ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:
COASTAL CARDS: The St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers complete a three-game weekend series at Dodger Stadium today as St. Louis plays the final game of its season-long 11-day, 10-game road trip along the Pacific coast through Seattle (1-2), San Francisco (1-3) and Los Angeles (0-2)… Since the San Diego Padres joined MLB as an expansion team in 1969, this marks just the 13th road trip in the Cardinals history to feature 10 or more games across three cities on the Pacific coast, but first involving an AL team.
SWEEPS: This afternoon, the Cardinals are trying to avoid their first road sweep of the season (2nd overall, Atlanta Apr. 3-5) and first since a three-game sweep June 7-9, 2022 at Tampa Bay. FLIGHT PATTERN: St. Louis enters today in 5th place in the NL Central, 10.0 games behind first place Pittsburgh. The only time the Cardinals were 10 games or more behind the first place team at the end of April was 1907, when they finished April 3-12, 10.0 GB the Chicago Cubs. Elias Sports Bureau
WESTERN WEAR: Today’s game is the 13th of 16 straight against opponents from the NL and AL West Divisions (St. Louis is 68-61 combined vs. both West Divisions since 2019).
ROAD TRIP RELICS: The Cardinals will visit the three oldest active ballparks in Major League Baseball all in succession on the road. Starting with Dodger Stadium (1962) during this road trip. Their next road trip will begin May 8-14 when they play three at Wrigley FIeld (1914) from May 8-10 before traveling to Boston for the completion of the road trip with three at Fenway Park (1912) from May 12-14.
FIVE-N-DIVE: The Cardinals haven’t lost five straight regular season games at Dodger Stadium since 1983 when they were swept in a three-game series (May 6-8) and dropped the first two in their next trip (July 11-12). The last time the Cardinals were swept by the Dodgers was a three-game series in Los Angeles Aug. 5-7, 2019, on the back-end of an 0-5 road trip to Oakland and Los Angeles. The longest losing streak the Cardinals have encountered at Dodger Stadium was eight from July 24, 1975-June 20, 1977.
APRIL SHOWERS: Since MLB expanded to six divisions in 1994, the Cardinals have been in first or tied for first 11 times at the end of April in 28 seasons (excluding 2020) … Of the 17 seasons not in first place at the end of April, the Cardinals have appeared in seven postseasons (2022, 2021, 2014, 2004, 2002, 2001, 1996) … The largest deficit out of first at the end of the month was 6.0 games in 2016 to Chicago, with St. Louis being eliminated from post- season on the final day of the season … The furthest the Cards have been out of 1st place and still made the postseason was 2014, sporting a 15-14 record and 5.5 games back of Milwaukee, before holding off Pittsburgh on the final day of the season to win the division at 90-72. The largest deficit any N.L. Central team has overcome after April to make the postseason was the 2014 Pirates, who were 9.0 games out at the end of April and qualified for the N.L. Wild Card (Elias Sports Bureau)…
BRING MAY FLOWERS: The 2002 Cards began 12-14 in April before rebounding to go 18-10 in May and make the postseason … The 1985 Cards were 8-11 in April, then went 93-50 to end their regular season.
L.A. STORY: Today is the third game of six straight vs. Major League teams the from Los Angeles area (April 28-30 at Dodger Stadium and May 2-4 vs. Angels at Busch Stadium) … The only other time St. Louis has played back-to-back series against the Dodgers and Angels was 2016: May 10-12 at Angel Stadium (3-0) and May 13-15 at Dodger Stadium (1-2).
SCORELESS SENSATIONS: This weekend, Cardinals television broadcaster Brad Thompson and Dodgers broadcaster Orel Hershiser will be calling games. Hershiser is celebrating the 35th anniversary of his Major League record 59.0 inning scoreless streak. Thompson began his Minor League record of 57.2 scoreless innings, 20 years ago in 2003 in Peoria (A), before taking it through Palm Beach (High-A) and finishing with Tennessee (AA).
WAR PAINT: RHP Adam Wainwright is scheduled to make his third rehab start today, throwing approximately 90 pitches for Triple-A Memphis vs. the Durham Bulls (AAA-Rays) at Durham Bulls Athletic Park … Wainwright has missed the first 26 games of the season due to a groin injury suffered in March while working out with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
ZEROS TO HEROES: The Cardinals are 2-1 in games following goose eggs this season (12-4 in 2022).
SURELY YOU CAN’T BE SERIES-OUS?: St. Louis is the lone MLB team to be winless (0-9) in series openers this season, marking a franchise record of consecutive series-opening losses to begin a season. The MLB record still resides in the same city with the 1897 St. Louis Browns dropping their first 14 series openers. The 1978 Cardinals lost 20 straight series opening games from April 14-June 16, marking the franchise record for longest streak
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: RHP JAKE WOODFORD (1-2, 5.47)
TODAY’S GAME
NL Ranks: HR Allowed (7, T3rd); groundballs (46, T10th)
• Today’s start marks his 6th of the season (16th career) and 71st career appearance.
• Facing the Dodgers for the 4th time in his career, the 2nd time as a starter.
• Looking to win back-to-back desicions after gaining his 1st win of 2023 on 4/19 in a 14-5 win over Arizona.
• Has recieved one run or less of support in three of his first five starts.
• Despite allowing a team-high 7 HR’s, Woody leads the Cardinals starting staff with his 54.8 groundball pct. and 46 ground outs.
• Eight of his 15 career starts have come against N.L. Central opponents, posting a 3-3 record with a 2.83 ERA. Has not allowed more than three runs in any of those eight starts.
• He’s 3-0 career vs. NL West clubs (all three wins vs. ARI), but the Cardinals are just 4-11 in his 15 career games pitched vs. the NL West.
• Career 4-5 with 4.37 ERA (70.0 IP/34 ER) in 15 career starts with the Cardinals going 9-6 in those games.
LAST TIME OUT
• Pitched effectively last time out (4/25 at SF), but the Giants rallied for a 3-run 9th that was capped off by a two-out, two-strike, two-run walk-off homer.
DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
4/25 @SF L 5-4 — 5.1 5 2 2 1 4 1 92-58
2023
• Earned his 1st win of the season, and 3rd career vs. ARI, in a 14-5 win 4/19, as the Cardinals prevented a series sweep by the D-Backs.
• Blanked the Pirates over his 5.1 IP on 4/14, and the Cardinals out-lasted the Buccos, 3-0. Woody got 7 of his 16 outs on ground balls in the no-decision.
• Had a strong Grapefruit League season, going 1-0 with a 2.04 ERA in 5 games (2 starts). He led the pitching staff with 18 strikeouts in his 17.2 IP.
• Allowed career-highs with six runs and three home runs, while matching his career-high with seven hits in his first start of the season, an 8-4 loss to ATL (4/3) at Busch Stadium. Surrendered a 473-foot home run to Austin Riley, the 2nd-longest by an opposing player at Busch Stadium in the 1st inning.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
BREAK OUT THE BROOMS: The Dodgers recorded their second shutout of the season last night, blanking the Cardinals, 1-0, behind a dominant Clayton Kershaw (7.0 IP, 2 H, 9 K). The lone run of the game was scored by James Outman, who singled, stole second, moved to third on an error and then crossed the plate on catcher Austin Barnes’ two-out, RBI-single in the second inning. The win sets up an opportunity for the Boys in Blue to match their season-high three-game winning streak (2 times, last: April 22-25) and record their second sweep and first three-game sweep of the campaign. The club swept the Rockies in a two-game series April 3-4. Following today’s 1:10 p.m. matinee, Los Angeles will continue the six-game homestand (2-0) with the first of a three-game set with the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. After that series concludes and an off day on Thursday, Los Angeles begins a six-game road trip to San Diego and Milwaukee with the first of three vs. the Padres at Petco Park on Friday night. The Dodgers head into play this afternoon in second place, 1.0 game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for first in the National League West. With the victory last night, the Dodgers clinched a winning record for March/April. This year marks the fifth consecutive season and sixth time in the last seven that the club has had a winning first month of the year. The last time the club had a losing record out of the gate was 2018, when Los Angeles owned a 12-16 mark after March/April. Los Angeles took two of three in both of their series with St. Louis last year and are now 10-5 against the Cards the last three seasons, including a 6-2 mark at Dodger Stadium. Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman stole a Dodger season high two bases last night and in the process, recorded the first-ever multi steal game of his 14-year Major League career.
PITCHER OF THE MONTH?: Dodger All-Star left-hander Clayton Kershaw was spectacular last night, twirling 7.0 scoreless innings while allowing just two baserunners via the single. Kershaw struck out a Dodger season high tying nine batters and now has 2,848 all-time, eight shy of passing Jim Bunning for 21st on the all-time strikeout list. The native of Texas finishes the season’s opening month leading the NL and tied with Gerrit Cole, Joe Ryan and Shane McClanahan for the Major League lead with five wins. Kershaw’s 38.0 innings pitched leads the National League and the 35-year-old’s 0.76 WHIP also leads the Senior Circuit. The three-time Cy Young Award winner ranks fourth in the NL with a 1.89 ERA and this is the first time in his career that Kershaw has won five or more contests in the season’s first month. One year ago today, Kershaw struck out the Tigers’ Spencer Torkelson for career strikeout No. 2,697, which passed Don Sutton and made him the Dodger franchise’s all-time strikeout king.
THE ROOK: Rookie James Outman snapped an 0-for-11 skid last night and finished the contest going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.
Outman’s 20 RBI are tied for ninth in the National League and the native of Redwood City has hit safely in eight of his last 12, batting .319 (15-for-47) with four doubles, four homers and 10 RBI during that span. He currently leads all rookies in homers (7), RBI (20), slugging (.624), triples (3), extrabase hits (14) and total bases (58) while ranking second in OPS (.995) and tying for second in runs scored (16).
Outman’s seven homers this month are the most by a Dodger Rookie since Will Smith clubbed eight homers in August of 2019. Last Saturday, Outman became the first Dodger rookie ever to club 6+ homers in March/April, passing Alex Guerrero and Joe Ferguson for the all-time mark in those two months. He is currently tied for 8th all-time in homers in a month by a rookie – Cody Bellinger holds the all-time mark with 13 in the month of June (2017).
Most Rookie Homers – March/April
2022 James Outman 7
2015 Alex Guerrero 5
1973 Joe Ferguson 5
LONG BALLS: The Dodgers scored just one run last night and didn’t homer, but still lead the National League with 47 home runs, 10 shy of the Major League leading Tampa Bay Rays (57). The Dodgers have recorded 3+ homers in nine games this season, which ranks second in baseball, trailing only the Rays (10). The Dodgers are second in the League with 22 games with at least one homer, behind the Rays (25), who have homered in all but three games this season.
TONIGHT’S STARTER vs. CARDINALS: RHP NOAH SYNDERGAARD (0-3, 6.58 ERA in 5 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
• Made his season debut April 2 and tossed 6.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits in a no decision…he is 0-3 on the season with a 5.68
ERA with 21 strikeouts
• Has tossed 6.0 innings in three of his five starts…struck out a season-high nine batters on April 14 vs. the Cubs
• Pitched in five games (four starts) during spring ball, going 1-3 with a 5.79 ERA (12 ER/18.2 IP) with 13 strikeouts against just two walks…held a 1.13 WHIP
VS. CARDINALS
• Has not faced the Cardinals since 2019…went 1-1 with a 6.55 ERA (8 ER/11.0 IP) and 10 strikeouts in two starts against the Cardinals in 2019
• He is 2-3 with a 4.10 ERA (17 ER/37.1 IP) and 41 strikeouts in six career starts against the Cardinals
