HOUSTON ASTROS NOTES:
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Astros and Cardinals wrap up this 3-game series with tonight’s rubber match…RHP J.P. France (2-3) gets the nod for HOU vs. Cards veteran RHP Adam Wainwright (3-2)…tonight will be France’s 1st career app. vs. the Cardinals…this will be Wainwright’s 23rd career app. vs. HOU and his 1st since 6/15/16 at Busch Stadium, a 4-1 Astros win in which he had no decision (7 IP, 0 R)…Note: The Astros have faced Wainwright several times in Spring Training, most recently on March 2nd in Jupiter, which was a 6-0 Astros win (3 IP, 3 ER), which included a solo HR by Jose Abreu off Wainwright.
ABOUT J.P.: Tonight will be the 10th start of the season for rookie RHP J.P. France, who made his MLB debut in a start at SEA on 5/6…he is 2-3 overall in his 9 starts with a 3.54 ERA… Road Warrior: France is 2-2 with a 2.40 ERA (8ER/30IP) in his 5 road starts this season with 26 K’s…France’s 2.40 road ERA since 5/6 ranks 6th in the AL in that span.
ROOKIE RUMBLE: The Astros enter tonight having received 28 starts from rookie pitchers this season, ranking third in the Majors behind OAK (41) and CLE (37)…Homegrown: all 8 starting pitchers used by the Astros in 2023 are products of their minor league system.
VS. THE CARDS: The current series is the 1st between the Astros and Cardinals since HOU took 2 out of 3 here at Busch Stadium, 7/26-28 of 2019…tonight’s game will be the 714th meeting all-time between the two clubs, with STL holding a 381-332 edge…In The Postseason: The Astros are 7-6 vs. the Cards all-time in postseason play…notably, the two clubs squared off in back-back NLCS’s in 2004-05 with STL taking the ‘04 NLCS in 7 games and HOU winning the ‘05 NLCS in 6 games to win the first pennant in franchise history.
WEDNESDAY’S RECAP: Jose Altuve’s clutch, 3-run HR in the 8th inning erased a 7-5 deficit and helped lead the Astros to a 10-7 comeback victory last night at Busch Stadium…Jose Abreu added a 2-run shot later in the frame…RHP Seth Martinez (2-3) hurled a scoreless 7th in relief to pick up the win… Altuve ended up 2×3 with 3 BB, a 2B, HR and 3 RBI…Abreu also had 3 RBI, including his 900th career in the 1st inning… Martin Maldonado contributed with a key, 2-run double in the 6th inning…Kyle Tucker (3×5) and Bligh Madris (2×4) also had good nights offensively.
EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: Last night, Jose Abreu became the 14th active player to reach 900 RBI…his 902 RBI since entering MLB in 2014 rank 2nd only to Nolan Arenado’s 970 RBI in that span…Paul Goldschmidt is 3rd with 851.
MOST RBI – Since 2014
- Nolan Arenado: 970
- Jose Abreu: 902
- Paul Goldschmidt: 851
CARDS KILLER: Jose Altuve’s .383 (51×133) career avg. vs. the Cardinals is the highest among active players (min. 100 AB)…it is also his highest career avg. vs. any opponent…his .384 (28×73) career avg. at Busch Stadium is 2nd-best among active players (min. 50 AB)
Highest Avg. vs. STL – Active Players (min. 100 AB)
- Jose Altuve: .383
- Freddie Freeman: .354
- Jesse Winker: .352
Highest Avg. at Busch Stadium – Active Players (min. 50 AB)
- Freddie Freeman: .393
- Jose Altuve: .384
- Jesse Winker: 379
NEXT STOP: Following tonight’s game, the Astros will return to Texas for a 4-game series vs. the 1st-place Rangers at Globe Life Field…HOU is 1-2 vs. TEX thus far this season.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON: The Astros are 13-6 (.684) vs. AL West opponents this season, which is tops within their division (TEX is 15-8, 652)…since the start of 2022, the Astros are 64-31 (.674) vs. their AL West opponents, and since 2017, the Astros are a combined 284-155 (.647) vs. their AL West opponents.
LONG TRIP: The Astros current, 10-game road trip will be their longest of the season (2-3 thus far)…they were 1-2 at LAD on the 1st stop of the trip and are 1-1 thus far in STL.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros are 21-18 (.538) on the road this season, which is T-3rd in the AL…they have finished at .500 or above on 4 of their 5 previous road trips…HOU’s 72-48 (.600) road record since the start of 2022 is tops in the AL.
ROADIES: RHP Hector Neris has allowed just 1 ER and 6 hits in his 17 road appearances for an 0.63 ERA (1ER/14.1IP) and .128 opp. avg…prior to Saturday’s game (2 ER), RHP Phil Maton had not allowed a run in his 1st 14 road appearances… he hurled a perfect 1.0 inning of relief Tues. night, striking out two batters, and has a 1.04 ERA in 17 road app. (2ER/17.1IP).
PITCHING IN: The Astros have the 2nd-lowest team ERA (3.62) in the Majors, which is tied with Tampa Bay and just behind the Yankees’ 3.61 clip.
Lowest Team ERA – MLB
- New York (AL): 3.61
T2. Houston: 3.62
T2. Tampa Bay: 3.62
INJURY UPDATES: The Astros have been working through several injuries…below are a few updates on sidelined players:
- LF Yordan Alvarez (right oblique strain) has been hitting in the batting cage off the tee (and soft toss) and has been running on the field…he was placed on the IL on 6/9 and is expected to be out for approx. 4 weeks or longer
- OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder surgery) has been hitting on the field and in the batting cage in recent days…he has also been throwing on the field as he continues to ramp up his baseball activities…his progress over the coming weeks will clear up the timeline for his return.
- RHP José Urquidy (right shoulder discomfort) last threw a bullpen session on Tuesday, which was his 2nd of the current road trip (also Sat. at Dodger Stadium)
GRAND SALAMIS: Alex Bregman’s grand slam on Sat. at Dodger Stadium was the 6th of the season for HOU, the 6th of his career and his 2nd in 2023…Bregman and Yordan Alvarez are among 7 MLB players with 2 g. slams in 2023…6 slams for the Astros as a team are 2nd in the Majors to the Dodgers’ 8… the Astros club record for slams in a season is 11, set in 2019.
TONIGHT’S ASTROS STARTER: RHP J.P. FRANCE
LAST START – 6/23 AT LAD: allowed 3 runs on 8 hits through 6 IP, striking out 4 batters and surrendering 2 walks…logged his 4th consecutive quality start…has completed 6+ innings in 5 straight starts…the last Astros rookie with 5 straight starts of 6.0+ innings was RHP Collin McHugh, who did so twice in 2014…the last Astros rookie with a longer streak of 6.0+ innings was RHP Chris Sampson, who had a 9-game streak in 2007.
QUALITY FRENCH: has logged four straight quality starts, becoming the 3rd Astros pitcher to do so this season (RHP Cristian Javier and LHP Framber Valdez)…is T-6th for most quality starts (5) in first 9 career MLB outings among Astros pitchers, alongside teammate RHP Lance McCullers Jr and 3 other players.
ROOKIE LEADERBOARD: amongst AL rookie pitchers, he ranks 2nd in ERA (3.54), 3rd in opponent batting average (.243) and T-3rd in WHIP (1.26)(min. 9 starts).
THE FIRST FRANCE: rookie right-hander made his Major League debut with his start on May 6 at Seattle…allowed 1 earned run in 11.2 IP through his first two MLB starts…he became the 4th pitcher in club history to work 5.0-plus innings, allowing 1-or-fewer runs in each of his first 2 Major League starts…joining LHP Dallas Keuchel (2012), LHP Carlos Hernández (2001) and RHP Manny Hernández as the only other Astros pitcher to record this feat.
ON THE ROAD: has posted a 2.40 ERA (8ER/30IP) through the first 5 road starts of his career…has held opponent’s to a .652 OPS in those starts.
REVERSE SPLIT: has held left-handed hitters to a .214 AVG (18×84) and .582 OPS this season…against right-handed hitters, he recorded a .263 opponent AVG (31×118) with a .826 OPS…also 8 of his 9 HR allowed have come against righties.
PITCHING ARSENAL: he relies on 5 pitches (four-seam fastball, cutter, slider, changeup and curveball).
- his four-seam fastball has a 2,426 spin rate, which is in the 94th percentile.
- his changeup has held opponents to a .100 AVG and has a 37% whiff rate.
- his slider has a 2,613 spin rate and 34.6% whiff rate…opponents are batting .171 against the pitch.
- his cutter has the best spin rate at 2,682 and opponents only have 2 XBH vs it.
ABOUT FRANCE: was selected in the 14th round by the Astros in the 2018 draft out of Mississippi State…the 2023 season is his 6th in the Astros system.
- spent the entire 2022 season with Triple A Sugar Land, going 3-4 with a 3.90 ERA (48ER/110.2IP) in 34 games (15 starts)…struck out 136 hitters in his 110.2 innings, while allowing a .233 opponent average.
- although he never faced the Cardinals, France faced 2B Nolan Gorman in 2018 when he was with Quad Cities River Bandits (Single A, full), holding him hitless (0x2) with a K…also, faced OF Lars Nootbar in 2018 with Tri-City ValleyCats (Single A, short)…Nootbar was his 1st batter France faced in his professional career, surrendering a 5 pitch walk.
FRANCE’S 2023 MILB SEASON: prior to being recalled, he was with Triple A Sugar Land, going 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA (5ER/19.1IP) in 5 games (3 starts)…worked between the rotation and bullpen in the Space Cowboys’ piggyback starter role.
- had 26 strikeouts in 19.1 innings, while allowing just 9 hits on the season… posted a .136 (9×66) opponent average and a 1.03 WHIP.
- did not allow a home run this season in the homer-friendly Pacific Coast League… has not allowed a homer at the MiLB level since Aug. 13, 2022 at ELP…since that date, has made 17 total MiLB appearances (36IP).
FANNING FRANCE: posted huge strikeout numbers in his minor league career, fanning 447 in 362.1 innings pitched…was the most strikeouts by an Astros minor league player since he entered the system in 2018.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:
RECENT REDBIRDS: The St. Louis Cardinals and defending World Series Champion Houston Astros wrap up their three-game series with tonight’s finale at Busch Stadium, followed by the New York Yankees visiting St. Louis for three games this weekend … The current six-game homestand marks the only time the Cardinals play at Busch Stadium over a 29-day stretch through the All-Star Break (June 15-July 13) … Tonight is the 3rd game of 13 consecutive without an off-day, starting with three straight series against winning teams (Astros, Yankees, & Marlins).
FLIGHT PATTERN: The Cardinals enter today in last place in the NL Central, 9.0 games behind 1st place Cincinnati and 5.0 games behind 4th place Pittsburgh … St. Louis has spent 65 of 92 days in last place on this season’s MLB schedule (April 26-May 19 and May 29-present) … This season is the Cardinals slowest start since beginning 32-47 (.405) in 1990.
HEY JUNE: The Cardinals have not posted a winning record in the month of June in six of their last seven seasons (15-14 June in 2022).
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: Adam Wainwright meets the Astros tonight for the first time since June 15, 2016, a period of 2,570 days between starts (7th-longest span between the same team in his career).
- Among pitchers in MLB history to make 10 or more starts against Houston, Wainwright ranks 1st all-time in both winning percentage (.929, 13-1) and ERA (1.48), and leads all active pitchers in wins (13)
- Wainwright’s last homer allowed to Houston was Hunter Pence (June 7, 2008 at Houston – 5,500 days), while Ty Wigginton (May 28, 2008) was the last Astro to homer off him at Busch Stadium.
WE’RE GOING STREAKING: Jordan Walker has reached base safely in 17 in a row since June 5, tied for MLB’s 4th-longest active and trailing only Paul Goldschmidt (18) for longest by a Cardinals this season … Brendan Donovan has reached base safely in a career high 16 straight since June 9, 7th-longest active MLB streak and the T-4th-longest by a Cardinal this season.
TASTE OF CHICAGO: Beginning with the London Series and leading into the trade deadline (June 24-July 30), 20-of-32 Cardinals games are against teams from the Windy City (13) or Skip Schumaker’s Miami Marlins (7).
GOLDENADO: Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado have homered on the same day 40 times since 2013: – Orf
- Once as opponents (Sept. 1, 2015 at Coors Field)
- 30 times on the same day as a member of the Rockies or Diamondbacks
- Nine times as Cardinals teammates since 2021 (St. Louis is 7-2)
- Goldy’s next homer at Busch Stadium will be his 69th career, passing Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter for 3rd in stadium history, while Arenado’s next blast will be the 316th of his career, tying Scott Rolen, Ron Cey, and Matt Holliday for 134th in MLB history.
HEIR JORDAN: Twenty-one year-old rookie Jordan Walker has a hit in 34 of his first 40 career games, tying Albert Pujols (34 in 2001), for 2nd-most games with a hit in any Cardinal’s first 40 games behind Enos Slaughter (36 in 1938) … Walker’s career-high 16-game hitting streak (.382/.460/.655, 21-55) since June 6 is:
- MLB’s longest active, tied for the 6th-longest by any Major Leaguer this season, and tied with Red Sox Masataka Yoshida for longest by any MLB rookie this season
- his 2nd double-digit game hitting streak, putting him in company with Albert Pujols (three in 2001) and Rogers Hornsby (two in 1916) as one of only three Cardinals age 21 or younger with multiple double-digit game hitting streak in the same season.
- tied with Erik Pappas (1993) for the 3rd-longest rookie hit streak in franchise history behind 2001 Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols (17) and Cardinals Bench Coach “Super” Joe McEwing, whose 25-gamer in 1999 stands as the 8th-longest overall hit streak in franchise history.
- the longest by any Major Leaguer age 21 or younger since Atlanta 21-year-old Freddie Freeman (20 in 2011) and tied for the 3rd-longest by a Cardinal age 21 or younger behind 21-year-old Albert Pujols (17 in 2001) and 21-year-old Frank Snyder (18 in 1915).
TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHER: RHP ADAM WAINWRIGHT (3-2, 6.56)
TONIGHT’S GAME
- Makes his 10th start of the season & 467th career appearance (400th career start).
- Owns a 13-1 career mark vs. HOU, with 1.48 ERA. His last start against the Astros came in 2016. His 13 career wins against the Astros rank T2nd all-time among Cardinals pitchers with Steve Carlton. Bob Gibson had a franchise-leading 29 wins against Houston.
- With his 467th career appearance tonight, passes Bill Sherdel for sole possession of 3rd all-time in franchise history behind Bob Gibson (528) and Jesse Haines (554).
- Tonight is Wainwright’s 400th career start, ranking 3rd all-time among Cardinals pitchers Bob Gibson (482) & Bob Forsch (401). Waino’s 399 career starts, all with St. Louis, rank 13th-most, exclusively with one organization in MLB history, while Gibson (482) ranks 6th. Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators leads at 666.
- Is two wins shy of 200 career, 12 wins from 210 (T-2nd all-time Cardinals history with Jesse Haines).
- Only 13 pitchers who debuted in the Expansion Era (1961-present) won 200 games before making their 400th career start: Pedro Martinez, Jim Palmer, Charlie Hough, Tom Seaver, Roy Halladay, Ferguson Jenkins, David Wells, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, and Curt Schilling. – Elias
- At age 41, Waino is one of four active players age 40+ with Rich Hill (43), Nelson Cruz (42) and Miguel Cabrera (40).
- Has pitched 5.0+ innings in eight of his nine starts this season, while departing with the lead in five of his nine outings.
- Missed the first 33 games of the season due to a groin injury he suffered while working out during the WBC Finals. Made two injury rehab starts for Springfield (AA) and one for Memphis (AAA).
BUSCH STADIUM III (2006-present)
- Needs one Home win to pass Jesse Haines (107) for 2nd all-time among Cardinals.
- Has made 208 career starts at Busch Stadium III, surpassing Bob Forsch (207 at Busch Stadium II) for 18th-most at a single stadium in MLB history.
- Has 107 career regular-season wins at Busch Stadium III, tied with Wilbur Cooper (107 at Forbes Field) for 22nd-most wins at a single stadium.
- Is one of 22 pitchers in MLB history to hold a stadium’s record for both appearances (239) and starts (208). Joins Bob Forsch (233 app/207 GS at Busch II) as Cardinals on that list.
- Has 1,189 regular season strikeouts at Busch Stadium III, 15th-most all-time at a single stadium. Jim Palmer (1,191 SO at Memorial Stadium) ranks 14th.
- Is tied with Lance Lynn and Trevor Rosenthal for most Postseason appearances at Busch (13). Leads in PS starts (8), IP (62.0), strikeouts (72) at Busch III.
LAST TIME OUT
- Suffered his worst defeat of the season (9-1), allowing 7 runs on 11 hits (2 HR’s) over 3.0 IP last Sat. (6/24) vs. the Cubs at London Stadium. Failed to strike out a batter for only the 6th start in his career, but for 2nd time in the past two seasons vs. the Cubs.
DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
6/24 CHI L 9-1 L-2 3.0 11 7 7 1 0 2 72-41
