Bring your Cardinals questions and comments to Wednesday’s 11 a.m. live chat.
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Read the full transcript of baseball writer Lynn Worthy's Cardinals chat
Read the full transcript of baseball writer Lynn Worthy's Cardinals chat
Sonny Gray takes mound for Cardinals in rubber game at Brewers: First Pitch
The Cardinals wrap up a road series Wednesday with the rubber game against the Brewers. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.
St. Louis survived in 12 innings Tuesday night, and a win Wednesday would put the Redbirds two games above .500 for the first time since Aug. 10 as well as give St. Louis a second consecutive series win against Milwaukee.
Right-hander Sonny Gray (12-9, 3.96) will take the mound for the Cardinals.
Gray has lost both starts vs. Milwaukee this season, and the Cardinals scored a total of one run in those two games.
In his last eight starts, Gray has allowed five or more earned runs four times and two or fewer earned runs the other four.
For the season, Gray has permitted five or more earned runs seven times, second-most on the team to Miles Mikolas' eight.
The Brewers will counter with right-hander Colin Rea (12-4, 3.70).
In his last four starts, Rea has a 5.32 ERA. For the season, his sweeper has been baseball's . He's thrown it 402 times and given up eight hits.
Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who's hitting .563 over his past eight games, is batting third for the first time in a month.
The Cardinals are 70-69, third in the NL Central and 11 games out of first. St. Louis hasn't lost a series since the Dodgers visited Aug. 16-18.
After Wednesday's game, 13 of the Redbirds' next 16 games are at home.
The Brewers are 81-58, first in the NL Central. Their magic number to clinch the division is 13.
Lineups
CARDINALS
1. Masyn Winn, SS
2. Alec Burleson, LF
3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
4. Nolan Arenado, DH
5. Brendan Donovan, 2B
6. Iván Herrera, C
7. Lars Nootbaar, RF
8. José FermÃn, 3B
9. Michael Siani, CF
P: Sonny Gray, RHP
BREWERS
1. Brice Turang, 2B
2. Jackson Chourio, DH
3. Jake Bauers, 1B
4. Willy Adames, SS
5. Garrett Mitchell, RF
6. Blake Perkins, CF
7. Joey Ortiz, 3B
8. Sal Frelick, LF
9. Eric Haase, C
P: Colin Rea, RHP
Injury report
Willson Contreras (fractured finger):Ìý°Õ³ó±ðÌýcatcher fractured the middle finger on his right hand when struck by a pitch Aug. 24. He will have three weeks of no impact then he can begin a progression. There's not much wiggle room for a possible return. The injury could end his season. Updated Aug. 27
Lance Lynn (knee strain): Veteran right-hander recovered well from his 80-pitch outing Sunday for Class AAA Memphis. He and the Cardinals are discussing if he needs another simulated game or an extra between-start bullpen before returning to the major-league rotation within the coming week to 10 days. Updated Sept. 2
Gordo: Cardinals fans prove they couldn't tolerate the pain of tanking
Bill DeWitt Jr. has stuck with his operating philosophy for more than two decades. Try as they might, fans can’t get him to budge.
Perennial playoff contention has been his stated goal. DeWitt wanted to keep his team in the chase. And from 2000 to 2022, he usually did. The Cardinals relied increasingly on the draft-and-develop model to yield year-to-year consistency.
They quit winning postseason games, though, so fans grew restless. Some argued that they should take the tank-and-rebuild route the Chicago Cubs traveled to win a World Series.
Some fans insist they would be willing to endure multiple bad seasons to build a singular powerhouse. But would they really?
All those empty seats at Busch Stadium this summer remind us why DeWitt has rejected that strategy. Fans won’t pay a premium to bathe in their own greasy sweat and watch a team sputter.
Fans and players stand for the national anthem in a sparsely filled Busch Stadium as the St. Louis Cardinals face the San Diego Padres on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024 at Busch Stadium.
Ownership takes note. Failure is bad for business — and DeWitt and Co. have a lot of business tied to the ballclub’s fate.
Fans have quit buying tickets. Fans possessing tickets have quit coming to the game and quit spending money at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village. Hotels, restaurants, bars, retail shops ... many enterprises are feeling the pain of lost revenue.
Over the years, the Cardinals have become a bigger and bigger enterprise. The franchise’s commercial footprint and operational scope expanded.
Deliberate failure is not an option for this ownership. And as we’ve seen this summer, unintentional failure is just as costly.
Hence DeWitt’s need to get back into perennial playoff contention.
While some folks judge the Cardinals’ success or failure based on what does or doesn’t happen in October, DeWitt considers a much bigger picture.
During a 23-year span, the Cardinals posted a winning record 22 times and reached postseason play 16 times. In the 21 seasons that weren’t impacted by the pandemic, the team averaged well over 3 million in yearly attendance.
Along the way, Ballpark Village rose from the vacant lot and expanded. The franchise’s valuation increased tenfold.
The team suffered one previous downturn during that span, going 86-76, 83-79 and 88-74 from 2016-18 while missing the postseason each year. The Cardinals still drew more than 3.4 million fans in each season.
Then the resurgent Cardinals reached postseason play from 2019-22 while winning 90 or more games in the non-COVID years. But they won just one playoff series during that period, so fans kept grousing.
When would this franchise go “all in†to win? Why was it satisfied with just making the bracket while hoping to get hot at the right time?
(Long-suffering fans of the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates saw such gripes as first-world complaints, given what they have endured.)
Then the Cardinals finally gave their fans something to really lament: their 71-91 plunge in the National League Central cellar last season followed by their dreadful 15-24 start this season.
That sustained struggle, unprecedented on DeWitt’s watch, combined with plenty of heat, humidity and rain led to entire sections of the stadium remaining empty on game day.
Do Cardinals fans feel entitled? Sure, but they have earned the right to expect compelling baseball. They have supported their team at crazy levels despite facing higher and higher pricing.
A competitive ballclub in this market size should draw 2 million to 2.5 million fans per year, not 3 million to 3.5 million. The collective commitment level of this fan base astounded industry observers for decades.
Diehard Cardinals fans have seen their team as special, given its extraordinary history and enduring modern success.
Has this franchise taken that fan support for granted? Bill DeWitt Jr. and Bill DeWitt III say all the right things, but folks can’t help wondering if the franchise has been running on autopilot.
Now the franchise must rebuild support. The Cardinals don’t need to take a whole new approach, but the franchise must refresh its familiar M.O. to produce better results.
Running a franchise like a business is fine if its bottom line depends on offering a popular product. That’s the motivation to succeed, something less ambitious operations like the Pirates and Marlins lack.
The perennial playoff contention model is fine, if executed well. Having a good team every year is positive, not negative, even if that goal makes it harder (but not impossible) to stack a team for a particular playoff push.
The draft-and-develop model is also fine, if executed well. The Cardinals have plenty of home-grown position players on the cusp, but they need more pitching, power and speed to flourish in today’s game. Getting more impact talent out of Latin America would be a great place to start.
Lord knows the franchise can afford to bolster its scouting and player development operations and outbid rivals from time to time. Sometimes you must spend money to make money.
For more than two decades, The Cardinal Way of operating delivered consistently good baseball. Now it’s time to resume the usual business — but better.
Ten Hochman: At least it’s not a completely lost year for Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt
The many ways Cardinals rookie Michael Siani bested Brewers in 20 minutes. A story in 5 acts.
MILWAUKEE – Within 20 minutes at Milwaukee’s American Family Field late Tuesday night, Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani went from having the game slip out of his hand to having it shift beneath his feet to taking it over entirely with a heady ability to adjust and still deliver.
“He basically did it all for us that inning,†Paul Goldschmidt said.
Deep into an unflinching staring contest between two bullpens, Siani made a diving attempt on a line drive in the 11th inning that appeared to end the ballgame.
Until it didn’t.
Goldschmidt’s third RBI of the evening gave the Cardinals a lead Siani’s catch would have secured, except during his slide the ball rattled loose and rolled away to allow the Brewers to re-tie the score. Siani was due up in the top of the 12th and, in the dugout between innings, tried to stop thinking about the catch that wasn’t and focus on the at-bat that was yet to be. He would likely have to execute a crunch-time bunt.
Until he didn’t.
He had a chance to win it – this time with his bat.
“We see it all the time,†Siani said. “The game will find you for sure.â€
On the way to Siani generating all three runs that were the difference in a 7-4 victory in the 12th inning against the Brewers on Tuesday, the Cardinals got contributions from many facets of the roster.
Hours before Siani came to the plate with a chance to win the game, Steven Matz struck out seven in his 4 2/3-inning return to the majors from injury. For an hour, the Cardinals’ bullpen, typified by two strong innings from Matthew Liberatore, silenced the Brewers and held them to one hit in their final 22 at-bats of the game. Goldschmidt doubled, homered, and twice drove in a tiebreaking run, including his 11th inning single for the lead just minutes before Siani came up to hit the 12th. And moments before he did, Ivan Herrera earned a walk that put a larger inning in motion.
But those final 20 minutes, from the catch that wasn’t a winner to the runs that were, became a showcase of the multiple ways Siani could shape a game – or take ahold of it.
“That’s a great thing to say,†he told the Post-Dispatch at his locker late Tuesday night in the visitor’s clubhouse. “I talked about how I want to be able to do a lot of things in baseball. Like you said, that embraces every single part of what I have to offer.
“You’ve got defense,†he continued. “You’ve got coming up in that situation trying to get guys over with a bunt. Knowing that the situation changes with a wild pitch and now you have to put a good at-bat together and get those guys in. It’s a lot of things packed into a quick moment. You have to slow it down as much as you can and enjoy it, honestly. You have to go out there and …â€
He paused.
He inhaled.
“Just breathe,†he said.
Two games into his return from an oblique strain that cost him a month and left him two innings shy of qualifying for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Siani went from what could have been one of the most dramatic catches of the season to the hit the Cardinals needed the most in that instant. How that 20 minutes unfolded for Siani — story in five acts.Â
Act 1. Catch
Before the oblique strain that put him on the injured list, Siani won the starting job in center field with his deft defense, and after the oblique strain the position was waiting for him Monday for the same reason. Among the league leaders in advanced metrics at the position, Siani has, since about a year ago, shown the mix of instincts, quick reads, efficient routes, and flat-out speed to excel at the position.
All of those skills were on display in the 11th.
Closer Ryan Helsley struck out the first two batters of the inning to come within an out of cinching the victory and marooning the extra-inning runner at second as merely a spectator. Willy Adames changed that with a sharp, sinking line drive to center. Siani gave chase. He dashed in from deeper center and dove forward and slightly toward left – all while angling his glove under the liner to catch it just before it kissed the grass.
“He’s made some of the best catches I’ve ever seen and that might have topped them all,†Goldschmidt said. “Even to get there. I don’t know if there are many guys who can do that.â€
Siani had control of the ball as he slid across the grass, but with his arm extended to make the catch he felt his shoulder was vulnerable to an injury. He twisted to avoid pressure on the shoulder, saying later he “tried to brace it a little bit.†The combination of the twist and forward momentum twisted his arm and the glove, costing him control of the ball. It flung loose, allowing the Brewers to score.
The Cardinals challenged the call on the field to see if replay would end the game.
According to Rule 5.09 (a) (1) a catch “is the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a ball in flight and firmly holding it.†It can still be a catch if control is lost in the act of transferring the ball to a fielder’s throwing hand, but it’s not catch if control is not maintained up until that point. The replay confirmed the call on the field – that Siani did not complete the entire play with control of the ball. Major League Baseball issued a statement to the media that explained.
“After viewing all relevant angles, the replay officials definitively determined that the fielder failed to maintain firm and secure possession of the ball throughout the catch,†the explanation read. “The call is confirmed; it is not a catch.â€
Helsley struck out the next batter to freeze the score, 4-4.
Siani talked to an umpire and then trotted to the dugout to try and forget the play and focus on his forthcoming at-bat.
He was due up second in the 12th.
“It looked like we almost ended the game – which isn’t enough,†Goldschmidt said. “You can go to a not-good place mentally and think, ‘Oh man, we were so close. Why’d that happen? Now what’s going to happen?’ And let those thoughts go. Or, you can just move on and execute the next situation and fortunately Siani did that.â€
Act 2. Bunt
With the Brewers’ bullpen matching the Cardinals’ bullpen foolproof inning after foolproof inning, the Cardinals took the unusual approach in the top of the 10th of playing for a run. ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ were in the part of their lineup to do just that with Siani leading off.
He dutifully bunted the spontaneously generated runner over to third, and the rally stalled from there. But Siani did his part.
He expected to do it again.
In the 12th, just minutes after his catch didn’t end the game, Siani watched from the on-deck circle as Herrera drew a walk from Brewers reliever Elvis Peguero. That put two runners on base with no outs – and set up an obvious bunt situation. Siani would, again, move the two runners in scoring position for the top of the order to bring home. But a wild thing happened on the way to the bunt. Siani showed it, pulled it back, and Peguero obliged with an errant pitch that did everything Siani’s bunt would have tried.
The two Cardinals on base advanced 90 feet, and Siani’s situation changed.
He’d get a chance to swing.
Act 3. Hit
The glove that got Siani into the lineup gave the bat time to being to contribute, too.
Eighty-one games into his career and 70 games into the Cardinals season, Siani had a .207 average and on-base percentage and slugging percentage that dovetailed around at about .250 and .260. He talked about learning what kind of hitter he could be in the majors – slashing singles, dropping bunts, and filching extra bases.
In the next 37 games before his oblique injury, he hit .323 (32 for 99) with six extra-base hits, a .363 OBP, and seven steals in eight attempts.
Back from the IL, he was hitless on Monday and he grounded out in each of his first two at-bats Tuesday. But with the bunt shelved in the 12th, Siani adjusted to situational hitting. He had to bring in one of the runs, someway, somehow.
“I’ve been talking about it all year,†Siani said. “Take it one pitch at a time. You have to stay within yourself and not let the game speed up. That’s a perfect example. I know the game is on the clock for sure now. That’s part of it. You try to slow it down as best you can and really think through every pitch, every situation. It’s a lot of reflection and making sure your head is in the right spot for every pitch, and you know the situation and you are ready for the moment.â€
Ahead in the count, 2-0, Siani got the first fastball of the at-bat and lashed it to left field to score both of his teammates and regain the lead.
He was not done.
Act 4. Steal
Although he missed a month with the injury and took a few weeks to establish himself as the starter, Siani leads the 2024 Cardinals in stolen bases. Shortstop Masyn Winn has taken a recent run at Siani’s lead, but only closed on Siani’s 14 in 17 attempts.
Make that 15.
With the bases cleared thanks to his single, Siani stood at first with Winn at the plate. When it became clear the Brewers’ reliever was focused more on the hitter, Siani took off for second. He got such an alert jump that catcher William Contreras rushed his throw to second. The ball veered on him, and a steal to get into scoring position became a run to third to be ever closer to home.
Siani went from trying to ignore the missed catch to abandoning the plan to bunt to now taking advantage of an edge he could exploit against the Brewers’ pitcher.
“Could have been a lot of distractions,†Goldschmidt said.
Instead, Siani became one.
Act 5. Run
On third with one out, Siani had multiple ways he could get one. Another wild pitch would do. A groundball to the right side of the infield would, too. The extra 180 feet taken by Siani meant the fly ball by Alec Burleson for the second out of the inning scored Siani on the sacrifice fly instead of left him at first base.
Siani’s run increased the Cardinals’ lead to 7-4.
Helsley returned for the bottom of the 12th to blitz through the Brewers’ lineup and claim the Cardinals’ fifth win in their past seven games. They kept themselves from falling 13 games behind the first-place Brewers, and they gave themselves a chance to win the series Wednesday with Sonny Gray on the mound.
Several times after the game, Siani mentioned the need to forget the catch he didn’t make, the call on the field, the replay confirmation – all of it. He was asked when that happened. Did he shed any thought of it as he reached the dugout? Did it take until the on-deck circle? At want point in there and ahead of his game-winning at-bat did he let go of the catch that wasn’t?
“Next month?†Siani replied. “I don’t have an answer for that.â€
Photos: Cardinals outlast Brewers in 12 innings
St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar hits a single during the fourthj inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol argues with home plate Lance Barrett after being ejected from the game during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol reacts after being ejected from the game during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hits a home run during the fourth inning of a game against the Brewers on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt hits a home run during the fourthj inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio is congratulated after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio celebrates after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Civale throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn scores past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt hits an RBI double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt hits an RBI double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn scores past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Civale throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Civale throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames reacts after hitting an RBI double during the 11th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani can’t catch a ball hit by Brewers shortstop Willy Adames during the 11th inning of a game Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames hits an RBI double during the 11th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy watches during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore throws during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt hits an RBI single during the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera tags out Milwaukee Brewers' Sal Frelick at home during the 10th inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Joey Ortiz is hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras tags out St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt at home during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio gets an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio gets an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Brice Turang hits a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers' Brice Turang hits a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Judge approves Bally's NBA and NHL broadcast deals, including Blues games
Diamond ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Group will air NBA and NHL games, including the Blues, for the 2024-25 season under a plan approved in court Tuesday.
Last month, Diamond filed documents outlining deals that will ensure fans can watch their local teams on television, but the plans weren’t solidified until Tuesday during a hearing in a Houston federal bankruptcy court.
Diamond — the parent company of Cardinals and Blues regional telecaster Bally ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Midwest — has been in bankruptcy proceedings since March 2023, a result of dwindling cable viewership over the years. Currently, the broadcaster is working on finalizing its reorganization plan to emerge from bankruptcy.
The newly approved NBA and NHL plans offer certainty to the leagues and their fans that there will be coverage of local teams throughout the entire season, even if Diamond does not emerge from bankruptcy.
Judge Christopher Lopez also approved the rejection of Diamond’s agreements with the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks, which were set to expire after the 2026-27 and 2029-30 seasons, respectively.
Diamond attorney Joe Graham called that move a “critical building block†to Diamond’s amended plan. He said the company plans to schedule a confirmation hearing in early or mid-November, which could put Diamond on the path to emerge from bankruptcy before Nov. 30, in time for the 2025 MLB season.
“Diamond also believes that providing this adequate assurance is a sound exercise of business judgment,†Graham told the judge Tuesday. The deal gives the NBA and NHL certainty for the upcoming season, while the bankruptcy case proceeds.
Diamond attorney Andrew Goldman said that these NHL and NBA deals don’t negatively affect the company’s dealings with the MLB.
But, during the hearing, MLB lawyer James Bromley raised concerns over what he said is a lack of transparency regarding Diamond’s deals. He said Diamond’s plan to appear in court this fall is not set in stone and Diamond shouldn’t wait until next year to reach a baseball deal.
“We have to keep in mind that what is being described to the court is a Band-Aid at this point,†Bromley said. “We are talking about complete uncertainty with respect to 2025â€
View life in St. Louis through the Post-Dispatch photographers' lenses. Edited by Jenna Jones.
Cardinals prospect Tekoah Roby continues rehab assignment in Class Low-A: Minor League Report
In his latest rehab start as he works his way back from a shoulder injury, Cardinals pitching prospect Tekoah Roby completed 1 1/3 innings, allowed three runs, and struck out two batters on Tuesday with Class Low-A Palm Beach.
Roby threw 31 pitches (18 strikes) in the outing, which marked his second start since beginning a rehab assignment on Aug. 28 for a shoulder injury that landed him on the injured list in late May.
The 22-year-old right-hander reached 94.8 mph with his fastball and averaged 92.9 mph with it during Palm Beach’s 5-2 loss to Jupiter. He got six swings-and-misses — three of which came on his curveball — for a 40% whiff rate, per Statcast.
Roby gave up a single and a double to the first two batters he faced to begin the outing. He recorded a swinging strikeout of Carter Johnson then allowed both base runners to score on a single from Fenwick Trimble that had a 104.7 mph exit velocity.
Following Trimble’s single, Roby retired three of the next four batters he faced before his outing ended with one out in the second inning.
Since beginning his rehab assignment, Roby has totaled 2 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on three hits while recording three strikeouts. After opening the season in Class AA Springfield’s rotation, Roby last pitched in a Class AA game on May 14.
Here are other performances from around the Cardinals farm system:
Left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson, Class AAA Memphis: Thompson recorded his second double-digit strikeout performance of the year with 10 strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings for Memphis during its 13-3 loss to Omaha. Thompson allowed five runs, six hits, and walked five batters in the outing. The left-hander flashed 97.9 mph with his fastball and had two whiffs apiece on his curveball, slider, and forkball. Although Thompson managed to reach the upper 90s mph, Thompson had 11 called strikes and four whiffs on the 53 fastballs he threw. Thompson began his outing by striking out the first four batters he faced and getting the fifth batter he faced to fly out. He worked around a walk and two singles for a scoreless second inning and kept Omaha scoreless in the third. Thompson gave up three runs in the fourth inning on three consecutive two-out singles. He struck out two more batters in the fifth inning but could not escape the inning as he walked two batters and allowed a single. Two of the runners reliever Andre Granillo inherited from Thompson scored on a single from Rodolfo Duran.
Outfielder Joshua Baez, Class Low-A Palm Beach: The 21-year-old went two-for-four with a double and a stolen base during Palm Beach’s win over Jupiter to improve him to a .333 average in 11 games since he was reassigned to Class Low-A. Baez’s double registered a 113.2 mph exit velocity. The former second-round pick from the 2021 MLB draft has produced a .488 on-base percentage in 43 plate appearances for Palm Beach. Baez opened the regular season with Class High-A Peoria but was placed on the development list after he batted .225 with 97 strikeouts in 71 games. He joined Palm Beach’s roster midway through August. He’s struck out nine times and walked eight times for the PB-Cards.
Left-handed pitcher Brycen Mautz, Class High-A Peoria: Mautz rolled his productive August into September by notching a quality start for Peoria. The left-hander kept Lake County hitters to two runs across six innings during Peoria’s 4-3 loss. The outing notched Mautz’s fourth quality start in his last five outings. After ending July with a 5.86 ERA through his first 19 starts of the season, Mautz has posted a 3.19 ERA and struck out 38 batters in his previous five starts. Mautz, a former second-round pick from the 2022 MLB draft, entered Tuesday’s start having kept opposing hitters to a .196 batting average and a .294 slugging percentage through four starts in August. Opposing hitters had batted .291 and slugged .503 against the 23-year-old lefty in his first 19 starts of 2024.
With 'mixed' results, Riley O'Brien begins bid for bullpen spot now, next year: Cardinals Extra
Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O’Brien walks back to the mound after the Padres’ Mason McCoy scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
MILWAUKEE — Being unable to pitch out of the bullpen for most of the season did not keep Cardinals right-hander Riley O’Brien from being part of the bullpen for all of this season.
A newcomer to the Cardinals who blazed his way to a spot on the opening day roster with a strong spring, O’Brien spent months recovering from a flexor strain, and still, he spent home games out in the bullpen with his teammates. That gave him time to see how relievers more seasoned than him in the role got prepared for their assignments — and also watch as his peers, as seasoned as him, pitched their way into significant roles for the Cardinals.
“You’ve got to be able to flip it on when it’s time to go,†O’Brien said. “A lot of times, you’re not going to have enough time in a quick spot. I’ve seen how you’ve got to be getting your body ready and getting your mind right so that when your name does get called and you’ve got to get hot quick, you’re ready to go and not caught off guard.â€
Since his return to the majors this past week, O’Brien has indeed had to “get hot quick.†The Cardinals have not eased him into roles, using him often as a chase reliever, meant to either hold or quell the opponent.
At Yankee Stadium, O’Brien’s first appearance of the series was in the eighth inning with All-Stars Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton looming. He struck out each of them but also allowed a home run to Austin Wells. On Monday night, with the Cardinals trailing the Brewers by two runs, O’Brien had a chance to buy an inning for the offense to rally — and instead saw the game capsize on him and the Cardinals. He walked two and allowed a grand slam to rookie Jackson Chourio.
Manager Oliver Marmol called O’Brien’s initial results what they were.
“Mixed, to be quite honest,†Marmol said. “Look at the at-bats against Soto and Judge — you’re pretty impressed by how defensive those swings were. You look at the at-bat against Stanton, and it was pretty telling that it was not a comfortable at-bat. ...
“He’s on here (the roster), and we need to see what we’ve got.â€
O’Brien joined the roster in a move that cost the Cardinals a veteran right-handed reliever who popped up soon after with the hard-charging Cubs. To create a spot for O’Brien, the Cardinals passed Shawn Armstrong through waivers just a few weeks after acquiring him from Tampa Bay for outfielder Dylan Carlson. Armstrong got a win in relief just before leaving the Cardinals and had retired 15 consecutive batters. The move appeared geared toward getting a look at a reliever who could be part of the plans for 2025, and it trimmed some salary.
Within days of his return to the majors from Class AAA Memphis’ bullpen, O’Brien found himself some the kind of spots that have launched other young relievers into higher-leverage spots. Ryan Fernandez, an offseason addition like O’Brien, emerged quickly as one of the setup options. More recently, lefty Matthew Liberatore has seen expanded assignments in tighter spots.
“I love where he’s at,†Marmol said. “We’re seeing a completely different guy out of the ’pen. Just his mentality when he takes the ball — the higher the leverage, the better he is.â€
When Andrew Kittredge was unavailable Monday afternoon due to his recent workload, Fernandez moved into Kittredge’s eighth-inning spot. Without Fernandez for earlier in the game, O’Brien fit the task. Starting with the bottom third of Milwaukee’s order, the Cardinals saw a run of Brewers hitters who did not swing and miss much and had notable ground-ball rates. O’Brien’s sinker should play well — if it was in the zone.
He walked two of the first three batters as a prelude to a grand slam.
Challenging with the sinker “has been one of my strengths, and I might have shied away from it,†O’Brien said. “I think I just need to attack hitters a little better. Trust my stuff. It’s good enough to get best hitters in the game out and remember that.â€
Riley, 29, has the pitches that delight advanced metrics. The sinker he threw Monday night averaged 96.9 mph, and off of that, he plays a curveball and power slider. O’Brien got three swings and misses on his curveball Monday night, and with the slider, he averaged 91 mph. Two of the swings and misses against the Yankees lineup came on that slider. In his four appearances since returning the majors, O’Brien has thrown three innings and struck out six but also walked five and allowed eight hits.
The Cardinals are taking the month to see the pitches they were drawn to in the 2D of data on the 3D of the mound, and O’Brien has watched from the bullpen what an opportunity like his has meant for other relievers.
“That’s the ultimate goal: to come up here, have success and hopefully work yourself into a leverage role,†O’Reilly said. “That’s something I’m hoping to do the rest of the month.â€
Rotation set for Seattle but not beyond
The reintroduction Tuesday night of lefty Steven Matz to the rotation allowed the Cardinals to push Erick Fedde back a day and set their rotation for the weekend home series against Seattle. Beyond that, the Cardinals must still finalize their plan with right-handed veteran Lance Lynn and at what point next week he’ll rejoin the active roster and in what spot.
Sonny Gray will start the regular-season finale against the Brewers on Wednesday night. After the off-day Thursday, the Cardinals will face the Mariners with Fedde, Kyle Gibson and Miles Mikolas on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. That assures Andre Pallante at least seven days of rest if they return to him for Tuesday’s game at home against Cincinnati.
Extra bases
Pedro Pages, who started again at catcher Tuesday night, hit two homers in Monday’s game to complete a feat not achieved by a Cardinals rookie catcher since 1930.
In September of that season, Gus Mancuso hit two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies. Mancuso hit .366 that season in 76 games for the pre-Gas House Gang Cardinals, and he had a .965 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Despite fewer than 230 at-bats that summer, he finished 20th in the MVP voting.
- Luken Baker’s sacrifice fly Monday afternoon gave him an RBI in five consecutive games. He is one of three Cardinals since 1961 to have a five-RBI streak in their first 43 big league games, joining Albert Pujols (2001) and Jeremy Hazelbaker (2016), according to Elias ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Bureau.
- Ahead of Tuesday’s game, the Brewers reorganized their bullpen by adding lefty Hoby Milner from the injured list and promoting Elvis Peguero. They optioned lefty Bryan Hudson, who pitched in Monday’s win, and placed Bryse Wilson on the injured list.
Following Class AAA debut, Cardinals prospect Quinn Mathews eyes continued growth
Cardinals prospect Quinn Mathews delivers a pitch in a start for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals earlier this season.
Considering the little time remaining in the minor league season, the little movement for starting pitching up to Class AAA Memphis despite injuries to its rotation and Class AA Springfield’s final stretch before entering the playoffs, Cardinals prospect Quinn Mathews assumed there wouldn’t be another promotion awaiting him.
“I thought there was just a chance they were going to leave me down there to hopefully bring a championship back home,†he said.
Then came a talk with Class AA Springfield (Missouri) manager Jose Leger that caught Mathews, 23, off guard a week ago during Springfield’s road series in Wichita, Kansas.
“I was like, ‘This can’t be good,’ because I truthfully didn’t really have an expectation to be getting the call up to Memphis,†Mathews said during a phone interview. “I just went in (to Leger’s office), and then we talked. He told me I was going to Memphis, and I was, to be honest with you, quite shocked and surprised.â€
A fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft and the biggest breakout performer within the Cardinals system this season, Mathews made his Class AAA debut Friday, two days after earning his third promotion of this season and after he made nine starts in Class AA.
In his introduction to more advanced hitters, a different strike zone and major league baseballs with a different feel than the baseballs used in Class AA and below, Mathews allowed three runs on five hits in four innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
“It’s definitely different,†Mathews said about the changes from Class AA and Class AAA. “But I mean, it’s just a job. It’s just baseball at the end of the day. I wasn’t very good this week. It’ll definitely be a week to look back on and find the areas that I need to improve on, which we’ve already done with the coaching staff and kind of talked over what I didn’t do very well this first week. It’ll be nice to hopefully put together a quality start this upcoming week and just continue to learn, honestly.â€
The seven strikeouts Mathews collected in his Class AAA debut upped his season total to a minor league-leading 187 in 130â…” innings. The 23-year-old lefty and Futures Game participant has posted a 2.41 ERA and gone 8-4 this season, which began with an opening day start in Class Low-A Palm Beach that marked his professional debut.
Among minor league pitchers with at least 130 innings of work this year, Mathews leads in strikeout rate (36.6%) and batting average allowed (.168), per FanGraphs. The lefty’s walk rate ranks 15th-best in the minors.
“Usually low walk rate, high strikeout rate and dominance,†Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said recently when asked about characteristics of pitchers who rapidly ascend through the minors. “Carlos Martinez. Trevor Rosenthal. Guys that just — they put it together quickly.â€
Before his promotion to Memphis, Mathews posted a 2.41 ERA and struck out 70 batters in 52⅓ innings across nine starts in Springfield. Mathews surrendered a season-high six runs in his first start after MLB’s All-Star break. The 23-year-old followed that by maintaining a 1.25 ERA and striking out 54 batters in six starts that followed.
In Mathews’ last Class AA start before his promotion, the 23-year-old struck out 12 batters — his seventh double-digit strikeout performance of 2024 — and allowed one run in 7⅔ innings on Aug. 23 vs. Tulsa. The 6-foot-5 lefty carried a perfect game bid through 6⅓ innings vs. Tulsa before it was broken up on a solo home run.
“I think it was just getting back to what I’ve done well in the year, and that was just attacking hitters and not being too fine at times,†Mathews said of the adjustments after the six-run outing. “And basically, just trying to challenge guys to hit my pitch, instead of putting them into counts that they’re going to get their pitch. ... It was just kind of that role reversal that I don’t think I attacked, and that’s kind of what I saw my first outing in Triple-A was: I don’t think I attacked the hitters enough.â€
Mathews, a product of Stanford University and a native of Aliso Viejo, California, entered his first professional season with improved fastball velocity that reached 97.3 mph while in Palm Beach and touched 95.7 mph during his Class AAA debut. The fastball gains combined with his swing-and-miss repertoire that includes a change-up, slider and curveball have helped him to three promotions in a year he felt he needed to move quickly because of his age and the conversations that surrounded that during the draft process.
Now that he’s leaped another level and is a step closer to the majors, how much, if any, satisfaction has come with that?
“No, there is never any,†Mathews said. “And then I think even once you get there or if and when I do get there, I still don’t think there will be any. There is always a new expectation for yourself, which is: You’re trying to get to St. Louis to help the St. Louis Cardinals win games. And then it becomes: I need to help St. Louis win as many games as possible. ... I don’t think the expectation and the satisfaction is ever met, unfortunately.
“It’s just the nature of the beast of being a competitor. Your sights change on what’s important and what you need to do to help the team win.â€
Hochman: Ozzie should be proud. Cardinals’ Masyn Winn looks like Gold Glove SS as rookie
Former Cardinal and baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, right, greets fellow shortstop Masyn Winn on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, during Smith’s visit to the team’s spring camp in Jupiter, Fla.
If Superman was playing shortstop, he surely would’ve dived for this grounder like, well, Superman. But if he had, he likely wouldn’t have made the throw in time.
Luckily, Superman wasn’t playing shortstop. It was Masyn Blaze Winn (actual middle name).
On this ball up the middle last Wednesday — eighth inning, game tied with the Padres — Winn scurried to his left ... but rounded the grounder. He then slid toward the ball on only his right knee. This allowed him to sweep his left leg in front, push off it and pop up.
Winn fired it to first for the out.
“He continues to do things that other shortstops can’t do,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said after the game to the media. “The play up the middle, how quickly he bounces to his feet — and then the arm behind it to finish that play? And he made it look easy. It’s a pretty-near-impossible play. And he makes those routine. So we have a really good player on our hands who is going to help us win for a long time.â€
To me, Masyn Winn, still just 22, looks like a Gold Glove shortstop. And you don’t just say that sort of thing in St. Louis, where the definition of a Gold Glove shortstop reigned with range. But going by the eye test (from this Clark Kent) says Winn should win the award — and the metrics also say Winn should win.
No shortstop in Major League Baseball entered Monday with more defensive runs saved (14) than the Cardinals rookie. In fact, only three MLB players at any position had more.
He leads all National League shortstops in a stat called range runs above average, per Fangraphs. His ultimate zone rating is third-best among NL shortstops. And Winn averages 92.9 mph on throws, second only to Oneil Cruz among MLB shortstops.
Now, in the NL, there are other shortstops who flash similar leather but have flashier names, be it Francisco Lindor, Dansby Swanson or Elly De La Cruz. And the exquisite Ezequiel Tovar is a Colorado Rockie with range like the Rockies.
But defensive runs saved has ascended to become the OPS of defensive stats. And Winn is No. 1 in that category. Give the kid the Gold Glove.
“He’s fun to watch, he’s fun to play with, he’s fun to be around,†Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray said to the media last week at Busch Stadium. “He’s turning into a really fun, exciting player to watch. I mean, you know you’ve got someone special when there’s one player who is all the kids’ favorite player. You know that’s something. My kids love him.â€
Winn plays with an unswerving swagger. He approaches defense with an offensive mindset. And like Sonny said, he’s just fun to watch. No, Masyn Winn is not Ozzie Smith. No. 1 was a 1 of 1, as he pioneered playing shortstop like an acrobat or, I don’t know, let’s say, a wizard. But Winn is a modern marvel. A fitting heir to Ozzie’s Astroturf-covered throne.
Sure, Edgar Renteria won two Gold Gloves as a St. Louis shortstop. But Winn is just ... different. The speed, the arm, the wherewithal, the panache. Ozzie should be proud.
“I absolutely love Masyn Winn,†said Marmol, an infielder himself during his minor league days. “He is an athlete, he’s a dog — he just cares about winning. And he shows up every day to do exactly that. He is a highly competitive, emotional player.â€
I promised myself I wouldn’t talk about offense in this column as I wanted to give proper props to his defense. But consider that Winn is fifth in the NL in WAR among position players on Baseball Reference. Shohei Ohtani, Matt Chapman, Ketel Marte and Lindor — that’s it. Winn is at 4.7, just ahead of De La Cruz, Mookie Betts, Brice Turang and former Cardinal Marcell Ozuna, who leads the NL in RBIs and is second in both batting average and homers.
Some of Winn’s WAR is due to his offense — he entered Monday hitting .283 with a .754 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). But 2.2 of his 4.7 WAR is from his defense (only Turang has a higher defensive WAR).
OK, two more quick offensive things to sneak in:
- Since Aug. 14, Winn is hitting .338 with a .881 OPS.
- And Winn leads all National Leaguers with 71 hits with two strikes (ahead of 67 for Luis Arraez, who has struck out just 26 times all year — heck, I think Nolan Gorman did that in a game).
OK, back to Winn’s defense. It really is just a spectacle. The 6-3s, the 6-4-3s, the 4-6-3s — each has as splash of his flair. And each week at Busch Stadium, even though there are fewer and fewer fans, there seems to be more and more WINN 0 jerseys.
On Monday, MLB Network posted video on X, formerly Twitter, of a TV segment. It was with sportscaster Greg Amsinger (a St. Louis native) and longtime MLB manager Buck Showalter. The duo discussed the five top rookies in the NL — Winn, Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga, Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio. The question posed: If you were starting a franchise in 2025, who’s the first player you’d take of the five?
“I’m taking the shortstop,†Showalter said, stunning Amsinger, who chose Skenes. “I’m taking the premium position, I’m taking Masyn Winn.
“Now, this is not clear-cut. I’d love to have any of them. I just think the premium position, shortstop ... he’s going to be a single-digit-error guy, a plus-runner. I remember the first time I saw this guy, my eyes were drawn to him. I tell scouts all the time, when they were scouting somebody, your eyes are drawn to the player you were supposed to be looking at. This kid’s special.
“They’re all great. Skenes, I think because of the physical dependency that you have — (throwing that hard) is just not a normal thing to do to your arm. I hope (a major arm injury) never happens. I hope he stays healthy. But one of the guys you choose, you’re going to have to give a five-, 10-year contract down the road — and you’re betting. Long-term, I’m taking the shortstop.â€
Well, St. Louis has the shortstop at least until he’s eligible for free agency — in 2030.
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