photo: Ryan Helsley (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals finished another disappointing season with a 4-2 road trip. Closer Ryan Helsley set a franchise record with his 49th save. Our history feature highlights four former Cardinals who each played for nine different MLB teams.
Game recaps
Monday, September 23, 2024 – Off day
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 – Cardinals 7 at Rockies 3
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Colorado Rockies in the first of a three-game series on Tuesday. Michael McGreevy took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on four hits, fanned five and walked one.
John King relieved McGreevy and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge hurled a scoreless seventh to earn his fifth win. Matthew Liberatore and Ryan Fernandez each tossed a scoreless inning.
The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the third inning on a two-run home run by Masyn Winn. The Rockies cut the lead to 2-1 in the home third and took a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
St. Louis added a run in the seventh to tie the game. Lars Nootbaar drew a walk. Matt Carpenter doubled. Winn reached on a fielder’s choice. Nootbaar came home on a force out by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals put up a four-run eighth inning to lead 7-3. Nolan Arenado singled. Nootbaar walked. Jordan Walker drove in Arenado on a single. Nootbaar came home on a single by Victor Scott. Winn plated Walker and Scott on a double.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 11 hits. Winn was 2-for-5 with four RBI.
Michael Siani stole his 20th base of the season.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 – Cardinals 5 at Rockies 2
The Cardinals secured the series win by taking Game 2 at Coors Field on Wednesday. Erick Fedde was on the bump for St Louis. The right-hander pitched seven innings, gave up one run on six hits, fanned 10 and walked one to earn his ninth win of the season.
Andrew Kittredge relieved Fedde and threw a scoreless eighth. Matthew Liberatore surrendered one run in the ninth. Ryan Helsley secured the final two outs of the ninth for his 48th save.
The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. Iván Herrera singled and scored on a double by Thomas Saggese.
St. Louis added a run in the top of the third. Masyn Winn tripled and scored on a sac fly by Brendan Donovan. Colorado cut the lead to 2-1 in the home third.
St. Louis made it 3-1 in the fourth. Arenado singled. Jordan Walker grounded into a force out and Arenado was out at second. Saggese singled. Walker scored on a single by Pedro Pagés.
In the fifth, the Cardinals extended their lead to 4-1. Winn doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Paul Goldschmidt. St. Louis scored again in the sixth after Herrera doubled and later scored on a single by Pagés.
The Rockies shrunk the final score to 5-2 in the ninth.
The offense scored five runs on nine hits. Pagés was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Saggese was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Herrera was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Thursday, September 26, 2024 – Cardinals 8 at Rockies 10
The Cardinals were defeated by the Rockies in the final game of the series on Thursday. Kyle Gibson started and pitched four innings, gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits, struck out five and walked three.
Steven Matz relieved Gibson and threw two scoreless innings of relief. John King hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Ryan Fernandez surrendered four runs in one inning pitched and took the loss. Kyle Leahy yielded one run in 1/3 of an inning.
St. Louis put up two runs in the top of the first as Lars Nootbaar and Paul Goldschmidt hit solo home runs.
Colorado tied the game in the home first. The Cardinals answered with three runs in the top of the second to lead 5-2. Victor Scott singled and scored on a double by Masyn Winn. Nootbaar plated Winn on a double. Goldschmidt drove in Nootbaar on another two-base hit.
The Rockies responded with two runs in the bottom of the second to bring the score to 5-4 and tied the game at 5-5 in the fourth.
The Cardinals regained the lead 6-5 in the fifth on a solo home run by Iván Herrera. They extended their lead to 8-5 in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run by Pedro Pagés.
The Rockies fought back with five runs in the bottom of the eighth to win 10-8.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on 14 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Pagés had two RBI. Jordan Walker was 2-for-4. Scott was 2-for-4.
Scott was picked off and caught stealing. Thomas Saggese made a fielding error.
Friday, September 27, 2024 – Cardinals 6 at Giants 3
The Cardinals beat the Giants in the first game of the final series of the 2024 season for both teams. Miles Mikolas was on the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked one to earn his 10th win.
John King relieved Mikolas and threw a scoreless sixth. Andrew Kittredge and Matthew Liberatore each hurled a scoreless inning. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 49th save of the season, breaking the franchise record for saves previously held by Trevor Rosenthal.
St. Louis went up 1-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn singled. Alec Burleson drew a walk. Nolan Arenado singled to plate Winn.
San Francisco scored three runs in the second to take the lead. The Cardinals answered with a run in the top of the third on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar.
The Cardinals added four runs in the fourth to take the lead at 6-3. Jordan Walker singled. Michael Siani grounded into a force out and Walker was out at second. Siani advanced to second on a balk. Masyn Winn doubled to plate Siani. Winn scored on a single by Alec Burleson. Nolan Arenado hit a ground-rule double. Nootbaar drove in Burleson and Arenado on a triple.
The offense scored six runs on 13 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Walker and Iván Herrera were both 2-for-4.
Saturday, September 28, 2024 – Cardinals 5 at Giants 6
The Cardinals lost Game 2 of the series to the Giants on Saturday. Andre Pallante started for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits and struck out four.
Chris Roycroft relieved Pallante and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Kyle Leahy threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Liberatore yielded one unearned run in the eighth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Masyn Winn drew a walk. Alec Burleson singled, advancing Winn to third. Winn came home on a sac fly by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Giants took a 2-1 lead in the home first. They added two runs in the fourth to extend their lead.
St. Louis put up one run in the fifth to cut the gap to 4-2. Winn singled. Burleson singled and Winn advanced to third. Goldschmidt drove in Winn on a ground out.
San Francisco increased their lead to 5-2 in the sixth but the Cardinals responded with three runs in the seventh to tie the game. Burleson walked. Goldschmidt doubled. Brendan Donovan plated Burleson and Goldschmidt on a double. Nootbaar drew a walk. Jordan Walker plated Donovan on a single.
The Giants scored one run in the eighth to regain the lead 6-5.
The Cardinals scored five runs on 13 hits. Goldschmidt was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Donovan was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-4. Pedro Pagés was 2-for-4.
Liberatore made a throwing error. Winn had a fielding miscue.
Sunday, September 29, 2024 – Cardinals 6 at Giants 1
The Cardinals were the winners in the final game of the series and the season against the Giants on Sunday. Michael McGreevy was on the bump for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched eight innings, gave up one run on five hits and fanned six to earn his third win of the season.
Steven Matz tossed a scoreless ninth.
St. Louis opened scoring in the third inning via a solo home run by Brendan Donovan. The Cardinals extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Thomas Saggese and Pedro Pagés walked. Donovan singled to score Saggese. Pagés came home on a single by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals increased the lead to 6-0 in the sixth. Michael Siani walked. Jordan Walker singled. José Fermín plated Siani on a single. Donovan walked. Burleson drove in Walker and Fermín on a single.
The Giants scored their only run in the seventh.
The Cardinals scored six runs on seven hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Donovan was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Burleson was caught stealing. Thomas Saggese made a fielding error.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished their final week of the season with a record of 4-2. They won 2 of-3 from both the Rockies and the Giants on the road. The team finished the season with a record of 83-79, identical to final record of the Cubs.
Because the Cardinals won the season series with the Cubs 7-6, they end up in the second place in the NL Central, 10 games back of the Brewers and six games out of the final Wild Card.
In the final week of the season, seven players were the top offensive performers by OPS. They are Iván Herrera (1.243), Victor Scott (1.200 in 5 ABs), Lars Nootbaar (1.113), Masyn Winn (1.026), Pedro Pagés (1.012), Paul Goldschmidt (.918) and Brendan Donovan (.907).
At the bottom were Michael Siani (.371) and Luken Baker (.000 in 3 ABs).
For the final week of the season, two starting pitchers had an ERA under 4.00. They were Erick Fedde (1.29), and Michael McGreevy (2.77).
Those with ERAs over 4.00 were Miles Mikolas (5.40), Andre Pallante (5.40) and Kyle Gibson (9.00). Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn ended the season on the injured list and did not pitch in the final week.
The bullpen hiccups were Chris Roycroft (13.50) and Ryan Fernandez (18.00).
The Cardinals’ final run differential was -47. The Cubs, with the same record as the Cardinals, had a final run differential of +67.
The primary area of improvement for the 2025 Cardinals has to be offense, with an emphasis on hitting with runners in scoring position.
The 2025 roster will very likely be vastly different from the 2024 one. An end of season press conference is scheduled for Monday, September 30 at 2 pm. The organization has signaled that “major changes” are coming. These changes are expected to include a lower major league payroll for 2025. This likely means that the payroll cuts will come from jettisoning higher paid players.
It has already been leaked that the Cardinals are very likely not re-signing Paul Goldschmidt, who was playing out the final year of his contract in 2024. Other high-dollar players include Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. Ryan Helsley is entering his final year of arbitration in 2025 and is expected to command a substantial salary.
The future of these players is in question given the organization’s stated goal of lowering payroll to invest more heavily in the player development system. Then again, the costs to make these investments in the farm system are unknown.
It is quite likely that the 2025 Cardinals will consist of younger players and a leaner payroll. How the changes will be rolled out in the system are to be determined.
NL Central Final Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 93 | 69 | 0.574 | ||
| St. Louis | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 10 | 6 |
| Chicago | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 10 | 6 |
| Cincinnati | 77 | 85 | 0.475 | 16 | 12 |
| Pittsburgh | 76 | 86 | 0.469 | 17 | 13 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that the Cardinals are unlikely to re-sign Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt is concluding the five-year contract he signed in 2020. The first baseman will officially become a free agent on the day after the end of the World Series.
Woo reported that according to multiple sources, the Cardinals will also not retain any of their other pending free agents. They are relievers Andrew Kittredge and Keynan Middleton. Due to injury, Middleton missed the entire season.
Whether the organization will pick up the 2025 options on pitchers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson is unknown.
Transactions
- 9/24 The Cardinals recalled CF Victor Scott II from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/24 The Cardinals placed 1B Luken Baker on the paternity list.
- 9/25 The Cardinals recalled RHP Chris Roycroft from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/25 The Cardinals placed LHP JoJo Romero on the 15-day injured list retroactive to September 23. Left forearm flexor inflammation.
- 9/27 The Cardinals optioned CF Victor Scott II to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 9/27 The Cardinals activated 1B Luke Baker from the paternity list.
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 did not return.
- RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list. After coming off the injured list for the same injury and making one start, Lynn returned to the injured list for the remainder of the season.
- 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 recently evaluated and it was determined that the catcher required more healing time, 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 ended the season on the injured list. An MRI showed no structural damage, but the precautionary move was made once the Cardinals were formally eliminated from postseason contention.
Looking Ahead
Following the final games of the regular season on Monday, September 30, the postseason begins on Tuesday, October 1. The Wild Card games will be played this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The postseason continues through the month of October and ends with a potential World Series Game 7 on November 2.
The Cardinals will hold their end of season press conference on Monday, September 30 at 2 pm CT. The event’s purpose is to announce what has been described as “major changes” coming to the organization. These changes are due ostensibly to the poor performance of the team over the last two seasons and the reduction in attendance that flowed from the poor performance.
It is expected that the focus of the organization will shift away from the major league team roster construction and toward rebuilding an outdated player development system. These changes are likely to require a reduction of an unknown amount in the major league payroll, which in return signals there will be big changes to the makeup of the major league roster.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past returns to the series that showcases former Cardinals who played for many teams in their career.
This series began and was influenced by the Cardinals acquisition of Tommy Pham at the trade deadline on July 30, 2024 in a three-way trade with the Dodgers and the White Sox. Pham, who played for multiple teams since the Cardinals traded him away originally in 2018, made a very brief return to St. Louis in August before moving on to his ninth career team, the Kansas City Royals.
This series looks at players who at one time played for the Cardinals and also played for at least eight teams in their career. These players did not necessarily start with the Cardinals nor play for the Cardinals more than one time. A career arc like that of Tommy Pham is a rare feat.
This next installment in the series looks at former Cardinals who played for nine teams in their major league career. We highlight four former Cardinals, two who are no longer playing, one who is currently playing for another team, and one who was recently released.
The following individuals played for the Cardinals and multiple franchises in their career. His name, the dates he played for the Cardinals, and his other teams are noted.
César Izturis – The shortstop played in St. Louis for one season, 2008. The Cardinals signed him to a one-year contract on November 16, 2007.
Izturis began his major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays, who signed him as an international free agent in 1996.
The 2008 season was a down year for the Cardinals, who finished fourth in the NL Central Division with a record of 86-76. Izturis was the Cardinals primary shortstop and played in 135 games with a final slash line of .263/.319/.309.
Izturis was not retained by the Cardinals and moved on to the Baltimore Orioles after the 2008 season.
Izturis played for these teams in his 13-year MLB career – the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds.
His final major league season was 2013.
Dave LaPoint – LaPoint was drafted by Milwaukee Brewers in 1977 and began his major league career there in 1980. The Cardinals acquired LaPoint in a trade with the Brewers in December of 1980 along with others for Ted Simmons, Rollie Fingers, and Pete Vucovich.
LaPoint played for the Cardinals from 1981-1984. The left-handed pitcher began as a reliever and ended as a starter. He made two 1982 World Series appearances, one as a reliever and one as a starter, in Games 1 and 4 against the Brewers.
The Cardinals traded LaPoint to the San Francisco Giants on February 1, 1985, along with others, for Jack Clark.
LaPoint played for these teams – the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.
Dominic Leone – Leone was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2012. The Cardinals acquired him in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for Randal Grichuk in 2018.
Leone was a reliever for St. Louis for two seasons. He was designated for assignment on November 20, 2019. Leone, who logged 64 2/3 innings in total, missed time with injury and was sent down to the minor leagues multiple times.
Leone is currently on the roster for the Chicago White Sox.
Leone played for the Seattle Mariners (twice), Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox.
Shelby Miller – The Cardinals drafted Miller in the first round in 2009. He made his major league debut on September 5, 2012.
Miller pitched for three seasons in St. Louis. He was traded after the 2014 season to the Atlanta Braves for Jason Heyward.
With the Cardinals, Miller posted a record of 26-18 and an ERA of 3.33. Miller’s most notable game was a 3-0 shutout of the Colorado Rockies on May 20, 2013. Miller pitched a near perfect game, giving up one hit in the first inning, and then retiring the next 27 batters for a game score of 98.
The well-traveled Miller was placed on release waivers by the playoff-bound Detroit Tigers on September 29, 2024.
To date, Miller played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers.
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