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New York Times
16 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
What's next for Michael McGreevy after an encouraging spot start against Dodgers?
ST. LOUIS — Oli Marmol was eager to see what Michael McGreevy, his spot starter for Sunday's game, could do against the potent lineup of the reigning World Series champions. A few hours before the St. Louis Cardinals took on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series finale of a three-game set at Busch Stadium, Marmol was asked why he was excited to see McGreevy pitch and for the biggest challenge he thought the young right-hander would face. Advertisement 'The lefties in the lineup,' Marmol said. 'I'm excited to see some of these matchups because he's worked hard at having a better understanding of how to attack left-handed hitters. This is as good a test as you can take.' Yes, an opposing lineup that features lefty hitters like Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman certainly qualifies as a test, and McGreevy was tested from the jump. His first pitch resulted in a laser from Ohtani, who pummeled McGreevy's sinker for a leadoff double with an exit velocity of 106.5 mph. The hard contact continued. Of the first 11 batters McGreevy faced, eight registered exit velocities of 95 mph or more. The Dodgers led 3-0 after two innings. But McGreevy made a series of in-game adjustments after the second inning. From the third inning on, he allowed just three hits while punching out five and walking zero, and the lone run allowed came via a 55 mph squibber down the third-base line from Tommy Edman. The quality of contact was much weaker, the whiff rate increased, and McGreevy was more effective, allowing him to grind through six innings on a day when the bullpen was short-handed. Still, the Dodgers avoided a sweep by beating the Cardinals 7-3 with help from five shutout innings from Clayton Kershaw. But the Cardinals took the series, and McGreevy showed he could overcome adversity. 'I thought I made a good adjustment, was more on the attack, ' McGreevy said. 'Not that I wasn't to begin with, but I was more aggressive with the 0-0 pitch. … I think it was more of a mentality thing.' 'The (second inning) could have been a very, very big inning that snowballs and shortens his outing by a lot,' Marmol said. 'But that's kind of what I like about him the most: He doesn't allow that to happen. He really does stay in the moment, especially for his level of experience. We played a good team, and for him not to get sped up at any moment, that was awesome to see.' Masyn Winn with an RBI double to get us on the board in the 5th! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 8, 2025 McGreevy, the team's first-round draft pick in 2021, settled for a final line of four earned runs and eight hits over six innings, but his ability to reset against one of the National League's most potent lineups was the more encouraging factor. The Cardinals figure he'll take at least one more start for them soon. The question is when. Advertisement St. Louis plans to take another full turn through its rotation, as there is minimal concern over Matthew Liberatore's fatigue from his past start. Andre Pallante, Miles Mikolas and Liberatore are slated as the probable starters for the upcoming series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Cardinals follow that with a four-game division showdown against the Milwaukee Brewers before a scheduled off day June 16 — their only off day between now and July 2. Keeping the rotation rested and on a six-day schedule as much as possible has been a priority for the Cardinals as they look to keep their starters healthy. How can they continue doing that during this stretch? A straight six-man rotation does not look likely. A semi-six-man rotation (similar to what the team used in April) could be an option, but that's also unlikely as it would require Steven Matz to revert to a hybrid role, which would deplete the bullpen and pull him from a role he's been quite effective in. Could the Cardinals use McGreevy in that role instead of Matz? They aren't inclined to, for a multitude of reasons. Keeping McGreevy on a starter's schedule remains a priority for the 24-year-old's development path, and the Cardinals do not want to risk trimming their already slim pitching depth. Another factor to consider is that by using a six-man rotation, the Cardinals would have only seven relievers, which would leave them with a short bullpen at a time when off days are limited. The most logical solution would be to continue spot-starting McGreevy when the schedule allows. Because of the off day next Monday, the Cardinals won't need a spot starter next week. But they will need one to break up a block of 16 consecutive games after that, which makes that the most likely time for McGreevy to make his next start. In a season designated to find out what the organization has in its young players, the Cardinals know McGreevy doesn't have much left to prove in the minor leagues. They also know the disastrous state they would be in if one of their five regular starting pitchers gets injured. That's why the club kept McGreevy as a depth piece in Memphis, though in an ideal world, it'd have him with the big-league club. Advertisement McGreevy wishes his situation were different, but he also understands it. So he has worked to change his mindset with some help from Triple-A manager Ben Johnson. 'It's the side of the game that not many people know about,' McGreevy said. 'I was having a great spring, but we already have a great starting rotation. It was one of those things that you just have to smile about. Like, 'Dang, that stinks.' 'I felt like I needed to be perfect (in Memphis) at times. But I don't want to be that freak-out guy. So I asked Johnson if he was ever in a similar spot and what his mentality was. He asked me if I thought I was good enough to be in the big leagues and if I'd had success in the big leagues. I said yes. Then he said, 'Then it's only a matter of time.'' The business side will probably rear its head soon, as the Cardinals will look to replenish their bullpen before the next series. If McGreevy is optioned, it will most likely be a temporary solution. The club remains optimistic about McGreevy's potential and wants to see as many major-league looks as possible when the scheduling allows. When that does happen again, McGreevy will be ready. 'I'm at a good spot,' McGreevy said. 'My stuff's been good — physically I've been good, mentally I've been good. Making adjustments, pitch to pitch, separates guys and shows who wants to be a big leaguer. If you're able to make that adjustment pitch to pitch, I think I'll be able to stay.'
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals cash in on small-ball approach once again in walk-off win over Dodgers
ST. LOUIS — With the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers tied at 1 and heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol retreated down the home dugout tunnel to find his third baseman. Nolan Arenado, who was originally scheduled for a rest day Saturday and was not in the starting lineup, was in the batting cages, preparing to take a pinch hit at-bat if needed. Marmol approached him with a pressing question. Advertisement 'Do you want to end the game?' the skipper asked. 'Yes,' Arenado replied. And so he did. With runners on the corners and nobody out, the Cardinals pinch hit Arenado for Victor Scott II. The Dodgers responded by pulling in left-fielder Kiké Hernández, opting to use a five-man infield to protect against a groundball pull-side. Arenado's solution? He lofted Ben Casparius' 1-1 sweeper high to an empty left field for a walk-off ground-rule double. The Cardinals beat the Dodgers 2-1. NADO CALLED GAME!! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 7, 2025 'That was a really good game,' Marmol beamed. 'It's just a combination of talent and grit. Man, this group gets after it. They love competition.' Saturday's victory indeed served as the latest example of how the Cardinals generate their scrappy style of baseball into wins. Arenado's at-bat ultimately decided the game, but St. Louis had multiple key plate appearances that embodied the relentless, gritty approach that has propelled it to a 36-28 record. Let's break down three key plays that led to another thriller at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals had zero answers for Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who stymied them for six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out nine. Erick Fedde held his own as well, posting 5 1/3 scoreless innings before giving way to Steven Matz, who mowed down the three-headed monster of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman during his 1 2/3 innings. Deadlocked in a scoreless tie after 7 1/2 innings, the Cardinals finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth thanks to Masyn Winn. Winn laced a one-out single to right off Casparius and advanced to second on Brendan Donovan's base hit. Willson Contreras flied out for the second out, which left the Cardinals' most promising scoring opportunity in the hands of Alec Burleson. Advertisement Burleson delivered, drilling a comebacker that ricocheted off Casparius. With two outs, Winn and Donovan were running on contact. Casparius was able to knock the ball down and throw to first, but his throw sailed up the line. Winn, with the help of third-base coach Pop Warner, read the play all the way and raced for home when he saw Casparius' throw go wide — and just beat Freeman's throw to the plate. THAT'S WHAT SPEED DO 🔥 — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 7, 2025 'I was really just reading the throw,' Winn said. 'Honestly, when (Casparius) first threw it, I saw it going left. I thought it was going to end up in right field. I didn't expect (Freeman) to get it, but at that point, I was too far off the base, so I had to keep going. 'I definitely always try to think about scoring when I'm on second like that. Bad throw, bad pick or something like that, I can get in there. … When I saw that throw, I felt it was a good chance to get in there.' The play was the latest example of the Cardinals' budding shortstop learning to trust his skill set. 'Pure athleticism and zero fear,' Marmol said. 'That's what you want out of a young guy. If they're going to make mistakes, I'd rather it be on the aggressive side. But (Winn) is an incredible athlete, and he does not scare, and that's every bit of that play.' Winn's mad dash for home gave the Cardinals the lead and the momentum heading into the top of the ninth, and St. Louis felt confident about wrapping up the win with closer Ryan Helsley on the mound. But there's a reason the Dodgers are, well, the Dodgers. A couple of bad breaks spurned Helsley. After striking out Hyeseong Kim for the first out, Ohtani connected on a soft groundball up the middle, which clanged off second base for a hit. Ohtani came around to tie the score on a strikeout of Freeman. Helsley's strike-three slider bounced in the dirt, and though it was ruled a wild pitch, the usually sturdy Pedro Pagés was clearly perturbed he didn't block the ball. Helsley finished the frame by striking out Will Smith for his third punchout of the inning, but the damage was done. Advertisement It took one pitch for the Cardinals to respond. Nolan Gorman ambushed Casparius' first-pitch challenge fastball and roped it to right field for a ground-rule double. The ball left Gorman's bat with an exit velocity of 111.6 mph, his hardest-hit ball of the season. 'Just tried to jump on the first pitch,' Gorman said. 'They had been throwing me heaters throughout the game, not many curveballs. I was ready to jump on it.' 'It's nice to just put the ball on the barrel and get results,' he added. 'It's definitely something to build some confidence off of and continue to go.' Gorman's playing time (or lack thereof) has been a hot topic over the past month, but with Jordan Walker on the injured list and the Cardinals in a stretch of 28 games in 29 days, Marmol believes there will be a way to work Gorman into the starting lineup more consistently. Gorman has been working on some mechanical changes — namely, cutting down his front stride and staying in a more balanced landing position. He's hopeful it will lead to better production, and he is 6-for-14 in his last six games. His clutch hit Saturday was a strong step in the right direction. After leading off the ninth with his double, Gorman was lifted for pinch runner Jose Barrero. Knowing Arenado was going to take the following at-bat, the goal was to advance Barrero to third. Enter Pagés, who at the end of the top of the ninth was still noticeably frustrated about the muffed strikeout pitch. 'I take a lot of pride in my defense, so when that happened, I was obviously mad, and I think I showed it on the bench a little bit,' Pagés said. 'But at the end of the day, I needed to go out there, put my helmet on and do whatever I can in the situation.' Pagés picked up the bunt sign and cleared his head. He took a first-pitch sweeper for ball one, then took another sweeper for strike two. He fouled off his first bunt attempt and found himself in an unfavorable 1-2 count. But he knew he had to get the bunt down, and that's what he did on a high sweeper just off the plate. Pagés tapped a slow roller back to Casparius, who rushed the throw and pulled Freeman off the bag. Barrero was safe at third, and Pagés was safe at first, setting the table for Arenado's heroics. Advertisement 'When I got to two strikes, I was like, 'Uh oh,'' Pagés said, laughing. 'But I was able to still get the job done, thankfully.' Though the bunt play was important, Marmol was more impressed by how Pagés was able to shake off the half-inning prior. 'It's easy to come into the dugout and be in your own head and not focus on what's next,' Marmol said. 'But for him to go back out there, two strikes and get the bunt down, that's the game.' The Cardinals have capitalized on the small things all season. They've prided themselves on their relentless approach and ability to score in a multitude of ways. Saturday's performance, which locked up a series victory over the reigning World Series champions, was just the latest example of that, and it led to one of their most impressive wins yet. (Photo of Masyn Winn: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Cardinals takeaways: 3 trends to watch after a series loss to Royals
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals knew June would be a tough test, and their latest series against the Kansas City Royals provided early proof. After inclement weather rained out Wednesday's game, the Cardinals played their fifth doubleheader of the season Thursday at Busch Stadium. They rallied twice to win Game 1, 6-5, in ten innings, but fell short of another comeback in Game 2 and lost 7-5, splitting the twin bill and losing the series. Advertisement 'We came up short, but offensively, early, I liked what we saw,' manager Oli Marmol said. 'I like where our guys are mentally. They're mentally tough.' They will certainly need to be, given their current stretch. The club has just one scheduled off day until July 3 and will welcome the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers to Busch Stadium for a three-game set over the weekend. How the team plays overall in June could have heavy ramifications on the organization's trade deadline plans come July. Here are some trends to monitor during the early portion of the month as the Cardinals aim to keep afloat. The Cardinals seem to have avoided anything serious with Matthew Liberatore, who was pulled from the nightcap in the top of the fifth due to fatigue after his fastball velocity dropped to 89 miles per hour. Liberatore did not need imaging done and said he felt his issues were related to mechanics. 'Just out of sync,' Liberatore said. 'Was working around everything, different body parts going in different directions and not towards the plate. I actually felt pretty good in the first inning. Felt like the stuff was lively, pretty synched up, and then I got out of sync, and I just failed to make the adjustment. 'I wasn't concerned about pain or fatigue or anything,' he added. 'I was trying to figure out how to make the adjustment and ran out of time.' After allowing eight earned runs across six prior starts, Liberatore was tagged for five-plus runs for the second time in as many games. The Cardinals are not worried about Liberatore's effectiveness — he posted a team-best 2.73 ERA over the first two months of the season — and they don't expect him to miss his next start, whenever that may be. St. Louis is still working through its pitching plans for the next week. With just one scheduled off day remaining in June, the Cardinals will use a spot starter within the next few days. Though not official, Michael McGreevy is the obvious candidate. He last pitched Tuesday for Triple-A Memphis and would be on track to start Sunday against the Dodgers if the Cardinals stick to his current schedule. Advertisement Liberatore underwent light testing with the training staff after exiting the game and did not feel pain or a sense of injury. The emphasis over the next week will be on his mechanics and getting his delivery back into sync. 'The mechanical focus is probably going to be the primary thing moving into this next outing,' Liberatore said. 'I'm not concerned about it. I don't think anybody else is overly concerned about it. It's just a matter of finding it again and being able to stay consistent with it.' The middle of the lineup for the Cardinals looks considerably different than how the team initially planned at the start of the season. After Nolan Arenado was dropped to the six-hole in mid-May, Willson Contreras took over as the team's everyday clean-up hitter, with Iván Herrera firmly behind him in the No. 5 spot. That can be a potent heart of the order — if they can stay consistent. Thursday showed prime examples. After Noah Cameron held St. Louis to two hits over six scoreless innings in Game 1, the Cardinals' offense clawed back in the late innings. Herrera's booming go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth ignited the dugout, but after Ryan Helsley blew a save opportunity in the ninth, St. Louis needed more heroics. Cue Contreras, who smoked a walk-off single in the 10th inning to end his 1,000th career game in style. 'We are looking just for one pitch, the best pitch,' Contreras said. 'We're not trying to hit homers, but we are trying to put good quality contact and good quality at-bats, and whatever happens after that happens. We're trying to get the ball in the air more than anything else and then keep a simple approach and put the barrel on the ball.' THAT'S A WALK-OFF WINNER!! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 5, 2025 Contreras carried that momentum into Game 2, where he racked up two more hits and three RBI, and Arenado capped off a four-run third inning with a booming two-run homer of his own. That was a crucial swing for Arenado, who entered play hitting .156/.204/.333 since he was moved down in the lineup. However, it was his third home run in a 14-game span, and Arenado does feel like his swing is trending in the right direction, even if the box score results aren't backing that up. Advertisement St. Louis will rely on its right-handed power bats for continued production, especially as it awaits word on Jordan Walker's status. Walker was placed on the injured list with left-wrist inflammation last weekend, and while the initial hope was that he would miss the minimum amount of time, he had not progressed the way the team hoped. He received an injection on Wednesday and will not swing a bat for a few days, meaning the likelihood of the team activating him when he is eligible on Sunday is slim. 'Our hope is that (the injection) speeds up the progression of swings, he feels good, and we can ramp up,' Marmol said. 'We'll know more here in a day or two.' The Cardinals will work in more playing time for Gorman over the next couple of weeks. He did not start in either game of Thursday's doubleheader (due to Kansas City starting two left-handers), but he did start in Tuesday's series opener — and promptly homered in his first at-bat. GAME-TYING GORM 💣 — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 4, 2025 When he does work his way back into the starting lineup more regularly, Gorman feels he's in a much more comfortable place, physically and mentally. He's been working on controlling his front stride and landing position to make sure he isn't moving as far forward as before. Gorman said he felt he unlocked something during the Cardinals' series at Kansas City in mid-May, and has been encouraged by work he's done behind the scenes. If there's a silver lining to not seeing much playing time the last month, it's allowed him to hone in on making substantial changes without the pressure of game success. 'At this point with how the at-bats have come, I just have to go out there and trust what I'm doing and if something doesn't go right in the game, I don't need to tinker with it the next day,' Gorman said. 'I don't need to do that. I know I'm in a good spot right now, and I'm just going to ride it out. 'I've looked at it in a little different light,' he added. 'Not a negative thing, but a positive in that one, the team is doing well, and two, I have all this opportunity to work on my swing that I want. When my name's called, I have the confidence to go out there and do what I've been working on. Do I want to be out there every day? Do I think I can be out there every day? Do I think I can be a really good big leaguer? Absolutely, I've shown it. But the situation is what it is right now, and I'm going to do whatever I can when my name is called.' (Top photo of Nolan Arenado: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
New York Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How Oli Marmol balances development and playing time during Cardinals' torrid May
As the St. Louis Cardinals power their way toward the top of the National League Central, they again raise the question of how the organization will balance winning games with long-term development for its many young players. The month of May suggests both can be possible. After beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on Wednesday night at Camden Yards, the Cardinals have won 18 of their last 23 games and eight of their past 10 series. Their pitching staff enters play Friday with a 3.26 ERA in May — the eighth-lowest in baseball. Offensively, they have the fifth-highest OPS in the National League this month (.735) and their fourth-highest average (.265). Advertisement St. Louis has been the best defensive team in baseball all season, leading the majors with 24 Outs Above Average (six more than the second-place Houston Astros). The Cardinals also lead MLB in runs prevented (19). The Cardinals are season-best eight games over .500 (32-24), which I'm sure has many of you feeling like Pedro Pagés. Mood: — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 28, 2025 During April, the most pressing question facing president of baseball operations John Mozeliak and manager Oli Marmol was whether they could balance player runway with team results. Now that question has shifted: What if the Cardinals can balance runway and results, but with different players than they first envisioned? 'If (Iván) Herrera and (Alec) Burleson become the versions that we're seeing right now, that's really good, right?' Marmol said. Much of the spring and early season was spent focusing on the offensive production of Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman. They were the unofficial faces of the transition season, which resulted in Marmol trying to find everyday playing time for both hitters, even when Gorman and Walker slumped heavily in late April to mid-May. During that time, Herrera emerged as arguably the team's best right-handed bat. Since returning from the injured list in early May, Herrera has posted a .350/.431/.483. clip with 15 RBIs over 17 games. Burleson has been nearly as dominant against right-handed pitching with four homers and a .786 OPS, despite spending much of the first six weeks of the season as a bench bat. And for as woeful as Walker's offense was over the last month, his .333/.353/.545 line over his past 11 games (which includes a homer and 10 RBI) suggests a breakthrough is near. Back-to-back triples and this dugout is FIRED UP! 🔥 — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 28, 2025 That's made for another jigsaw puzzle for Marmol as the manager juggles individual playing time while building upon his team's surprising success. He and bench coach Daniel Descalso are tasked with finding ample playing time for Herrera, Burleson, Walker and Gorman — but there's always going to be an odd man out. Currently, that's Gorman. Advertisement In 105 plate appearances this year, Gorman is hitting .191 with a .589 OPS and just one home run. His strikeout rate is down over 10 percent from last season (Gorman owned a 37.6 percent K-rate in 2024, compared to a 26.7 percent rate this year), so that is something the Cardinals can be encouraged about. Similar to Walker, Gorman's swing won't be magically fixed overnight. But the playing time situation boils down to better hitters seeing better results. Here's how Marmol is currently looking at it: 'I don't want to use Walker as a platoon guy, but I don't mind firing Burleson in there strictly against righties,' Marmol explained. 'I won't do it every time, because Walker needs to play more than whenever we see a left-handed starter. But the way Alec is swinging it, it's hard not to put him in there against some of the other team's best right-handers. So, Jordan will play against lefties and righties, doesn't matter, and I'll pick Burleson's spots to hit against righties. 'I'd like Herrera to be in there every day,' he added. 'It's going to be mostly at the DH. I'll pair him with a couple of guys throughout the week to catch, which gives Burleson a shot at playing first and getting (Willson) Contreras off his feet. I will give Walker a couple of days a week off, playing him four to five days a week instead of running him out there every day, which gives Burleson another two games in the outfield. The name you're looking for here is Gorman, and that's where I'm having the most trouble finding playing time for. That's not an easy rotation.' Let's pause and address a couple of things. Why would Burleson be a platoon bat and not Walker? Burleson's splits are telling enough. For as impactful as he is against righties, he's hitting .167 with an OPS under .400 in 12 games this year — and he has a career .523 OPS against left-handers versus a .753 OPS against right-handers. The Cardinals have enough right-handed thump (especially with Herrera) to utilize Burleson at his strength. Walker is not terribly splitty, and the Cardinals committed to giving him consistent playing time. As long as they see Walker trending in the right direction, they will continue that path. Advertisement Why will Marmol mostly play Herrera at DH instead of catcher? That's more of a testament to Pagés than a knock on Herrera. Pagés has built a tremendous rapport with his pitching staff, with multiple starting pitchers praising him for his game-calling and preparation — two things that won't show up in the box score but are invaluable with a pitch-to-contact staff. But there's no way Marmol will sit Herrera with the way he's hitting, which leaves the designated hitter as the obvious spot. Our 6th run of the night comes home thanks to Iván Herrera! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 29, 2025 How have Herrera and Burleson been able to break through offensively? In Herrera's case (like many others), it's the first time in his major-league career when he knows he will be playing every day. The defensive positioning differs, but the guarantee of consistent playing time is more important. It's helped Herrera grow confidence, which has correlated to success in the box. 'The (coaches) have been good with me,' Herrera said. '(Hitting coach Brant Brown) has really helped me out with the little things to make me a better hitter. Confidence as a hitter, it comes from preparation. I believe in what I did in the offseason, I trust my body is in the right spot. I just go in there and trust that I'm going to get a hit every single at-bat.' The same can be said with Burleson, who knew coming into the season that his playing time would be limited, at least to start. He also knew he needed to make adjustments with his pitch selection, and spent much of April working on that behind the scenes. One of Burleson's best traits as a hitter is his ability to put the bat on the ball. He has a high contact rate and doesn't strike out often, as evidenced by his 13 percent strikeout rate in 2023 and 12.8 percent rate in 2024. But the Cardinals encouraged Burleson to be more selective and look for specific pitches he could slug. Just because he could put the bat on any pitch in the zone didn't mean it was the right pitch to swing at. 'I'm giving pitchers strikes,' Burleson said. 'I'm giving them pitches that I know I can hit, but what am I going to do with them? Before, it was wanting to swing in the zone, I don't want to chase. Now, I've dialed in more to looking for a specific spot, which obviously changes pitcher to pitcher, but if it's not there, I'm going to give it to them. 'I'm fine hitting with two strikes. (Brown) calls it my super power,' he said with a smile. 'But before then, it has to be damage swings on damage pitches.' Advertisement So far, so good in that regard for Burleson, who has squared up 34.7 percent of the balls he's hit this year, per Statcast. That puts him in the top 6 percent of the league. It's also given him the upper hand over Gorman from the left side. That's something Marmol wishes he had a better solution for. '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, which is hard to do at the moment because I'm not sure who you'd play him at the expense of. There's not a great answer for it.' The Cardinals, projected by most to be bottom-dwellers this season, have roared back into relevancy. It hasn't been at the hands of the players they expected, but isn't that the point of this season? This Cardinals season was designed to identify key players for the future. Now that some are starting to emerge, they might as well play them. (Photo of Alec Burleson from May 6: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals remain optimistic about trajectory despite series loss to Tigers
ST. LOUIS — Before the season, not many would have labeled an interleague series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals in mid-May as intriguing baseball. Yet when the first-place Tigers rolled into Busch Stadium for three games, it became a fascinating test for a Cardinals club on the rise. Advertisement Facing the top team in the American League, the Cardinals held their own but fell short in the series, dropping Wednesday's rubber match 5-1. They lost back-to-back games for the first time since May 1-2 against the New York Mets, and lost their first home series since March 31-April 2 against the Los Angeles Angels. 'Definitely not the result we wanted,' manager Oli Marmol said. 'But we matched up well against them. That's a good lineup, good roster overall, and it was good to size up against them and see where we're at. I think our guys handled themselves extremely well.' Contreras goes up the middle to drive home Vic! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 21, 2025 While the Cardinals fell flat in the series finale, their performance in the series backs up their scrappy play over the month. Sonny Gray spun six innings of scoreless ball and struck out a season-high 10 en route to an 11-4 win in Game 1. The Cardinals erased a 4-0 deficit against reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal before falling 5-4 in the late innings of Game 2. It's that style of play, categorized as 'relentless' throughout the clubhouse, that gives the Cardinals optimism that they are legit. 'When you look at the lineup, there are so many different ways we can beat someone,' Brendan Donovan said. 'We can run, we can make contact, we can take our walks and we got some thump in there. You have guys that aren't giving in.' 'Everybody is extremely confident in their abilities and what they bring to the table,' Victor Scott II added. 'Some days we don't put it all together — and that's OK — but most days we will. It's just a matter of everybody clicking on all cylinders and starting to string together more wins.' Wednesday's game served as one of the team's flattest performances. The Tigers, who opted for a bullpen game, shut down a usually dynamic offense. Starting pitcher Andre Pallante walked four over 5 2/3 innings but limited the damage to three earned runs. The bullpen added three more walks, plus hit two batters, bringing the Cardinals' free pass total to nine. That won't bode well against a team like Detroit, which has the second-most runs in the American League (267) and the second-highest OPS with runners in scoring position (.774). Advertisement 'Any time it's a bullpen day and you're going to match up as much as they did, it's going to be tough on the offense,' Marmol said. 'They outexecuted us and were able to take that third game. But I feel like we played good baseball over the last three days.' More like the last three weeks. The Cardinals' series loss to Detroit was their first since they dropped two of three against the Atlanta Braves from April 21-23. They have turned around from being five games under .500 in late April to four games over .500 in mid-May and sit just two games out of first place in the NL Central. They will continue to face external skepticism regarding whether their play is sustainable, but internally, there is nothing but confidence. 'The work being put in, I think that's the key to all of this,' Marmol said. 'I really like where our guys are in this process of development and how they're approaching their day overall, their mindset, and the intentionality to their work. That's been the key to all of this. And that's why I believe it's sustainable — because of they way they're going about it.' In a development-focused season, multiple young position players have already taken major steps forward. Even after missing a month of play with a bone bruise, Iván Herrera has emerged as a threat in the heart of the order. He's hitting .417 with a 1.253 OPS over 18 games, and the quality of his at-bats has been so strong that Marmol was comfortable moving him and Willson Contreras up in the order ahead of a slumping Nolan Arenado, who was dropped to the sixth spot. Masyn Winn continues to showcase his excellence at shortstop, but he's also produced well in the No. 2 spot in the order while reaching base at a .344 clip. Scott II is making an early case for the National League Gold Glove in center field, ranking just behind the Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong in Outs Above Average (six) and Defensive Runs Saved (six). Alec Burleson has excelled in a platoon role, hitting .291 with all four of his homers coming against right-handed pitching. Advertisement The acceleration in development from these players has allowed more time — and less scrutiny — for Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman. Both young hitters have an OPS below .570. Both have struggled to find consistency offensively. Both will still be afforded more opportunity, in part because their teammates' performance has helped keep the Cardinals well above early-season projections. 'They're going to continue to grow,' Marmol said. 'They're going to continue to execute at a higher level. We're in a really good spot.' There will be a time when Marmol and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak must decide between balancing runway and results, but for now, their blueprint is panning out, perhaps better than the organization itself would have thought. At the minimum, it's made for enjoyable baseball this month. How (and if) the team can build off that is where the real intrigue of the season lies. (Top photo of Victor Scott II: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
