ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:
RECENT REDBIRDS: The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals play the opener of a three-game series this afternoon at Nationals Park as the Redbirds continue their 11-day, eight-game international road trip through New York (2-1), the Nation’s Capital, and across the pond in London, England to face the division-rival Chicago Cubs this weekend … St. Louis took two-of-three from the Mets at Citi Field over the weekend, marking its first series victory since winning three-of-four from the Dodgers at Busch Stadium (May 18-21) … The Cards have won two consecutive road games for the first time since sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway Park (May 12-14).
FLIGHT PATTERN: St. Louis enters today in last place in the NL Central, 8.5 games behind 1st place Milwaukee and 4.5 games behind 4th place Chicago … The Cardinals have spent 54 of 81 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 29-43 (.403) in 1990.
NOOTBAAR ACTIVATED: Prior to today’s series opener in Washington, the Cardinals activated OF Lars Nootbaar from the 10-Day Injured List, optioned 1B Luken Baker to Memphis (AAA), and added C Iván Herrera to the Taxi Squad … Nootbaar, who missed the previous 16 games due to a lower back contusion, was 4-for-9 (.444) with a double and two homers in a pair of rehab games between DH and RF with Memphis, with all four hits coming in yesterday’s game.
NATIONAL NEWS: Since relocating from Montreal to the Nation’s Capital in 2005, the Cardinals .582 win pct. (64-46) over the Washington is the 2nd-best of any Nationals annual opponent behind the Dodgers (.642, 68-38) … St. Louis has won eight of its last 13 regular season games in Washington, D.C. since 2018.
JUNETEENTH: St. Louis is 0-1 on Juneteenth since 2021 when President Joe Biden recognized today as an official federal holiday … The Cardinals lost 6-4 to the Red Sox at Fenway Park in 2022 and were rained out in Atlanta in 2021 that resulted in a Father’s Day twinbill at Truist Park the following day.
BIRD BLASTS: The Cardinals (Nolan Gorman-15, Nolan Arenado-15, Paul Goldschmidt-12, and Paul DeJong-10) are one of eight MLB teams with 4+ players sporting double-digit home run totals this season: Diamondbacks (4), Angels (4), Rangers (4), Orioles (4), Dodgers (6), Rays (6), and Braves (7) … St. Louis ranks 6th in MLB this season with exactly 100 home runs (72 games); the Cardinals hit their 100th home run last season on July 22, 2022 in their 95th game.
HEIR JORDAN: Jordan Walker has hit in 11 straight games (.395/.477/.789, 15-38) since June 6, MLB’s 2nd-longest active hitting streak behind only Shohei Ohtani (15) … Walker opened the season by hitting in his first 12 games, establishing a Cardinals rookie record to begin a career and tying Eddie Murphy (1912 Philadelphia Athletics) for the MLB record for longest by a player age 20 or younger.
- Walker joins Albert Pujols (three in 2001) and Rogers Hornsby (two in 1916) as the third Cardinal age 21 or younger with multiple double-digit game hitting streaks in the same season.
- MLB Pipeline’s top overall prospect in baseball has hit safely in 29-of-34 games with a PA this season, with his 37 career hits coming off 36 different pitchers from all 11 opponents he’s played against.
DAD STRENGTH: Nolan Arenado enjoyed his 23rd career multi-home run game in yesterday’s 8-7 win at the Mets, homering in his initial and final plate appearances on his first Father’s Day as a dad … According to Elias, Arenado is the only Cardinal in the last 10 years to homer in the 1st inning and then hit the game-winning blast in the last inning of the game twice, last doing so on July 2, 2022 at Philadelphia (Arenado’s previous multi-HR effort) … Exactly six years prior on Father’s Day (June 18, 2017), Arenado notably completed his first of two career cycles with a walk-off three-run homer of a 7-5 win over the Giants at Coors Field
UNIFORM COMBOS: The Cardinals packed five hats (red, navy, Sunday, Father’s Day, & batting practice) and all four uniforms to create six different uniform combinations for their eight-game international road trip: Road Grays with Red hats, Victory Blues with Red hats, Road Grays with Father’s Day hats, Road Grays with Navy hats this series in Washington, Home Creams with Red hats on Saturday in London, and Home Whites with Sunday hats on Sunday in London.
EARLY BIRDS: The Cardinals have five day games on their current eight-game road trip, with today’s matinee being their third consecutive … St. Louis sports a 13-14 record in day ball (7-5 on the road) … Sunday’s game in London is a 3:10 p.m. local first pitch.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: RHP JACK FLAHERTY (3-5, 4.64 ERA)
TODAY’S GAME
NL Ranks: Ground Into Double Plays (14, T-1st), GIDP/9 IP (1.71, 1st), Walks (43, 1st), Games Started (14, T-12th), HR/9 IP (0.73, 8th)
- Making his 15th start of the season and his 6th career against the Washington Nationals. His 113th career start (118th app).
- Has not allowed a home run in his last 36.1 innings pitched, 5th-longest active streak among National League pitchers. Last home run allowed was on May 9 at Wrigley Field to the Cubs’ Dansby Swanson.
- Has thrown 100 or more pitches in each of his last six starts.
- After inducing 14 ground into double plays in his first 10 starts, has not induced one in his last four starts. Still leads the National League in that category and GIDP/9 IP. He’s one shy of establishing a new personal single-season high
- St. Louis is 5-2 in his last five games started dating to 5/9. .
- Has walked 5 or more batters in three of his 12 starts this season.
- Trails only Wainwright & DeJong in years of Cardinals service on 40-player roster.
- Has held his opposition to a .214 career batting average, leading all Cardinals pitchers in the Live Ball Era (post-1920); Bob Gibson (.228, 2nd).
- Missed a total of 122 games in 2022 due to a right shoulder injury (64 games from April 7-June 14 and another 58 games from June 27-Sept.4). Missed 88 games in 2021 with an oblique injury.
- Since becoming a full-time starting pitcher in 2018, ranks 14th among MLB pitchers with a 10.25 strikeouts/9 IP (min. 500 IP).
- St. Louis sports a 60-52 overall record in Flaherty’s 112 career starts. In his first 51 starts from his MLB debut (9/1/2017) until the 2019 All-Star Break, St. Louis went 21-30 (.412). In his last 61 starts (July 16, 2019-present), St. Louis is 39-22 (.639).
- In 112 career starts, Jack is 35-11 when receiving 2+ runs of support, 28-1 when receiving 3+ runs, and 24-0 with 4+ runs of support. Has received 2 or fewer runs of support in 67 of 111 (60.3%) career starts. Has 24 starts with zero runs of support.
- Is 21-16 in 55 career games (52 starts) at Busch Stadium. His .199 opponent batting average is the lowest in stadium history (min. 100 IP), while his 317 strikeouts (8th) ranks in the Top 10 among all pitchers in the ballpark’s history (since 2006). Trails Chris Carpenter (356) by 39 for 7th all-time in stadium history.
LAST TIME OUT
- Surrendered a career-high 10 hits over 4.1 innings allowing six runs with three walks and three strikeouts in an 11-3 loss to the Giants. Has posted a 7.06 ERA over six starts at home this season.
DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
6/13 SF L 11-3 L-5 4.1 10 6 6 3 3 0 101-58
2023
- Allowed a career-high 10 hits vs. SF (6/13) and six runs in an 11-3 loss at home.
- Moved passed Ray Sadecki (665) into 23rd place in Cardinals history against the Texas Rangers (6/7).
- Struck out a season-high 10 batters vs. MIL (5/15), his 10th career double-digit strikeout game and 4th against the Brewers. Was his 24th career scoreless start.
- Surrendered career-highs in runs (10), earned runs, tied his career-high in hits (9) and was removed after 2.1 innings as the Cardinals lost 11-7 at home to the Angels.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
OPPONENT – ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The Nationals and Cardinals will play six times in 2023 (three in D.C and three in St. Louis)…The Nationals swept the Cardinals 4-0 during the 2019 NLCS…Nationals manager Dave Martinez made his Major League debut in 1986 against St. Louis when he was with Chicago (NL)…Lane Thomas made his Major League debut for St. Louis in 2019 and played with the Cardinals until 2021 when he was traded to Washington…Corey Dickerson spent the 2022 season and made the playoffs with the Cardinals.
ON TO THE NEXT
The Washington Nationals continue a seven-game homestand with three games against the St. Louis Cardinals beginning today… Washington will wrap up the homestand on Thursday afternoon with a makeup game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- The Nationals suffered their second sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins this season, falling 4-2 on Sunday.
- Lane Thomas hit his 11th home run of the season, all since May 1…Joey Meneses and Keibert Ruiz both went 2-for-4 with a double.
- In his first game action in 17 days, Cory Abbott provided 3.0 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and struck out two.
WE WANT CANDY
Jeimer Candelario leads National League third basemen (2nd in MLB) in wins above replacement (2.2) and is tied for third with three defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs.com.
- His 21 doubles are the most among National League third basemen and are tied for third in the National League overall.
- Candelario matched a Nationals record (2005-pres.) with three doubles on Friday night vs. Miami.
- Over the last 28 games, Candelario his hitting .320/.417/.592 with 12 doubles, two triples, four homers, 16 RBI, 13 walks and 18 runs scored…The 12 doubles are tied for fourth-most in Major League Baseball since May 15 behind teammate Lane Thomas (13) and a pair of Texas Rangers, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien (13).
LEADOFF LANE
Lane Thomas is hitting .301/.342/.585 with 13 doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 25 RBI, 10 walks, four stolen bases and 34 runs scored since May 1.
- He ranks in Major League Baseball in extra-base hits (T2nd, 26), hits (T5th, 53), doubles (T8th, 13) and slugging percentage (11th, .585) since May 1.
- On the season, he ranks tied for seventh in the National League in hits (78) and ninth in runs scored (47).
- All of his team-leading 11 home runs have come since May 1.
- On defense, Thomas has recorded six outfield assists, tied for the second most among National League outfielders.
JOEY BATS
Joey Meneses has reached safely in 32 of his last 35 games, hitting .331/.382/.439 with 10 doubles, one triple, one homer, 25 RBI, 12 walks and 18 runs scored during the stretch.
- Meneses ranks in the National League in average with runners in scoring position (3rd, .441), hits (6th, 81) and batting average (6th, .300).
- Meneses is hitting .522 (24-for-46) against right-handed pitchers with runners in scoring position, the best mark in Major League Baseball ahead of Miami’s Luis Arraez (.447).
CHECKIN’ IN ON THE ‘PEN
A few of Washington’s relievers find themselves among the best in baseball:
- Carl Edwards Jr. (T4th, 13) and Hunter Harvey (T12th, 11) each rank in the top 12 in the National League in holds.
- Kyle Finnegan is tied for seventh in the National League with 11 saves.
- In his last seven games, Mason Thompson has posted a 0.00 ERA (7.0 IP) with six strikeouts, two walks and a .208 opponents’ average (5-for-24)…All five hits have been singles.
- Jordan Weems has not allowed a hit in his last four relief appearances (0-for-15)…He has six strikeouts and just one walk in 5.0 innings across those outings.
STARTING PITCHER – #40 JOSIAH GRAY
Right-hander was acquired by the Nationals from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2021 Trade Deadline…Was Los Angeles’ No. 2 prospect entering 2021 and its Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019…Was originally selected by Cincinnati in the second round (No. 72 overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York…Was acquired by the Dodgers on his 21st birthday, Dec. 21, 2018…Is the Player Ambassador to the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy.
LAST START
Allowed four earned runs in 7.0 innings on June 14 at Houston…Surrendered six hits, struck out five and did not walk anyone….He took a no decision in a Nationals 5-4 defeat at the Astros.
vs. ST. LOUIS
Squared off against the Cardinals twice in 2022…He went 0-1 with an 8.64 ERA with nine strikeouts, five walks, eight earned runs on 11 hits, and one hit by pitch through 8.1 innings of work.
RANKS
Gray ranks 10th in the National League with a 3.19 ERA…He paces the Nationals staff in opponents’ batting average (.236), opponents’ slugging percentage (.389), opponents’ OPS (.714) and home runs allowed per 9.0 innings (1.14).
SLIDER STATS
Gray’s slider is tied for third among all Major League sliders (min. 100 PA) with a 32.1% hard hit rate, 11th with a 31.8% whiff rate (swing & miss / total swings) and 13th with a .228 opponents batting average against…The 32.1% hard hit rate ranks tied for 15th among all Major League pitches this season.
ON A HEATER
Gray is in the midst of the best stretch of his career, pitching to a 2.80 ERA (23 ER/74.0 IP) with 62 strikeouts and seven home runs allowed In his last 13 games.
KEEPING THE BALL IN THE YARD
Gray has allowed 1.14 home runs allowed per 9.0 innings (10 HR/79.0 IP)…He allowed back-to-back home runs to lead off the game on April 1 vs. Atlanta (Acuña Jr./Olson) and beginning with the next batter, has allowed just eight additional home runs in the next 79.0 innings entering play tonight…This improvement comes after he led Major League Baseball with 38 home runs and 2.30 home runs per 9.0 innings last season.
THE STORY OF HIS CUTTER
As told to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post in a recent story: “At the start of spring training, Gray debuted a cutter he learned from Erasmo Ramírez, who drew his grip on a baseball Gray practiced with until he lost it at the gym during the offseason. Gray joked that some Florida teenager could be throwing Ramírez’s cutter in high school games. Yet by the time he misplaced the ball, Gray knew where to put his fingers. The pitch felt like a natural complement to his slider, moving more side-to-side while his gyroscopic slider drops almost straight down.”
