Catcher Willson Contreras cleared to begin full baseball activities: Cardinals Extra
A month after suffering a fractured left arm, Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras was cleared on Friday to resume full baseball activities. Contreras underwent a CT scan before the Cardinals’ matchup with the Rockies and caught a bullpen at Busch Stadium. He will begin a hitting progression on Saturday.
Contreras has been on the injured list after fracturing his left arm on May 7, when Mets slugger J.D. Martinez hit Contreras’ glove arm with his bat while swinging at a pitch.
“It means a lot because when you have a surgery like this, you start asking questions about yourself if you’re going to be the same. If you’re going to be the same as I was before,” Contreras said on Friday before meeting with team doctors to gain clearance. “But as of now, it’s nothing that I worry about. I think I’m in pretty good shape, and I know that I’m going to come back stronger.”
Contreras underwent surgery on his left arm the day after the injury occurred and was given a six-to-eight-week timeline to return to the field. The timeframe sets him up for a potential return by the All-Star break in mid-July. Contreras previously expressed optimism that he would return ahead of schedule and continued to express that same sentiment on Friday.
“It bothered me when a lot of people said that I was going to miss a couple of months or two, three months,” Contreras said. “I was like, ‘Hell no. I’m not going to miss two (or) three months.’ But yes, I like to be challenged. I like challenge, but also, I have to be thankful with my body, because the bone has already healed.”
On Friday, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol did not provide a specific timeline for when the former All-Star catcher could return to his lineup.
“It doesn’t matter how fast that progression happens, right? It’s a matter of how he comes in the next day and how he recovers from it. All that type of stuff, which we don’t have feedback from just yet,” Marmol said.
Before Contreras landed on the IL, he batted .280 with a .398 on-base percentage and a .551 slugging percentage in 31 games. He hit six homers, 11 doubles, and has shown improvements from behind the plate in his pitch framing — the latter being an area he worked on over the winter.
As he readied to head to the field to catch his first bullpen since the arm injury occurred, Contreras said he had no difficulties squeezing his glove and going through different ranges of motion with his left arm.
When he begins his hitting progression on Saturday, he is expected to do so with tee work and soft toss.
Although Contreras expressed optimism about how quickly he could return, Marmol noted that Contreras’ timeline to return will be dependent on how he feels, how he responds to a ramp-up, and what doctors say.
“He’ll start his hitting progression tomorrow,” Marmol said. “I anticipate him wanting to do that faster than most, which I absolutely love, and we’ll make sure that we’re listening to him throughout this whole process and have him back in our lineup as fast as he and medical (personnel) feel like it’s appropriate.”
Matz ‘happy’ with first rehab start
Left-hander Steven Matz returned to the Cardinals clubhouse on Friday after pitching in his first rehab game since going on the injured list in early May with a lower back strain. Matz completed two scoreless innings and collected two strikeouts on 24 pitches (13 strikes) with Class AAA Memphis. The outing was his first since April 30.
“I was really happy with where I was at for the first time back out. ... I felt good with all my pitches and the results were good, so it was a positive day,” Matz said.
Matz said he is expected to make his next rehab start on Tuesday. His workload for that start has yet to be determined as is the location of the rehab appearance.
Marmol looking for Gallegos to ‘compete’
Righty Giovanny Gallegos continued his rehab assignment for a right shoulder impingement on Thursday as he pitched an inning of relief for Memphis after Matz exited his start. Gallegos allowed three runs — all of which came on a three-run homer.
The rehab outing was Gallegos’ third since being placed on IL on May 6. He’s allowed five runs and three home runs in those outings.
He is set to make another rehab outing on Sunday. The Cardinals are eyeing back-to-back rehab appearances for Gallegos that could come on Wednesday and Thursday next week. The Cardinals will continue to look for Gallegos to pitch without setbacks and will look for positive results from the righty.
“You want the first couple of outings … to be health-related as far as like, ‘How are you feeling coming out of it? Are you spinning it?’ That type of thing, and then how are you recovering postgame?’’ Marmol said. “This next several you want to see him compete and get outs, right? Now, he’s feeling good. He said yesterday he felt 100% coming out of his hand the way he wants to. He’s working through some stuff as far as the slider goes, but he felt pretty good health-wise.”
Extra Bases
The Cardinals have not named a starter for Sunday’s series finale against the Rockies. That spot in the rotation has been left open with Matz’s injury and has been filled with spot starts by Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante. Pallante would be on turn to start Sunday, but his availability may depend on his usage out of the bullpen over the weekend.
Right-hander Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) threw a “low intensity” bullpen and is scheduled to throw a bullpen with “regular” intensity on Saturday.
Lance Lynn faces Rockies, duels former Cardinals starter Austin Gomber: First Pitch
After dropping Thursday's opener, the Cardinals continue a four-game home series Friday against the Rockies. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m.
Right-hander Lance Lynn (2-3, 3.23) will take the mound for the Cardinals.
Lynn only made it through four innings in his last outing as the Phillies scored four unearned runs against him thanks to three Cardinals errors, one of which Lynn committed.
He has a 0.56 ERA in his last three outings.
Lynn's 2.02 career ERA in 10 starts vs. the Rockies is his lowest against any opponent with more than two starts.
The Rockies will counter with left-hander Austin Gomber (1-3, 3.06), who came up with the Cardinals and was dealt to the Rockies as part of the Nolan Arenado trade. Another part of that trade that went to Colorado, infielder Elehuris Montero, is starting at first base for the Rockies.
Gomber, age 30, has shaved 2 1/2 runs off his 2023 ERA while using a similar pitch mix.
Gomber lasted only three innings last time out, at Dodger Stadium, throwing 79 pitches and allowing three runs. He was scratched the start before that with elbow tightness.
Last August, he didn't allow a run in six innings of work vs. the Cardinals.
Ƶ sports a .610 team OPS vs. lefties, which is tied for second-worst in baseball.
The Cardinals are 29-32, tied for third in the NL Central and 6 1/2 games out of first. Ƶ has lost five of its last seven after climbing back to .500 with a 12-3 surge last month.
The Cardinals have a team OPS of .651 in their last seven games. During the stretch in which they went 12-3 last month, they were second-best in baseball with an .805 OPS.
The Rockies are 22-40, last in the NL West. Their minus-96 run differential is worst in the National League.
After a franchise-worst 8-28 start, Colorado has been more competitive of late, going 14-12 since.
Colorado is 16-45 all-time at the current Busch Stadium. Last year's Rockies series win vs. the Cardinals at Busch was the team's first there since 2009.
Lineups
CARDINALS
1. Masyn Winn, SS
2. Alec Burleson, RF
3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
4. Nolan Arenado, 3B
5. Nolan Gorman, 2B
6. Iván Herrera, C
7. José Fermín, DH
8. Brendan Donovan, LF
9. Dylan Carlson, CF
P: Lance Lynn, RHP
ROCKIES
1. Charlie Blackmon, DH
2. Ezequiel Tovar, SS
3. Ryan McMahon, 3B
4. Elias Díaz, C
5. Brendan Rodgers, 2B
6. Brenton Doyle, CF
7. Elehuris Montero, 1B
8. Jake Cave, LF
9. Michael Toglia, RF
P: Austin Gomber, LHP
Injury report
Willson Contreras (fractured arm):Cleared for baseball activity Friday, the Cardinals' catcher wasted no time throwing himself into it. Contreras caught a bullpen session Friday, and on Saturday he'll begin a hitting progression with swings off a tee and possibly soft toss. Asked about his return, the catcher expects it to be before the calendar turns to July. "I love how eager he is to get back," said manager Oliver Marmol. Updated June 7
Steven Matz (lower back stiffness):The lefty pitched two innings for Class AAA Memphis in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday as the first step in a rehab assignment. He'll start Tuesday for one of the Cardinals' affiliates, those the location has not been determined. Matz was targeted for 40 to 45 pitches but needed only 24 pitches to get six outs. Updated June 7
Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement):Right-hander pitched Thursday in relief of Matz at Omaha. Though his line was bruising, Gallegos recovered well, and now after a weekend break he'll be targeted for back-to-back appearances at some point next week for an affiliate. Updated June 7
Riley O'Brien (flexor tendon):Reliever will throw his third bullpen session Saturday at Busch Stadium. After that, if he recovers well, Riley will be scheduled for the beginning of a rehab assignment with a minor-league affiliate, and he could be starting one by Tuesday. Originally on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 29, O'Brien was moved to the 60-day list on May 10, about two weeks after beginning a throwing progression.Updated June 5
Nick Robertson (elbow inflammation):Robertson completed a low-intensity bullpen session and did not experience any difficult or soreness following the workout. He'll advance to a normal bullpen Saturday at Busch Stadium, and how quickly he advances from there will depend on how he feels Sunday. He experienced a “little tightness” in his elbow during a throwing session in late May.Updated June 7
Tommy Edman (wrist surgery):Switch-hitter is taking batting practice from both sides of the plate. The workout is similar to how his teammates prepare for games with coach-pitch batting practice. He has been able to increase the intensity of his fielding work, and the team is steadily mapping out a timetable for his return to game-speed action such as live batting practice. Internally, the Cardinals are expecting the return of their center fielder around the All-Star break. His rehab is mirroring a spring training schedule, and he'll have several weeks of games and live batting practices before a return.Updated June 6
Lars Nootbaar (oblique strain):Outfielder went on the 10-day injured list Friday with a strained oblique. Marmol called the strain "moderate," but the Cardinals are braced for Nootbaar to miss several weeks. It is the second time this season that he is on the injured list and the latest injury comes a few days after the Cardinals proactively gave Nootbaar time off to avoid a hamstring injury.Updated June 5
Packy Naughton (flexor tendon surgery):Has joined Class A Palm Beach for the next stage of his rehab assignment. He's working his way toward Class AAA.Updated May 31
Cardinals prospect Thomas Saggese gets regular shortstop reps, looks for breakout at plate
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The slump Cardinals infield prospect Thomas Saggese experienced in the batter’s box during the second month of his first full season with Class AAA Memphis was not new to him.
The 22-year-old recalls being in similar spots before. He recalls what happened once he broke out of them.
“In High-A, I remember times where I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t have a chance to get the big leagues,’ and then I finished that season hitting .300,” Saggese told the Post-Dispatch during a recent interview in Memphis, Tennessee. “And last year, I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is a tough start to the year and I’m really struggling,’ and then I won the MVP of the League, which is crazy to think about that.”
A 2020 draft pick of the Texas Rangers and a Cardinals trade deadline acquisition last July, Saggese batted .232 with a .293 on-base percentage through his first 18 games in 2022 before he ended that season with a .306 average in 103 games between High-A and Double-A. The next year, Saggese went from batting .203 in his first 15 games with Double-A Frisco to posting career highs in doubles, homers, and OPS to earn himself Texas League MVP honors after being traded from Texas to Ƶ that summer.
Coming off a 25-game stretch in May that included a .211 average and 24 strikeouts in 95 at-bats, the infield prospect feels his past slumps give him moments to “lean on” as he looks for consistent offensive results.
“I think that’s primarily on me and not really the pitching,” Saggese said. “I think I’m underperforming for sure. … I wouldn’t say I’m getting pitched tough or anything. I think I’m capable of however I’m getting pitched of doing damage. That hasn’t been so much so the case recently.”
The Cardinals’ top infield prospect entered Friday with a .224 average, seven home runs, and a .685 OPS in 52 games for Triple-A Memphis. He opened the year batting .255 with a 36% hard-hit rate in his first 39 games but has since hit .128 with a 28.2% hard-hit rate in his previous 13 games entering Friday, per Statcast.
“Swing wise, he’s fine,” Memphis hitting coach Howie Clark said recently during an interview in Memphis. “He just gets in trouble when he expands because I think he’s been able to cover quite a bit of the zone and I think some teams have been taking a little advantage of his aggressiveness or over-aggressiveness. When you see him be a little bit more disciplined around the edges and force them to throw strikes, I mean he really hits the ball hard.”
As a non-roster invitee to Cardinals big league camp this past spring, Saggese displayed the results his approach could yield. Saggese played in 23 Grapefruit League games and hit .300 with a .364 on-base percentage, three doubles, one home run and 11 RBIs. Saggese did not make his first opening day roster in his first chance as a non-roster invitee but remained in big league camp through the Cardinals’ final spring training game.
The 22-year-old described his first full big-league spring as eye-opening as he shared a clubhouse and the field with veteran major leaguers like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt while also getting a feel for where he is on his track to the majors.
“That I’m not that far away,” Saggese said. “I have work to do and there’s things I need to improve on and things I need to get better at and grow in and learn myself. But my work ethic is there. It’s just a matter of time before everything comes together and I get more experience. … I was holding my own in spring training.”
After splitting most of his time on defense between third base and shortstop during Grapefruit League games, Saggese opened the minor league season as Memphis’s starting shortstop and has started there in 34 of his 52 games. He began Friday with a .955 fielding percentage and seven errors in 293 2/3 innings at that position.
The utility infielder entered his first full season in the Cardinals system having started at shortstop in 37 games across three seasons in pro ball as he stuck mostly to second and third base. His time at shortstop has increased as fellow infield prospect Cesar Prieto remains at third and second base while Jose Fermin has bounced between shortstop and second base and between the majors and minors.
Saggese credited the defensive routine he developed last year as one of the areas that’s been part of his growth. The 22-year-old said part of his infield drills focuses on short hop progressions and are similar to the ones Angels manager Ron Washington popularized during his time as a third base coach with the Braves.
Playing primarily one spot on the infield is a process Saggese said he’s enjoyed, and one that has brought some consistency on defense as he looks for consistent results in the batter’s box.
“Some days it’s nice to mix it up, but it’s nice to be consistent at one spot and just get all your work done there,” he said. “I think it’s harder to go from spot to spot, which is an advantage for me, maybe if I’m able to do that well to go from spot to spot just because that’s a hard thing and I think a valuable thing. It’s give and take. It’s a good thing for me for value and as a player. But if it’s possible to stay in one spot, that’s, that’s ideally what you want.”
Ten Hochman: This day in Cardinals history, Bob Gibson struck out 4 guys in 1 inning
Cardinals’ Sonny Gray ‘trending the wrong way’ after second straight loss, command issues
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Cardinals ace pitcher Sonny Gray showed no interest in silver linings or identifying stretches of his outing that he might build upon. He was too busy stewing over his poor performance and the infuriating results against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night.
Gray, signed this offseason to anchor the Cardinals' rotation, turned in his shortest start of the season. He allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings and walked a season-high four batters in a 3-2 loss to the Rockies in the first game of a four-game series in front of an announced crowd of 33,332 at Busch Stadium.
Having lost back to back starts for the first time this season and the first time as a member of the Cardinals (29-32), Gray offered a pointed and blunt critique of his outing and recent starts.
“I pitched like (poop),” Gray said. “It’s a trend. I’m trending in the wrong direction. So I’ve got to come in and come up with a plan moving forward and get back on track.”
Five starts into the season, Gray had posted an ERA of 0.89 and struck out more than out seven times as many batters (38) as he’d walked (five). Opponents batted just .194 against him during that stretch.
With the exception of his first start of the season, coming off an IL stint, he’d pitched at least six innings per start.
However, the frustration Gray voiced wasn’t due to one isolated outing. He used the term “trending” in his assessment because he has now allowed seven runs in his last two starts and walked seven batters in 9 2/3 innings.
“Off the top of my head right now, I just feel like I’ve got to go back and start from the beginning,” Gray said. “Go get back to the basics. Force contact early. Strike one. Force guys to put the ball in play early. Get back through the middle of the plate early in the count. Not trying to be too fine early. Just get back to the middle.
“Everything seems to be better for me and more in my favor when I am getting ahead of guys early. The best way that I’ve done that in the past is just shoot right down the middle of the plate. I do feel like over the last, probably, couple weeks we’ve been going to more edges early.”
A pitch that looked to be in the strike zone created a speed bump in the third inning of Gray’s outing on Thursday.
Gray’s first walk came with one out with Jake Cave batting. Gray’s 2-2 pitch looked to catch the outer third and bottom third of the strike zone to the left-handed hitting Cave. Instead, home plate umpire Scott Barry called the pitch a ball.
The plate appearance continued, and Cave walked after an 11-pitch battle.
“I struck him out,” Gray said. “But at the same time, he battled after. I made a lot of good pitches and ended up walking him. I was okay with that.”
Cave went from first to third on a single by No. 9 hitter Michael Toglia, and he scored one batter later on an infield grounder. The Cardinals attempted to turn a double play on the grounder, but Charlie Blackmon beat out the throw to first base and Cave scored.
Gray had thrown 20 pitches through the first two innings. He threw 26 pitches in the third inning alone.
Despite that slowdown, Gray seemed to have gained a head full of steam after that. He struck out Ezequiel Tovar swinging to end that inning, and he struck out the side in order in the fourth.
“That game started off, he was pretty sharp,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Then he punches out those four in a row and you feel good about him kind of hitting another gear and getting going there.
“But when you look at the fastball command, he’s usually a little better with that fastball. He landed half the time. That was one of the differences in tonight’s game, higher walks than you’d expect for him.”
In his first seven starts of the season, Gray’s four-seam fastball landed in the zone anywhere between 63% of the time, as was the case in his start against the Oakland Athletics, to 75% of the time, such as his start against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 21. He had four starts with his four-seam landing at a clip of 70% or higher and two others at 67%.
Lately, Gray hasn’t had a close handle on that pitch. In recent starts against the Baltimore Orioles (50%), Chicago Cubs (30%), Philadelphia Phillies (35%) and Rockies (52%), the command of that pitch has dropped off. In each of those past four starts, he’s pitched fewer than six innings.
Thursday, Gray ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. He allowed two runs on a single, two wild pitches and three walks.
The only hit in the inning, a single by Brenton Doyle, led off the inning. Then Cave walked for the second time, with the help of a pitch timer violation that resulted in an automatic ball. A double steal put both runners in scoring position. Then Toglia’s grounder to first base drove in Doyle to give the Rockies a two-run edge.
Cave advanced to third on the grounder to first, and he scored on a wild pitch to make it a three-run advantage for the Rockies. Gray walked the last two batters he faced in the inning, Blackmon and Tovar. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore took over out of the bullpen.
“I remember going through this a little bit last year where I went through a four, five, six start stretch where I just continued to walk people,” Gray said. “The biggest jump from that was just a mindset swap to be aggressive early through the middle of the plate. I think that’s where I’ve got to get back to. Get back to the middle of the plate, and not trying to be too fine early in the counts. I think that could be a good starting point for me.”
The Cardinals bullpen held the line. Liberatore (1 1/3 innings), John King (1 1/3 innings) and Chris Roycroft (1 2/3 innings) provided scores relief. The Rockies (22-40) went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position in the game.
Offensively, the Cardinals had seven hits with just three coming in the first five inning against Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill (5-4), despite the right-hander’s four walks.
The Cardinals left 10 men on base and went just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
Rookie shortstop Masyn Winn (2 for 5) was the only Cardinals with a multi-hit game. Nolan Arenado tied his career high with three walks. Paul Goldschmidt (1 for 5) singled in the ninth inning and has reached base in 23 consecutive games.
The Cardinals scored a pair of runs in the sixth inning, just after the Rockies went to their bullpen.
Up until that point, the closest the Cardinals game to scoring a run was when Matt Carpenter had a solo home run robbed from him in the fifth inning when Toglia, the 6-foot-5 outfielder, jumped and reached over the right field wall snare the ball with his glove and pull it back onto the field.
In the sixth, the Cardinals smacked four hits (all singles) and benefited from a throwing error as they scored a pair of runs and made it a one-run game.
Gorman singled to start the inning and scored three batters later when Ivan Herrera hit a grounder and the Rockies failed to turn a double play. The errant throw from the shortstop, Tovar, allowed Gorman to score from second base. Michael Siani hit a two-out RBI single that scored Herrera.
In the seventh inning, Goldschmidt smashed a ball with an exit velocity of 106.8 mph that was caught on the warning track in center field. The next batter, Gorman, blasted a ball into left-center field at 100.7 mph off the bat, but it also got caught on the warning track.
In the eighth, Herrera lined a ball to left field.
Goldschmidt’s single was the only hit in the Cardinals’ half of the ninth.
“That’s the tough part, you look at this and you go man we only scored two, and it feels like we should have done a much better job against them today,” Marmol said. “But look at Goldy’s ball and it’s caught right on the wall. Gorman hits one caught on the wall. Herrera hits that ball against their lefty there at the end, scorches that. Nothing to show for it. They bring a homer back from Carp. It’s a different game when those four opportunities go our way.
“I do think our at-bats could have been better early, but we did take some good at-bats that didn’t go our way or have anything to show for.”
Photos: Cardinals bested by Rockies 3-2 in first of four
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals open four-game series against Rockies
Cardinals prospect Cooper Hjerpe tosses 4 no-hit innings at High-A: Minor League Report
Aiming to continue a recent string of strong pitching, Cardinals prospect Cooper Hjerpe stifled Fort Wayne's offense with four no-hit innings, during which he struck out five and walked three on Thursday.
The first-round selection by Ƶ in the 2022 MLB Draft, Hjerpe extended his scoreless innings streak to 11 with the strong performance against the Padres' High-A affiliate. The left-hander departed after throwing 59 pitches.
In his 11th start of the year, Hjerpe did not factor in the decision. He has yet to pitch beyond the fourth inning in any start this season, but he has completed four innings in four of his past five starts.
Hjerpe retired the side in the first before issuing a walk in each of the following three innings. Fort Wayne managed to hit just two balls out of the infield against the southpaw, both of which were caught.
The sixth-ranked prospect in the Cardinals' minor league system, Hjerpe holds a 2.42 earned run average in his last seven starts. In relief of Hjerpe, Inohan Paniagua earned the win, tossing four one-hit innings with eight strikeouts.
Edwin Nuñez bounces back against Arkansas
Looking to rebound after allowing 10 earned runs across his previous three outings, righthander Edwin Nuñez did just that for Class AA Springfield.
Nuñez scattered one run and three hits in four innings while striking out four and walking three against Arkansas. It marked one of the stronger efforts of the season forNuñez, who is transitioning from reliever to starter this season.
The four-inning effort tied his longest start of the season. Nuñez, who has struggled with command at times this season, tossed 43 of his 74 pitches for strikes. He strengthened as the start progressed, retiring the final five batters he faced and walking none in his last two innings.
Matz, Gallegos make rehab appearances
Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz and reliever Giovanny Gallegos both made rehab appearances for Class AAA Memphis on Tuesday in Omaha, Nebraska.
Matz, whowas scheduled to throw approximately 40 pitches or two innings, did not yield a hit in two shutout innings. The left-hander needed just 24 pitches to quiet a potent Omaha offense, recording two strikeouts.
On the injured list with a lower back strain since May 1, Matz topped out at 94 mph on a sinker in the first inning. He averaged 92.9 mph on his sinker, coupling that with a changeup (83.1 mph) and curveball (75.3), per Statcast.
Gallegos, who began a rehab assignment with Memphis on May 31, allowed three runs on two hits in his lone inning of work. He threw 11 of his 16 pitches for strikes but gave up a three-run home run with two outs in the third inning.
The right-hander primarily used his fastball and slider combination, generating three whiffs on the pitches. Gallegos is slated to have another rehab appearance on Sunday.
Sem Robberse rocked in relief
Acquired from Toronto in the Jordan Hicks trade last season, Triple-A right-handed pitcher Sem Robberse labored in relief of Matz and Gallegos.
Robberse needed 37 pitches to record a single out, allowing eight runs (seven earned) and six hits in that span. He gave up a pair of home runs in the tumultuous showing, which snapped a streak of nine successive appearances of at least five innings.
After allowing just six earned runs in 29⅔ innings to start the season, Robberse has given up 27 earned runs in his 37 innings since.
Joshua Baez, Alfonso Rivas III among prospects to post multi-hit performances
High-A left fielder Joshua Baez and Triple-A right fielder Alfonso Rivas III showcased their potential with multi-hit games, headlining the offensive showing in the Cardinals' system.
Baez went 2 for 3 with three RBIs against Fort Wayne, drilling a two-run double in the second inning and adding a run-scoring single in the fifth. He also stole his 12th base of the season and walked once.
Rivas had a three-hit, three-RBI day against Omaha, swatting a three-run home run in the third inning. Fellow Redbird Max Koperniak had a three-hit day as well. All of his hits were singles for his sixth three-hit game this season.
Elsewhere, Double-A designated hitter Aaron McKeithan had a three-hit, five-RBI performance against Arkansas, and Kade Kretzschmar had a walk-off double as part of a two-hit effort for Single-A Palm Beach against Dunedin. The PB-Cardinals scored in the 10th, 11th, and 12th inning of the game to outlast the Blue Jays' Class A affiliate. Palm Beach has won 14 of its past 21.
Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman entered the series having hit six home runs and batted .286 in his previous nine games.
Sonny Gray, Cardinals drop series opener to Rockies with offense lagging
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The Cardinals were seemingly on the cusp of that one big hit necessary to jump-start their offense. Instead, those would-be hits too often found their way into outfielders’ gloves.
If it wasn’t Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Gorman absolutely smashing balls that were caught on the warning track, then it was Matt Carpenter getting a home run robbed from him by 6-foot-5 outfielder.
That’s the kind of night, offensively, the Cardinals experienced in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies in the first game of a four-game series in front of an announced crowd of 33,332 Thursday night at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals (29-32) left 10 men on base. While they collected eight hits, they went just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
Rookie shortstop Masyn Winn (2 for 5) was the only Cardinals with a multi-hit game. Nolan Arenado tied his career high with three walks. Goldschmidt (1 for 5) singled in the ninth inning and has reached base in 23 consecutive games.
Cardinals ace Sonny Gray turned in his shortest outing of the season and has now lost back-to-back starts for the first time as a member of the club. He allowed three runs on two hits and a season-high four walks in 4⅔ innings. He also struck out five batters.
Gray (7-4) allowed just four walks in his first four starts of the season, but he’s walked seven across his past two starts.
The Rockies (22-40) went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.
Opportunistic offense
The Cardinals scored a pair of runs in the sixth inning, just after the Rockies went to their bullpen.
Up until that point, the closest the Cardinals game to scoring a run was when Carpenter had a solo home run robbed from him in the fifth inning when Rockies right fielder Michael Toglia jumped and reached over the right field wall to snare the ball and pull it back over.
In the sixth, the Cardinals smacked four hits (all singles) and benefited from a throwing error as they scored a pair of runs and made it a one-run game.
Gorman singled to start the inning and scored three batters later when Ivan Herrera hit a grounder and the Rockies failed to turn a double play. The errant throw from shortstop Ezequiel Tovar allowed Gorman to score from second base. Michael Siani hit a two-out RBI single that scored Herrera.
1 pitch makes big difference
The Rockies scored the game’s first run in the third inning despite registering just one hit, a single.
Gray issued a one-out walk to Jake Cave after a 2-2 pitch appeared to be in the strike zone. Instead, home plate umpire Scott Barry called it a ball. The plate appearance continued, and Cave walked after an 11-pitch battle.
Cave went from first to third on a single by No. 9 hitter Toglia, and he scored one batter later on an infield grounder to Gorman. The Cardinals attempted to turn a double play on the grounder, but Charlie Blackmon beat out the throw to first base. Cave scored on the play.
Gray had thrown 20 pitches through the first two innings. He threw 26 pitches in the third inning alone.
Sonny sits in 5th
Gray could not complete five innings after he ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. He allowed two runs on a single, two wild pitches and three walks in the frame.
The Rockies kept the pressure on with three stolen bases in the inning, and Gray got called for a pitch clock violation that resulted in an automatic ball. That plate appearance ultimately ended in a walk.
The only hit in the inning, a single by Brenton Doyle, led off the inning. Then Cave walked for the second time, with the help of an automatic ball. A double steal put both runners in scoring position. Then Toglia’s grounder to first base drove in Doyle to give the Rockies a two-run edge.
Cave advanced to third on the grounder to first, and he scored on a wild pitch to make it a three-run advantage for the Rockies. Gray walked the last two batters he faced in the inning, Blackmon and Tovar. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore took over out of the bullpen.
Arenado to work through slump
Arenado, the Cardinals’ All-Star third baseman, faced his former club for the first time this season. In eight seasons with the Rockies, Arenado earned five All-Star selections and eight Gold Glove Awards.
This season, Arenado has been out of sorts at the plate. A career .285 hitter who hit at least 30 home runs and drove in at least 100 RBIs for seven consecutive full-length seasons, Arenado has displayed a lack of power early this season. He hit just one home run in his first 32 games, though he batted .279 during that span.
Recently, Arenado’s struggles at the plate had spread beyond a lack of power. He’s batted just .173 in his past 13 games. On the club’s recent road trip to Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Houston, Arenado hit three home runs and bumped his season total up to six.
He has played in 59 of 61 games this season.
“I’ve been able to have really good conversations with him as far as the work over the next four days leading into the off-day and how he’s thinking through that,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said before the game. “But it’s just continuing to take steps to where he feels like Nolan. If there’s anybody that’s going to work really hard towards that, it’s him.”
When Cardinals veteran first baseman Goldschmidt struggled through a prolonged slump at the plate earlier this season, Marmol planned to give Goldschmidt back-to-back “work days” where he wasn’t in the lineup. One of the games got rained out.
“Nado likes working through it for the most part,” Marmol said of the difference in approach. “A little bit different personalities there, so you don’t treat them the same. Nolan likes to work through it. He’s going to want the at-bats right now. We bought him a day on that road trip.”
Old friends in town for weekend
The Rockies currently have a pair of former Cardinals in their starting rotation in right-hander Dakota Hudson (2-7, 5.25) and left-hander Austin Gomber (1-3, 3.06).
Hudson pitched in the Rockies’ loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. He did not factor in the decision. He will not pitch during the four-game set at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals nontendered Hudson, a former supplemental first-round draft pick (34th overall in 2016), in November. He’d spent his entire career in the Cardinals organization.
Hudson signed a free-agent deal with the Rockies in January.
Gomber is in his fourth season with the Rockies. The left-hander went to the Rockies as part of the trade that brought Arenado to the Cardinals on Feb. 1, 2021.
In four career appearances (two starts) against the Cardinals, Gomber has gone 1-1 with a 6.35 ERA. Last season, he tossed six scoreless innings in a win against the Cardinals on Aug. 6 at Busch Stadium.
Nolan Gorman walked before he trotted during recent offensive hot streak: Cardinals Extra
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For the better part of a month, Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman has provided an impactful left-handed presence in a lineup that has endured inconsistent production this season.
Entering Thursday night’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies, Gorman posted a slash line of .324/.407/.789 with 10 home runs, 19 RBIs, 10 walks and 30 strikeouts in 21 games (19 starts) since May 10.
“I think that’s what it is, I’m seeing the ball,” Gorman said. “Seeing the ball well and just trying to attack one pitch at a time.”
He went 0 for 4 in Wednesday’s series finale against the Astros and snapped a stretch of three consecutive games with a home run. For the three-city, nine-game road trip, Gorman went 10 for 35 (.286) with six home runs.
Asked about adjustments he’s made that have led to the recent surge at the plate, Gorman said they weren’t physical or mechanical.
“It’s more approach-based stuff,” Gorman said. “It’s not necessarily the swing or anything. So it’s just getting the approach down and making sure I have a good idea of what I want to do against each pitcher.”
He now has a team-high 14 home runs (tied for third-most in the National League) this season.
Gorman, who led the team with 27 home runs last season, started slowly at the plate this season. He’d slashed .172/.256/.319 through his first 33 games (31 starts).
In the last 10 games before he started on his recent tear, Gorman showed a marked improvement in plate discipline. He walked seven times and struck out nine times in that 10-game stretch. Prior to that, he’d struck out 34 times and walked just six times.
“I think when he’s walking, it’s a matter of putting less pressure on himself of having to get a hit,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said during the recent road trip. “He’s allowing the game to come to him rather than him just trying to chase hits. So it’s a good sign when he’s able to take his walks, not trying to do too much and swinging when he can actually do damage.”
Spin is the thing for Helsley
Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley’s average fastball velocity this season (99.5 mph) ranks among the 99th percentile of all pitchers in the majors, and yet this season, he’d thrown his slider mores often (170 times) than his fastball (165) entering Thursday night.
“At this level, it’s kind of a cat-and-mouse game and a chess match,” Helsley said. “We’ve faced a lot of these guys more than once, and they’ve got a lot of video and scouting stuff on you now. I’m just trying to, honestly, be present in the moment and kind of see what kind of swings guys are taking and trust that your catcher is calling the right pitches too.”
Helsley went 11 consecutive scoreless outings before he gave up two runs in a save against the Chicago Cubs on May 25. The Cubs did not miss on any of their eight swings in that outing, including five swings on four-seam fastballs that averaged 97.4 mph.
One night later, Helsley varied his pitch usage and threw more sliders than any other pitch to save a 4-3 Sunday night win. He used his curveball as often as his fastball in that outing.
In outings against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 2 and the Houston Astros on June 5, Helsley again leaned on his secondary pitches. Against the Phillies, nine of 11 pitches were sliders. He closed out the win against the Astros using all three offerings in an eight-pitch outing, though the fastball usage (four pitches) slightly outpaced that of the slider (three pitches).
“The more weapons you have, the better,” Helsley said. “It makes your job a little more fun and easier when you don’t have to rely on just one or two pitches. You know you have three pitches you can throw in any count and just attack guys with.”
Helsley entered the series with the Rockies leading the majors in saves (20) and leading the NL in games finished (25).
Hence exits start early
Pitcher Tink Hence, ranked the No. 22 overall prospect in the minors by Baseball America, exited his start Wednesday for Double-A Springfield (Missouri) after he threw just 35 pitches. He left the field alongside team trainer Alex Wolfinger.
Hence left the game as a “precautionary” move, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak told the Post-Dispatch in a text message.
Elsewhere in the minors ...
Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz was scheduled to throw approximately 40 pitches or two innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Memphis. He’s been on the IL with a lower back strain since May 1.
Relief pitcher Giovanny Gallegos began a rehab assignment with Memphis on May 31. He was scheduled to pitch Thursday night, followed by an appearance on Sunday.
Post-Dispatch staff writer Daniel Guerrero contributed to this report.