photo: Paul Goldschmidt (Billy Hurst/USA TODAY Sports)
As injuries mount, the Cardinals continue to tread water. Paul Goldschmidt has been the team’s only consistent player. Three new Hall of Fame members were named. Our Blast from the Past recounts the game with the most baserunners stranded in Cardinals history.
Game recaps
Monday, May 23 – Cardinals 7, Blue Jays 3 (10 innings)
The Cardinals defeated the Blue Jays in the first of a two-game interleague set at Busch Stadium on Monday. Miles Mikolas started for St. Louis. The right hander pitched 6 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on four hits, struck out five and walked two.
Andre Pallante relieved and got the final out of the seventh inning. Giovanny Gallegos, Ryan Helsley and Genesis Cabrera each tossed a scoreless inning. Cabrera received the win, his second of the season.
The Cardinals scored the first run of the game in the second inning. Nolan Arenado singled and crossed home on a double by Brendan Donovan.
Toronto tied the score in the sixth and added two in the seventh to lead 3-1. The Cardinals knotted it up in the home half of the seventh on a solo home run by Juan Yepez and an RBI single by Harrison Bader.
The game remained tied through nine innings. With ghost runner/pinch runner Lars Nootbaar on second base, Tommy Edman and pinch hitter Edmundo Sosa both walked. With the bases juiced, red-hot Paul Goldschmidt smoked a walk off grand slam to left field.
Arenado went 3-for-4. Donovan was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
On the base paths, Arenado was caught stealing for the first time this season.
Tuesday, May 24 – Cardinals 1, Blue Jays 8
In the second game of the two-game series, the Cardinals were stomped by the Blue Jays by the score of 8-1. Starter Jordan Hicks came out of the game after only three innings due to a forearm issue that later put him on the injured list. The right hander gave up four runs on five hits, stuck out three and walked five. Hicks took the loss, his fourth of the season.
Nick Wittgren surrendered two runs in two innings of relief. Drew VerHagen similarly allowed two runs in two innings. Junior Fernandez tossed the final scoreless two innings.
St, Louis’ offense was held scoreless for the first six innings. Toronto racked up seven runs over that same six innings, then added their eighth run in the top of the seventh. In the home seventh, St. Louis finally put a run on the board, their only run of the game. Brendan Donovan drove Tommy Edman home on a single.
That one run came among six scattered hits. Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-3. The extra base hits were the double by Edman and a double from Harrison Bader.
The Cardinal defense made two errors. Donovan dropped a foul ball and Nolan Gorman made a throwing error.
Wednesday, May 25 – Off day
Thursday, May 26 – Cardinals 3, Brewers 4
The Cardinals were edged by the rival Brewers in the first of a four-game series at Busch Stadium on Thursday. Adam Wainwright took the mound for the Redbirds. The right hander pitched five innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on 10 hits, struck out two and walked one. Wainwright took the loss, his fourth of the season.
Wainwright was relieved by Andre Pallante, who threw three scoreless innings. Giovanny Gallegos tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Brewers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Cardinals quickly answered in the home half to tie the game. Tommy Edman began with a double, followed by Paul Goldschmidt with a walk. Albert Pujols singled to score Edman. Juan Yepez drove in Goldschmidt on a sac fly.
In the second, Milwaukee added a run and made it 4-2 in the fourth. In the seventh, Goldschmidt thumped a solo home run to left field to bring the Cardinals within one. The Redbirds were unable to add on to that tally.
St. Louis’ offense scored three runs on seven hits. Edman was 3-for-5. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
In the field, Edmundo Sosa made a throwing error.
Friday, May 27 – Cardinals 4, Brewers 2
The Cardinals defeated the Brewers in the second game of the series in St. Louis. Starter Dakota Hudson pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five hits allowed, three punchouts and four walks.
Drew VerHagen secured the final out of the fifth. Genesis Cabrera threw two scoreless innings. Kodi Whitley surrendered two runs in his 1 1/3 innings of relief. Ryan Helsley cleaned up for Whitley in the ninth to earn his third save. VerHagen was awarded the win.
The Cardinals got on the board with a 2-0 lead in the third. Harrison Bader singled and scored on a two-run long ball from Paul Goldschmidt.
The 2-0 lead held until the seventh when the Redbirds plated two more runs to go up 4-0 over the rival Brewers. Juan Yepez singled and scored on a triple by Edmundo Sosa. Sosa scored on a fielder’s choice from Lars Nootbaar.
The Brewers scored their only two runs off Whitley in the ninth. Helsley replaced Whitley and prevented further damage giving the Cardinals the win in this second game.
On the base paths, Bader stole two bags, bringing his NL leading total to 13.
Saturday, May 28 – Cardinals 8, Brewers 3
The Cardinals took the third game of the series from the Brewers by the score of 8-3 on Saturday. Rookie Matthew Liberatore made his second start and pitched five scoreless innings, allowed two runs, struck out six and walked three to earn his first major league win.
Jake Woodford surrendered one run in three innings of relief. T.J. McFarland allowed two runs in the ninth.
The Cardinals got on the board first with one run in the first inning on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman, his first major league long ball.
St. Louis added to the lead with four runs in the third inning. Harrison Bader singled and Tommy Edman followed with a single. Gorman singled to plate Bader. Paul Goldschmidt then blasted a three-run home run to right center field.
The lead increased to 8-0 in the fourth. Corey Dickerson drew a walk. Edman reached on a fielding error. Gorman doubled to plate Dickerson and Edman. Gorman then scored on a single by Goldschmidt.
The Brewers finally got on the board with one run in the sixth. Milwaukee added two more in the ninth to bring the final score to 8-3.
Gorman had his best day at the plate so far in his young major league career. The rookie went 4-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored. Goldschmidt was 3-for-4 with four RBI.
On the base paths, Brendan Donovan was caught stealing for the first time this season. In the field, Gorman made two fielding errors and Nolan Arenado made a throwing error.
Sunday, May 29 – Cardinals 0, Brewers 8
The Cardinals were blanked 8-0 by the Brewers in the final game of the split series. The sluggish Cardinals offense continued to be unable to figure out Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes.
St. Louis’ starter Miles Mikolas, a normally reliable starter, was off his game in this contest. The right hander pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up six runs on nine hits, struck out six and walked one. Mikolas took the loss, his third of the season.
T.J. McFarland relieved and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Nick Wittgren surrendered two runs in the final 1 2/3 innings.
The Brewers put one run on the board off Mikolas in the second inning. Milwaukee increased the lead to 4-0 on the first of two home runs allowed by Mikolas, this one a three-run shot. The second home run off the right hander, a solo shot, was hit in the sixth, followed by another run on an RBI single.
The Brewers added the final two runs in the eighth. The Cardinals were held to four hits and had no one on the bases until a walk by Gorman in the fourth. Juan Yepez doubled in the fourth, but Gorman was unable to score. That was the only runner in scoring position the Cardinals had in the game.
Yepez’ double was the only extra base hit. In the field, Brendan Donovan had an outfield assist at home plate.
Cardinals announce three new Hall of Famers
On Friday, the Cardinals announced that Matt Holliday, Julián Javier and Charles Comiskey will be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 27.
Details here:
2022 Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Class of Three Announced
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Milwaukee | 30 | 18 | 0.625 | |
| St. Louis | 26 | 21 | 0.553 | 3.5 |
| Chicago | 19 | 27 | 0.413 | 10 |
| Pittsburgh | 19 | 27 | 0.413 | 10 |
| Cincinnati | 16 | 31 | 0.340 | 13.5 |
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished the final full week of May with a record of 3-3. The team split two with Toronto and split four with the Brewers. The Cardinals failed to gain any ground on the first place Brewers and remain 3.5 games back.
Both pitching and offense failed the Cardinals at times this past week. The Cardinals’ best starter up to this point did not perform well against the Brewers on Sunday. The second-best starter, Adam Wainwright, also had a poor outing. Jordan Hicks and Steven Matz are on the IL. Dakota Hudson was the only one of the original starters who kept the Cardinals in the game with 4+ scoreless innings, but his continuous inability to go deeper hurts the team by putting stress on the bullpen, which doesn’t need it.
Recent call up Matthew Liberatore had a good start on Saturday though he only went five innings. The bullpen has been taxed and has required multiple trips up and down on the Memphis shuttle to compensate. Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Genesis Cabrera, Andre Pallante, and brief call up Junior Fernandez had good outings. The rest of the bullpen has not been particularly impressive. Kodi Whitley was sent down for poor performance and was called back up, only to perform poorly again.
The offense has consisted of Paul Goldschmidt. The likely May National League Player of the Month has kept the Cardinals from completely falling apart offensively. The first baseman is carrying an active 20-game hitting streak and 34-game on-base streak into the San Diego series.
Goldschmidt is the only Cardinal with an OPS of over .800 during the week. The next closest to his 1.379 OPS is rookie Nolan Gorman (.744). The next closest veteran player is Harrison Bader (.684) with Edmundo Sosa close behind with .679. Every other player on the roster is below .600.
The Cardinals “elite’ defense showed cracks with six errors during the week. The only aspect of the team that continues to work is the base running. Bader leads the NL with 13 stolen bases and Tommy Edman has 10.
To be fair, the team is missing several key players due to injury. The outfield defense is diminished with the loss of both Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson. Bader is good, but not good enough to man the outfield by himself. Rookie Gorman has been okay at 2B but with Edman at short the infield defense is less than what it was. One could say Gorman has made up for it with his bat, but not enough to make a difference in the total outcome during the week. It is just one week though, so no judgment can be made about the long term effect.
The team cannot continue with one player trying to hold the offense together. The pitching and defense must improve as well.
The Cardinals play the slightly scuffling though still good Padres in a three game series to begin the week. San Diego has had Manny Machado on the bench for the last several games; but he should return for the Cardinals series. They end the week with the first series of the season with the Cubs at Wrigley. The Padres will be tough with Machado back. The Cubs are not good, but that means nothing when playing in Wrigley and with the Cardinals in the current state they are in.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 5/23 The Cardinals recalled OF Lars Nootbaar from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/23 The Cardinals optioned RHP Angel Rondon to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/23 The Cardinals recalled C Ivan Herrera from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/23 The Cardinals recalled LHP Matthew Liberatore from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/23 The Cardinals recalled RHP Junior Fernandez from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/23 The Cardinals placed C Yadier Molina on the bereavement list.
- 5/23 The Cardinals placed LHP Steven Matz on the 15 day injured list. Left shoulder impingement.
- 5/23 The Cardinals placed RF Dylan Carlson on the 10 day injured list. Left hamstring strain.
- 5/26 The Cardinals recalled RHP Kodi Whitley from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/26 The Cardinals optioned RHP Junior Fernandez to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/26 The Cardinals recalled RHP Jake Woodford from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/26 The Cardinals optioned C Ivan Herrera to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 5/26 The Cardinals released RHP T.J. Zeuch.
- 5/26 The Cardinals placed RHP Jordan Hicks on the 15 day injured list retroactive to May 25, 2022. Right forearm flexor.
- 5/26 The Cardinals activated C Yadier Molina from the bereavement list. He was away tending to an injured son in Puerto Rico.
Injury Report
- RHP Jack Flaherty (right shoulder) was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to make room for the addition of Nolan Gorman to the big league roster. Flaherty has faced live hitters several times and a rehab assignment is expected be announced in the coming days.
- RHP Alex Reyes (frayed right labrum) remains on the 60 day IL. The right hander received a second opinion, and it was determined that Reyes will likely need surgery. Whether the injury is season ending is yet to be determined.
- LF Tyler O’Neill (right shoulder impingement) was placed on the 10-day injured list. The outfielder had been struggling at the plate with a .195 average in 32 games. An MRI showed no significant damage but there was fluid around the rotator cuff. O’Neill received a cortisone shot. As of May 28 the outfielder returned to some light throwing and is expected to be sent on a rehab assignment soon.
- RF Dylan Carlson (left hamstring tightness) was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 23, retroactive to May 22. An MRI was taken, and the outfielder was diagnosed with a Grade 1 or Grade 2 hamstring strain. The Cardinals are hopeful that Carlson will not be out for an extended period of time.
- LHP Steven Matz (left shoulder stiffness) left his last start on May 22 with stiffness in his pitching arm. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 23. An MRI showed nothing concerning and no decision has been made public on treatment plans. The team is hopeful the pitcher will return before the All-Star break.
- RHP Jordan Hicks (right forearm flexor) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 26, retroactive to May 25. Hicks suffered lingering pain after pitching but there isn’t a large level of concern at this time. Hicks will likely get some innings pitching in the minor leagues before being returned to the big league roster. Whether he will return as a starter has not been determined. The healing of the other two injured starters and the development of Liberatore may be factors.
Looking Ahead
The four game series with the Brewers ended on Sunday. The homestand will continue on Monday with three against the Padres. The probable pitchers for this series are Packy Naughton (to be promoted from Memphis), Adam Wainwright and Dakota Hudson.
Following the homestand, the Cardinals travel to Wrigley Field to play the Cubs for the first series of the season. After the four games end on Sunday, June 5, the Cardinals travel to Florida to play the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game interleague set.
After the team leaves Florida, they return to St. Louis for a six game homestand. The first three will be against the Reds. Following that will be three against the Pirates.
Another road trip begins on June 17 with a three-game series in Boston followed by a four games in Milwaukee.
The regular season schedule can be found here.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast continues the theme of chronicling an unusual or interesting game in Cardinals franchise history. This particular game is ignominious for not a good reason. In a complete game shutout of the Cardinals by the Phillies in 1994, the Cardinals set a major league record for the most runners left on base in a nine inning shutout. This record has yet to be broken but has been tied once since.
On May 24, 1994, the Cardinals played the Phillies in a Tuesday night game at Busch Stadium. The game featured nine St. Louis hits and concluded with the Cardinals stranding a record 16 runners with no runs scored.
The starting lineup for manager Joe Torre was as follows: CF Ray Lankford, SS Ozzie Smith, 1B Gregg Jeffries, 3B Todd Zeile, LF Bernard Gilkey, RF Brian Jordan, C Tom Pagnozzi, 2B Luis Alicea, and P Vincente Palacios.
The starting lineup for the Phillies was: CF Lenny Dykstra, 2B Mickey Morandini, SS Mariano Duncan, C Darren Daulton, RF Jim Eisenreich, 1B Ricky Jordan, LF Milt Thompson, 3B Tom Quinlan, and P David West.
In the top of the first, Palacios gave up a lead off walk, but retired the next three batters. The Cardinals came to the plate in the home half of the first and went 1-2-3.
Palacios surrendered two hits in the second but no runs. In the bottom of the second, two runners were left on base by the Cardinals. Zeile led off with a double. Gilkey and Jordan were retired. Pagnozzi drew a walk but was left on base along with Zeile Alicea ground out to second base.
Palacios retired all three Phillies in the top of the third. Palacios struck out as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third. Lankford flew out and Smith singled. Jeffries stranded Smith on a ground out to short. Three batters stranded so far at the end of three.
In the fourth, the Phillies didn’t score but left one man on base. The Cardinals left three more runners stranded in the bottom frame. Zeile flew out, Gilkey and Jordan each drew a walk. Pagnozzi grounded out to short, advancing the runners. Alicea was intentionally walked, and all three runners were left stranded when Palacios popped out to RF in foul territory.
The Phillies singled twice in fifth but left the two hitters stranded. The Cardinals did the same in the bottom half with Smith getting on base with a walk and Jeffries with a single. Zeile walked but Gilkey grounded into a double play.
The game continued in this vein with no runs scoring for either side. In the sixth the Phillies stranded one and the Cardinals left three on base. Jordan and Pagnozzi singled and pinch hitter Gerald Perry drew a walk. Lankford struck out and Smith grounded out to short. The Cardinals have now racked up 11 stranded runners.
Rene Arocha relieved Palacios in the seventh and retired all three Phillies. Zeile doubled and Jordan walked. Pagnozzi grounded out to short to strand the two runners for 13 runners left on base.
Arocha went 1-2-3 against the Phillies in the eighth. Lankford singled in the home half of the eighth, but Smith grounded out to first base to end the inning and strand Lankford as the 14th LOB for the Cardinals.
The Phillies finally scored in the ninth, four runs off Cardinals reliever Mike Perez. The Cardinals ended the game in the ninth with back to back singles from Jeffries and Zeile, then a ground out by Gilkey, a punch out of Jordan, and a fly out to center field by Pagnozzi. Grand total LOB: 16; Runs scored: none.
The new record was tied four years later on May 7, 1998, when the Mariners were shut out by the Blue Jays 6-0.
For some context, the most runners ever left on base in a game of any length was 27 by the Braves in a 20 inning 5-4 loss to the Phillies on May 4, 1973.
The most runners left on base in a nine-inning game is 20 by the Yankees, in a 13-7 loss to the Red Sox on September 21, 1956.
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