photo: Matt Morris, Dave Duncan, Joe Kurowski (St. Louis Cardinals)
Unable to make up ground, the St. Louis Cardinals went 3-3 for the week. Matt Morris, Dave Duncan and the late Whitey Kurowski are team Hall of Famers. Our history feature highlights two former Cardinals who had rare feats during this week in the past.
Three join Cardinals Hall of Fame
The St. Louis Cardinals annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony took place on Saturday, September 7 at the outdoor Busch II Infield Stage in Ballpark Village.
The 2024 induction class consists of former pitcher Matt Morris, former pitching coach Dave Duncan, and the late Whitey Kurowski, who played third base for the Cardinals from 1941-49. Members of the late Kurowski’s family were on hand to accept the honor on his behalf, including his son Jim, shown in the photo above.
A dozen or so current Cardinals Hall of Famers were on hand for the celebration, including former manager Tony La Russa, Mark McGwire, Ozzie Smith, Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter, Willie McGee and others.
Other events included special programming at the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum. In addition, there was an on the field ceremony prior to the game on Saturday.
Goldschmidt named Clemente nominee
On Monday, September 9, the Cardinals nominated Paul Goldschmidt as their candidate for the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award. It is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
2024 is Goldschmidt’s ninth nomination in his career.
Though the winner will be selected by a panel named by MLB, fans receive one vote as well. MLBTogether.com/clementeaward features bios of each of the 30 team nominees and fan voting will continue until the end of the season on Sunday, September 29th.
Game recaps
Monday, September 2, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Brewers 9
The Cardinals fell to the Brewers in the first game of a three-game series in Milwaukee on Monday. Andre Pallante started for St. Louis. The right hander pitched five innings, gave up five runs on five hits, struck out three and walked five. Pallante took the loss.
Riley O’Brien relieved Pallante and surrendered four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy tossed the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals cut the lead to 3-1 in the third on a solo home run by Pedro Pagés.
The Brewers extended their lead to 5-1 in the fourth. The Cardinals added a second run in the fifth on a second solo home run by Pagés. St. Louis made it 5-3 in the top of the sixth. Brendan Donovan singled. Paul Goldschmidt doubled. Donovan scored on a sac fly by Luken Baker.
Milwaukee answered in the home half of the sixth with a four-run surge to increase the lead to 9-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on six hits. Pagés was 2-for-4 with two solo home runs. Donovan was 2-for-3.
Donovan was caught stealing.
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 – Cardinals 7 at Brewers 4 (12 innings)
The Cardinals bounced back from Monday’s loss to defeat the Brewers in 12 innings, 7-4. Steven Matz, in his first start off the IL, pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on three hits, fanned seven and walked one.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Matz and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge each hurled a scoreless inning. Mathew Liberatore tossed two scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley allowed one unearned run in the final two innings but still received the win.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado. Brendan Donovan doubled and came home on a double by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Brewers tied the game in the third inning. St. Louis answered with a run in the fourth to pull ahead, 3-2.
Milwaukee plated another run in the fifth to re-knot the score. The game remained tied at 3-3 through the 10th inning. In the top of the 11th, the Cardinals took a 4-3 lead. Nolan Arenado started at second base. Brendan Donovan grounded out, moving Arenado to third. Goldschmidt drove in Arenado on a single.
The Brewers tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the 11th, but St. Louis rallied for three runs in the top of the 12th to take a 7-4 lead. Victor Scott was the Manfred runner. Iván Herrera drew a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Michael Siani plated them with a single. Siani stole second and went to third on a throwing error. Siani came home on a sac fly by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on nine hits. Goldschmidt was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Lars Nootbaar was 2-for-5. Siani had two RBI.
Goldschmidt stole his ninth base of the season. Nootbaar swiped his sixth bag. Siani stole his 15th base.
Nootbaar made a fielding error.
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Brewers 2 (10 innings)
The Cardinals beat the Brewers in the second consecutive extra inning game by the score of 3-2 to win the series. Sonny Gray was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched seven innings, gave up one run on four hits, fanned seven and walked one.
JoJo Romero relieved Gray and surrendered one run in 1/3 of an inning. Andrew Kittredge threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless 10th for his second save.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt singled. Nolan Arenado hit a ground-rule double. Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch. Iván Herrera drew a walk and Goldschmidt scored. Arenado came home on a walk by Lars Nootbaar.
The score remained 2-0 until the seventh inning, when the Brewers cut the lead to 2-1. Milwaukee tied the game in the eighth.
In the 10th, the Cardinals plated the Manfred runner, Masyn Winn, to lead 3-2. Pinch hitter Luken Baker drove in Winn on a two-out single.
The offense scored three runs on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. The Arenado double was the only extra base hit.
Nootbaar stole his seventh base of the season. Winn made a throwing error. Burleson had an outfield assist at home plate.
Thursday, September 5, 2024 – Off day
Friday, September 6, 2024 – Cardinals 1, Mariners 6
The Cardinals were trounced by the Mariners in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Friday. Erick Fedde started for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up one run on five hits, struck out three and walked one. Fedde took the loss.
Matthew Liberatore relieved Fedde and surrendered two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Fernandez hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. John King threw a scoreless inning. Kyle Leahy allowed three runs in 1 1/3 innings. Riley O’Brien tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Seattle went up 1-0 in the fifth inning, then added two in the sixth to lead 3-0. The Cardinals scored their only run in the seventh on a solo home run by Jordan Walker.
The Mariners plated three unanswered runs in the ninth to win 6-1.
The offense scored one run on five hits. Michael Siani was 2-for-3.
Siani stole his 16th base of the season. Lars Nootbaar was caught stealing. Masyn Winn made a throwing error.
Saturday, September 7, 2024 – Cardinals 2, Mariners 0
The Cardinals blanked the Mariners by a 2-0 score on Saturday. Kyle Gibson took the mound and pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, with three hits allowed. The right-hander fanned nine and walked three.
JoJo Romero relieved Gibson and got the final out of the seventh. Andrew Kittredge threw a scoreless eighth to earn the win. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 43rd save.
The Cardinals broke up a scoreless pitchers’ duel in the eighth on a two-run home run by Pedro Pagés.
Thanks to the excellent pitching, the Cardinals won despite having only two hits in the game. In addition to the Pagés long ball, Lars Nootbaar doubled.
The offense was 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left one man on base (Nootbaar).
Kittredge made an error on a pickoff.
Sunday, September 8, 2024 – Cardinals 4, Mariners 10
The Cardinals lost an ugly game and the home series to the Mariners by the score of 10-4 on Sunday. Miles Mikolas was awful in his start, going only two innings. The right hander gave up seven runs, six earned, on nine hits and struck out three. He took the loss, his 11th.
Steven Matz came out of the bullpen to pitch four innings. The left-hander surrendered two runs. Riley O’Brien threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Chris Roycroft allowed one run in the final 1 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals were in a hole from the very start as Seattle scored five runs against Mikolas in the first inning. In the second, the visitors tagged him for two more runs.
In the bottom of the second, the Cardinals plated two runs. Nolan Arenado singled. Iván Herrera doubled. José Fermín doubled to plate both runners.
Seattle increased their lead to 9-2 in the fifth. St. Louis rallied for two runs in the eighth to shrink the lead to 9-4. Carpenter, who entered the game as a defensive replacement for Arenado in the seventh, hit a ground-rule double. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk but was eliminated in a force out by Herrera. Jordan Walker drove in Carpenter and Herrera on a double.
The Mariners added a 10th run in the ninth for a 10-4 final score.
The Cardinals scored four runs on nine hits. Herrera was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Fermín and Walker both had two RBI.
Fermín stole his second base. Herrera swiped his fifth bag. Luken Baker made a fielding error. Herrera had a passed ball.
The Big Picture
While they desperately need to make up ground, the Cardinals continue to tread water. St. Louis ended the week with a record of 3-3. The team won 2 of 3 from the Brewers and lost 2 of 3 to the Mariners. The Cardinals remain in third place in the Division, behind the Cubs by one game, and behind the Brewers by 10 games.
They are six games out of the Wild Card with three teams ahead of them. Just 18 games remain in the regular season. At this point, it seems unlikely that a postseason trip is in the offing for this team. Per Fangraphs, the odds are 99.5% that the Cardinals will not reach the playoffs.
If Cardinals fans want to see postseason play, they should watch the Palm Beach Cardinals next week, and the Springfield Cardinals the week after. The minor leagues are where it’s at this season.
For St. Louis, it was more of the same this week, with some bad offense and some bad pitching that held the Cardinals back from winning both series.
The Mariners themselves have been plagued by lack of offense, but that issue was not as apparent, other than in the one game the Cardinals won. The difference between the two teams is that the Mariners, unlike the Cardinals, have superior pitching.
The top offensive performers for the week by OPS were Matt Carpenter (1.500 in 2 ABs), Pedro Pagés (1.215), Lars Nootbaar (.945), and Iván Herrera (.929).
At the bottom were Jordan Walker (.491), Nolan Arenado (.398), Michael Siani (.325), Alec Burleson (.313), Masyn Winn (.226), José Fermín (.182) and Victor Scott (.000 in 3 ABs).
In the pitching category, starters with ERAs for the week under 4.00 were Kyle Gibson (0.00), Sonny Gray (1.29) and Erick Fedde (1.93).
Steven Matz, who returned this week from the IL, had an ERA of 5.19 that included one start and a relief appearance.
The worst starting performers were Andre Pallante (9.00) and Miles Mikolas (27.00). Mikolas only pitched two innings in his Sunday start, as the Mariners offense rocked him for seven runs. Mikolas is having an extremely bad second half.
The bullpen hiccups were Riley O’Brien (13.50), Kyle Leahy (7.36), Matthew Liberatore (6.75), Chris Roycroft (5.40) and JoJo Romero (5.40). Leahy was sent down and exchanged for Roycroft over the weekend.
The Cardinals greet the Reds at Busch Stadium to begin the week. The Cardinals last played the Reds in Cincinnati from August 12-14, a series in which they were swept. The team ends the week in Toronto.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 82 | 61 | 0.573 | ||
| Chicago | 73 | 70 | 0.510 | 9 | 5 |
| St. Louis | 72 | 71 | 0.503 | 10 | 6 |
| Cincinnati | 69 | 75 | 0.479 | 13.5 | 9.5 |
| Pittsburgh | 67 | 76 | 0.469 | 15 | 11 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 9/7 The Cardinals optioned RHP Kyle Leahy to the Memphis Redbirds.
Leahy, 27, finished his fifth stint with St. Louis this season, with his most recent time up beginning on July 28. Overall, in 31 appearances this season, his second in the majors, Leahy has a 4.02 ERA.
- 9/7 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
Roycroft, also 27, is starting his sixth stint with the Cardinals in his rookie year. In 25 appearances for St. Louis in 2024, Roycroft has a 4.22 ERA. He was last optioned to Memphis on July 31.
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 will 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. The left-hander is expected to be out until sometime in September at best.
- RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 31. Lynn is set to be activated from the IL for Wednesday’s start against the Reds.
- 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. The catcher will not require surgery and his length of absence is expected to be three weeks. Contreras will need a rehab assignment before he returns but the team is expecting him to return before the end of the regular season.
- 3B Nolan Arenado left Friday’s game with the Mariners in the bottom of the ninth inning with a sore shoulder. Matt Carpenter pinch hit for Arenado. The third baseman returned to the starting lineup on Saturday.
- 2B Brendan Donovan (foot infection) was not in the starting lineup in Saturday’s game due to what is being described as an infection on one of his feet that made it difficult to tolerate pressure on the foot. Manager Oli Marmol told the media that he doesn’t expect the ailment to sideline Donovan for any extended period of time.
Looking Ahead
Following the end of the Mariners series on Sunday, the Cardinals have an off-day Monday. On Tuesday, the Cardinals begin a three-game series with the Reds at Busch Stadium. Andre Pallante is scheduled to make the Tuesday start. Lance Lynn will be activated from the 10-day IL to go Wednesday. Sonny Gray will start on Thursday.
The Cardinals then travel out of the country to Toronto to play the Blue Jays in a three-game weekend series. The team follows that with a return to St. Louis to begin their final homestand on Monday September 16 for four with the Pirates.
The homestand concludes with three games against the Guardians.
The final week of the regular season is a road trip for the Cardinals. They will first play three at the Rockies beginning Tuesday, September 24. The team will then travel to San Francisco to play the Giants in a weekend series that ends the regular season and likely ends the Cardinals’ season.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to an earlier segment that showcases rare feats for Cardinals players during the history of the franchise.
In this installment of “Rare Feats” we spotlight five former Cardinals who performed three different rare feats during the period September 2 through September 8 at various times during the history of the franchise. One player pitched a no-hitter, another had six hits in a game. The final three players all hit three or more home runs in one game.
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 September 2 through 8, 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.
Bud Smith – Smith pitched for the Cardinals for two seasons, in 2001 and 2002. Smith was a fourth-round pick by St. Louis in 1998 draft. He debuted on June 10, 2001.
On September 3 in his rookie season, Smith threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. Smith issued four walks and threw 134 pitches. The Cardinals won the game 4-0.
In his rookie season, Smith posted a record of 6-3, and an ERA of 3.83.
The Cardinals traded Smith and others to the Phillies for Scott Rolen on July 29, 2002. Smith did not play in the major leagues for the Phillies or any other major league team. After some time in independent baseball, he retired in 2007.
Terry Moore – Moore, a center fielder, played for the Cardinals in two stints from 1934-1942, and 1946-1948, and in 2016, became a team Hall of Famer.
On September 5, 1935, Moore went 6-for-6 against the Boston Braves.
It started with a single to left field in the first inning of the 15-3 rout of the Braves at Sportsman’s Park. He hit another single to left in the second that scored a run.
His double to right field in the third plated another run. His third single drove in a run in the sixth. A fourth single in the seventh eventually led to him scoring as well.
His sixth and final hit was a single in the eighth, but he did not score.
Moore was a four-time All-Star and a two-time World Series Champion in 1942 and 1946. After his playing career ended, he was a manager for the Phillies in 1954 for half a season.
Moore passed away on March 29, 1995 at the age of 82.
Albert Pujols – Pujols accomplished the rare feat of three or more home runs in a game four times as a Cardinal.
On September 3, 2006, the Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 at Busch Stadium III. Pujols, playing at first base and hitting third, went 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. All three hits were home runs.
The first was a solo shot in the first inning. In the third inning, Pujols hit a two-run home run that scored Chris Duncan. The final home run occurred in the fifth, another two-run shot that also plated Duncan.
The other three times Pujols hit three or more home runs in a game occurred earlier in 2006, on April 16, on July 20, 2004, and on May 30, 2010.
Mark Whiten – “Hard Hittin” Mark Whiten, played for the Cardinals for two seasons, in 1993 and 1994. He was acquired by the Cardinals in a trade with the Cleveland Indians on March 31, 1993.
Whiten hit four home runs in the second game of a doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds on September 7, 1993. The Cardinals routed the Reds 15-2.
Whiten played center field and hit sixth. He went 4-for-5 with 12 RBI and four runs scored. All hits were home runs.
The first long ball was a grand slam in the first inning that scored Lonnie Maclin, Todd Zeile, and Gerald Perry ahead of him.
In the sixth, Whiten’s three-run shot drove in Zeile and Perry. A second identical three-run long ball came in the seventh.
The final home run was a two-run shot in the ninth that scored Perry.
Whiten’s rare feat made him the 12th player in major league history to hit four home runs in one game. Whiten shares the team’s 12 RBI record with Jim Bottomley.
The Cardinals traded Whiten to the Boston Red Sox in 1995.
Johnny Mize – Mize is a repeater in this Rare Feat series. Mize, like Albert Pujols, accomplished this rare three homers in a game feat four times with the Cardinals.
Mize, a first baseman, played for the Cardinals from 1936-1941. He hit three home runs in one game on September 8, 1940, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Sportsman’s Park III, a slugfest the Cardinals lost 16-14.
Mize hit cleanup and played at first base. He went 3-for-5 with six RBI and four runs scored.
Mize hit his first long ball in the fourth inning. It was a two-run shot that scored Enos Slaughter. The second home run was a two-run shot in the sixth that plated Terry Moore.
His final home run was of the three-run variety in the eighth that drove in both Moore and Slaughter.
Mize scored his fourth run on a home run by teammate Don Padgett in the first inning, after reaching base on an error.
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