Latest news with #Marmol
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
After MLB-best May, can Cardinals' depth keep them winning in June?
We've passed the one-third mark of the season, and we still aren't sure what the ceiling is for the St. Louis Cardinals. What we do know: The team's floor seems much higher than originally projected. After a frustrating April in which the Cardinals went 11-16, St. Louis powered through May with a 19-8 record, the MLB's best mark of the month. The Cardinals hit .258 and their pitching staff had a 3.40 ERA, with both numbers ranking seventh in the majors. The Cardinals (33-26) enter play Tuesday seven games over. 500 with a +30 run differential and four games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. April showers, May flowers indeed. 10 strikeouts today makes 1800 CAREER STRIKEOUTS for Sonny Gray! 🔥 — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 31, 2025 But with a new month comes new challenges. St. Louis has just one remaining off day this month, which sets them up to play 28 games in 29 days. What makes that stretch concerning is factoring in how much the Cardinals benefited from their schedule in May. The team had a scheduled off day on four consecutive Thursdays, making it easy for manager Oli Marmol to give his starters ample rest. This month, he'll have to be creative. Advertisement 'We were able to run our (starting) lineup out there almost every day,' Marmol said. 'We mixed and matched a little bit to give guys days off leading into a scheduled day off, that kind of thing. But for the most part, we had our lineup out there. In June, we're going to have to give guys more of a blow and use our bench differently than we did in May.' There are several ways to look at this. The lack of off days presents Marmol with an ability to use a rotation of position players, which would allow someone like Nolan Gorman to play more. There are staples in the lineup: Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Masyn Winn, Pedro Pagés, Victor Scott II and Lars Nootbaar will still start most games at their designated positions. But the defensive flexibility of Brendan Donovan will allow Gorman to see additional starts at second base when one of the above players needs a rest day. Alec Burleson (first base, outfield) and Iván Herrera (catcher, designated hitter) being able to play multiple positions also helps with the rotation. The Cardinals will be without Jordan Walker (10-day injured list, left wrist inflammation) for at least a week, but they are optimistic he won't miss much time. He'll be eligible to come off the injured list over the weekend. When he returns, Marmol is confident he'll still be able to find consistent playing time for Gorman. Gorman had been the odd man out for most of May, but the Cardinals want to find ways to work his bat in more regularly. In 91 at-bats this season, Gorman is hitting a dismal .187/.280/.297 with just one homer and nine RBIs. But Marmol and hitting coach Brant Brown are encouraged by Gorman's underlying metrics, namely his strikeout rate, which has dropped from 37.6 percent in 2024 to 27.1 percent this year. 'What's tough for Gorman is when you look under the hood, he's making more contact, he's chasing less, he's walking more,' Marmol said. 'Yes, the bat speed is down, but that's at the expense of making contact. He needs a run of games to show that it's coming into play.' Advertisement When it comes to starting pitching, Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake have been intentional with their rotation scheduling for a reason. With limited depth in Triple A, the Cardinals needed to keep their starters on a six-day schedule for as long as possible. They did that easily in May because of the scheduling. That scheduling also allowed Steven Matz, who served in the hybrid role between the rotation and bullpen in April, to take over as a more traditional reliever in May. Moving Matz to the bullpen full-time was instrumental in the Cardinals' success in May. Before their series loss to the Texas Rangers over the weekend, Cardinals relievers posted a 2.90 ERA in the month. Matz registered a 3.00 ERA in six relief appearances and held hitters to a .235 average and .559 OPS. While the Cardinals might consider moving Matz back to his hybrid role, that would leave them scrambling for coverage in the bullpen. It would also leave them short on innings in the rotation on days he starts, as he's no longer built up. 'All of that comes into play,' Marmol said when asked about Matz and the upcoming pitching plans. 'You are taxing your bullpen by giving your rotation a break, depending on how you do it.' One option that could be on the table for St. Louis is using Michael McGreevy as a spot starter in June. McGreevy is 6-1 in 10 games for Triple-A Memphis this season with a 3.02 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings. He's scheduled to take his next start on Tuesday at AutoZone Park, but could be a candidate for a call-up after that. McGreevy has thrived in the spot start role before, and the Cardinals would not be risking his long-term development if they use him as a sixth starter, even temporarily. That would also allow them to keep Matz in the bullpen, where there would be less risk of the team being unable to cover innings. Advertisement This is what Marmol and his staff will be balancing as St. Louis rolls into the new month. The Cardinals have been one of baseball's more surprising teams. Despite a grueling schedule, they'll hope to keep building off May's success and avoid a June swoon. 'Everyone has those stretches,' Marmol said. 'You prepare for it and put your head down and get through it, so that's what we'll do.' (Photo of Nolan Arenado: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)
GMA Network
6 days ago
- GMA Network
Indian kidnapped, mauled over low-priced jewelry
An Indian national was rescued by San Juan police after allegedly being kidnapped, beaten, and robbed by five armed men who reportedly have links with his business rivals. In Emil Sumangil's "24 Oras" report, police investigations revealed that the victim—who sells synthetic diamonds in a shopping complex in San Juan — had drawn the ire of competitors for selling his goods at very low prices. 'Sinasabi po nila na naapektuhan po yung kanilang negosyo. Gawaan ang biktima po ay nagbebenta ng sobrang baba ng mga synthetic diamonds. Ito po ay nakakapekto ng luha doon sa mga negosyo ng suspect,' said Police Colonel Deodennis Joy Marmol, San Juan Chief of Police. (They said their business was affected because the victim was selling synthetic diamonds at very low prices. This hurt the suspects' own businesses.) Colonel Marmol explained that the suspects allegedly hired goons to confront the victim. 'Sinakay po siya sa kotse. Nung nasa loob po siya ng kotse, sinaktan po siya at pinagbantaan po na "huwag ka nang babalik ng Pilipinas." Bukod po doon, kinuha po yung kanyang mga personal na gamit consisting po ng one million worth of synthetic diamonds na binibenta niya,' Marmol added. (They forced him into a car. Inside, he was beaten and warned never to return to the Philippines. They also took his belongings, including around one million pesos' worth of synthetic diamonds.) After being released, the victim immediately reported the incident to police, prompting an operation to track down the suspects. 'Naresolba po natin ito sa pamamagitan po ng record check po noong sasakyan na ginamit at saka po sa pag-backtrack po ng mga CCTV footage,' he added. (We resolved the case through a records check on the vehicle used and by backtracking CCTV footage.) Authorities have yet to release the identities of the suspects, who are currently under investigation. They have remained silent on the allegations. Despite the ordeal, the victim expressed gratitude for his rescue. 'Right now I'm feeling so much safe,' the victim said. Police assured the public that operations continue to ensure the safety of foreign nationals and to protect fair business practices in the city. — Sherylin Untalan/BAP, GMA Integrated News
San Francisco Chronicle
01-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Cardinals hope doubleheader sweep at Cincinnati signals an end to their road woes
CINCINNATI (AP) — After enduring the franchise's second-worst start on the road, the St. Louis Cardinals broke out on Wednesday, belting six homers and outscoring the Cincinnati Reds 15-1 in a doubleheader sweep. The Cardinals won the first game 6-0 and the second 9-1. They finished with 15 hits in the twinbill. It was the Cardinals' first doubleheader sweep at Cincinnati since June 28, 1959 at Crosley Field. 'It's hard to take two games from anybody,' St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. 'This group has been playing the game the right way. It hasn't gone our way. Hopefully today sparks something.' After dropping the first game of the series against the Reds, the Cardinals fell to 2-12 on the road, their worst start away from home since going 2-15 in 1960. Going into the doubleheader, the Cardinals were hitting .239 on the road compared to .289 at Busch Stadium. The team ERA in away games was 5.94. Nine of the road defeats were by three or fewer runs, and that gave the Cardinals hope things would turn around soon. Scheduled after a rainout on Tuesday, the doubleheader began with Masyn Winn's solo homer into the upper deck in the first inning of Game 1. Winn homered again when St. Louis hit three consecutive homers in the ninth inning off Alexis Diaz in a 6-0 victory. It was the first time in the modern era that the Cardinals had hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the ninth. Winn went 4 for 8 with two homers, four runs scored, a double and two RBIs in the two games after Marmol moved him to the No. 2 spot in the lineup. 'Just get on base and catch a barrel,' Winn said. '(Lars) Nootbaar is setting the tone at the leadoff spot. When I get going, I feel like the rest of the team's energy changes.' Marmol downplayed the move, but it produced results. 'Masyn just brings a different element, lots of energy,' the manager said. 'That first game with two homers. This game, a couple knocks. Just a lot of energy.' The most impressive at-bat on Wednesday came from Pedro Pagés, who worked the count to 2-2 against 22-year-old right-hander Case Petty — who was making his major league debut — and then fouled off six straight pitches before launching his third homer of the season. 'I just wanted to be aggressive with him,' Pagés said. 'I just kept fouling them off and fouling them off. I was taking deep breaths out there. Tried to stay as calm as I could and stay within myself.' Willson Contreras hit a three-run homer off Petty in the first inning of the nightcap. 'Definitely a great long day,' Game 2 starter Steven Matz said. 'To come out with two wins is huge for us.' ___
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals hope doubleheader sweep at Cincinnati signals an end to their road woes
CINCINNATI (AP) — After enduring the franchise's second-worst start on the road, the St. Louis Cardinals broke out on Wednesday, belting six homers and outscoring the Cincinnati Reds 15-1 in a doubleheader sweep. The Cardinals won the first game 6-0 and the second 9-1. They finished with 15 hits in the twinbill. It was the Cardinals' first doubleheader sweep at Cincinnati since June 28, 1959 at Crosley Field. 'It's hard to take two games from anybody,' St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. 'This group has been playing the game the right way. It hasn't gone our way. Hopefully today sparks something.' After dropping the first game of the series against the Reds, the Cardinals fell to 2-12 on the road, their worst start away from home since going 2-15 in 1960. Going into the doubleheader, the Cardinals were hitting .239 on the road compared to .289 at Busch Stadium. The team ERA in away games was 5.94. Nine of the road defeats were by three or fewer runs, and that gave the Cardinals hope things would turn around soon. Scheduled after a rainout on Tuesday, the doubleheader began with Masyn Winn's solo homer into the upper deck in the first inning of Game 1. Winn homered again when St. Louis hit three consecutive homers in the ninth inning off Alexis Diaz in a 6-0 victory. It was the first time in the modern era that the Cardinals had hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the ninth. Winn went 4 for 8 with two homers, four runs scored, a double and two RBIs in the two games after Marmol moved him to the No. 2 spot in the lineup. 'Just get on base and catch a barrel,' Winn said. '(Lars) Nootbaar is setting the tone at the leadoff spot. When I get going, I feel like the rest of the team's energy changes.' Marmol downplayed the move, but it produced results. 'Masyn just brings a different element, lots of energy,' the manager said. 'That first game with two homers. This game, a couple knocks. Just a lot of energy.' The most impressive at-bat on Wednesday came from Pedro Pagés, who worked the count to 2-2 against 22-year-old right-hander Case Petty — who was making his major league debut — and then fouled off six straight pitches before launching his third homer of the season. 'I just wanted to be aggressive with him,' Pagés said. 'I just kept fouling them off and fouling them off. I was taking deep breaths out there. Tried to stay as calm as I could and stay within myself.' Willson Contreras hit a three-run homer off Petty in the first inning of the nightcap. 'Definitely a great long day,' Game 2 starter Steven Matz said. 'To come out with two wins is huge for us.' ___ AP MLB: Jeff Wallner, The Associated Press
Hamilton Spectator
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Cardinals hope doubleheader sweep at Cincinnati signals an end to their road woes
CINCINNATI (AP) — After enduring the franchise's second-worst start on the road, the St. Louis Cardinals broke out on Wednesday, belting six homers and outscoring the Cincinnati Reds 15-1 in a doubleheader sweep. The Cardinals won the first game 6-0 and the second 9-1 . They finished with 15 hits in the twinbill. It was the Cardinals' first doubleheader sweep at Cincinnati since June 28, 1959 at Crosley Field. 'It's hard to take two games from anybody,' St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. 'This group has been playing the game the right way. It hasn't gone our way. Hopefully today sparks something.' After dropping the first game of the series against the Reds, the Cardinals fell to 2-12 on the road, their worst start away from home since going 2-15 in 1960. Going into the doubleheader, the Cardinals were hitting .239 on the road compared to .289 at Busch Stadium. The team ERA in away games was 5.94. Nine of the road defeats were by three or fewer runs, and that gave the Cardinals hope things would turn around soon. Scheduled after a rainout on Tuesday, the doubleheader began with Masyn Winn's solo homer into the upper deck in the first inning of Game 1. Winn homered again when St. Louis hit three consecutive homers in the ninth inning off Alexis Diaz in a 6-0 victory. It was the first time in the modern era that the Cardinals had hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the ninth. Winn went 4 for 8 with two homers, four runs scored, a double and two RBIs in the two games after Marmol moved him to the No. 2 spot in the lineup. 'Just get on base and catch a barrel,' Winn said. '(Lars) Nootbaar is setting the tone at the leadoff spot. When I get going, I feel like the rest of the team's energy changes.' Marmol downplayed the move, but it produced results. 'Masyn just brings a different element, lots of energy,' the manager said. 'That first game with two homers. This game, a couple knocks. Just a lot of energy.' The most impressive at-bat on Wednesday came from Pedro Pagés, who worked the count to 2-2 against 22-year-old right-hander Case Petty — who was making his major league debut — and then fouled off six straight pitches before launching his third homer of the season. 'I just wanted to be aggressive with him,' Pagés said. 'I just kept fouling them off and fouling them off. I was taking deep breaths out there. Tried to stay as calm as I could and stay within myself.' Willson Contreras hit a three-run homer off Petty in the first inning of the nightcap. 'Definitely a great long day,' Game 2 starter Steven Matz said. 'To come out with two wins is huge for us.' ___ AP MLB:
