最新杏吧原创

ATLANTA 鈥� A graduate of the Milwaukee Brewers鈥� pacesetting pipeline of pitchers who went on to earn a record-setting fortune in Houston, lefty Josh Hader said he tries to 鈥渒eep up鈥� with his former teams, and when it comes to the Brew Crew, he sees exactly what hitters do.

鈥淰elocity, velocity, velocity,鈥� Hader said.

The Brewers鈥� closer, Trevor Megill, who leads that group with an average four-seam fastball of 99.0 mph, put names to the speed when asked Monday at the start of All-Star week in Atlanta. Aaron Ashby is 鈥渂ack into the mix鈥� at 97-98 mph, he said. Jared Koenig hit 99 mph 鈥渢he other day,鈥� Nick Means is 鈥渂ack throwing 98 mph again,鈥� and Abner Uribe 鈥渢hrows 102, 103.鈥� And that鈥檚 just what the Brewers鈥� bullpen is throwing at opponents.

In one of the most revealing decisions of the direction baseball鈥檚 speed game is going 鈥� and going fast 鈥� Brewers鈥� rookie Jacob Misiorowski was commissioner Rob Manfred鈥檚 late addition to the National League鈥檚 All-Star Game roster. He leapfrogged other deserving pitchers, several of them veterans, despite making his big-league debut only four weeks earlier against the Cardinals. His inning in the All-Star Game was his sixth appearance as a Brewer in the regular season, and it鈥檚 clear the choice was influenced by a number greater than his five starts.

It鈥檚 right there on the radar: 103 mph.

鈥淥n that kind of note, it seems like every series you play a team and they鈥檝e got a reliever who you鈥檝e never heard of who sits 99 mph to 100 mph and has a wipeout off-speed pitch, and it鈥檚 just that over and over and over again,鈥� said Athletics slugger Brent Rooker when I asked how fitting it was that the NL could just pluck a last-minute, 103-mph fastball out of the air for its roster. 鈥淓ventually, those are the guys who become the relievers in the All-Star Game. Teams are just cycling through guys and there is so much depth in terms of the backend of bullpens and so much stuff. I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 ever been tougher to hit.鈥�

In Tuesday鈥檚 All-Star Game at Atlanta鈥檚 Truist Park, there were 21 pitches that left fingertips at 100 mph or swifter. The seven fastest came from Misiorowski鈥檚 hand.

The Midsummer Classic was a showcase of the game鈥檚 increasing velocity and an extreme example of how the Cardinals must catch up. The amateur draft at the start of the week was a peek into their solution.

They have a need 鈥� a need for speed.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 just the evolution of the game,鈥� Hall of Fame-bound and Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw said in the NL鈥檚 clubhouse before Tuesday鈥檚 game. 鈥淚 think everybody is throwing harder with better breaking balls, max-effort, and that鈥檚 not changing any time soon.鈥�

鈥淵eah, velocity is great,鈥� said Houston starter Hunter Brown, who has a 2.43 ERA and is third in American League with 137 strikeouts. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing some crazy numbers as guys are just throwing harder and harder. I think it鈥檚 clear that the harder you throw, the better results that you鈥檒l get. It鈥檚 always been chased after. It gives you an opportunity to have some leeway in the strike zone.鈥�

Added his teammate Hader: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why velocity is such a key part of the game right now 鈥� you can get a guy who throws 99 mph and throws it middle-middle and it might not go middle-middle but it gives him the opportunity to still get a guy out.鈥�

The average four-seam fastball鈥檚 speed has steadily climbed in recent years, from 91.9 mph in 2008, the first year of reliable data, to 94.4 mph this season. There were 170 pitches in this past week鈥檚 All-Star Game that were faster than the major-league average. Twenty-two of the 35 pitchers on the rosters for the game averaged faster than 95 mph on their fastball.

The Cardinals, likewise, have revved-up their average velocity in recent years. After back-to-back seasons ranking sixth-slowest 鈥� if that鈥檚 the appropriate word 鈥� in average team fastball speed, the Cardinals are up to 16th this season, at 94.3 mph. They, however, have thrown the fewest four-seam fastballs in the majors 鈥� by more than 100. Their whiff-rate on four-seam fastballs ranks 29th, at 17.3%, and they have the seventh-lowest whiff rate against all fastballs, at 18.5%. That contributes to the lowest strikeout rate (7.38 strikeouts-per-nine) in the majors at sea level, ranking behind only the team the Cardinals visit this week 鈥� the Rockies.

The Cardinals鈥� bullpen is the team鈥檚 booster rocket, ranking among the leaders in average fastball speed. Five relievers average faster than 95 mph, paced by closer Ryan Helsley鈥檚 99.0 mph and Riley O鈥橞rien鈥檚 98.2 mph.

A majority of the Cardinals鈥� rotation pitches to contact 鈥� a classic formula since the days of Dave Duncan meant to take advantage of superb defense. But as the game speeds up for rivals, the drawback becomes more prominent. Manager Oliver Marmol mentioned it to reporters again Friday night in Arizona as groundball-getter Andre Pallante allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 7-3 loss: 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 at people, (he) has a good outing. That鈥檚 what you have to live and die with when you have guys in the rotation that pitch to contact.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about this enough, right?鈥� The manager said.

It cannot be talked about enough because fewer balls in play is increasingly the game 鈥� even a few seasons after Major League Baseball changed rules to spur more balls in play. Quick outs, pitch efficiency, and getting the defense involved can still win games, but with less emphasis on innings from starters there is more on stuff and whiffs.

Rooker put it best during our conversation in the AL clubhouse Tuesday.

鈥淚 think teams have discovered the most-efficient way to prevent runs from scoring is to not let anyone hit the ball,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat is going to be the goal. In terms of the game becoming optimized and teams trying to do things as efficiently as possible, from a pitching perspective, if they don鈥檛 put the ball in play, it鈥檚 way tougher to score. That goal is obvious. Chase those whiffs. Get those strikeouts.鈥�

That sounds like the Cardinals鈥� game plan for the draft.

With the fifth overall pick, the Cardinals selected Tennessee lefty Liam Doyle and his 101-mph fastball, one assistant general manager Randy Flores called an 鈥渙utlier鈥� and 鈥渞are鈥� outside of the top picks. Doyle set Vols strikeout records and was among NCAA leaders in strikeout rates. He was the headliner of a draft class that includes a dozen pitchers. The second pitcher taken by the Cardinals, Doyle鈥檚 Vols teammate Tanner Franklin, touches 102 mph on his fastball. Scouting reports for the first five pitchers drafted by the Cardinals mention a fastball that touches 98 mph or faster. Their 13th-round pick Jake Shelagowski, a catcher turned closer, reportedly has a fastball that reaches 100 mph.

Also consider the phrases Baseball America used to describe the Cardinals鈥� picks entering the draft: Doyle has an 鈥渆asy plus pitch on velocity alone,鈥� Franklin carries a 鈥渂ig fastball,鈥� Ethan Young sports a 鈥減ower arsenal,鈥� and Payton Graham is 鈥減ower-armed.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 coming. The velocity is coming,鈥� said Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies鈥� designated hitter a few hours before winning the All-Star Game鈥檚 MVP honor. 鈥淚t seems like, on average, every time you can get into that bullpen it鈥檚 pretty much 100-mph arms coming out there at you. Now it feels like that high four-seamer turned into 98 mph with a big, hard curveball and now you鈥檙e coming back to 99 with power sink and power sweeper and different sliders.鈥�

Before a recent national broadcast game against the Padres, Schwarber spoke about this spiking velocity with former Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, part of FOX Sports鈥� broadcast group. They discussed how a decade ago the Cardinals鈥� rotation Schwarber鈥檚 Cubs faced in the postseason was in the low-90s teasing contact and capitalizing on one of the best defensive clubs of the era. (鈥淧ainting and moving the ball around,鈥� Schwarber called it.) Carlos Martinez was the outlier, the lightning bolt with a 98-mph sinker.

So far this season, there are 13 pitchers in the majors who have thrown more than 100 fastballs and average faster than 99 mph.

Two starters in the National League Central, Cincinnati鈥檚 Hunter Greene and Milwaukee鈥檚 Misiorowski, average 99.3 mph on their fastballs and hit triple-digits in late innings. The NL Central also has Pittsburgh phenom Paul Skenes, the NL鈥檚 starter for back-to-back All-Star games, and he averages 98.2 mph on his four-seam, 97.7 mph on his sinker, and 93.7 mph on a split-finger power pitch that needed a new name, 鈥渢he splinker.鈥�

All three blowtorch starters are under team control through at least 2029.

That鈥檚 what Cardinals hitters have to look forward to.

鈥淚 think guys are throwing harder than ever and I think guys are throwing consistently harder than ever,鈥� Cardinals鈥� All-Star Brendan Donovan said.

There is a larger conversation enveloping baseball about the cost of accelerating the game鈥檚 velocity. Pitcher injuries are on the rise, and a study by MLB released this past offseason cited max-effort velocity-chasing as a contributor. Pitchers are encouraged to throw harder and harder, younger and younger. Or as Hader, who threw 87 mph before gaining velo as a pro, put it: 鈥淚t鈥檚 like if you鈥檙e not throwing 95-plus, you鈥檙e not getting drafted.鈥� Velocity can also compensate for command. A pitcher can be less fine, less accurate, less on the edges, and perhaps take less time to develop without needing that feel. Thus, they move (ahem) faster to the majors.

All of those factors are in play as teams are heat-seeking more whiffs.

And, as a result, pitchers are seeking more heat.

鈥淚鈥檓 at 103 mph right now, and we鈥檒l see where it goes,鈥� Misiorowski said.

鈥淲e keep seeing it grow and grow and guys throwing harder and harder, so why not?鈥� Brown told me when I asked if there was an upper limit. 鈥淚鈥檓 chasing 200.鈥�

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PHOENIX 鈥� Taking the mound for the first time since starting the Cardinals鈥� final game before the All-Star break, starter Sonny Gray viewed his Saturday outing against the Diamondbacks as an opportunity to create some momentum for his team.

But at Chase Field, Gray鈥檚 sights on helping the Cardinals respond to a deflating Friday night loss were met with friction that snowballed his start. Early swings and hard contact from Arizona鈥檚 lineup left the veteran right-hander with three runs in his first inning of work, two in the second, another in the third, and three in a fourth inning he could not finish.

Gray鈥檚 inability to silence Diamondbacks hitters sunk the Cardinals in a 10-1 loss and left the veteran right-hander with the most runs and hits he鈥檚 allowed in any start across his 13 years in the majors.

鈥淧hysically, I felt really good. Mentally鈥� I was very weak mentally today, which is unfortunate, because after yesterday, you come back in the second half after the All-Star break, you want to go out there and give ourselves a chance and hopefully jump-start us to playing well,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淚 didn't do that. I put us in a big hole early, and it's just too big to climb out of there.鈥�

Gray, 35, gave up a career-high nine runs (eight earned) and matched a career-high with 11 hits allowed over 3 1/3 innings on Saturday. Gray鈥檚 previous career-high in runs and earned runs was eight on July 25, 2021, in a start with the Reds against the Cardinals. The 11 hits he was tagged for were his most since giving up that many hits on April 17, 2015, during a start with the Oakland Athletics.

Gray has now allowed 11 hits in three starts over his career. During his latest such outing, two of the 11 hits were homers by Eugenio Suarez, and nine of the 11, including Suarez's two homers, had exit velocities above 95 mph. Eight of the hard-hit balls came off bats at 100 mph or higher, per Statcast.

鈥淭hey had a good approach. They took some pretty good swings on him early. ... At the end of the day, they just beat him.鈥� Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of Gray鈥檚 start. 鈥淭hey took really good at-bats. Eleven out of 15 balls in play were for hits. That's not a norm, but when that happens, it'll lead to a lot of runs. The combination of all of that led to his outing.鈥�

Gray鈥檚 Saturday start began with a triple allowed on a 1-2 sweeper to Corbin Carroll that was hit with a 109.8 mph exit velocity. Carroll scored on a single hit at 103.3 mph from Geraldo Perdomo in the following at-bat after Gray went from working in an 0-2 count against Perdomo to a 2-2 count.

A double play on a groundball from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and two called strikes to Josh Naylor put Gray a strike away from getting through the inning with the lone run allowed. But Naylor鈥檚 late swing against Gray鈥檚 0-2 fastball resulted in Naylor鈥檚 bat hitting catcher Pedro Pages鈥� glove after Pages had already caught Gray鈥檚 pitch. A catcher鈥檚 interference was ruled on the play, allowing Naylor to reach first base.

Suarez, an All-Star third baseman and valuable trade chip heading into the July 31 trade deadline, capitalized on the prolonged inning by driving a 1-0 sinker from Gray to left field for a two-run homer that was his 32nd of the year.

鈥淚 don't think that's Pedro's fault or anything,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淭he guy swung when the ball was in his glove. It was literally in his glove, and he just 鈥� what do you do there as a catcher, right? He had already caught the ball, and then he swings.

鈥淭hat was a big spot early in the game. Because if that doesn't happen and you give up one, you maybe feel like you can come and reset and maybe do something, but then you give up the homer after that, and then another single and... it's just kind of how the day was.鈥�

While Gray could not limit damage, Cardinals hitters were held down by an Arizona starter for the second consecutive night.

After Brandon Pfaadt threw seven scoreless innings on Friday, right-hander Ryne Nelson limited the Cardinals (51-48) to one run, four hits, and one walk in six innings. The lone run the Cardinals scored off Nelson came in the sixth inning on a 443-foot home run from Alec Burleson.

The grounded Cardinals鈥� offense had one batter reach base in the second, third, and fourth innings. In each inning, the runner did not advance beyond second base.

Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks piled onto their lead as they collected three hits in the second inning, all of which were hit above 95 mph. They received a third-inning homer that marked Suarez鈥檚 second of the game, and totaled another three hits in the fourth, including a second triple from Carroll that had a 109.3 mph exit velocity as Arizona left Gray with perhaps the outing of his career.

鈥淚'm just looking forward to getting back to having a normal week,鈥� Gray said. 鈥淚'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll just have a normal week and get back on the horse. Like I said, mentally, I just didn't feel there for whatever reason. I'm not making excuses. Just stating facts. Coming back from the break like that is not easy, especially not for me. I'll just have us have a normal weekend, and I'll be fine.鈥�

PHOENIX 鈥� The bruising contact he allowed to Diamondbacks hitters Saturday at Chase Field left Cardinals starter Sonny Gray with more than his rockiest outing of this season.

The veteran starter surrendered a career-high nine runs and matched a career-high in earned runs allowed with eight across 3 1/3 innings in a 10-1 loss against Arizona. Gray allowed 11 hits that marked a season-high and tied a career-high as Diamondbacks hitters often swung early in counts and, similarly, often produced hard contact against the righty.

Of the 15 balls put in play against Gray, 11 had exit velocities above 95 mph. Ten reached 100 mph or higher in an outing that began to slip away before Gray could get through the first inning.

Gray surrendered three runs in the first inning, two of which came on a homer from Eugenio Suarez, two in the second inning, one in the third, and was left with another three-run inning in a fourth frame that reliever Gordon Graceffo finished.

Graceffo completed 3 2/3 scoreless innings and kept Arizona to one hit and one walk. He completed his outing on 34 pitches. Lefty John King allowed one run in the eighth inning.

Before Saturday鈥檚 start, Gray鈥檚 previous career highs in runs and earned runs allowed were eight. That came in a start on July 25, 2021, when he was a member of the Cincinnati Reds pitching against the Cardinals. Gray also lasted 3 1/3 innings in that start. The 11 hits allowed Saturday were the most Gray has given up in a start since April 17, 2015, during his time with the Oakland Athletics.

Quieted against starter Brandon Pfaadt during Friday鈥檚 loss, the Cardinals (51-48) were held to one run, four hits, and a walk over six innings against starter Ryne Nelson. Nelson鈥檚 fastball-heavy approach, complemented by a slider and cutter, kept the Cardinals to three hits through 5 1/3 innings before Alec Burleson swung the Cardinals into the runs column with a 443-foot solo homer to right field in the sixth inning.

Burleson鈥檚 homer was his 12th of the season, tying him with Willson Contreras and Lars Nootbaar for the team lead.

Interference call costs Cards

When Gray was one strike away from escaping the first inning with one run allowed, the righty鈥檚 0-2 offering to Josh Naylor and Naylor鈥檚 late swing appeared like it was going to get him through the frame without any further damage. That was until catcher Pedro Pages was called for a catcher鈥檚 interference that allowed Naylor to reach base and brought up Suarez.

Naylor got a late swing off on Gray鈥檚 0-2 offering that would have ended the first inning with a strikeout, the Cardinals down 1-0 and Gray at 14 pitches. But, as shown on a replay of the sequence, Naylor鈥檚 bat hit Pages鈥� glove as Pages received Gray鈥檚 pitch.

Two pitches later, Suarez drove in two runs by lifting a 1-0 sinker to left field for the first two homers he hit.

Hard contact hurts Gray

Through the first two innings of his outing, Gray saw the Diamondbacks produce hard contact on eight of the first nine balls they put in play against him. Their ability to square up Gray included seven balls in play with exit velocities at or above 100 mph, per Statcast.

The string of hard contact began with a line drive from Corbin Carroll that jumped off the speedster鈥檚 bat at 109.8 mph for a leadoff triple. Geraldo Perdomo produced the game鈥檚 first run with a 103.3 mph single that scored Carroll with no outs. After a double play on a ground ball from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. secured two outs and Naylor extended the inning by reaching on a catcher鈥檚 interference, Suarez鈥檚 homer to left field came off his bat with a 104 mph exit velocity.

Hits in the second inning, including Alek Thomas鈥檚 108.5 mph double, Blaze Alexander鈥檚 102.2 mph single, and a single from Perdomo that registered a 95.6 mph exit velocity, helped add two more runs to Gray鈥檚 pitching line.

Arizona鈥檚 ability to square up Gray continued through the final 1 2/3 innings Gray logged.

Their hard-hitting success flowed into the third inning on Suarez鈥檚 second homer, which was hit to left field with a 102.3 mph exit velocity. In the fourth inning, Alexander singled on a ball that left his bat at 108.2 mph, and Carroll hit a second triple, this time with a 109.3 mph exit velocity, to add three more runs to Gray鈥檚 ERA, which jumped to 4.04 following the start.

Cards contact leads to outs

Although the Cardinals were able to produce hard contact against Nelson and his mid-90s mph fastball, much of that contact was at defenders.

The Cardinals鈥� hardest-hit ball of the afternoon, a groundball from Masyn Winn that came off his bat at 107.9 mph, resulted in an inning-ending groundout that left Nolan Arenado stranded at second base following his two-out double.

Line drives from Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages had exit velocities above 104 mph, but were hauled in for outs in the sixth and third innings, respectively.

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PHOENIX 鈥� A scratch from the Cardinals鈥� lineup in their first game coming out of the All-Star break and unavailable from the bench in their final game before the break, the back discomfort that limited Nolan Gorman led to his placement on the injured list.

Gorman, 25, was moved to the 10-day IL Saturday with lower back pain. Infelder Thomas Saggese, who was optioned Friday before the Cardinals opened a three-game road series against the Diamondbacks, was recalled in a corresponding move.

The IL stint, which is retroactive to Friday, marks the second time Gorman has landed on the IL for a back injury. The other came in mid-August during the 2023 season. The latest stay on the IL for Gorman, who missed under two weeks in April for a right hamstring strain, comes amid a stretch where he is batting .245 with eight homers, a .500 slugging percentage and an .833 OPS in 34 games since the start of June.

鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating, but I think I can mentally overcome it,鈥� Gorman told the Post-Dispatch on Friday night when asked about the factors an injury plays in limiting a rhythm in production. 鈥淚鈥檝e worked a lot on the mental side of things and making sure I鈥檓 ready in different ways (more) than just swinging a bat and taking ground balls. Whether it鈥檚 visualization, seeing pitches off the Trajekt. There are a lot of things we can do to keep me in the mindset that I was before.鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 had stretches where it looks good, but staying available and healthy is still, in itself, a big part of this game at this level,鈥� Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said on Saturday.

Gorman was scheduled to start at second base on Friday but was scratched around three hours before first pitch as he dealt with inflammation in his back that had flared up on Thursday. Following a loss on Friday to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, Marmol said Gorman鈥檚 back pain would be 鈥渟omething ongoing鈥� and noted that it was 鈥渘ot looking great.鈥�

Gorman said getting inflammation in his back to calm is a key step for him. He is expected to fly back to 最新杏吧原创 on Sunday rather than traveling with his team to Colorado for the second leg of their two-city road trip. The 25-year-old infielder has been prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and is expected to rest and go through treatment with the team鈥檚 medical staff while in 最新杏吧原创. He will be reevaluated Monday to determine if an injection is needed, Marmol said.

鈥淲e had a pretty good idea that this was going to be a little bit more than just a couple of days, just (with) how he was feeling, and the fact that it flared up on him the day before the break. It felt good for two days (and) flared up on him again,鈥� Marmol said before Saturday鈥檚 game at Chase Field.

Gorman said his back felt fine over the All-Star break before it tightened up on him Thursday. The discomfort did not subside Friday morning, leading to his scratch from starting duties in the Cardinals鈥� road opener in Arizona and the placement on the IL.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not ideal, but it is what it is now,鈥� Gorman said on Saturday of his IL placement.

Gorman has dealt with back pain since 2020, when he was in the minors. He鈥檚 found ways to manage the issues over a season, but a different role this season is something he feels may have created a new layer in managing his back.

Because of inconsistent playing time through the first two months of the season, Gorman said he would take more groundballs than he had before because he wanted to 鈥渕ove around.鈥� When he saw increased playing time in June, a month during which he slashed .256/.341/.526 in 25 games, he kept the same routine he had through the first two months of the season.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 really put a finger on it ... but groundballs are the only thing that I鈥檝e done different from last year to this year,鈥� Gorman said on Friday night.

In the only other instance Gorman landed on the IL for a back injury since his arrival in the majors in 2022, the infielder was sidelined for less than two weeks before returning. Knowing how to deal with it provides a baseline for how to get him back in the Cardinals鈥� lineup sooner rather than later.

鈥淚 was healthy all last year. We鈥檝e got things in place that can help it out and just get on a good routine going forward,鈥� Gorman said on Saturday.

Extra bases

The Cardinals signed right-hander Aaron Wilkerson to a minor league contract and assigned him to Class AAA Memphis. Wilkerson, 36, made 18 starts and had a 4.17 ERA for the Reds鈥� Class AAA affiliate this season before being released on Friday. Wilkerson debuted in the majors in 2017 with the Brewers and made 14 appearances for Milwaukee from 2017 to 2019. He鈥檚 spent nine seasons pitching in the minors, two seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization, and one season in Japan with Nippon Professional Baseball.

Cardinals prospects Branneli Franco and Edward Guribe were named Dominican Summer League All-Stars. Franco, 18, was the Cardinals鈥� headline international signee in 2024 when the window to sign players opened that January. Franco has a 2.57 ERA in five relief appearances this year. Guribe, 18, signed as an international free agent in 2024 and has posted an .878 OPS in 27 DSL games this year.

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ST. LOUIS 鈥� Adam Wainwright can add another bullet point to his resume: Savannah Banana.

The former Cardinals great turned baseball broadcaster came in to pitch for the Bananas on Friday night, and both he and the capacity crowd enjoyed every second of his Busch Stadium encore.

During a pause with two outs in the seventh inning, Wainwright鈥檚 Cardinals highlights began to play on the stadium video board as the crowd gradually realized what was in store. The noise rose to a crescendo when Bananas owner Jesse Cole introduced Wainwright and he emerged from the tunnel and up the steps of the first-base dugout.

鈥淭he coolest moment for me was when they started playing the video and people started getting the thought of what might happen,鈥� Wainwright said after the game. 鈥淎nd then I felt that kind of buzz happening, and it really pumped me up. Adrenaline was flowing big time.鈥�

Wainwright, who last pitched at Busch Stadium in 2023, high-fived his new teammates and tipped his cap to the crowd before taking the mound.

The crowd remained on its feet as Wainwright, who inherited a runner on first, began and ended his outing with his famous curveball. After allowing the first Party Animals batter he faced to reach on a well-placed groundball single, Wainwright ended the inning by inducing a flyout from the next hitter.

The Bananas uniform is a natural fit, Wainwright said.

鈥淚鈥檝e kind of always wanted to be dancing on the field and all those kind of things,鈥� Wainwright said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 know what they had in me, because I would have been totally up for doing all those choreographed dances and stuff.

鈥淚 told Jenny (his wife) before they called, I was, like, 鈥楳an, I would love to do that someday.鈥� So when I was asked to do it, it was a no-brainer for me.鈥�

Wainwright, who will return Saturday to his other vocation, broadcasting MLB games, isn鈥檛 ruling out future Bananas appearances.

鈥淢aybe every three or four years, we鈥檒l do it.鈥�

As much as he and fans enjoyed the night, it capped the day of a lifetime for one of Wainwright鈥檚 new teammates.

Wainwright hung around in the dugout after the game, chatting with players including Imperial native Noah Niznik, Friday鈥檚 starting pitcher.

鈥淚 told him it was an honor just being a kid from here, growing up born and raised die-hard Birds fan,鈥� Niznik said. 鈥淚 just pretty much just told him thank you for battling for so long, wearing the Birds on the Bat on his chest and just competing every day.

鈥溾�楾hank you for being just truly an inspiration for me and my pitching career.鈥欌��

Niznik, who was introduced at the start of the game as a 最新杏吧原创 native, got what was the loudest ovation to that point.

鈥淕oosebumps,鈥� Niznik said. 鈥淏asically, you kind of black out for a second, lock back in.

鈥淵ou just look around (and) everybody is on their feet. It was just fun.鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 the greatest of performances for Niznik, who allowed six runs in four innings. But thanks to the rules of Banana Ball 鈥� the team that wins each inning earns just one point no matter the margin 鈥� the letdown didn鈥檛 prove all that costly.

No matter the results, the Bananas never stop having fun and Niznik embodied that, flipping the ball between pitches and bobbing his head to the nonstop music.

Before the game, Niznik posed for photos and signed autographs for fans on the infield dirt, relishing the buildup to his first-ever game at Busch Stadium. He never got to play here during his prep career that saw the left-hander lead Vianney to the 2018 state championship.

For Niznik, the 4-2 Bananas win is a moment he鈥檒l never forget. It鈥檚 also the most cherished moment in his two-year Bananas career.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 beat it,鈥� Niznik said. 鈥淵ou finally get to come to your hometown, put on this show for the fans, have all your family here, so it鈥檚 special.鈥�

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最新杏吧原创 native comes home to play (and dance) for Savannah Bananas. 鈥業t feels surreal.鈥�

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PHOENIX 鈥� In the moments after he endured a second consecutive outing in which he allowed at least six runs, Cardinals starter Andre Pallante could detail one of the reasons his Friday night start against the Diamondbacks didn鈥檛 break in his favor.

鈥淏ad breaking balls to lefties,鈥� Pallante said. 鈥溾�� Just on the side of all of it. Lost it arm side. Lost it up. Coming in slow, not sharp. I did what I could to try and get myself as ready as possible for today, and I felt like that spin was... the one thing that was lacking.鈥�

Bruised for seven earned runs on eight hits in his final start before the All-Star break arrived, Pallante began his second half by allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings in a 7-3 loss to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field to open the second half of the season.

Pallante was hit for three runs in the second inning when fastballs leaked over the middle of the plate and resulted in run-scoring hits from Jose Herrera and Geraldo Perdomo. He allowed another two runs in the third inning on a pair of singles and a groundball out as Arizona hitters continued to produce hard contact against him.

In the fifth inning, following his throwing error that allowed Adrian Del Castillo to advance to second base on a comeback line drive that hit Pallante, the 26-year-old right-hander surrendered his sixth run of the night by giving up a two-out double to Blaze Alexander.

Alexander鈥檚 double on a 2-1 fastball thrown near the middle of the strike zone signaled the end of Pallante鈥檚 outing.

鈥淓xactly that, the command,鈥� Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of the issues that plagued Pallante鈥檚 start. 鈥�(He) didn鈥檛 get ahead of enough guys. He had to work his way back into counts. He missed over the heart of the plate often. A lot of contact, and the majority of it not at people. It led to a lot of runs.鈥�

The inability to limit the Diamondbacks left Pallante with a 4.71 ERA on the season and 13 runs allowed in his previous 10 2/3 innings.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e really got to stay focused on the process. Trust the process. I know what makes me good. Just executing that to the best of my ability, and trying to work on that each and every day,鈥� Pallante said of his evaluation process following a second consecutive run-filled outing.

While Diamondbacks hitters found success against Pallante, Cardinals hitters were held scoreless through seven innings against Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt. Timely strikeouts and Pfaadt鈥檚 ability to keep hitters out of rhythm with a sweeper-heavy approach helped him silence the Cardinals when they had multiple runners on the base paths in the third and seventh innings.

The three runs the Cardinals (51-47) scored in their first game following the All-Star break came in the ninth inning off reliever John Curtiss. An RBI single from Pedro Pages and a two-run homer from Victor Scott II that traveled 421 feet to right field provided the late offense.

鈥淭he sweeper was good. Guys had a really tough time picking it up,鈥� Marmol said of Pfaadt鈥檚 effectiveness. 鈥淵ou can tell with the swing-and-miss. When they鈥檇 come in, they were talking about it. It was just a tough pitch today. They took some better swings against some of the relievers. We just didn鈥檛 bunch up our hits. You look at some of the opportunities, we just couldn鈥檛 capitalize on a couple of those early on in the game.鈥�

Between the 32 sliders and 11 knuckle curveballs he threw Friday night, Pallante got seven whiffs on the two breaking pitches he showed. They combined for called strikes three times in total. His fastball was used 40 times, put in play 12 times, and found holes as Diamondbacks hitters produced an average exit velocity of 94 mph against, per Statcast.

鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about this enough, right? When it鈥檚 at people, (Pallante) has a good outing. When it鈥檚 not, you have outings like today. That鈥檚 what you have to live and die with when you have guys in the rotation that pitch to contact,鈥� Marmol said.

Pallante saw his second inning begin to snowball when Del Castillo, Herrera, and Alek Thomas all singled against him. After Pallante walked Corbin Carroll on six pitches to end a plate appearance that began with Pallante ahead 0-2 in the count, a knuckle curveball that hung over the middle of the strike zone to Perdomo was lined to center field for two RBIs.

A leadoff walk to Josh Naylor in the third inning and singles by Eugenio Suarez and Del Castillo on fastballs produced the first of the two runs Pallante surrendered in that frame.

Between the second and third innings, Pallante fell behind in four of the at-bats that ended with a Diamondbacks hitter reaching with a single.

鈥�(Pallante) got a couple of swings and misses, but at the end of the day, he has to be on the attack,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淣ot allow free passes. Be ahead of counts. Get more first-pitch outs. Those are the things he does well when a game goes his way. Not enough of it today.鈥�

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D-backs 7, Cardinals 3

最新杏吧原创 AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Donovan 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .296

I.Herrera dh 5 0 2 0 0 2 .323

Burleson lf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .294

Contreras 1b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .254

Arenado 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .243

Winn ss 4 1 2 0 0 1 .258

Walker rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .206

Pag茅s c 4 1 2 1 0 1 .213

Scott cf 4 1 1 2 0 0 .235

Totals 35 3 10 3 1 6

Arizona AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Carroll rf 4 0 0 0 1 3 .242

Perdomo ss 4 0 2 2 0 0 .268

Gurriel lf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .251

Naylor 1b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .294

Su谩rez 3b 3 1 1 0 1 0 .251

Del Castillo dh 4 2 3 1 0 0 .750

Alexander 2b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .240

Thomas cf 4 1 1 1 0 1 .245

J.Herrera c 4 1 1 1 0 2 .198

Totals 34 7 11 6 3 7

最新杏吧原创 000 000 003 鈥� 3 10 1

Arizona 032 010 10x 鈥� 7 11 0

E: Pallante (3). LOB: 最新杏吧原创 8, Arizona 6. 2B: Contreras (23), Alexander (3), Naylor (19). 3B: Perdomo (2). HR: Scott (5), off Curtiss. RBIs: Pag茅s (28), Scott 2 (33), J.Herrera (14), Perdomo 2 (67), Del Castillo (1), Thomas (26), Alexander (2). SB: Winn (6). S: Burleson. DP: 最新杏吧原创 1; Arizona 1.

最新杏吧原创 IP H R ER BB SO ERA

Pallante, L, 5-6 42/3 9 6 5 2 3 4.71

King 11/3 2 1 1 0 1 5.50

Leahy 2 0 0 0 1 3 2.98

Arizona IP H R ER BB SO ERA

Pfaadt, W, 10-6 7 4 0 0 0 6 4.82

Saalfrank 1 2 0 0 1 0 0.00

Curtiss 1 4 3 3 0 0 5.19

Inherited runners-scored: King 1-0, Leahy 2-1. HBP: Pfaadt (Donovan). T: 2:25. Att.: 31,938.

PHOENIX 鈥� The first start coming out of the All-Star break for Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante left the right-hander with a second consecutive bruising outing.

After giving up seven runs on eight hits in a July 9 start against the Nationals, Pallante surrendered six runs (five earned) on night hits across 4 2/3 innings Friday night against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Pallante gave up hard contact 鈥� that being balls in play with exit velocities of 95 mph or higher, per Statcast 鈥� on nine of the 20 balls Arizona hitters put in play against him in the Cardinals鈥� 7-3 loss in their first game coming out of the All-Star break.

The start left Pallante (5-6) with a 4.71 ERA on the season. He's allowed 13 runs in 10 2/3 innings between his two most recent starts.

Diamondbacks hitters knocked Pallante for three runs in the second inning that all came on a pair of two-out singles from Jose Herrera and Geraldo Perdomo. The righty allowed another two runs to score in the third inning on hard-hit singles from Adrian Del Castillo and Eugenio Suarez.

The Cardinals (51-47) were held scoreless and to four hits through seven innings against Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt. Pfaadt scattered three singles through his first six innings and worked with multiple runners on base twice in the start. The start was the Arizona righty鈥檚 second of seven or more innings and two or fewer runs allowed.

A two-out, bases-loaded opportunity presented itself for the Cardinals in the eighth inning when Arizona turned to lefty Andrew Saalfrank. Nolan Arenado鈥檚 broken bat ground out to third base quieted any late rally.

The three runs scored by the Cardinals came across in the ninth inning. Two of the three runs were provided by a two-run homer from Victor Scott II.

Bats held back by Pfaadt

In the two innings the Cardinals put multiple runners on base against Pfaadt, they had two outs to work with and came up empty each time.

When a single from Pedro Pages and a hit by pitch of Brendan Donovan put runners on first and second base with one out in the third inning, Pfaadt struck out Ivan Herrera on a five-pitch sequence that ended with the Cardinals鈥� designated hitter swinging awkwardly on a changeup. A pop out by Alec Burleson in the next at-bat ended the scoring chance.

A leadoff double in the seventh inning from Willson Contreras that came up just shy of being a home run and a single from Masyn Winn put two runners on base with one out for the bottom third of the Cardinals鈥� lineup.

Jordan Walker, who was activated from the IL early Friday, struck out as he could not get a swing off on a 1-2 fastball from Pfaadt. Pages, who batted with Winn at second base following a successful steal attempt, got into a 3-1 count, fouled off a fastball, and saw his line drive to center field get hauled in by Alek Thomas to end the frame.

Singles adding up

To push across the three runs they scored off Pallante in the second inning and the two against the Cardinals' righty in the third, the Diamondbacks collected six hits, all of which were singles.

Three of the six singles Arizona strung together came with two outs in the second inning.

A two-out single in the second from Alek Thomas advanced Adrian Del Castillo to second base after Del Castillo laced a one-out single to center field earlier in the frame. A single from Jose Herrera scored Del Castillo and allowed Thomas to go from first to third base, putting runners on the corners for Corbin Carroll, who walked.

Following a mound visit as Pallante鈥檚 pitch count neared 40, Perdomo鈥檚 single to center field scored Thomas and Herrera to leave Pallante with a three-run frame.

An inning later, after the Cardinals were set down in order, a leadoff walk and singles from Eugenio Suarez and Del Castillo pushed across a fourth run and put runners on first and third base. Thomas鈥檚 groundout to shortstop allowed a third run to score as Suarez was able to score from third base.

Thomas takes away extra bases

Back from the injured list and in the Cardinals鈥� starting lineup because of Nolan Gorman鈥檚 late scratch due to back tightness, Jordan Walker had his hardest hit ball of the night result in an out thanks to Thomas鈥檚 highlight-reel catch.

On a fly ball Walker pulled to center field with a 103.2 mph exit velocity, Thomas, the Diamondbacks鈥� center fielder, made a leaping catch into the outfield wall to haul in the first out of the inning.

The fly ball by Walker traveled a projected 411 feet and would have been a home run in 27 of the 30 major league ballparks, per Statcast. 聽

Winn lays out

For Pallante to get through the first inning unscathed, his pitch-to-contact approach was backed by a nifty play on the infield.

With Perdomo standing at third base with one out following his triple to right-center field and Cardinals infielders playing even with the bags, shortstop Winn ranged to his left and made a diving grab on a ground ball Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit with a 107.3 mph exit velocity, per Statcast, and threw out Gurriel with ease.

The diving play kept Perdomo at third base. Pallante stranded Perdomo in scoring position to end the inning with a fly ball to right field against Josh Naylor.

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Anyone who has spent any recent time in Row 25鈥檚 middle seat of a jetliner idling on the tarmac, trying to get a clear view of the window, has a feeling for the spot the Cardinals find themselves in at the All-Star break of their rebrand summer.

Every runway is only so long.

Eventually, you do have to take off.

Or taxi around 鈥榯il turning back to refuel.

Since the 2024 season ended with a pivot toward development and upcoming years, the Cardinals have launched a variety of buzzwords: 鈥渞eset鈥� (abandoned), 鈥渢ransition鈥� (adopted) and 鈥渞unway鈥� (widely accepted). The intended purpose of the season was to give homegrown players plenty of playing time, or 鈥渞unway,鈥� to determine where they fit in the Cardinals鈥� next era. Instead of the historically accurate metrics of wins, pennant and World Series appearances, one club official said this season would be a 鈥渇ailure鈥� if they came out of it without a complete evaluation of their young players.

A funny thing happened on the way to the future.

The Cardinals started to contend.

鈥淲e鈥檝e given ourselves a shot while still doing (the developing), right?鈥� manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e threaded that as much as we can. I don鈥檛 think we鈥檒l veer from it. The further we get into the season, it鈥檚 not just runway for the sake of runway.鈥�

The Cardinals open the back stretch of the regular season with right-hander Andre Pallante starting Friday night in Arizona and No. 1 starter Sonny Gray set to go Saturday. At 51-46, the Cardinals spent the break at third place in the National League Central, 6 1/2 games out of the division lead but only 1 1/2 games out of an NL wild-card berth. They have a favorable schedule in the coming weeks that begins with their first games of the year west of Kansas City and nine of the next 13 against losing teams.

That 13 also coincides with how many games the Cardinals have before the July 31 trade deadline 鈥� and John Mozeliak, in his final trade deadline as president of baseball operations, is watching them for a direction. These 13 games could be the deadline weathervane, pointing the Cardinals toward buyer, seller or vacillating to a familiar house blend of both.

Will it be a gust of wins?

Or a drop in pressure?

鈥淚t could be so different with four or five guys who are out of here in a couple of weeks,鈥� said closer Ryan Helsley, who could be one of those four or five guys due to his expiring contract. Fellow relievers Phil Maton and Steven Matz will also generate interest. Helsley has expressed a preference to stay and remain long term with the Cardinals.

鈥淭hat depends on how we play and what the rest of the division is doing,鈥� Helsley continued. 鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 the case every year. But this year what鈥檚 different 鈥� teams thought we were going to be a lot worse than we are. Teams show up here and it鈥檚 a dogfight against us from pitch No. 1.鈥�

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a group that is not afraid of anything,鈥� said Brendan Donovan, the Cardinals鈥� lone All-Star, late Tuesday night after going 2 for 3 in the NL鈥檚 victory in Atlanta. 鈥淚t鈥檚 people learning how to go about their business in the big leagues, kind of learning who they are. And I think that鈥檚 what makes us scary. ... Our expectations were completely different than the ones set on us.鈥�

From above at cruising altitude, the Cardinals are decidedly slightly above average.

Their offense produces runs 3% better than league average with a .252 batting average that ranks 11th and a .393 slugging percentage that ranks 18th out of 30. Their pitching staff ERA ranks 20th in the majors at 4.13. It鈥檚 buoyed by the bullpen鈥檚 3.81 ERA, which ranks 13th, and burdened a tad by a below-average rotation with a 4.34 ERA

The Cardinals are greater than the sum of their parts considering some of those parts are producing below their career expectations.

They rely on tight defense, solid late-inning relief, clever bullpen use, starter health and some fortunate timing. They rank fourth in the majors in comeback wins (24) and have the fourth-fewest blown-lead losses (18).

鈥淵ou never see them beat themselves,鈥� said Reds All-Star lefty Andrew Abbott.

The Cardinals advertised to the division that they weren鈥檛 going to make any significant offseason additions, and they did not.

鈥淎nd it鈥檚 working,鈥� Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said.

Although, the Cardinals are defying trends in the game to still succeed. They are one of two winning teams who rank in the bottom 10 for strikeout rate. (They are 29th at 7.37 per nine innings, ahead of only lowly Colorado.) For comparison, eight of the top nine teams in strikeout rate have winning records. The Cardinals are one of four winning teams with fewer than 100 home runs so far this season, and they have the lowest isolated power (slugging minus batting average) of any winning team, at .129.

They are the only winning team in the bottom third for strikeout rate and home runs hit.

The Cardinals play the probabilities. They are a team that relies on balls put in play against them finding fielders and balls put in play by them finding gaps. Toss in the volatility of youth and prolonged offensive slumps that come with adjusting and adapting at the majors and that explains their nine-game winning streak and the recent rash of shutouts.

Marmol was recently asked by the Post-Dispatch if he sees those roller-coaster results smoothing out as a sign of improvement from the young players.

鈥淚鈥檇 love to say yes, but the answer is not entirely,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淚 think when you look at a veteran player, what they鈥檝e learned to do is shorten the amount of time that they stink. They鈥檙e able to take a three-week period and turn it into 10 days. It鈥檚 shorter. And then you put a lot of veterans together and they do that in the win-loss column, too. It鈥檚 just how they play the game. It鈥檚 just shorter downturns or ruts in a season. When you鈥檙e young and you鈥檙e a player, those are longer. ... You put a lot of (developing players) together you鈥檙e actually going to have these longer ups and downs. That鈥檚 just part of it.

鈥淎s a staff, we have to constantly remind ourselves of that,鈥� he continued. 鈥淏ecause you can鈥檛 get frustrated. That is part of this process.鈥�

Marmol was asked what role wins play in that 鈥減rocess.鈥�

鈥淲e can鈥檛 be fooled, just because we won we鈥檙e good or because we lost we weren鈥檛,鈥� he explained. 鈥淪ometimes we only think about the second one: We lost, but we weren鈥檛 good. Sometimes you win a game and you played like (crud). You missed a lot of opportunities and you just got lucky and you better learn from those as much as some of the losses.鈥�

That is the point where the Cardinals鈥� season they planned and the opportunity they have in the standings connect: How important is winning to developing?

As the trade deadline nears, here are three Cardinals who personify the answer to that question, two of whom could see their place in the present and future of the club shaped in the coming weeks:

1. Jordan Walker, OF

Limited to 55 games by injury stints to go with his .210 average and .562 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), Walker鈥檚 time on a rehab assignment is running out with a decision imminent, coming possibly as soon as Friday. The Cardinals optioned Thomas Saggese on Thursday to clear room.

Walker went on the injured list this past month due to appendicitis.

The Cardinals assigned him to Class AA Springfield (Missouri) for his rehab so that he could work with coaches there on a swing adjustment. When he鈥檚 set to return to the majors, his playing time is uncertain, especially as Alec Burleson has hit his way into a starting job.

Walker was a prominent part of the Cardinals鈥� 鈥渞unway鈥� plan 鈥� to see if he would be the talent to take off. Now, at the deadline, teams expect to ask if he鈥檚 in play for trade talks or if the Cardinals will deal from overlaps at other positions.

2. Michael McGreevy, RHP

Cardinals officials agree that McGreevy is ready for the majors, and they鈥檝e used his roster status to move the right-hander between Class AAA Memphis and the majors as a de facto sixth starter. The most obvious way to clear a spot in the rotation for McGreevy is to trade one of the current members, such as a pending free agent Erick Fedde.

Fedde has struggled in the past month, diminishing the return the Cardinals could get. But a move would give McGreevy the ever-popular 鈥渞unway鈥� to provide results now as he preps to be in next season鈥檚 rotation.

3. Mozeliak

In the closing months of his 18th season atop baseball operations, Mozeliak will be in a familiar place at the trade deadline: the spotlight. But he knows it will be for the last time with this team. He can attempt to play it like golf 鈥� down the middle 鈥� or choose a side. What he and the Cardinals elect to do will shape how the club is viewed at the end of his tenure and how it will start Chaim Bloom鈥檚 turn.

Mozeliak described the deadline decisions as 鈥渃ollaborative鈥� with the incoming front office. And he recently wished for 鈥渢ough decisions鈥� at the deadline because it would mean balancing a winning team now and the goal of setting up the team for contending years yet to come. He cautioned against 鈥渂lowing up a club鈥� because it can take 鈥測ears to recover.鈥�

鈥淚s there something the franchise can benefit from should we do (it)?鈥� he said.

One answer that comes up around the organization: the benefit of winning.

After an offseason downplaying expectations for the club and trying to trade some veterans who refused to waive their no-trade clauses and preferred to stay, the Cardinals are one win better than last season at the same point. A decision to sell at the deadline could lead to a precipitous drop in the standings and dramatic change in the clubhouse 鈥� younger, yes, but without the airflow of winning to elevate the climate.

They risk the runway becoming a ground stop.

鈥淭hat is why our staff is completely locked in making sure we keep (winning) that way because it鈥檚 better for the players,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淚t is. It鈥檚 ideal. It鈥檚 what you鈥檙e hoping for. It鈥檚 better for the player to play meaningful baseball whether there is pressure from an evaluation standpoint or from an experience standpoint. When you can get them together, that is high-level development.鈥�

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