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Associated Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Hunter Goodman's pinch 2-run homer gives the Rockies a 6-5 win over the Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pinch-hitter Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning, rallying the Colorado Rockies to a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. With one out, Goodman connected on a 3-2 sinker from JoJo Romero (4-4) and sent it 432 feet over the center field fence to score Kyle Karros, who led off with a walk. Goodman, who leads the Rockies with 24 homers, also hit a 436-foot blast in Colorado's 3-0 win on Tuesday. Mickey Moniak also homered for Colorado, and Karros had two hits and scored twice. Braxton Fulford drove in two runs. Alec Burleson and Lars Nootbaar each homered for St. Louis. Pedro Pagés had two hits and drove in two runs. Jimmy Herget (1-2) struck out two in a scoreless eighth and Victor Vodnik pitched the ninth for his fourth save. Burleson belted an 0-2 fastball just inside the right field foul pole after Masyn Winn led off the fifth inning with a single, giving St. Louis a 5-1 lead. Nootbaar, who exited Monday's game with left knee contusion and didn't play Tuesday, homered in the fourth. Colorado clawed back into the game with single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Key moment Jordan Beck led off the Colorado second with a single and was nearly picked off, a play the Cardinals challenged unsuccessfully. On the next pitch, he was thrown out trying to steal. Key stat Goodman has homered in five of his last 10 games and six of 13. Up next The Rockies host Arizona on Thursday with Bradley Blalock (1-3, 7.89 ERA) opposing the Diamondbacks' Eduardo Rodriguez (4-7, 5.68). The Cardinals welcome the slumping New York Yankees for a three-game series starting Friday. St. Louis' Andre Pallante (6-9, 4.95 ERA) faces Luis Gil (0-1, 7.27). ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
07-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
MLB bullpens impacting fantasy baseball. Kyle Finnegan gets two saves, JoJo Romero steps up
The entire leverage landscape has changed since my column following the trade deadline, reinforcing how volatile the closer role can be. Six changes have been made in the American League leverage pathways since then, and two have been made in the National League. Although some team patterns have become clearer, committee or matchup-based approaches persist, causing frustration for those chasing saves. Advertisement After suggesting Kyle Finnegan could be involved in the Tigers' save mix, he recorded the only two saves since his arrival, coinciding with Will Vest's recent struggles. Devin Williams appears ticketed for another low-leverage reset after consecutive blown saves against Tampa Bay and Texas, plus a loss in his last outing. He has allowed at least a run in his past four appearances and six of his previous eight. Robert Garcia has lost his grip on the preferred save share for Texas, giving up a home run in each of his past three outings while getting tagged with two blown saves and two losses. In the NL, Seth Halvorsen was placed on the injured list, and he hopes to return by the end of the season, further periling a weak leverage pathway. Kevin Ginkel landed on the 60-day injured list, ending his season. St. Louis has provided more clarity on roles, with JoJo Romero and Riley O'Brien posting saves since Ryan Helsley's trade. Considering all of these changes, my leverage pathways have been updated. Here are my high-leverage pathway identifiers. Each team will receive one of the following labels: Baltimore Orioles: Keegan Akin has the only save following the trade deadline. Although he's volatile in save situations, he may be the most reliable reliever while Félix Bautista is on the injured list. It's been an up-and-down season for Yennier Cano. He's also in the mix, but could enter a game in the sixth, eighth or ninth inning, making him a deep-league play only. Detroit Tigers: With two saves for his new team, Finnegan has tweaked his pitch mix, throwing more split-fingered fastballs to generate more whiffs. His arrival has affected the fantasy value of Vest, who has not secured a save since July 20. Minnesota Twins: So much for Cole Sands emerging as the preferred save share; he has pitched the eighth inning in all three outings since his team gutted the leverage ladder. Justin Topa has posted the only save over the past seven days. The team has been linked to Ryan Pressly, but he's weighing offers as a free agent following his designation for assignment by the Cubs. Advertisement New York Yankees: As highlighted above, Williams has lost his grip on the closer role. David Bednar recorded a five-out save in Texas and could cement his role atop the team's leverage pecking order with continued strong appearances. Manager Aaron Boone can also continue mixing and matching in the late innings based on matchups, so this must be monitored closely. Texas Rangers: Newly acquired Phil Maton converted his first save chance for the Rangers against the Yankees and could earn the preferred save share based on performance. The Athletics: In a tied game with Washington, Sean Newcomb tossed two scoreless frames across the seventh and eighth innings before Michael Kelly suffered a walk-off loss. They remain the primary late-inning options, but wins have been sparse, and with no clear roles, it's best to avoid situations like this from a fantasy perspective. Arizona Diamondbacks: Manager Torey Lovullo has suggested he does not know who will close games with Kevin Ginkel out for the remainder of the season. Andrew Saalfrank, John Curtiss, and Kyle Backhus are in the mix. It would be wise to leave this headache for your opponent. Colorado Rockies: Although Halvorsen was not lost for the season, his rehab will determine when he can return to play. Victor Vodnik should be the fill-in, but he has allowed multiple runs in two of his past three games and at least a run in four of his previous five games. Tread lightly here; the risk outweighs the reward. Los Angeles Dodgers: A noted slow starter, Blake Treinen has struggled since returning from his extended layoff on the injured list, but remains the preferred option for saves until Tanner Scott can return. However, Treinen has not recorded a save since April 9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Although it felt like this would be the coronation of Dennis Santana as the closer, he has struggled in recent outings, allowing multiple runs in two of his past three appearances. He should have some migration toward the mean, but better results during save situations are needed for fantasy relevance. Monitor his next few outings closely. Advertisement St. Louis Cardinals: Romero has been the highest-leveraged reliever facing the toughest left-handed hitters while recording two saves and a win over his past three appearances. O'Brien posted his first career save against the Dodgers, and though he lacks swing-and-miss upside, he can provide ancillary saves when Romero appears before the ninth inning. Kyle Leahy logged two innings in his last outing and projects as the bridge reliever for his teammates. San Francisco Giants: Earning his first All-Star appearance, Randy Rodríguez had been struggling in the second half but turned in a clean save appearance his last time out against the Pirates, notching his third save. He has converted two of three save opportunities in August. Washington Nationals: This franchise has not had a reliever record a save since July 28, so it's not on Jose A. Ferrer. He is the preferred save option based on his elite velocity and ground ball rates. But volume may be a struggle down the stretch. *Multi-inning or bridge relievers who can vulture wins and help protect ratios. Statistical Credits: and Check out my work at Reliever Recon and Closer Monkey for daily updates. (Photo of Kyle Finnegan: Duane Burleson / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
05-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
As Cardinals transition to 2026, prioritizing playing time continues to be a roster problem
LOS ANGELES — With two outs, two on and runners going on the pitch, Max Muncy's hard liner to right could have spelled trouble for the St. Louis Cardinals. Clinging to a one-run lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals turned to their vastly different bullpen to hold it. JoJo Romero, the lone left-handed reliever on the roster, drew an unfavorable hand: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were due to lead off the inning. Advertisement It marked just his second save opportunity of the year, but Romero didn't waver. After Ohtani hit a leadoff single, Romero retired Betts (thanks to a diving play by Lars Nootbaar), struck out Freeman and pitched around a walk to Will Smith to get to Muncy. Romero's 3-2 liner left Muncy's bat at 99 mph, but Nootbaar took a few steps back, reached up and corralled the ball, capping off the play with a resounding fist bump. There was plenty to like about Monday's 3-2 win. Sonny Gray shoved seven sparkling innings, allowing just one hit — a solo shot by Freeman in the fourth — with eight strikeouts over 90 pitches. A pair of solo homers by St. Louis (Masyn Winn in the second and Iván Herrera in the eighth) gave the Cardinals a fighting chance. When Los Angeles tied the game at two in the eighth, Yohel Pozo came through off the bench in the ninth, drilling a two-out, go-ahead single. POZO IN THE 9TH! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 5, 2025 'I'm always trying to do what the game is telling me to do,' Pozo said. 'In that situation, we just needed a hit. I saw the big hole between first and second, I was trying to hit the ball there. (Dodgers reliever Brock Stewart) threw me a cutter, gave me a chance to do it.' Monday's victory over the reigning World Series champions was one of the Cardinals' best of the year, and is surely a welcome performance after a disappointing trade deadline. But when a season has taken a turn such as the Cardinals' has, wins and losses become secondary. The priority for the remainder of the year is the future — what Cardinals brass first intended at the end of the 2024 season. But the organization's desire to attempt to compete simultaneously (and its inability to offload several veteran players over the offseason due to no-trade clauses) muddled the messaging. Advertisement There will be no mistaking what the rest of the year will look like. Manager Oli Marmol will spend each of the remaining 48 games trying to help answer what things will look like come 2026 and beyond. This is not the same case as the team's last selloff season, he insists. In 2023, the final two months consisted of the Cardinals simply trying to survive the remainder of the calendar. Many of the rostered players were not part of the team's future. At least this year, the roster reflects what the organization hopes will develop into a prominent core. 'This lineup is what's next,' Marmol said. 'Some of these guys in the 'pen, that's what's next. There is way more enthusiasm in a year like this compared to a 2023 standpoint because you're investing in what the future is going to look like. That wasn't the case last time.' But given the Cardinals' current roster construction, it's fair to question if the organization can accurately do that. Some players, like Brendan Donovan and Herrera, solidified themselves early on as everyday players. Alec Burleson, who entered play Monday with an .801 OPS and the second-most homers on the team (14), has emerged as another example. The players the front office identified as priorities before the season started — namely Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman — have not taken advantage of their respective playing time opportunities. They will still need to see time on the field, but not at the expense of the players who have seized their runway. '(People) are going to, every day, ask why one player is not (in the lineup), regardless of how I do it,' Marmol said. 'Burleson has earned the right to be in there every day — and he's going to be. The other guys we'll have to find a rotation for.' Easier said than done. The roster logjam is still an issue, even with Nolan Arenado on the 10-day injured list. Marmol would like for Gorman to take the bulk of the reps at third base in Arenado's absence, but 'there has to be a real commitment to his objective and his mobility,' he said. Gorman was not in Monday's starting lineup, but started at third base in each of the three previous games. The early returns were far from encouraging, with Gorman committing multiple costly misplays. Advertisement But there isn't anywhere else the Cardinals can play Gorman, as long as the future remains the focus. For Gorman to be a true impact player, he needs to have a position on the diamond. The organization's lack of positional flexibility is not relegated to the active roster. It's an organization-wide issue that has trickled down into Triple A. St. Louis already has several offense-first, designated-hitter type of players, both at the major-league level and in the upper tier of their minor leagues. That's why the club first converted Burleson to a corner outfield spot, and why they are now trying the same with Herrera. Those decisions solved one problem only to create another. Walker's move to right field, combined with Nootbaar's need for a corner spot, makes four players for two roles. Nootbaar can play center, but not nearly to the defensive skillset of Victor Scott II, and the Cardinals are already subtracting plenty defensively with Gorman at third base and Herrera in left. If player development is the priority, Scott should remain the starting center fielder anyway, regardless of his .226 average and .629 OPS. The goal is to help Scott round into becoming the organization's next full-time center fielder, and that means riding out his struggles offensively. NOOOOOOOOOT SAVES THE GAME!#ForTheLou x @STIHLUSA — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 5, 2025 So what are Marmol and his staff to do? The major-league coaches are stuck trying to find a solution to an unsolvable math problem. There are not enough spots in the starting lineup to guarantee everyday playing time to the players the front office wants to see. Sitting players like Burleson and Herrera, who have taken advantage of playing time and have turned in productive seasons, is out of the question — and doing so would send the wrong message to players looking to play their way into consideration next season. The playing time rotation won't be perfect. Walker and Nootbaar should see four to five starts a week. Gorman has the potential to start every day, but only if his defense at third base improves. Herrera will be in the lineup every day, but he'll go between designated hitter and left field. Burleson can play either left or right field, and will DH on days Herrera doesn't. That's the only rotation that guarantees at least some sort of consistent playing schedule to every player identified as a priority. It's a challenging ask, to say the least. Marmol understands the task and is hopeful the remaining eight weeks of the season will indeed lead to a jumpstart in planning for next year's team. 'I don't think my job changes, because I've had the same approach since the beginning of the season as to what we find important,' Marmol said. 'We won games along the way, but not at the expense of rotating guys, development, evaluating.' 'We gave guys opportunities and our staff is highly focused on growing these guys. That doesn't change,' he added. 'We have different guys now and a younger group … but our objective overall, our goals as a staff, remain the same.' (Photo of Burleson and Herrera: Harry How / Getty Images)
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Cardinals finally allowed a run, but their winning streak rolls on after a victory over the Nats
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher JoJo Romero throws during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher JoJo Romero throws during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) WASHINGTON (AP) — By the time St. Louis finally allowed a run, Andre Pallante had worked into the eighth inning and the Cardinals were on their way to a seventh straight victory. Strong pitching was the story again. Pallante took a shutout into the eighth, and although the Cardinals fell a couple innings short of their third consecutive shutout, their overall winning streak rolls on after St. Louis beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 on Saturday. Advertisement 'Credit to the pitchers. They're going out there and executing," said St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol, who also credited the catchers and the game plans. "It's been really fun to watch.' The Cardinals allowed a run in the sixth inning against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, eventually winning that game 2-1. Then came a 5-0 victory over the Pirates and a 10-0 rout of the Nationals that included an individual shutout by Erick Fedde. Then St. Louis scored four runs in the second Saturday, and Pallante kept the Nationals off the scoreboard until the eighth. 'When your team puts up four runs in the second inning, you can feel them kind of start and deflate with their at-bats," Pallante said. "The offense did a great job of taking them out of it.' Advertisement This was the second-longest outing of Pallante's career. He threw eight scoreless innings — also at Washington — in a 2022 game. 'It was good for him to touch that eighth. He'll build off of that," Marmol said. 'From a confidence standpoint, really good.' Pallante was pulled after allowing a two-run homer to Dylan Crews with one out in the eighth. Then the Nationals put two on against reliever JoJo Romero that inning but didn't score again. Ryan Helsley gave up a hit and two walks with two out in the ninth, but Marmol wasn't overly concerned about his closer. 'If you look at the shape of the fastball, the velo and actual ride on it, is what we would like it to be compared to other outings," Marmol said. "Obviously, it wasn't as clean has he would have liked or we would have liked, but there are some positives in that outing.' ___ AP MLB:
