ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:
COASTAL CARDS: The St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers continued a three-game weekend series at Dodger Stadium tonight as St. Louis plays the final leg 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 (0-1)… Since the 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.
FLIGHT PATTERN: St. Louis enters today in 5th place in the NL Central, 8.5 games behind first place Pittsburgh … Today’s game is the 12th of 16 straight against opponents from the NL and AL West Divisions (St. Louis is 68-60 combined vs. both West Divisions since 2019).
HALF A CENTURY: The Cardinals 10 wins through 27 games is their fewest since going 6-21 through their first 27 games in 1973.
L.A. STORY: Tonight is the second 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).
GOLDEN BOYS: Last night, Paul Goldschmidt swiped his third stolen base of the season, moving his active Major League leading streak to 26 straight without being caught. In the process, he collected his 150th career stolen base making him and Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell the only two first basemen in MLB history with 300 HR and 150 SB.
THE NOOT ROUTE: Lars Nootbaar drew three walks for the third time this season last night and leads all of Major League Baseball with the most games with three or more walks. The last Cardinals player to walk more than three times in three or more games was Matt Carpenter with four in 2018.
FEELS LIKE HOME: Lars Nootbaar has hit safely in all four games at Dodger Stadium in his MLB career (6-13, .462, HR, 4 RBI) extending the streak from his college days at USC when he hit the game-winning RBI on an 8th inning tie-breaking home run vs. UCLA (3/11/18) and a game-winning 10th inning RBI vs. UCLA (3/5/17) in the College Baseball Classic.
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. Elias Sports Bureau
CORNERSTONE COMBO: Paul Goldschmidt (33 HR, 103 RBI) and Nolan Arenado (30 HR, 95 RBI) are the top two active leaders in home runs and RBI against the Dodgers … The duo is attempting to continue where Hall of Famer Stan “The Man” Musial left off, the all-time MLB leader against the Dodgers in runs (299), hits (522) RBI (270) and 3rd in home runs (74) … Goldschmidt’s 33 dingers are his most against any opponent.
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 postseason 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.
TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHER: LHP JORDAN MONTGOMERY (2-3, 3.81)
TONIGHT’S GAME
NL Leaders: Walks/9 IP (1.91, 8th), HR/9 IP (0.32, 5th).
• Is set to make his 6th start of the season and his 114th career (17th as a member of the Cardinals). It’s his third consecutive start against an NL West foe.
• Facing the Dodgers for just the 2nd time in his career, both times here at Dodger Stadium. Matched his career high allowing 3 HR’s here in his 9/24/22 start.
• For the season, Monty has allowed just one round-tipper (G. Moreno-ARI) and his 0.32 HR/9 IP ranks 5th best in the NL.
• Trying to snap a 3-game losing streak (one shy of career high). He’s received just two runs of support in those three losses.
• Has allowed no earned runs in his two road games this season, fanning 15 in 13.0 IP. In four career road starts with St. Louis, he’s allowed zero earned runs in three of those games – the lone time he did not was his 6 runs allowed at Dodger Stadium (9/24/22).
• Is lone Cardinals starting pitcher to have not yet recorded a GIDP in 2023, but leads team’s starters in fewest baserunners/9 IP (11.75).
• Is 8-6 with a 3.33 ERA in 16 starts as a member of the Cardinals and St. Louis has won 10 of his 16 starts.
• Leads all Cardinals pitchers with 86 strikeouts since being acquired at the 2022 Trade Deadline (8/2/22).
• Has not walked a left-handed batter since being acquired by the Cardinals (57 total batters faced). Is the only pitcher in MLB who has faced 50+ left-handed batters without a walk to a LHB since 8/1/22.
• Made his fourth Opening Day roster and first with the Cardinals, adding to 2018, 2021 and 2022 with the Yankees. Was on the Injured List in 2019 and Taxi Squad in 2020.
• Has held his opposition to three earned runs or fewer in 79% (89-of-113) of his career starts.
LAST TIME OUT
• Threw a season-high 107 pitches and limited the SF Giants to just one unearned run over his 6.0 IP, but took the loss as Alex Cobb blanked the Cardinals, 4-0. It was just the 2nd road loss for Monty as a member of the Cardinals.
DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
4/24 @SF L 4-0 L-3 6.0 5 1 0 1 6 0 107-65
2023
• Established a new career-high with a 15.0 inning scoreless streak from 4/2-13, surpassing his previous high of 14.2 IP.
• Won his opening start of the season behind a 9-4 offensive effort vs. TOR (4/2) in a series clinching win.
• Threw 7.0 scoreless innings of three-hit ball at MIL (4/8). Was the longest outing by a Cardinals pitcher this season and his 2nd consecutive scoreless outing against an N.L. Central opponent on the road (16.0 IP streak).
• Tied his career-highs in both hits (10) and runs (7) allowed as the Cardinals lost 8-7 vs. ARI (4/18) in a game they rallied from down 7-2 in the 4th inning.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
TIME TO GET GOING: The Dodgers opened up their homestand in style last night, once again climbing back over .500 with a 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the first contest of a three-game series. Dustin May pushed through a tough first inning to earn his career-high tying third win of the season. The right-hander gave up two runs on three hits while walking four and striking out four. At the plate, Mookie Betts and Miguel Vargas homered, Freddie Freeman had three hits and Jason Heyward stayed hot, collecting two hits and two RBI. Tonight, Los Angeles will take their first crack at clinching a series victory over the Redbirds, behind Clayton Kershaw, who’s off to a stellar start in the season’s first month. The Dodgers begin play tonight in second place in the NL West, 1.0 game behind Arizona. Following tomorrow’s matinee with St. Louis, the Dodgers will welcome in the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game series to round out the homestand (1-0) from Monday-Wednesday next week. After an off day on Thursday, Los Angeles begins a six-game road trip with the first of three vs. the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Friday night. Los Angeles took two of three in both of their series with St. Louis last year and are now 9-5 against the Cards the last three seasons, including a 5-2 mark at Dodger Stadium. Despite the win, the Dodgers allowed a season high seven walks last night, which was uncharacteristic of the pitching staff. Los Angeles ranks second in the NL, averaging just 2.78 walks per nine innings, trailing only the San Francisco Giants (2.52). The Dodgers gave up three steals on three attempts last night, marking the first time in franchise history the club has given up three or more stolen bases in four consecutive games (April 25-28). Los Angeles has had more steals attempted against them than any other team in baseball (47) and the club has yielded 41 stolen bases, 13 more than the next ML squad (Padres, 28).
LEAD OFF L.A.: Dodger Gold-Glove outfielder and moonlighting infielder Mookie Betts led off the game for the Dodgers with a solo homer, his fourth big fly of the season. For Betts, it was career leadoff homer No. 38, which snapped a tie with Ichiro Suzuki and he now sits at 10th on the all-time list. In addition, the leadoff blast was his 18th as a Dodger, which ranks third in franchise history.
CY GUY: Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw takes the mound this evening riding a Dodger season-high tying three-game winning streak as he looks to become the first National League pitcher with five victories this season. Kershaw is just nine wins away from passing Don Drysdale (209) for second on the Dodgers all-time wins list and would only trail Don Sutton (233) for first all-time. He is also closing in on Jim Bunning for 21st on the all-time Major League strikeout list as he has 2,839, 17 shy of passing Bunning.
THE ROOK: Rookie James Outman drove in his 20th run of the season last night in the team’s 27th contest of the season. The last Dodger rookie to amass 20 RBI in a season that quickly was Bill Hart in 1945, who put up 21 RBI for the Brooklyn Dodgers that season through the club’s first 26 contests. Hart, who also played sparingly in 1943 and 1944, would collect just six more RBI the entire season and then retire from baseball. Outman has hit safely in seven of his last 11 games and is batting .295 (13-for-44) with four doubles, four homers and 10 RBI during that span. He currently leads all rookies in homers (7), RBI (20), slugging (.622), triples (3), extra-base hits (14) and total bases (56) while ranking second in OPS (.985) and tying for third in runs with 15. 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).
LONG BALLS: The Dodgers belted two home runs last night, including the first of the season for rookie Miguel Vargas. Los Angeles has hit 47 homers on the season and trails only Tampa Bay (52) for the Major League lead. The Dodgers have recorded 3+ homers in nine games this season, which is tied with the Rays for the big league lead. The Dodgers are second in the League with 22 games with at least one homer, behind the Rays (24), who have homered in all but three games this season.
TODAY’S STARTER vs. ST. LOUIS: LHP CLAYTON KERSHAW (2-1, 3.50 ERA in 3 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
• Notched his 200th career win in his start on April 18 against the Mets, making him the only Los Angeles Dodger to win 200 games with the same franchise…joins Don Sutton (233) and Don Drysdale (209) on the Dodger all-time list…
• Moved into 22nd all-time on the Major League strikeout list with 2,824, surpassing Mickey Lolich inhis last start on April 18…he needs 161
more to become the 20th player in Major League history with 3,000 strikeouts
• Has fired 6.0+ innings in all five starts this season…
• Started four games in Spring Training, going 2-1 with a 3.44 ERA (7 ER/18.1 IP)with 16 strikeouts against just two walks…held a 1.04 WHIP
VS. CARDINALS:
• Went 1-0 with seven strikeouts, allowing two runs in 6.0 innings against the Cardinals in 2022
• He is 9-5 with a 2.97 ERA (41 ER/124.1 IP) and 134 strikeouts against 40 walks against the Cardinals in his career…including a 6-2 record with a 2.42 ERA (20 ER/74.1 IP)
