Amid a 6-12 month of June, it is OBVIOUS to many that there are mounting frustrations within the Cardinal organization as they started to play on June 22nd in Detroit. With the upcoming six games this week against the bottom-feeding competition and four of those games at home. Fans were hoping for a turnaround. It did not occur. Here is the breakdown.
Two-game series @ Detroit. 6/22 and 6/23
Game 1 - 6/22 Tigers 8 - Cardinals 2
Hot Hitting Johnathan Schoop .378, 11 HRs, 22 RBIs in his last 23 games continued that streak Tuesday night, going 2-5 with 3 RBIs against the Cardinals propelling Detroit to the win.
Johan Oviedo fresh off his 7 innings, 6 hits, 0 runs, no-decision vs. Miami on the 16. The Cardinals were hoping for the effort to continue. However, that was not the case. Johan would not make it out of the 4th inning vs. the Tigers, giving up 6 runs on 6 hits, Walking 3 striking out 1. His troubles started early in the first when he had to pitch out of a two-on, two-out jam.
In the second and third innings, it looked like he was setting down throwing strikes. It would be the 4th where the wheels came off. With one out Akil Baddoo would single the advance to second on a Wild Pitch. Nomar Mazara would then hit a grounder back to Oviedo. Oviedo attempted to throw to Arenado at third. The throw missed Arenado by several feet and ending up in Left Field. Baddoo would score on that play, and Mazara ended up on third base. After that, Back to Back walks loaded the bases, Jake Rodgers hit a 2-run double. Then the previously mentioned Johnathan Schoop hit a 3-run home run. A single by Jeimer Candelario followed by chasing Oviedo off the mound, Daniel Ponce de Leone, came in and got the final out.
The Redbirds did mount a small comeback in the fifth, Starting with Rookie call-up Lars Nootbarr Drove in his first Major League RBI with a sacrifice fly in the 5th inning.
Nootbaar was an 8th round draft choice of the Cardinals in 2018. He started at State College in 2019. He went through A, high A, and AA in one year. Was assigned to Memphis after spring training this year. At AAA Memphis, Nootbaar was hitting .329/.430/.527 with 5-HRs and 17-RBIs in 93 plate appearances. He was called up to replace Lane Thomas, who was optioned to Memphis. Nootbaar started the game in RF and batting 9th. He would go 0-3 for the game.
Two batters after Nootbaar's sac fly Paul Goldschmidt would drive in another run with a two-out single.
Ponce de Leone started the 5th threw to one batter, gave up a double then left the game with a strained throwing shoulder. Andrew Miller came in, got a Flyout, then walked the next batter. Harold Castro hit a sac bunt scoring a run. Then Rogers tripled another run home. It was the first time in 6 games Miller has been scored on. Jake Woodford, Wade LeBlanc, and Jose Fernandez each pitched a scoreless inning. The Cardinals could only manage 2 hits after the 5th inning—one by Tyler O'Neill in the 6th and one by Tommy Edman in the 8th.
The Cards start the week 0-1 and 36-37 overall.
Game 2 6/23 @ Detroit Tiger 6 - Cardinals 2
For the 4th game in a row, John Gant's Houdini act was a failure. Gant went 3IP, 2H, 3R, 4BB, 4Ks.
The bullpen was not much better four pitchers were used,
Helsley 1.1IP, 1H, 1R, 2BB, 1K
Cabrera, 1.1IP, 2H, 1R, 0BB, 0K
Gallegos 1.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
Reyes 0.2IP, 1H, 1R, 1BB, 1K
Again, Johnathan Scoop did the damage, hitting a two-run double in the 3rd inning and following that up in the 5th with a solo home run, his 2nd in as many days.
The Cardinals opened up the scoring in the second inning on a Nolan Arenado solo home run. They would score again in the third on a Tommy Edman single, bringing home Lars Nootbaar, who had a Triple for his first Major League hit. Schoop's double in the third would tie the game for Detroit. They would take the lead on a Daz Cameron solo home run in the fourth. Then they would add additional runs in the fifth(Schoop's home run.). Then in the sixth when Akil Baddoo drove home a run with a single to RF. Issac Padres tried to score but were cut down on an excellent throw by Lars Nootbaar for his 1st outfield assist in the big leagues. Padres would get a sac fly in the 8th to account for Pittsburgh's final run.
The loss makes the Redbirds 0-2 for the week 36-38 overall.
Four games series at home June 6/24-6/27
Game 3 6/24 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates 8- Cardinals 2
To open the homestand, St Louis turned to much-maligned pitcher Carlos Martinez to start things off right. I don't think Carlos got the memo.
The Pirates struck early. The first 3 batters reached base safely. A walk, a single, and an RBI single later by Bryan Reynolds, and it was one to nothing. Then Colin Moran reached on a fielder's choice to bring home a second run. One issue in the first inning. Yadi called time for a mound visit, and as he tried to talk to Carlos, it appeared that Carlos turned his back on Yadi. Later on, when Maddox came out, he seemed really disinterested in what he had to say. This may be something worth watching on his next start, or possibly his tenure not only as a starter but as a team member.
The Redbirds got one back in the second on Lars Nootbaar's single. In the fourth inning, Reynolds would strike again, this time for a three-run dinger with two outs. Martinez managed to get through the 5th inning with no runs scored.
Wade LeBlanc came in in the sixth and gave up a home run to Adam Frazier, who would go 3-4 with 3 runs scored and an RBI. In the eighth, Colin Moran Would hit a one-out solo shot off of LeBlanc. After an infield single, Seth Elledge would come in, get an out, then 2 straight singles. The second single by Colin Moran drove in a run to account for the final Pittsburgh run. The Cardinals would threaten in the eighth with bases loaded. All they could manage is a Tyler O'Neill HBP. The loss made the birds 0-3 for the week and 36-39 overall.
Game 4 6/25 Pirates 5- Cardinals 4
The Cardinals came out and scored early, and pitcher Kwang Hyun Kim had only minor trouble the first two innings, but Kim got into trouble he couldn't pitch out of in the third and would only go 4 1/3 innings. It would be the third time in his last 4 starts to go less than 5 innings. Kim hasn't notched a win since his second appearance of the season on April 23, going 0-5 in 10 appearances since then.
The Cardinals scraped home a run in the second on a fielder's choice ground ball off the bat of Dylan Carlson. It was Pittsburgh's turn in the Third when Ke'Bryan Hayes, the Pirate third sacker, singled home a run. Then after another single, the bases were loaded for Jacob Stallings. He would ground out to third, scoring a run. Phillip Evans would single home two runs, and he was thrown out trying to take second.
In the top of the third. Nolan Arenado led off the inning with his 15th homer of the year. Later in the inning, Lars Nootbaar would single home a run
Carlson would strike again in the third with a solo home run to tie the game at 4-4. After getting one out in the 5th, Jake Woodford would come into pitch. After a walk and a batter reaching on a fielder's choice. Jacob Stallings reached on an infield single to bring home the eventual winning Pirate run. Ryan Helsley would come and end the fifth inning.
Helsley now has been scored on once in his last 8 games. Genesis Cabrera, Andrew Miller, and Giovanny Gallegos would finish the game going a combined 3.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3Ks. The Cardinals had 9 hits in the game Arenado would go 2-2 in his 19th multi-hit game, and Nootbaar 2-4. It would be his first multi-hit game as well as a three-game hitting streak. The loss put the birds at 0-4 for the week and 36-40 overall.
Game 5 6/26 vs. Pittsburgh Cardinals 3- Pirates 1
Superman retook the mound for St Louis, aka Adam Wainwright, and the back end of the bullpen took care of business. The offense had some life to it, NOT MUCH but enough to come away with a home victory. It breaks a five-game losing streak which includes a two-game sweep by Detroit.
Paul DeJong hit safely for his second straight game and had an RBI. Paul Goldschmidt went 2-3 as did Yadier Molina, both also had RBIs.
Adam Wainwright went six innings, giving up only one run on six base hits. He struck out eight and walked only one. Cabrera, Gallegos, and Reyes each threw a scoreless inning, with Reyes picking up his 18th save in 18 tries.
The Cardinals jumped on the scoreboard in the first with an RBI single by Molina, Then again in the second on Paul DeJong's ninth home run of the year. It stayed 2-0 until the fourth when Gregory Polanco hit a solo shot. The Redbirds got that run back in the fifth when Goldy connected for a 470 absolute BOMB off of Pittsburgh starter JT. Brubaker for his 11th home run of the year.
4 pitchers for St. Louis issued only 1 walk Cards are now 1-4 for the week. 37-40 overall.
Game 6 6/27 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates 7- Cardinals 2
In what seems to be a reoccurring theme, 1 step forward two steps back. Coming off back-to-back games where the Cardinals outscored Pittsburgh 7-6, resulting in one win. Both pitching and hitting seemed to struggle, resulting in a 7-2 loss.
The only real bright spot in the game was the performance of Jr. Fernandez going two innings, he gave up 3 hits, but no runs scored. He walked one struck out two. Also, Seth Elledge had a good one, two, three innings striking out the side. By that time, however, the damage had been done.
The Pirates brought 9 men to the plate in the 1st inning against Johan Oviedo. The first five batters reached base. Bryan Reynolds drove home the first Pirate run with a single, then Ke'Bryan Hayes would steal home for the second run. Later a bases-loaded walk to Ben Gamel would account for the third run. Oviedo would have a one, two, three-second inning only throwing eight pitches.
He followed up with a similar third inning needing only nine pitches. That would be the only real bright spot for the Rookie. In the fourth, the Pirates would bring seven men to the plate. After two out and a man on the first three straight singles would give Pittsburgh two more runs, one on an infield single by Ke'Bryan Hayes, the other on a Bryan Reynolds single.
Jake Woodford would allow two more in the fifth solo home runs by Gregory Polanco and Ben Gamel. Woodford would pitch a one, two, three-six with the help of a double play. The Cardinals could only manage one run in the seventh on a Nolan Arenado sac fly; and one run in the eighth on a Paul DeJong single. The single gives DeJong a three-game hitting streak. The loss ended the Cardinals week at 1-5 with an overall record of 37-41.
Next up
The Arizona Diamondbacks. at Busch
June 28 Wade LeBlanc 0-1 (0-0 for St Louis) vs. Jake Faria 0-0
June 29 Carlos Martinez 3-9 vs. Caleb Smith 2-3
June 30 Kwang Kim 1-5 vs. Riley Smith 1-3
Then it is off to Colorado for four games.s
July 1 Antonio Senzatela 2-7 vs. Adam Wainwright 6-5
July 2, Chi Chi Gonzalez 2-5 vs Johan Oviedo 0-4
July 3, Kyle Freeland 1-2 vs. Wade LeBlanc 0-1(0-0 for St Louis)
July 4, Germaine Marquez 6-6 vs Carlos Martinez 3-9
Thanks for reading and Go Cards
Twitter @BigD_GCS