ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:
RECENT REDBIRDS: The St. Louis Cardinals continue a six-game road trip through Pittsburgh and Texas with the finalé of a three-game series against the Pirates today at PNC Park. This is the Cardinals first of two visits to the Steel City, returning August 21-23. Earlier this season, the Cardinals split a four-game series with Pittsburgh at Busch Stadium (Apr. 13-16). Pittsburgh leads the season series 4-2 winning their last two home series vs. the Cardinals dating back to 2022. Following this morning’s game, the Cardinals will fly to Texas to play their first games at Globe Life Park, which was established in 2020.
FLIGHT PATTERN: Entering today, the Cardinals are in last place in the National League Central, 6.5 games behind first place Milwaukee and 1.5 games behind fourth place Cincinnati. St. Louis was a season-low 10.0 games out of first place eight days from April 29-May 6, before closing to 4.0 games back on May 27. St. Louis spent 24 days in last place from April 26-May 19 and 39 days of the 65 days in the cellar on the 2023 Major League schedule.
APRIL SHOWERS…MAY FLOWERS…JUNE…?: The Cardinals began their season 10-19 in March/April and took a five-game losing streak into May before exploding through the rest of the month from a 10-24 record to 25-32 at the end. From May 7-31, the Cardinals had the best record in the National League at 15-8 and nearly set a franchise record for May, hitting 44 home runs, one shy of the 2000 Cardinals who hammered 45.
BAKER SELECTED; BARRERA DESIGNATED : Prior to today’s game, the Cardinals selected the contract of 1B Luken Baker from Memphis (AAA). To make room on the 40-player roster, C Tres Barrera was designated for assignment. Baker’s first appearance will be his Major League debut, making him the 3rd Cardinal to make his MLB debut this season joining OF Jordan Walker and RHP Guillermo Zuñiga. Baker was batting .313 with 18 HR and 53 RBI through 54 games in Triple-A. He’s tied with Jo Adell (Salt Lake-AAA) for the minor league lead in home runs and 3rd in RBI.
WOODFORD REHABS IN MEMPHIS: RHP Jake Woodford (right shoulder inflammation) made his second rehab appearance last night in Omaha. He started the game and threw 3.0 hitless innings with a walk and two strikeouts over 35 pitches (21 strikes). The Redbirds won 4-2 over the Storm Chasers as Moises Gómez iced the game with his 15th home run of the season in the 6th inning. Gómez has hit 14 HR since May 6, the most in the Majors or Minors over that period edging Aaron Judge (NYY) with 13.
REDBEARD’S REDBIRD REVENGE: Of the Cardinals last nine losses at PNC Park dating back to 2018, eight have came after St. Louis held a lead.
FRIENDLY WATERS: Since the Cardinals began their current four-season postseason run back in 2019, they are 26-9 (.743) at PNC Park, the most wins and highest winning percentage at the ballpark of any team with more than two series played (Toronto 6-0, Seattle 3-0). Last season, the Cardinals were 6-3 at PNC Park.
HE’S NEVER GONE!: This morning’s game between the Cardinals and Pirates will be broadcast on Peacock. Making his debut as a broadcaster will be former Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols. Pujols will join Bob Walk of the Pirates broadcast team and Brendan Burke, a play-by-play announcer with the NHL Network and New York Islanders. Pujols is no stranger to PNC Park, holding the all-time record for home runs by a visiting player with 35. Last season, the Cardinals played at PNC Park on Peacock and Pujols blasted two of those home runs on May 22. The Cardinals are 3-0 on games streamed by Peacock (1-0) or Apple+ (2-0) since 2022.
ARCH CITY AVOIDANCE: Also working as a sideline host on the Peacock broadcast team is former OF Nick Swisher. Swisher has the unique distinctions of having the most career plate appearances in the Interleague Era (since 1997) to never play in the city of St. Louis, where his father Steve played three seasons of his career (1978-80). Swisher’s 6,308 plate appearances without one at Busch Stadium II or III, leads the list that also includes Shannon Stewart (6,143), Chris Davis (5,630) and Carlos Guillen (5,277). Elias Sports Bureau
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: The Cardinals are 12-6 in the final game of a series this season, including 5-4 on the road. Against the Pirates, this season, the Cardinals have been outscored 20-10 in the 6th inning and after.
TWO FOR THE ROAD: Following Tuesday night’s game with Kansas City, the Cardinals had a rare pair of off days with Wednesday and Thursday open. This marked the first time there were two consecutive scheduled off days (excluding the All-Star Break and rain outs) since September 27-28, 1978, following a trip to New York when the Mets had to allow the end of season conversion of Shea Stadium for the football Jets. After returning to St. Louis, the Cardinals dropped two of three to Montreal to conclude the season.
THE NEXT TIME WILL BE SOONER…: The next time the Cardinals have two scheduled off days on the schedule won’t be 45 years. When St. Louis leaves Washington D.C. for London later this month, they will have June 22-23 as off/travel/rest/media/practice days.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: RHP MILES MIKOLAS (4-1, 3.75)
TODAY’S GAME
NL Ranks: Games Started (12, T-1st), Innings Pitched (69.2, T-7th), Hits Allowed (75, 2nd), Walks/9 IP (1.94, 3rd).
- The 2022 N.L. All-Star is making his team-high 13th start of 2023, 156th career appearance & 128th career start.
- Is one win shy of 50 for his career and six strikeouts shy of 600 career.
- Has won four straight decisions (4/27-present) while riding an NL-best active 16.0 scoreless inning streak (5/20-present) tied with the Phillies’ Hector Neris. Last won five straight decisions the final five starts of the 2018 season
- Has walked one batter over his last 23.2 innings pitched.
- Limited his opposition to one run or fewer in 5 of his last 7 starts (1.62 ERA, 44.1 IP) with the Cardinals posting a 6-1 record over that span. Has now allowed more than three runs in his last nine starts (April 16-present).
- Finished May 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in six starts, ranking among MLB leaders in innings pitched (38.0, 2nd), ERA (5th), and wins (T-7th).
- Is 3-0 with a 2.91 ERA (34.0 IP) and 25 strikeouts in six starts on the road.
- Leads the Cardinals with four wins since April 27.
- Has received no more than three runs of support in 10 of his 12 starts this season. Ranks 5th in the NL in fewest run support (3.75).
- Has allowed eight of his 30 runs in the 1st inning (6.00 ERA, .358 BA).
- Since joining the Cardinals in 2018, Mikolas ranks 2nd in MLB (min. 600 IP) in fewest walks (126) behind only Justin Verlander (115). His 1.62 walks/9 IP in that span ties Zack Greinke (1.62) for 2nd behind Verlander (1.60).
- Was one of 10 MLB pitchers and two Cardinals (Wainwright) with a perfect 1.000 fielding pct. (31 total chances) in 2022. Hasn’t committed an error since 8/2/18 vs. COL, and he’s 9th among MLB pitchers in fielding pct. (.986) since 2018. (min. 100 TC).
- Ranks 2nd behind only Adam Wainwright (2,593.2 IP) in most innings pitched (701.1) among active Cardinals.
- Signed a two-year contract extension through 2025 on March 24.
LAST TIME OUT
- Matched career high 10 strikeouts over 8.0 scoreless IP in Tuesday’s 2-1 win vs. Kansas City at Busch Stadium, his longest scoreless outing of the season and third overall.
- Won his 4th straight decision while extending his scoreless inning streak to a team-high 16.0 innings (5/20-present)
DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
5/30 KC W 2-1 W-4 8.0 3 0 0 1 10 0 102-66
2023
- Fired 7.0 scoreless innings of five-hit ball en route to a 2-1 win at Great American Ball Park (5/25). Was his 2nd straight 7.0-inning outing and has allowed one run or fewer in 3 of his last 4 starts.
- Posted his second straight start of allowing one run as the Cardinals rolled to a 9-1 win in a three-game sweep of Boston at Fenway Park (5/14). Did not strike out a batter of a start of 6.0 innings or more for the first time in his career and the 3rd pitcher to do that in 2023 (Kyle Gibson & Rich Hill).
- Allowed at least 5 runs and 9 hits in each of his first three starts – first pitcher in MLB to begin a season with three such starts since Alex Cobb (2018, BAL). Became the 16th pitcher in Cardinals history to start a season allowing five or more runs in his first three starts and first since Brett Tomko (2003).
- Received a no decision on 4/11 at COL, departing the game after 5.0 IP and trailing 6-2 after allowing three HR’s tying his career-high. Tied his season-high with 10 hits allowed.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES: Have won four straight games since falling under .500 (26-27) following their loss on 5/29 (the first time the team was under .500 since 4/2)…Have four separate winning streaks of at least four games this season, including a season-high seven-game winning streak from 4/17-23, their longest winning streak since 2018 (11 games)…Are 0.5 game behind the first place Brewers in the National League Central coming into today.
ROSTER MOVE: The Pirates selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Chase De Jong from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to today’s game…Right-handed pitcher Yerry De Los Santos has been optioned to Indianapolis to make room on the 26-man active roster…There are currently 38 players on the 40-man roster.
CHECKING THE BROOM CLOSET: Today the Pirates will look for their fourth sweep of the season and first against the Cardinals here at PNC Park since April 27-29, 2018, which was also a three-game series…Pittsburgh’s last sweep came against the Reds in a four-game series from April 20-23 in Pittsburgh.
CENTRAL PERK: The Pirates have won six straight games against their own division, losing for the last time on April 16 when the team was walked off in 10 innings at St. Louis…The last time the Pirates won at least six straight games within their own division came in 2018 (nine straight from July 12-31).
RICH ON THE HILL: Rich Hill takes the mound for the 12th time this season and will pitch against St. Louis for the first time since 2021…Hill has won three of his last four matchups against the Cardinals coming into today… Hill will be looking for his first win since he went 6.0 innings and allowed just one hit in an 8-0 shutout at Detroit on May 17.
CUTCH THIS: Andrew McCutchen made his Major League debut on this day 14 years ago against the New York Mets batting leadoff while making the start in center field… McCutchen singled off Mike Pelfrey in his first at-bat and went on to have two hits while also recording an RBI and scoring three runs in an 11-6 win.
KE’S TO THE GAME: Ke’Bryan Hayes has gone deep in back-to-back games for the first time in the same season…Coming into today, Hayes ranks fourth among all National League third basemen with 21 extra base hits…The only National League players at that position with more extra base hits are Washington’s Jeimer Candelario (26), Los Angeles’ Max Muncy (22) and Atlanta’s Austin Riley (22).
THE HOT CORNER: Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded 14 RBI since May 19…That’s tied for the fourth-most in the National League in that time behind J.D. Martinez (19), Ryan McMahon (16) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (15).
THE RENEGADE: David Bednar has picked up saves in each of his last three games after appearing in seven straight non-save situations from May 5-28…Bednar comes into today converting each of his last eight opportunities since being charged with his only blown save on April 11…He also ranks fourth in the National League with 12 saves, trailing San Francisco’s Camilo Doval (14), Cincinnati’s Alexis Diaz (13) and San Diego’s Josh Hader (13).
GO JOE: Connor Joe has knocked in a run in three straight games for the first time in his career, including his two-run double in the sixth inning on Saturday that broke a 1-1 tie against the Cardinals…Joe is now 6-for-16 with three doubles, a home run and four RBI in his last four games.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – 44 – LHP RICH HILL
YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO
2023 4-5 4.76 11 11 0 0 58.2 65 35 31 18 55
RICH HILL: The 43-year-old lefthander is making his 12th start of the season…He lost a 14-4 decision (6.0ip/6r) in his last start Monday afternoon at San Francisco.
vs. ST. LOUIS: 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA (44.0ip/22er) in 10 career appearances (nine starts)…Hasn’t faced the Cards since losing a 7-0 decision (5.0ip/3r) on 9/13/21 as a member of the Mets…His only relief appearance against the Cards came as a rookie in 2005 on 9/15 while pitching for the Cubs.
