Hochman: Cardinals shut out in all 3 at Pittsburgh. Embarrassing? Yes. Concerning? No.
I don鈥檛 like to be stat-heavy in my columns, but I thought these numbers were pertinent. So here are the Cardinals鈥 run totals, inning by inning, in the three-game series at Pittsburgh: 000000000000000000000000000.
Three games, three shutouts. For the Cards, it鈥檚 only happened twice in a series since divisions were created. And both were in the final series of a season: 2015 vs. Atlanta and 1976 vs. Pittsburgh.
This week, the Pirates鈥 pitching was hexing, the Cardinals鈥 hitting was perplexing and now, with Pittsburgh flexing, this 最新杏吧原创 team has become vexing.
How do you possibly get shut out and swept in three games against the last-place Pirates?
Then again, in the three previous games, it was the Cardinals doing the sweeping at Cleveland 鈥 and the Guardians only scored in one of the 27 innings. In fact, there were 64 possible combinations of win-loss outcomes in the past six games ... I wouldn鈥檛 believe anyone predicted 最新杏吧原创 would win all three at Cleveland and lose all three at Pittsburgh. But that鈥檚 where we are.
Naturally, this was an embarrassing series for 最新杏吧原创.
And maybe I鈥檓 in the minority, but I don鈥檛 find it that concerning.
There are other issues to be concerned about regarding the 47-41 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals. Erick Fedde, in the same season he twirled a shutout of his own, has become one of the most inconsistent and infuriating starting pitchers in the National League. And with all of the times he鈥檚 been hit dangerously by pitches, Willson Conteras is turning into a modern-day Ron Hunt. And the Cardinals鈥 specific hitting against lefty starters has left much to be desired.
But I鈥檓 not overly worried about the Cards鈥 overall offense, which is sixth in the National League in batting average, seventh in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), seventh in homers and first (yes, first!) in doubles.
Here鈥檚 why:
First of all, Wednesday鈥檚 game was the Cards鈥 15th in 14 days. The fellows are fatigued. This is not an excuse 鈥 I mean, even the White Sox haven鈥檛 been shut out in three straight this season 鈥 but as we gauge the state of the Cardinals, it鈥檚 fair to point out that, wouldn鈥檛 you know, the first time this happened in a decade occurred during Games 13-15 of Days 12-14.
And in recent games, the Cardinals lineup didn鈥檛 feature, if you will, the Cardinals. Due to injury, Nolan Arenado was out. Contreras was out. Ivan Herrera (injured list) remained out. And Lars Nootbaar missed some action.
Yes, the Cardinals also got shut out twice last week by the Cubs. But since June 1, Contreras has an .878 OPS. Arenado is at .730 (not his standard self, but better than earlier this season). And in his previous 10 games before the Pittsburgh series and his hand pain, Arenado hit .308 with an .854 OPS. Alec Burleson鈥檚 OPS since June 1 is .855. And Nolan Gorman, perhaps sneaking back into your good graces, has an .849 OPS since June 1. These guys might cool off 鈥 OK, they were frighteningly frigid in Pittsburgh 鈥 but I believe they鈥檒l still hit well in the coming weeks as the July 31 trade deadline creeps closer.
Thursday is the two-week mark since Herrera tore a muscle in his hamstring. When he returns, presumably sometime in July, he鈥檒l bring his .320 average and .925 OPS back to the lineup.
And yes, the shutouts in the first and third games at Pittsburgh were startling, but in the second game, 最新杏吧原创 faced perhaps the best pitcher in the whole National League. Paul Skenes has a 2.03 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 111 innings. And even though he only went five against the visitors, his bullpen has the fourth-best ERA in the NL, as 最新杏吧原创 fans disconcertingly discovered this series.
And the Pirates, albeit a last-place team, have looked like the Dave Parker Pirates in the past six games, winning all six by a total score of 43-4. And Pittsburgh has won eight of its past 10. So yeah, caught them at a bad time, I鈥檇 say.
Also, Wednesday wasn鈥檛 all for naught. In the 5-0 loss, the Cardinals hit seven balls 95 mph or higher (the highest being 106.4 mph) that were all outs. So 最新杏吧原创 did put together some good swings. A bit of positivity to carry into Friday.
And yes, their next game is Friday, not Thursday. It will be the most desirable day off in Chicago since Ferris Bueller鈥檚. The Cards start their series the following day at Wrigley Field. It鈥檒l be a big one.
With Miles Mikolas pitching on Friday, there will likely be some fireworks that have nothing to do with the Fourth of July. But here鈥檚 thinking that the rested Redbirds will actually score some runs themselves.
OK, yes, in the moment, it feels like the shutout and shutdown Cardinals are on a tailspin. But Wrigley brings rejuvenation. And hey, after that series, the Cards return to Busch for six games against sub-.500 teams ... before the longest break of the season.
In today鈥檚 10 AM 鈥淭en Hochman鈥 video, Ben Hochman honors Alex Pietrangelo, who is stepping away from hockey for physical health reasons. Plus, a happy birthday shoutout to Michael Wacha! And as always, Hochman picks a random Cards card out of the hat!
听Ten Hochman: Honoring Blues legend Alex Pietrangelo, who鈥檚 stepping away from hockey
Exclusive streaming of Cardinals-Cubs on July 4 will be bitter Apple for some: Media Views
Hot dogs. Burgers. Ribs. Corn on the cob. Ah, traditional Fourth of July cookout fare.
An Apple? Only if it鈥檚 in the all-American variety of pie. But this year, it instead will be Apple TV+ that鈥檚 on the holiday menu for Cardinals and Cubs fans.
That outlet will exclusively stream Friday鈥檚 matchup between the longtime rivals as part of Apple鈥檚 contract with Major League Baseball for sole video rights to two games on Fridays throughout the season.
There is no local TV for those contests, which for the Cards means there will be no coverage on cable鈥檚 FanDuel Sports Midwest or over-the-air鈥檚 KMOV (Channel 4) or Matrix Midwest (Channel 32).
This will be the Cardinals鈥 fourth appearance (and second in a row) in this year鈥檚 package. The placement of those contests there 鈥 as in previous seasons 鈥 has gone over like a Roman Candle pointed in the wrong direction for fans who don鈥檛 purchase Apple TV+ or are aggravated about already buying FanDuel Sports Midwest but having to pay even more for these telecasts. Apple TV+ costs $9.99 per month (although a to new customers).
The contest, at Wrigley Field, is set to begin at 1:20 p.m. and have Wayne Randazzo on play-by-play with Dontrelle Willis providing analysis and Heidi Watney serving as the reporter.
Apple鈥檚 other game on Friday is from a place where it isn鈥檛 even a holiday 鈥 Toronto, where the Blue Jays entertain the Los Angeles Angels at 6:07 p.m. (最新杏吧原创 time).
How to watch
Apple says its MLB games are available on the Apple TV+ app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, Windows PC, Android mobile device, smart TVs, streaming devices, and cable set-top boxes. They also can be seen on the internet at , including on Chrome OS devices.
The step-by-step instructions, per Apple, on how to watch its MLB streaming productions:
Establish an Apple TV+ subscription and update to the latest software.
Sign in with your Apple ID.
Set up the Apple TV+ app if you鈥檙e using a streaming device or game console.
Open the Apple TV+ app or go to the website.
Go to the search tab: Apple TV+ Major League Baseball.
Select the desired game.
Select watch.
FanDuel, ESPN up next
The remainder of the Cardinals-Cubs series moves to channels that are more familiar to many of the teams鈥 fans. As was the case with the Cards last weekend in Cleveland, it will be three different telecasters in three days.
On Saturday, FanDuel has the Cardinals鈥 version of the coverage of the contest that鈥檚 set for 1:20 p.m. Chip Caray is set to do the play-by-play, with Mark Sweeney as the commentator and Jim Hayes as the reporter.
Then ESPN shows the series finale as part of its 鈥淪unday Night Baseball鈥 package, and it鈥檚 set to begin at 5:10 p.m. 鈥 an hour earlier than its Sunday contests usually begin. That鈥檚 because ESPN has a rare doubleheader that night, with Texas at San Diego to follow. It will be the network鈥檚 first Sunday night twinbill since July 26, 2020 (Braves-Mets followed by Giants-Dodgers).
ESPN has assigned its usual 鈥淪unday Night Baseball鈥 broadcasters to the Cards-Cubs matchup 鈥 Karl Ravech on play-by-play, with David Cone and Eduardo Perez providing commentary.
This will be the Cardinals鈥 second time on 鈥淪unday Night Baseball鈥 this season, with the first being their game April 6 in Boston. They had four appearances last season, part of a vastly diminishing number of games in the showcase national spotlight, with the ESPN Sunday nighters generally the only MLB contest taking place at the time.
It also could be the Cards鈥 final appearance on the ESPN staple series, which began in 1990. ESPN and Major League Baseball had a contentious possible breakup last winter, when the network exercised an opt-out clause in the contract for the final three years of its deal to carry the Sunday package plus the Home Run Derby and some postseason games. That opt-out takes place at the end of this season, and MLB also said then it was pulling out of the agreement.
However, this week that the sides recently have had talks about ESPN remaining in the mix.
Free Birds
While the streaming-only games irritate some fans, the Cardinals have returned to showing a handful of their local telecasts on over-the-air TV this year for the first time in 16 seasons and that schedule now is set through August. That is achieved with KMOV (Channel 4) and/or Matrix Midwest simulcasting some FanDuel productions on Fridays.
The Cards also appear on Fox network regional telecasts (KTVI, Channel 2) occasionally, as they have done for many years. Those upcoming schedules:
July 11: 7:15 p.m. vs. Atlanta. KMOV (4), Matrix (32).
July 18: 8:40 p.m. at Arizona, KMOV (4), Matrix (32).
July 19: 6:15 p.m. at Arizona, KTVI (2).
Aug 8: 7:15 p.m. vs. Chicago Cubs, KMOV (4), Matrix (32).
Aug. 9: 6:15 p.m. vs. Chicago Cubs, KTVI (2).
Aug. 15: 7:15 p.m. vs. New York Yankees, KMOV (4)
Aug. 16: 6:15 p.m. vs. New York Yankees, KTVI (2).
Two of the three games in high-profile August series 鈥 at home against the Cubs and Yankees 鈥 are scheduled to be shown on 鈥渇ree TV,鈥 with the others on the team鈥檚 cable home (FanDuel). There are no exclusively streamed telecasts planned for those series.
It is possible that ESPN will snatch one or both of the Sunday contests against the Cubs and Yankees from FanDuel, but again ESPN is a familiar landing spot for Cardinals fans.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker speaks with the media on Monday, June 23, 2025, ahead of a four-game series with the Cardinals in 最新杏吧原创. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)
鈥榃e sucked鈥: Cardinals鈥 offense had zero going for itself in rare shutout sweep by Pirates
PITTSBURGH听鈥 There was a distinct tone in the Cardinals鈥 clubhouse Wednesday afternoon that they wanted to spend exactly as many minutes rehashing their blankety-blank visit to PNC Park as the number of runs they scored there.
鈥淲e sucked. We didn鈥檛 score any runs,鈥 leadoff hitter Brendan Donovan said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e on to Chicago. That鈥檚 all I got.鈥
He would elaborate later, but his point was clear.
What more could he add after a 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh when the Cardinals side of the box scores from the Pirates鈥 sweep said everything with a whole lot of nothing?
The Cardinals reach the most important series yet of their season 鈥 a holiday weekend trip to Wrigley Field to face the first-place Cubs 鈥 coming off one of their least effective series at Pittsburgh in generations. For the first time since October 1976, the Pirates held the Cardinals without a run for three consecutive shutouts and a three-game series sweep. The Cardinals' past five losses have all been shutouts, and they鈥檝e gone 49 consecutive innings against a National League opponent without scoring a run.
Without Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras in Wednesday鈥檚 lineup due to bruised hands, the Cardinals are battered, tattered, and wheezing after playing 15 games in the past 14 days. As Post-Dispatch sports columnist Benjamin Hochman wrote: No one has needed a day off this badly 鈥渋n Chicago since Ferris Bueller鈥檚.鈥
Especially after questions all week echoed like a droning economics teacher.
Offense?
Offense?
Offense?
Anyone? Anyone?
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got Nado out. You鈥檝e got Contreras out,鈥 manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淭hose are key parts to our offense. When you don鈥檛 have them, it鈥檚 tough to score. We actually put some decent swings on the ball. Everything we hit found a glove, not grass.鈥
The Cardinals鈥 Alec Burleson, left, safely grabs second base on a double as Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales applies the late tag during the third inning Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed, Associated Press
Perhaps the best illustration of the Cardinals鈥 struggles to produce timely hits, not just any hits, came Wednesday when a pen stroke produced as many hits with runners in scoring position as the Cardinals did all week at PNC Park. With a teammate at second base, Lars Nootbaar hit a hard groundball for a difficult play that was initially ruled an error. Upon further review, the official scorer revised the decision and the scorebook to award Nootbaar a hit. That changed the Cardinals from 0 for 9 through three innings with runners in scoring position to 1 for 9. Though the one did not produce a run.
The Cardinals did not have an at-bat with a runner in scoring position during Monday鈥檚 shutout, and they finished the series 2 for 23.
Neither of the two hits delivered a run.
鈥淛ust try to be competitive,鈥 Donovan said. 鈥淚 thought I took some good swings today, hit two balls hard, which then you kind of look at the overall day and, oh, left runners on. But I still like the swing. I like my swings overall. It鈥檚 part of it. Two months you鈥檙e going to feel great. Two months you鈥檙e going to feel terrible. What do you do the other two months?鈥
Donovan recently peeked 鈥渦nder the hood鈥 of his numbers to see if the metrics had remained the same even as his batting average tumbled. During the Cardinals鈥 recent 15-game fortnight, their leadoff hitters' average dropped from .323 to .293, and he鈥檚 batted in that stretch 8 for 54 (.148). His drip coincides with the Cardinals playing stretches of June without Ivan Herrera (hamstring) and with a limited Lars Nootbaar (ribcage), not to mention the three right-handed hitters unavailable for most of the series in Pittsburgh: Arenado (two games), Contreras (1 1/2 games), and Jordan Walker (all three).
Donovan opened Wednesday鈥檚 game with a double to give the Cardinals an immediate chance, just as they often had Tuesday night against Paul Skenes.
Early in his seven shutout innings, Mitch Keller (3-10) walked Alec Burleson, hit Nootbaar, and the Cardinals had the bases loaded with two outs. And the next two batters due up spent most of June at Class AAA Memphis.
鈥淥ur ability to bunch hits together is our ability to make contact,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淪o we did that, and it was just at people. The approach is controllable.鈥
Fresh off his first complete-game shutout in a decade, Sonny Gray pitched on regular rest and was sharp through 6 1/3 innings. The two runs he allowed while on the mound were delivered by Tommy Pham RBI singles 鈥 one in the second and another in seventh. The Cardinals had one runner in scoring position each of the first three innings, and yet because of their zeroes in those situations they trailed 1-0 going into the seventh.
A leadoff walk and two singles off Gray (8-3) brought reliever Riley O鈥橞rien in with two on and a 2-0 deficit to hold. He got three groundballs.
Two found seams and bounced through to produce runs.
What the Pirates鈥 No. 9 and leadoff hitters did in back-to-back at-bats with groundball singles in the seventh to produce RBIs was what the Cardinals could not do for 27 innings.
Hardly a rock-em, sock-em lineup like the power-mad Cubs offense, the Cardinals are in the business of accumulating hits. Their homer binges against the Cubs aside, the Cardinals string hits together and usually score in clusters. Their offense can be similar to their pitcher. The staff invites contact and sometimes, as it did with O鈥橞rien in the seventh, that contact slips through the defense. Their lineup makes contact and often, as it did all week at PNC, that contact does not find ways to slip through.
The Pirates swept their six-game homestand by holding the Cardinals and Mets to four runs combined.听
The Cardinals had almost as many hits (10) and more baserunners (14) than strikeouts (12) against young lion Skenes and PNC Park K-king Keller 鈥 and yet no runs.
鈥淭his series is frustrating,鈥 Donovan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just one blip on the radar of 162 (games). So, is it frustrating? Absolutely. They just beat us. They鈥檙e playing good ball. We were playing good ball. And they shut us down. On to Chicago.鈥
The last time the Pirates swept a series with three shutouts against the Cardinals, the Bucs three starters 鈥 Jerry Reuss, Jim Rooker, and John Candelaria 鈥 pitched all 27 innings, nine each. The series ended with a doubleheader, and each half was a 1-0 Pittsburgh victory. The final game ended both teams' season on a walk-off single. The last time the Cardinals were shut out for a three-game series anywhere was Atlanta in 2015. That series also ended in a doubleheader. A few days later the 100-win Cardinals started the playoffs.
The final stretch of a grueling June for this year鈥檚 Cardinals played out in stanzas. There were the percussive wins against the Cubs in the first two games of their visit to Busch, and then the shutouts spun by lefties to split that series in the next two games. There was the jet to Cleveland and upbeat three-game sweep of the Guardians. That was followed by a bus ride to Pittsburgh and the downbeat of sinking into three shutouts along the shores of the Allegheny River.
And now a Thursday off to regroup.
Life moves pretty fast.
鈥淲e鈥檒l flush this series,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淪wept the last one. Got swept here. We鈥檒l flush this one. Get some rest and get ready for Chicago. We鈥檝e been looking forward to that one.鈥
Post-Dispatch sports columnists Jeff Gordon and Lynn Worthy talk about the barrage of two-run homers the Cardinals inflicted on the Cubs as their offense came to life.
Photos: Cardinals shut out again, swept by Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates' Tommy Pham, right, is greeted by Spencer Horwitz, left, after scoring during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa hits an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Tommy Pham hits an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Nick Gonzales, left, is greeted by Henry Davis, right, after scoring during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan catches a pop-up hit by the Pirates鈥 Isiah Kiner-Falefa during the fifth inning Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed, Associated Press
The Cardinals鈥 Alec Burleson, left, safely grabs second base on a double as Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales applies the late tag during the third inning Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed, Associated Press
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Jose Fermin celebrates his double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Tommy Pham watches his RBI single during the second inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien delivers during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Isaac Mattson delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Jared Triolo stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the fifth inning against the Pirates on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed, Associated Press
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Jared Triolo stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Isaac Mattson, right, celebrates with catcher Henry Davis, after getting the final out of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
A fan holds a broom after the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals in a baseball game for a series sweep, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, left, celebrates with left fielder Tommy Pham, after defeating the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals in a baseball game, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Who will rep 最新杏吧原创 at All-Star Game? Phil Maton, Sonny Gray have claims: Cardinals Extra
PITTSBURGH 鈥 When this year鈥檚 All-Star Game rosters are announced Sunday ahead of the Cardinals facing the Cubs at Wrigley Field, it will be up to their peers or perhaps the commissioner鈥檚 office to decide who represents the Cardinals in Atlanta this month.
Ryan Helsley, a two-time All-Star, would like to make a suggestion.
For your consideration: Phil Maton, setup man.
鈥淭here are not many seasons for guys in relief roles where you have a chance to go to the All-Star Game,鈥 Helsley said this week when offered the chance to stump for his fellow reliever. 鈥淪o when they鈥檙e pitching at that high of a level for as long as he has, he should get rewarded with it. He鈥檚 deserving of the chance to go.鈥
Reserves and relievers as well as starters are elected by a vote of the players, with the commissioner鈥檚 office filling in the gaps if necessary to assure all 30 teams have at least one representative in the Midsummer Classic. Cardinals starter Sonny Gray likely boosted his bid to be an All-Star with a shutout in Cleveland on this road trip. Even after allowing four runs in 6 1/3 innings Wednesday to the Pirates, the right-hander has a 3.51 ERA and is tied for the second-most wins in the National League with eight. Gray also ranks in the top 13 in strikeouts (107) and top eight in WHIP (1.08).
An All-Star nod would be Gray鈥檚 fourth and first as a Cardinal. He was selected for the American League teams in 2015 and 2023 and went for the NL in 2019.
鈥淗e鈥檚 done a really nice job,鈥 manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淩emove a couple of his starts that blew up on him, and the rest of them have been pretty damn good. He deserves it.鈥
Brendan Donovan also is likely to receive support from his peers at second base as he reached mid-June leading that position in several offensive categories. He and Alec Burleson, who was not on the fan ballot, have led the Cardinals offensively in the first half.
The Cardinals did not have a player emerge from the fan vote as one of the two finalists to start at any of the National League鈥檚 positions. Former Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, now with the Yankees, was one of the final two at his position, with the winner of the second-stage vote to be announced Thursday night.
The remainder of the rosters will be revealed Sunday evening as well as the candidates for the final vote. Then begins the parade of subs leading into the 95th Midsummer Classic on July 15 at Truist Park.
Maton, who graduated from Glenwood High in Chatham, Illinois, has a compelling case in a season that when several setup relievers have strong claims to being honored.
In 2014, Cardinals setup man Phil Neshek, on his way to a 2.3-WAR season and a 1.87 ERA overall, forced his way into the All-Star Game in his hometown of Minneapolis. There have been other setup relievers who leapfrogged over closers to get into the classic. It takes holds, the setup equivalent of a save. It takes a low ERA. And sometimes it takes a team in need of the mandatory All-Star with a reliever who stands out.
Maton ranks fourth in the NL with 17 holds. His 1.91 ERA is eighth among qualified relievers in the league. He allowed his first earned run since May 4 on Tuesday night 鈥 and that scored on a sacrifice fly. There are eight other relievers in the NL with an ERA lower than 2.00 and more than 30 innings, and only one of them, the Mets鈥 Edwin Diaz, has more than 10 saves. San Francisco鈥檚 Randy Rodriguez leads the setup group with a 0.74 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.
He has 11 holds.
San Diego鈥檚 Jason Adams blends low ERA (1.69) with a high total of holds (19), and Milwaukee鈥檚 Abner Uribe leads with 23 holds to go with a 2.25 ERA.
鈥淭here should be room for a strong (setup) reliever to get in there,鈥 said Helsley, who had only six saves but a 0.88 ERA when elected to his first All-Star Game in 2022. 鈥淣o moment is too big for (Maton). He鈥檚 pitched a lot too. He鈥檚 able to get that big out. We鈥檝e seen enough baseball to know something is going to happen and you鈥檙e not going to have a clean inning and he has that ability to stay with it and stay locked in. He does that as well as anyone.鈥
Walker heads to Springfield
After a few rounds of fielding practice with his teammates Wednesday morning at PNC Park, Jordan Walker was scheduled to head to the airport and resume his rehab assignment, this time with Class AA Springfield (Missouri). Walker missed the past week due to appendicitis. The nature of the illness prompted the Cardinals to bring him to Pittsburgh so the team鈥檚 medical personnel and athletic trainers could see him in person and check his recovery.
The Cardinals鈥 preference, Marmol explained, is for Walker to play with the Double-A S-Cards into the holiday weekend and not be activated from the 10-day injured list when eligible Friday at Wrigley Field.
Walker was limited to eight games in June because of a wrist injury and the appendicitis that required an overnight stay in a 最新杏吧原创 hospital. The right fielder went 3 for 18 in the month with six strikeouts and one walk. This season, he鈥檚 hitting .210 with a .562 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).
Fedde, etc.
Erick Fedde remains on turn for Sunday night鈥檚 game at Wrigley Field on ESPN, Marmol said. The Cardinals, as of Wednesday, did not plan to alter their rotation on the available off-days or to delay Fedde鈥檚 next start after back-to-back games of allowing seven runs.
That puts Miles Mikolas鈥 next start on Friday for the Fourth of July against the Cubs at Wrigley.
Marmol turned 39 on Wednesday. The Cardinals lost for the first time on his birthday since he was promoted to manager. He remains the youngest manager in baseball.
Yet to visit Wrigley, this is the earliest the Cardinals have completed their scheduled trips to Pittsburgh since 1898, according to research by Elias Sports Bureau.
Zilch for Pittsburgh: Pirates sweep Cardinals with 3 shutouts for 1st time since 1976
PITTSBURGH听鈥 No matter how stingy Sonny Gray pitched in his encore after a shutout earlier on this road trip, it would not mean much if the Cardinals could not find some way, any way at all to conjure a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Held scoreless in the first two games of the series, the Cardinals stuffed the first few innings Wednesday with opportunities to break their streak of zeroes.
None did.
For the first time since 1976, the Cardinals visited Pittsburgh and did not score a run in a three-game series. Mitch Keller pitched seven scoreless innings and Tommy Pham had two RBI singles to send the Pirates toward a 5-0 victory in the series finale Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park. The Cardinals were shut out in three consecutive games for the first time since 2022 and shut out in a three-game series for the first time since visiting Atlanta in 2015.
The Cardinals finished Wednesday鈥檚 game 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position, and nine of those at-bats came in the first three innings against Keller (3-10).
They went 2 for 23 in the series with runners in scoring position.
Pittsburgh has won six consecutive games for the first time this season, and they've held the Cardinals and Mets combined to four runs in those six games.
The Cardinals, who did not have Nolan Arenado or Willson Contreras in the lineup Wednesday due to bruised hands, reach Thursday鈥檚 off-day in Chicago having gone 49 consecutive innings against a National League foe without scoring a run.
Gray (8-3) followed up his shutout in Cleveland with 6 1/3 solid innings against the Pirates. The only runs Gray allowed while he was on the mound came on Pham鈥檚 singles听鈥 one in the second inning and the other in the seventh. Two of the runners Gray left behind also scored to give the Pirates four runs on five hits against the right-hander.
Sonny departs, Bucs rampage
There was a moment there in the seventh inning when Gray had yet to throw his 75th pitch and the Pirates clung to a 1-0 lead when it appeared the right-hander may be in the process of authoring a second consecutive complete game.
Gray pitched a shutout in Cleveland this past week, and it took him fewer than 100 pitches to do so.
The right-hander sped through the middle innings of Wednesday鈥檚 game to get the one-run game into the seventh inning. The Pirates led on Pham鈥檚 first RBI single back in the third inning. Gray struck out the final two batters of that inning to begin a streak of 14 consecutive Pirates retired.
A leadoff walk interrupted the streak but not Gray鈥檚 hold on the game.
That came three batters later with Pham.
The former Cardinals outfielder pulled a single to left field off Gray to double his RBI total and double the Bucs鈥 lead. That hit also chased Gray from the game.
That鈥檚 when the Pirates rolled.
Reliever Riley O鈥橞rien got three consecutive ground balls from the first three batters he faced, though two slipped through for base hits, and he complicated the inning on his own with a wild pitch. Both of the runners he inherited from Gray scored, and Pittsburgh pounced on him for four runs. Pittsburgh would send nine batters to the plate inning in the inning. In back-to-back at-bats for No. 9 hitter Isiah Kiner-Falefa and leadoff hitter Spencer Horwitz, the Pirates got RBI singles with runners in scoring position.
That was two more in two batters than the Cardinals had at that point in the series.
RISP woes persist
The Cardinals weren鈥檛 even at-bat when they got their first hit of the game with a runner in scoring position.
That suggests how productive it was.
After failing to produce an at-bat with a runner in scoring position in Monday鈥檚 shutout and going 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position Tuesday, the Cardinals kept finding new ways to struggle to produce in those opportunities Wednesday. They were hitless in their first nine at-bats with runners in scoring position against Keller through three innings. That changed when the official scorer reconsidered a hard-hit grounder by Lars Nootbaar.
Instead of hitting into an error, Nootbaar was credited with an infield single.
That made the Cardinals 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
They improved (relatively) to 2 for 22 in the series.
But neither of those two hits produced a run. Nootbaar鈥檚 infield single moved a teammate to third, and Pedro Pages鈥 RISP single Tuesday night led to a decisive play at the plate where Contreras was thrown out by Pham.
As they did the night before against Bucs ace Paul Skenes, the Cardinals generated chances against Keller in the wee innings. Brendan Donovan led off with a double, and by the time the sixth batter of the first inning came up, the Cardinals had the bases loaded. A walk to Alec Burleson and a hit by pitch for Nootbaar filled the bases with two outs. Thomas Saggese grounded out to end the inning and left all three teammates marooned.
The Cardinals went 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position in the inning.
They鈥檇 go 0 for 3 in the second inning, too, after a leadoff double from right fielder Jose Fermin. And then 0 for 3 again the fourth inning following Burleson鈥檚 double.
The Cardinals avoided their RISP issues in the middle innings by not getting on base.
Keller sets K mark
Eleven years after the Pirates selected in him the second round of the 2014 draft, right-hander Keller became the all-time strikeout leader at a ballpark that predates his arrival in the majors.
Keller caught Masyn Winn looking to lead off the third inning.
The strikeout was Keller鈥檚 second of the game and 384th at PNC Park. That vaulted him into the all-time lead at Pittsburgh鈥檚 riverside ballpark that opened in April 2001. Pitchers from Gerrit Cole to Charlie Morton have called PNC Park home, and second-year starter Skenes will storm up the rankings in his onrushing years. But in his 79th game at the ballpark and 422nd inning along the Allegheny River, Keller took over the K lead.
He then stacked on.
By the end of his scoreless seventh inning, Keller had struck out seven.
Post-Dispatch sports columnists Jeff Gordon and Lynn Worthy talk about the barrage of two-run homers the Cardinals inflicted on the Cubs as their offense came to life.
Photos: Cardinals shut out again, swept by Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates' Tommy Pham, right, is greeted by Spencer Horwitz, left, after scoring during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa hits an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Tommy Pham hits an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Nick Gonzales, left, is greeted by Henry Davis, right, after scoring during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan catches a pop-up hit by the Pirates鈥 Isiah Kiner-Falefa during the fifth inning Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed, Associated Press
The Cardinals鈥 Alec Burleson, left, safely grabs second base on a double as Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales applies the late tag during the third inning Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed, Associated Press
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Jose Fermin celebrates his double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Tommy Pham watches his RBI single during the second inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien delivers during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Isaac Mattson delivers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Jared Triolo stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray delivers during the fifth inning against the Pirates on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed, Associated Press
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Jared Triolo stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Isaac Mattson, right, celebrates with catcher Henry Davis, after getting the final out of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
A fan holds a broom after the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals in a baseball game for a series sweep, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, left, celebrates with left fielder Tommy Pham, after defeating the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals in a baseball game, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Cardinals' Sonny Gray looks to spin another gem, avoid sweep vs. Pirates: First Pitch
Sonny Gray went all-in with spin in his last start, and it paid off in the form of his best start in a Cardinals uniform and his first complete game in 10 years.
Gray and the Cardinals seek to avoid the sweep as they wrap a three-game series at PNC Park against the Pirates at 11:35 a.m. (最新杏吧原创 time) on Wednesday.
The Cardinals lost 1-0 on Tuesday and have yet to score a run in the first two games of the series.
The听right-hander Gray (8-2, 3.36 ERA) allowed one hit in a complete game shutout of Cleveland on Friday in his last outing. He did so by using his breaking pitches more than he has in any previous start since joining the Redbirds.
About a quarter of pitches were sweepers and another quarter curveballs, making up most of his 50.6% breaking pitch usage rate in that game, his high-water mark with the Cardinals. He induced a 47.8% whiff rate on those pitches.
The similarities between the Guardians and Pirates mean Gray could lean on breaking pitches again Wednesday.
Cleveland and Pittsburgh both rank among the worst teams in baseball against breaking pitches.
The Pirates' .544 on-base plus slugging percentage against breaking pitches ranks worst in baseball. Notably, Pittsburgh has seen far more spin than Cleveland this season.
The Pirates will start hard-luck right-hander Mitch Keller (2-10, 3.90 ERA), whose status among the league leaders in quality starts belies his poor record.
The Cardinals are 47-40, third in the National League Central and four games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs, the Cardinals' opponent this coming weekend.
最新杏吧原创 has been blanked in each of its last four losses. Against Pittsburgh at PNC Park this year, the Cardinals are 1-4.
Pittsburgh is 37-50, last in the division.听
How to watch Cardinals at Pirates
When:听11:35 a.m.听Wednesday
Where:听PNC Park in Pittsburgh
TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (); KMOX (1120 AM and 104.1 FM), other stations in the as well as .
Nolan Arenado, 3B (swollen right hand, sprained finger):听His finger protected by a sleeve, the Cardinals' Gold Glove third baseman participated in infield drills hours before Wednesday's series finale without make any throws. His sprained index finger remains sore, but the goal is to be back in the lineup Friday afternoon after three days for the finger to rest and soreness to calm. X-rays taken Monday in Pittsburgh did not show any fractures in the hand or finger.听Updated July 2
Jordan Walker, OF (appendicitis):听After a few days with the team in Pittsburgh to meet in person with medical staff and trainers, Walker was set to fly out Wednesday afternoon to join Class AA Springfield and resume his rehab assignment. Walker is set to play into the weekend with the S-Cards before returning the majors. He will not be coming off the injured list when eligible Friday, his manager said.听Updated July 2
Willson Contreras, 1B (bruised left hand): Struck again by a fastball, Contreras was unable to remain in Tuesday night's game, and the soreness remained Wednesday as he did not appear in the lineup. X-rays taken at the ballpark Tuesday night did not show any fractures in the left hand, but there was deep bruising and stiffness. Contreras' plan is to be available Friday for the opener at Wrigley Field. Updated July 2
Ivan Herrera, C/DH (left hamstring strain): Herrera has started doing some workouts on the field and in the weight room to ease into his recovery from a slightly torn hamstring string. He has not been inactive since the event. He felt a "pull" in his hamstring while running the bases听June 19 during a game vs. the White Sox.听He is expected to miss anywhere from two-to-six weeks with a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring and went on the injured list on June 20.听Updated June 26
Zack Thompson, LHP (shoulder, lat strain):听Lefty starter has begun a throwing program designed to strengthen his arm after a long stretch without much activity. The shoulder has responded well and Thompson has felt progress with this program, which had to be restarted because his recovery stalled in May. There is no timetable for his return to the mound.听Updated June 19
鈥楻eally scary鈥: Plunked again by pitch, Willson Contreras vents concern, seeks 鈥榩rotection鈥
PITTSBURGH 鈥 There are many words that Willson Contreras could use to describe the feeling of his hand being crushed once again by a pitch. He鈥檚 had plenty of opportunities to practice; he鈥檚 undoubtedly yelled a few in the past week.
But the one he chose late Tuesday night, as a fresh bruise throbbed on his tenderized left hand, should stress his rising level of concern.
Scary.
鈥淓very hit by pitch is scary,鈥 Contreras said. 鈥淚 wish it hit me in a different spot. Every hit by pitch on the hand is really scary. ... Probably, it can be bad luck. It can be they鈥檙e trying to go in and off the plate. And we鈥檙e not protecting anybody, (so) that鈥檚 going to keep happening.鈥
For the second time in a week, Contreras was struck by a pitch at 99 mph or faster on his left hand. A week ago, a Cubs reliever slammed a fastball into Contreras鈥 knuckles, and on Tuesday, Pittsburgh鈥檚 flame-throwing phenom Paul Skenes sent a 99 mph fastball up and in on Contreras that thudded into the side of the same hand. Contreras would stay in the game to run the bases and participate in one of the most consequential plays of the Cardinals鈥 1-0 loss to the Pirates.
The entire time he was on the bases, he opened and closed and flexed his hand in an attempt to dissipate the pain. It persisted, and he was removed from the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. X-rays taken at PNC Park did not reveal any fracture, and he was diagnosed with a bruise that remained sore hours later and that kept him out of the lineup for Thursday鈥檚 series finale.
鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating. It gets old,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 know they鈥檙e not trying to hit me in the hand. I鈥檓 a human being. It gets old. I want to play. I want to stay in the game. I don鈥檛 know what to say about it.
鈥淧rotect myself, and hopefully somebody protects me.鈥
Contreras has been hit by a pitch 14 times already this season. That leads the National League by three and is tied with Ty France and former Cardinal Randy Arozarena for the most in the majors. The Cardinals, with a less high-octane, more contact-oriented veteran pitching staff, are tied for hitting the second-fewest batters, at 24. Contreras missed time a year ago with two fractures, and he has talked candidly in the past week about his fear of another fracture in his hand 鈥 and the time he would miss.
The bruises, aches and shorter-term injuries are already mounting for the Cardinals.
And it鈥檚 showing up on the scoreboard.
In the same game that Lars Nootbaar (ribcage) returned to the lineup, Nolan Arenado (sprained finger) did not start, and Contreras (bruised hand) left after the fourth inning. Jordan Walker (appendicitis) joined the team in Pittsburgh for a checkup, but he鈥檚 still several days away from a return and may not be in the lineup during this road trip. Ivan Herrera (hamstring) won鈥檛 be either as he continues a steady return from a torn muscle.
The schedule through June was taxing, and the injuries in the past week have been draining. Of those players, all but Nootbaar bat right-handed, so it鈥檚 no revelation the wheezing Cardinals have struggled in the past week against lefties.
Left-handed starters have held the Cardinals to a single run in their previous four starts against them, and the Cardinals have been shut out a total of four times in the past week.
Those are their only four losses in the week.
Skenes is the first right-hander to join the group, but it was not for lack of chances.
The Cardinals got a runner to third base on Skenes in the first inning with one out. In the third inning, back-to-back singles by Victor Scott II and Brendan Donovan put runners at the corners with no outs. Both innings fizzled without a run scoring.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e facing a guy like him, and it鈥檚 hard when you pass up opportunities,鈥 manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淲e got doubled-off. We didn鈥檛 get the bunt down. Left the runner on third. Those are all things that are tough that you鈥檙e hoping to execute at a higher rate. ... You鈥檙e facing one of the best arms. You鈥檙e hoping to execute. That rate goes down against better pitchers.鈥
While starter Andre Pallante sped through innings on nine pitches like he did in the third, Skenes had to hopscotch through trouble and saw his pitch count climb to 75 after four innings. He would allow five runs and strike out five batters and fail to get a win for the sixth time against the Cardinals, but Skenes鈥 outing would also be scoreless. The right-hander got fortunate with a lineout to shortstop in the third that caught Donovan away from first base for an inning-ending double play. And he got help from Tommy Pham in left field in the fourth.
That was the same inning Skenes pegged Contreras.
Contreras鈥 Spidey sense buzzed early in the plate appearance.
Skenes wedged a first-pitch 98.6 mph fastball on the inner edge of the plate. It was off the plate and close to moving Contreras鈥 feet. It was also called a strike.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the way the league is pitching to me, and they鈥檙e coming in and off the plate,鈥 Contreras said. 鈥淭he umpires keep calling pitches off the plate. At the same time, it鈥檚 not the pitcher鈥檚 fault. If they get the location off the plate and it鈥檚 a strike, they鈥檙e going to go back there again, back in there. I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 anybody鈥檚 fault. He鈥檚 getting pitches off the plate.鈥
Skenes went back there twice.
With a 2-2 count, Skenes drove a 99.6 mph fastball up and in on Contreras, who stands close to cover the outside of the strike zone. The former All-Star catcher fouled off the high-and-in offering. The next pitch, a 99.3 mph fastball, was further inside and hit Contreras鈥 hand.
He was met at first base by Marmol and an athletic trainer. The game paused for a lengthy stretch as they tended to Contreras, and he showed the pinky side of his left hand for where the ball struck him. Contreras remained in the game to run for himself to determine if the pain would relent and the hand cooperate with him staying the game. Instead of replacing him on the bases with speedier Garrett Hampson, the Cardinals gave him that time because he鈥檚 remained in the game before, and they were already down Arenado, Herrera and Walker.
The inning went sideways when Jose Fermin popped up a bunt.
On their way to 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position 鈥 including 0 for 2 in the ninth inning against closer David Bednar 鈥 the Cardinals were 0 for 6 when catcher Pedro Pages came up against Skenes in the fourth inning. Contreras was at second. Pages pulled a single to left, and Contreras was off to the races. A pitcher like Skenes invites aggressive choices on the bases when a scoring opportunity surfaces, and Contreras was waved around third. Left fielder Pham鈥檚 throw home beat Contreras by at least a stride.
The final out of the inning was at home plate.
That was the first of two outs at home for the Cardinals 鈥 the second came in the ninth and would have tied the game. Contreras was the third of six Cardinals to reach third base and not score. He was tagged out by Pittsburgh鈥檚 catcher Henry Davis, who four innings later hit the sacrifice fly that brought home the game鈥檚 lone run.
Contreras was back from X-rays by then, but the Cardinals, their lineup thinned, struggled to find a way back in the game.
Post-Dispatch sports columnists Jeff Gordon and Lynn Worthy talk about the barrage of two-run homers the Cardinals inflicted on the Cubs as their offense came to life.
Photos: Cardinals drop second straight game at Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes catches a bunt popup hit by 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Jose Fermin during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes reacts after watching catcher Henry Davis tag out 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Willson Contreras at home during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, left, tags out 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Willson Contreras, right, at home during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Willson Contreras reacts after getting hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Willson Contreras reacts after getting hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Willson Contreras, right, is examined by a team trainer after getting hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman fields a ball hit by the Pirates鈥 Isiah Kiner-Falefa before throwing him out at first base during the sixth inning of a game Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed, Associated Press
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Caleb Ferguson delivers during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Isaac Mattson delivers during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, right, tags out 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Jose Fermin, left, at home during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Jose Fermin is upended after getting tagged out at home during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher David Bednar reacts after getting the final out of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher David Bednar reacts after getting the final out of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, right, tags out 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Jose Fermin, left, at home during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
最新杏吧原创 Cardinals' Jose Fermin is upended after getting tagged out at home during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher David Bednar, right, celebrates with catcher Henry Davis, left, after getting the final out of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Henry Davis hits a sacrifice fly during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
Matt Freed - FR171937 AP
Pittsburgh Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes, left, is greeted by manager Don Kelly, right, after scoring during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh.
