CINCINNATI RED NOTES:
No team release available.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:
RECENT REDBIRDS: The St. Louis Cardinals and division-rival Cincinnati Reds play the second game of a three-game weekend series this afternoon at Busch Stadium … The Cardinals continue their six-game homestand with the San Francisco Giants on Monday … The Cardinals have won back- to-back games for the first time since May 20-21 vs. the Dodgers, while last night’s victory was only the Cardinals 5th in the first game of a series (5-16).
FLIGHT PATTERN: The Cardinals enter today in last place in the NL Central, 7.0 games behind first place Pittsburgh/Milwaukee and 0.5 games behind fourth place Chicago … Overall this season, St. Louis has spent 45 of 72 days in last place on the 2023 Major League schedule (April 26-May 19 and May 29-present) … This season is the Cardinals worst start since beginning 26-38 (.406) in 1995.
PLUS/MINUS: The Cardinals (+4), and San Diego Padres (+19, 30-33 record) are the only two MLB teams with losing records but positive run differentials.
BINGO BANGO: The Cardinals have 14 games of hitting 3+ home runs this season, tying the Braves for 4th-most in MLB behind the Yankees (15), Rays (16), and Dodgers (19) … St. Louis is 22-20 when homering, 15-10 with 2+ home runs, 11-3 with 3+ blasts, but just 5-17 when not going yard.
HOME IMPROVEMENT: The Cardinals have won eight of their last 11 home games (May 7-present) since going 5-13 in their initial 18 home affairs.
BABY BIRDS: Last night was only the third time in franchise history that a pair of Cardinals both under the age of 23.030 each homered in the same game as Nolan Gorman (23.030) and Jordan Walker (21.018) went deep … Prior to last night, the only duos as young to do so were David Green (22.206) and Andy Van Slyke on June 28, 1983 (G2) vs. the Mets and Rogers Horsnby (21.063) and Jack Smith (22.006) on June 29, 1917 at Wrigley Field. – Orf
GREEN LIGHT: Last night, Nolan Arenado hit his 311th career home run and first on a 3-0 count, coming on his 169th career plate appearance on 3-0 counts … Among active players, only Eric Hosmer (0 HR in 186PA) had more plate appearances 3-0 without a homer than Arenado … Arenado’s 429-foot blast stands as the longest 3-0 homer by any MLB player this season and is Arenado’s longest hit in any count since joining St. Louis (2021-23) … The last Major Leaguer with 300+ career homers before their first on a 3-0 count was Carlos Lee (career HR #354 on June 25, 2012). – Elias
RED ALERT: The Cardinals have won 10 of their last 13 over the Reds at Busch Stadium (Sept. 11, 2021-present) … St. Louis has finished with a .500 record or better vs. the Reds at home in each of the last 16 seasons (2007-22) and beaten Cincinnati at home (94-53 record) more than any opponent at Busch Stadium III.
PAIR OF JACKS: Andrew Knizner has homered in consecutive games played twice this season (May 14 at Boston & May 15 vs. Milwaukee and May 28 at Cleveland & June 4 at Pittsburgh) … The last Cardinals catcher to homer in three consecutive games was Yadier Molina (2005, 2011, 2012, 2017) … Tim McCarver (1965) and Darrell Porter (1983) share the franchise record of homering in four straight games by a primary catcher.
START ME UP: The Cardinals starting rotation ranks 5th in ERA (2.65) this month … Of all MLB pitchers to make multiple starts in the month of June, Jack Flaherty (0.79, 4th) and Jordan Montgomery (0.77, 3rd) rank among the league’s top four in ERA with Jon Gray (0.56, 1st) and Kevin Gausman (0.66, 2nd).
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: RHP MILES MIKOLAS (4-2, 3.74)
TODAY’S GAME
NL Ranks: Games Started (13, T-2nd), Innings Pitched (74.2, T-12th), Hits Allowed (85, 2nd), Walks/9 IP (1.81, T-1st).
- The 2022 N.L. All-Star is making his team-high 14th start of 2023, 157th career appearance & 128th career start.
- Is making his 16th career start vs. CIN and his 2nd this season against the Reds.
- Is one win shy of 50 for his career and four strikeouts shy of 600 career.
- Has a 2.05 ERA in four games vs. NL Central clubs this season; 2nd in MLB to the Rangers Martin Perez (1.42) min. 20 IP.
- Ranks 2nd among all-time Busch Std. III leaders in ERA (2.79; min. 300 IP), T9th in all-time wins (21) & 8th in innings pitched (361.1).
- Had both his season-best 4-game win streak and season-best 16.0 scoreless innings streak snapped in his start last Sun. at PIT in morning Peacock game.
- Has walked just one batter over his last 28.2 innings pitched.
- Limited his opposition to one run or fewer in 5 of his last 8 starts (1.82 ERA, 49.1 IP) with the Cardinals posting a 6-2 record over that span. Has not allowed more than three runs in his last 10 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).
- Leads the Cardinals with his four wins on the season and in IP with 74.2.
- Has received no more than three runs of support in 11 of his 13 starts this season. Ranks 3rd in the NL in lowest per game run support avg. (3.50). The Cardinals have played to 2-1 decisions (2-wins, 1 loss) in each of his last three games started.
- Has allowed 10 of his 32 runs in the 1st inning (6.82 ERA, .383 BA); His ERA after the opening inning is 3.06 (21 ER/61.2 IP).
- Since joining the Cardinals in 2018, Mikolas ranks 2nd in MLB (min. 600 IP) in fewest walks (126) behind only Justin Verlander (118). His 1.61 walks/9 IP narrowly leads both Zack Greinke (1.62) Verlander (1.62).
- 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.
LAST TIME OUT
- Matched his season high, allowing 10 hits in a 2-1 loss at PIT last Sun. (6/4) in the morning Peacock game. Allowed two 1st innings runs, as both his 4-game win streak and 16.0 scoreless innings streak came to an end.
DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
6/4 @PIT L 2-1 L-2 5.0 10 2 2 0 2 0 91-61
2023
- Signed a two-year contract extension through 2025 on March 24.
- Pitched for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
- Matched career high 10 strikeouts over 8.0 scoreless IP in 2-1 win vs. Kansas City on 5/30, his longest scoreless outing of the season and third overall. Was his 4th straight winning decision and extended his scoreless innings streak to a team-high 16.0 innings.
- Fired 7.0 scoreless innings of five-hit ball en route to a 2-1 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park (5/25). Was his 2nd straight 7.0-inning outing.
- 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 in a start of 6.0 innings or more for the first time in his career and was 3rd pitcher to do that in 2023 (Kyle Gibson & Rich Hill).
