinals defeated the Pirates in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Lance Lynn made what may be his final start at Busch Stadium as a Cardinal. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, fanned five and walked two to earn his seventh win.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Lynn and threw a scoreless seventh. Matthew Liberatore hurled two scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates scored first with one run in the second. The Cardinals answered with a run in the third to tie the game. Michael Siani doubled. Luken Baker tripled to plate Siani.
The Cardinals extended the lead to 2-1 in the fourth on a solo home run by Jordan Walker. In the eighth, a third run came home for the final score of 3-1. Masyn Winn reached on an error. Alec Burleson drew a walk. Nolan Arenado plated Winn on a sac fly.
The Cardinals scored three runs on four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits.
Brendan Donovan stole his fifth base of the season. Michael Siani swiped his 19th bag. Paul Goldschmidt stole his 10th base.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 – Cardinals 10, Pirates 5
The Cardinals pounded the Pirates for a 10-5 win in the third game of the series on Wednesday. Sonny Gray started and pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up four runs on nine hits and fanned eight. This became Gray’s final start of the season.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Gray and surrendered one run in 1/3 of an inning. Michael McGreevy tossed the final three scoreless innings to earn his second major league win.
The Cardinals took the first lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by Brendan Donovan. St. Louis extended the lead to 4-0 in the third. Alec Burleson singled. Paul Goldschmidt drove in Burleson on a triple. Goldschmidt came home on a single by Nolan Arenado.
In the fourth inning, the Pirates cut the lead to 4-2. They took the lead 5-4 with three runs in the sixth.
In the seventh, the Cardinals roared back with six runs to retake the lead 10-5. Masyn Winn tied the game with a solo home run. Goldschmidt reached on an error. Arenado drew a walk. Donovan walked. Iván Herrera plated Goldschmidt on a single. Arenado came home on a single by Lars Nootbaar. Jordan Walker cleared the bases with a double.
The Cardinal offense scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Arenado was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Herrera was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Walker had three RBI. Burleson was 2-for-5.
Winn made a throwing error.
Thursday, September 19, 2024 – Cardinals 2, Pirates 3
The Cardinals fell to the Pirates in the finale of the four-game series on Thursday. Erick Fedde took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out three and walked one.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Fedde and surrendered one run in the seventh. JoJo Romero yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. Ryan Fernandez threw 1/3 of a scoreless inning. John King tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates scored one run in the top of the fourth. The Cardinals answered to tie the game in the home fourth. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Nolan Arenado drew a walk. Brendan Donovan singled to score Goldschmidt.
St. Louis put up one run in the sixth to take the lead 2-1. Goldschmidt singled and stole second base. Donovan plated Goldschmidt on a double.
Pittsburgh came back to tie the game at 2-2 in the seventh. They took the lead 3-2 in the eighth. The Cardinals did not answer.
St. Louis scored two runs on six hits. Donovan was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Goldschmidt stole his 11th base of the season.
Friday, September 20, 2024 – Cardinals 1, Guardians 5
The Cardinals lost the opener of a three-game series with the Guardians at Busch Stadium. Kyle Gibson was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on six hits, struck out two and walked three. Gibson took the loss.
Steven Matz relieved Gibson and surrendered one run in the final three innings.
Cleveland went up 1-0 in the third inning. The Guardians added a run in the top of the fourth to increase the lead to 2-0.
In the home fourth, the Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1. Alec Burleson doubled. Brendan Donovan walked. Lars Nootbaar drove in Burleson on a double.
Cleveland added one run in the fifth to extend the lead to 3-1. They scored single runs in the sixth and eighth for the final score of 5-1.
The Cardinals were held to one run on seven hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Thomas Saggese was 2-for-4.
Saggese made a throwing error.
Saturday, September 21, 2024 – Cardinals 6, Guardians 5
The Cardinals edged the Guardians for a 6-5 win on Saturday. Miles Mikolas started for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out four to earn his ninth win.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless seventh. JoJo Romero surrendered four runs in 1/3 of an inning. Matthew Liberatore hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 46th save.
The Cardinals took a the lead in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Jordan Walker. Cleveland answered with one run in the fifth.
In the seventh, St. Louis put up four runs to extend the lead to 6-1. Michael Siani singled. Masyn Winn reached on a fielder’s choice. Alec Burleson popped into a double play and Siani was out at third. Winn advanced to second. Paul Goldschmidt reached on an error and Winn scored. Nolan Arenado was hit by a pitch. Herrera followed with a three-run home run.
The Guardians rallied for four runs in the eighth to reduce the Cardinals’ edge to 6-5.
St. Louis’ offense scored six runs on eight hits. Herrera was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Walker had two RBI.
Arenado was caught stealing. Mikolas made a missed catch error.
Sunday, September 22, 2024 – Cardinals 2, Guardians 1
The Cardinals defeated the Guardians to take the series with a 2-1 win on Sunday. Andre Pallante pitched his second gem of the week. The right-hander went seven innings, gave up one run on one hit, struck out four and walked two to earn his eighth win.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 47th save.
The game was scoreless until the sixth inning when Cleveland put up one run. St. Louis quickly answered with a run in the home sixth to tie the game. Masyn Winn singled. Nolan Arenado singled on a pop fly to shallow right field. Winn scored from first base.
The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the seventh. Lars Nootbaar was hit by a pitch. Pedro Pagés walked. Winn walked and Nootbaar scored on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals scored two runs on five hits. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Pallante picked a runner off first base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week with a record of 5-2. They won 3 of 4 games from the Pirates, and 2 of 3 games from the Guardians. Their current record is 79-77 and they remain in third place in the NL Central, 10 games behind the Brewers, and one game back of the second place Cubs. The Cardinals have been eliminated from a spot in the postseason.
The Cardinals have six games left in the regular season. They have a chance to finish above .500 and take the second-place spot away from the Cubs in this final week. These should be the goals at this point, ending their disappointing season on a positive note.
The offense wasn’t particularly great against the Pirates and Guardians, but they scored enough to win five games. The top offensive performers by OPS over the last seven days are Iván Herrera (1.792 in 8 ABs) and Brendan Donovan (1.140). Next were Nolan Arenado (.865) and Jordan Walker (.802).
At the bottom were Alec Burleson (.499), Michael Siani (.478), Thomas Saggese (.417), Matt Carpenter (.333 in 2 ABs), and Pedro Pagés (.192).
The pitching was adequate, though the team lost two starters, Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn, to the injured list for the remainder of the season.
Starting pitchers who finished the week with an ERA under 4.00 were Andre Pallante (0.64), Erick Fedde (1.50), Lance Lynn (1.50) and Miles Mikolas (1.50).
Starters with an ERA over 4.00 were Kyle Gibson (4.50) and Sonny Gray (6.34).
Michael McGreevy was recalled from Memphis this past week and will take Gray’s next start in Colorado.
The bullpen was good, with only JoJo Romero (45.00) having an off week. Matthew Liberatore (4.50) was the only other reliever with an ERA over 4.00 for the week.
The last two series of the season begin on Tuesday with three games in Denver against the Rockies. The team ends their season in San Francisco with three against the Giants.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 89 | 67 | 0.571 | ||
| Chicago | 80 | 76 | 0.513 | 9 | 6.5 |
| St. Louis | 79 | 77 | 0.506 | 10 | 7.5 |
| Cincinnati | 76 | 81 | 0.484 | 13.5 | 11 |
| Pittsburgh | 73 | 83 | 0.468 | 16 | 13.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 9/18 The Cardinals recalled RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/18 The Cardinals placed RHP Lance Lynn on the 15-day injured list. Right knee inflammation.
- 9/21 The Cardinals placed RHP Sonny Gray on the 15-day injured list. Right forearm flexor tendinitis.
- 9/21 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season ending forearm surgery. The right hander did not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
- 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 and missed the remainder of the season.
- RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) came off the injured list and after making one start, he was returned to the injured list for the remainder of the season. Lynn’s last start against the Pirates is potentially his last start at Busch Stadium as a Cardinal.
- C Willson Contreras (fractured right middle finger) was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 25. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand. Contreras was evaluated and it was determined that the catcher required at least two weeks more of healing, effectively ending his season.
- RHP Sonny Gray (right forearm flexor tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 19. The right hander has made his last start and will end the season on the IL. An MRI showed no structural damage, but the precautionary move was made, as the Cardinals have been eliminated from postseason contention. Gray’s final start of the season on Tuesday will be made by Michael McGreevy.
Donovan Named Heart and Hustle Winner
On Wednesday, September 18, Brendan Donovan was announced as the Cardinals winner of the 2024 Heart and Hustle Award.
Presented by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, this award recognizes one player on each team who demonstrates a passion for the game and best embodies their values, spirit and traditions.
Of the 30 winners from each team, one player will be chosen as the final Heart and Hustle Award recipient after the season.
Looking Ahead
The final week of the regular season is a road trip for the Cardinals. They will first play three games with the Rockies beginning Tuesday, September 24. Starters will be Michael McGreevy, Erick Fedde and Kyle Gibson.
The team will then travel to San Francisco to play the Giants in a weekend series that ends the season for the Cardinals, who have officially been eliminated from a postseason berth. The Milwaukee Brewers will be the only NL Central team to advance to the postseason.
Following the final game of the regular season on Sunday, September 29, the postseason begins on October 1. The Wild Card games will be played on October 1-3. The postseason continues through October and ends with a potential World Series Game 7 on November 2.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the Rare Feats Series with four players who accomplished rare feats during the period September 16 through 22.
The four players include two pitchers and two position players all of whom played in the 20th Century. One is a frequent flyer in this series.
A rare feat is 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 September 16 through 22, 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.
Ray Washburn – The right-hander pitched for the Cardinals from 1961-1969. On September 18, 1968, Washburn tossed a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. The Cardinals won 2-0.
Washburn struck out eight and walked five in his complete game no-hit shutout. Washburn ended the season with a record of 14-8 and an ERA of 2.26.
Ironically, the Giants’ Gaylord Perry no-hit the Cardinals the day before, making it the first time in MLB history that back-to back no-hitters were pitched in the same series.
Washburn was traded to the Cincinnati Reds after the 1969 season. He pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Reds, who were defeated by the Orioles in the 1969 World Series in five games. Washburn’s last major league appearance was the final game of that World Series.
Paul Dean – Nicknamed “Daffy”, the brother of Cardinals pitcher “Dizzy” Dean, Paul Dean pitched for the Cardinals from 1934-1939.
Dean spun a no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field on September 21, 1934. The Cardinals won 3-0.
Dean struck out six and walked one in his complete game no-hit shutout. This was Dean’s rookie season with the Cardinals. His brother Dizzy pitched a three-hit shutout in the first game of the doubleheader. Dizzy was quoted as saying after his brother’s no-hitter, “Shoot! If I’da known Paul was going to pitch a no-hitter, I’da pitched me one too.”
Paul Dean ended his rookie season with a record of 19-11 and an ERA of 3.43. The Cardinals won the 1934 World Series over the Detroit Tigers in seven games. Paul and his brother pitched in the Series for a combined record of 4-1 (each won two games) with 28 Ks and a combined ERA of 1.43.
Paul Dean pitched for the Cardinals for six seasons, though he never matched his rookie season performance. The New York Giants selected Dean in the Rule 5 Draft in 1939. His career ended with the St. Louis Browns in 1943.
Jim Bottomley – Bottomley has been featured in the series multiple times previously. On September 16, 1924, Bottomley accomplished the rare feat of six hits in a single game.
Bottomley went 6-for-6 with 12 RBI and three runs scored in a 17-3 rout of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Bottomley’s major league record of 12 RBI in a game was matched by another Cardinal, Mark Whiten in 1993. Whiten’s 12 RBI game was featured in a previous installment of this series.
Bottomley played first and hit cleanup in the Cardinals starting lineup on his big day. Bottomley’s six hits were as follows: a two RBI single to center in the first inning; an RBI double to left in the second inning; a grand slam in the fourth inning; a two run home run in the sixth inning; a two RBI single to right in the seventh inning; and an RBI single to right in the ninth inning.
Bottomley played for 11 seasons with the Cardinals, from 1922-1932. He was traded at the end of the 1932 season to the Cincinnati Reds.
George Harper – Harper was an outfielder who played for six teams in his major league career. He played for the Cardinals for only one season, 1928.
Harper’s rare feat was hitting three or more home runs in a single game, which he accomplished on September 20, 1928 in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. The Cardinals won 8-5.
Harper hit home run #1 in the second inning. It was a solo shot. He hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning. His final long ball was a solo shot in the eighth inning.
Harper went 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored.
The Cardinals won the pennant that year but were swept by the Yankees in the World Series.
The Boston Braves purchased Harper from the Cardinals on December 8, 1928.
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