St. Louis Cardinals Archives

Paul Skenes’s Dominant Outing Drew a Standing Ovation From Cardinals Fans

Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes showcased why he's heralded as one of the most exciting young pitchers in all of baseball during Tuesday's start against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Skenes tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings during the NL Central showdown at Busch Stadium, striking out eight Cardinals batters while surrendering just five hits and no walks. Although he won't be credited with a decision for his stellar start, having exited the game in a 0–0 deadlock, fans in St. Louis made sure to show their respect to the 22-year-old.

As Skenes departed the mound, he was treated to a standing ovation from the home crowd, despite holding their team off the scoreboard for over six frames.

Cardinals fans gave Paul Skenes a standing ovation pic.twitter.com/XOZptXmfub
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 12, 2024

Talk about the ultimate sign of respect.

The Pirates and Cardinals are division rivals, and it seems that fans in St. Louis are quickly coming to terms with the fact that they'll be seeing plenty of Skenes as he flourishes into a Cy Young candidate. Rather than boo him after his strong performance against their team, they took the high road, opting to tip their caps to the flame-throwing right-hander.

Skenes lowered his season ERA to 2.43 after Tuesday's start, the sixth of his MLB career. He's fanned 46 batters in 33 1/3 innings, surrendering just 21 hits and six walks.

11 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Plus-Money Player Props to target for Cardinals/ Pirates tonight (back Paul Skenes and Rowdy Tellez)

The St. Louis Cardinals (31-33) host the PIttsburgh Pirates (31-34) tonight at Busch Stadium with rookie sensation Paul Skenes on the mound for the Pirates.

Here are two player props to target in plus-money tonight.

Paul Skenes over 7.5 strikeouts (+110) at DraftKings

If you are an MLB fan, you are obligated to always take the over on Paul Skenes K props.

I kid. Sort of.

No pitcher’s debut season has been this hyped since Stephen Strasburg in 2010, and so far Skenes has (mostly) lived up to the hype.

Skenes struck out eight Dodgers in his most recent outing, also securing the win for the Bucs. If Skenes can K eight Dodgers, I am happy to grab plus-money for him to tally eight punch-outs vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals have a 23.7% K-rate vs. righties this season -- the 10th highest rate in MLB.

Skenes has exceeded this prop in three of five games started this year and he’s striking batters out at a rate of 12.67 per nine innings. If he makes it through six innings, he easily exceeds this mark.

Rowdy Tellez over 1.5 Hits +Runs + RBI (+105) at DraftKings

I know, I know. Tellez has been awful this year, but hear me out.

Not only does Tellez tear the cover off the ball (his max exit velocity in the top 2% of MLB), he’s been heating up lately.

In June, Tellez is hitting .529 with seven RBI and a 1.461 OPS. He has hits in six of his last seven games, and he has exceeded this prop in five of those seven.

Not only that, but Tellez has good career stats vs. Miles Mikolas.

In 18 career at-bats vs. Mikolas, Tellez is batting .333 and has a 1.091 OPS. Take advantage of the value for Tellez tonight.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Rounding the Bases: MLB Straight Up Picks for Every Game Today (Bet Dodgers as Road Underdogs)

Saturday's MLB slate is headlined by the battle between the two favorites to win the World Series, the Dodgers against the Yankees in the Bronx.

The World Series preview in June takes center stage as all of Major League Baseball is in action on Saturday. Lucky for you, we have commentary on how to bet every game!

Keep reading to find out how we view each game on the Saturday slate.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Pick: Mets (+150)

There’s some variance baked into this game with it being played in London as part of MLB’s London Series.

With a short center field fence and the wind projected to be blowing out at London Stadium, this can be a short outing for the likes of Ranger Suarez, who is driving most of the opening odds in this game.

Pick: Twins (-120)

Simeon Woods Richardson continues to thrive for the Twins in his first full season with the club, posting a 3.04 ERA while showcasing excellent control, posting a walk rate of only six percent. The Minnesota starter will match up against Pirates opener Carmen Mlodzinski, who will put a ton of pressure on the Pittsburgh below average bullpen.

With the pitching edge, including a better pen, I’ll take the Twins as short road favorites.

Pick: Nationals (+120)

MacKenzie Gore has been outstanding this season, striking out a career best 27.3% of batters with a career low 3.57 ERA.

The former Padres prized prospect is starting to see perform like it and now draws a Braves team that is struggling without Ronald Acuna Jr, who tore his ACL and is out for the year. Atlanta is hitting only .211 in June.

Pick: Athletics (+135)

The Blue Jays remain a non starter for me as a road favorite, even against the lowly A’s.

Kevin Gausman has been overvalued all season, and Toronto is only 6-6 in his 12 starts. The right hander has an ERA of 4.60 while his xERA is far worse at 5.26, per MLBStatcast. He is striking out only 22% of batters, the lowest rate since 2018, and remains a worthy fade.

Pick: Brewers (-165)

Freddy Peralta has been outstanding this season, striking out nearly a third of the batters he has faced while keeping his walk rate below eight percent, about the big league average.

It’ll be tough sledding for the Tigers lineup that is bottom third in Major League Baseball in OPS while the Brewers are far better at generating run support for its pitching staff, fourth in the same metric.

Pick: Royals (+115)

The Royals rallied to win 10-9 on Friday, and the team remains a great bet at home, 23-10 at Kauffman Stadium this season.

Kansas City will have a stiff test against Luis Castillo, but the Royals ability to generate power is notable considering Castillo has allowed a barrel percentage in the 28th percentile this season, per MLBStatcast, and allows a high fly ball rate of over 60%.

Pick: Rays (+115)

Both starters have missed time this season, with different results, but I’m betting on it going in a different direction on Saturday.

Kyle Bradish of the Orioles has made six starts and has been pitching the best baseball of his career. He is striking out 32% of batters, way above his career average, while allowing a hard-hit percentage of only 25%, 99th percentile in the big leagues.

While it’s a fantastic start for a league average pitcher, regression will come for him soon.

I’ll try here, on the road against a Rays team that has pop in the lineup and a pitcher who has a high ceiling in Taj Bradley. The hard throwing right hander hasn’t had good results this season, his xERA is hovering around 7.00, but i believe he can outperform expectations given the Orioles have the third fewest walks on the year.

Pick: Reds (-120)

The Cubs’ skid has continued while the Reds have won six straight, so I’ll side with the hot home team.

It also helps that Chicago is bottom 10 in OPS against left handers this season as the team faces Reds’ starter Andrew Abbott.

Pick:Red Sox (-205)

Chicago snapped a 13 game skid on Friday, but I’m not counting on two wins in a row.

Pick: Rockies (+160)

Can Kyle Gibson justify this price tag? The veteran pitcher has a 3.69 ERA that is supported by a 4.99 xERA with a walk rate hovering around 10%.

For what it’s worth, Ryan Feltner pitches better on the road than at the hitter friendly Coors Field, so I can get behind him outperforming expectations.

Pick: Dodgers (+105)

The two best teams in baseball continue its weekend series, and I’ll side with the road underdog given the Yankees’ overall fitness with Juan Soto’s status in doubt for the foreseeable future.

If New York’s lineup isn’t at its best, it’ll be tough to keep up with the Dodgers, who have the highest OPS against left handed pitching this season.

Pick: Guardians (-160)

Cleveland is the far more talented side here and should have little issue snagging a road win.

Ben Lively’s strikeout rate is at a career high of 23% and the Guardians have the clear offensive edge, 11th in OPS against the Marlins, who check in 29th.

Pick: Diamondbacks (+125)

I’ll take Arizona to stay hot in June, winners of five of six, at an underdog price.

Ryne Nelson isn’t a strikeout-focused pitcher, only 14.9%, but he has limited his walks to only six percent, which is impactful against a Padres team that is reliant on drawing walks to get runners on base. Nelson’s ERA is also due to come down from his mark of 5.44, with an xERA of 4.77.

Pick: Astros (-165)

Angels starter Tyler Anderson has been among the best pitchers in baseball, but I expect a tough summer for the veteran left hander.

He has an ERA of 2.37, which is staggering to see given some of his other numbers, including a 16% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate. Meanwhile, his xERA is 4.49, making him ripe for a few blow ups as the season continues.

I’ll count on Saturday against a Houston lineup that is top five in OPS against southpaws.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Every MLB Team’s World Series Odds Through First Two Months of 2024 Season

We're officially more than two months into the 2024 Major League Baseball season so it's time to take a step back and take a look at the futures markets.

What teams have underperformed? What teams are a surprising contender? Are there any teams we should bet on now or are there a few we should stay away from?

In this article, we're going to take a look at the latest World Series odds for all 32 teams. Let's dive into it. All odds listed in this article are via FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Dodgers, despite underperforming by their standards, are still set as the World Series favorites at +260, which is an implied probability of 27.78%. There's no denying the talent this roster has and they're still playing well enough to have a hefty lead on the NL West.

The New York Yankees have been the best team in baseball through the first two months. Their pitching has been sharp and their offense, specifically the play of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, has been unbelievable. If I were to pick one team to win it all at this point of the season, I'd pick the Yankees.

The Phillies have the best record in the National League at 44-19. They have a great chance to yet again go on a deep playoff run.

The injury bug has bitten the Braves, most notably Ronald Acuna Jr., who will miss the rest of the 2024 season. There's still plenty of time for them to rally and there's a reason they're still fourth on the odds list to win it all.

The Orioles are still well behind the Yankees in the AL East, but at 39-22, they'll be back in the playoffs once again.

The Seattle Mariners lead the AL West, but their offense needs to wake up if they want to be true World Series contenders in 2024.

The AL Central was supposed to be the worst division in baseball, but as of writing this article, four of the five teams are at .500 or above, including the Minnesota Twins at 33-29.

The Houston Astros don't look like the same contender they once were. Their metrics are still respectable and their offense has woken up in recent weeks. If there's one team that has got off to a slow start that I could see getting hot in the second half of the season, it's the Astros.

The Cleveland Guardians are eye-popping 40-21 as of writing this article. While that's impressive, I wouldn't be surprised if he saw some regression from this team in the second half of the season.

The Milwaukee Brewers lead the NL Central and have had one of the better offenses through the first two months of the season. They are a team to watch in the National League.

It's been a bad start to the season for the defending World Series champions. Their offense has been middling and their bullpen continues to cost them games. They need to find a way to turn the ship around or they're going to fail to make the playoffs.

The Kansas City Royals might be the single most surprising team in the Majors this season at 37-26. Not only has their record been good, but they have the metrics to back it up. Between strong offensive statistics and more than one Cy Young candidate in their rotation, the Royals could be a Cinderella story in 2024.

The Blue Jays may be the most disappointing team in the Majors. Despite looking like a talented squad on paper, their offense has been without teeth and their bullpen has been abysmal. On top of that, their rotation hasn't been nearly as good as it was last year. Time is running out for Toronto.

I feel sorry for Mets fans. It's been a disaster of a season and they're already 16.5 games back from the Phillies in the NL East.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

8 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Cardinals’ Willson Contreras Injures Arm in Catcher’s Interference Incident

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras exited Tuesday's game against the New York Mets after taking the full force of a swing from J.D. Martinez to the left forearm. Contreras was diagnosed with a fractured left arm and will need a lengthy stay on the injured list as a result.

Contreras was visibly in pain as the Cardinals' medical staff attended to his arm. To make matters worse, the play was ruled as catcher's interference, meaning Martinez was awarded first base.

Replay of the incident showed that Contreras was positioned remarkably close to Martinez. According to John Denton of MLB.com, the team had encouraged Contreras to move closer to the plate as a means of getting more low strike calls from umpires. With Contreras positioning himself particularly close to the plate, he put himself in harm’s way of Martinez’s swing, resulting in Tuesday's scary arm injury.

In an attempt to help catcher Willson Contreras get more low strikes, the #STLCards have him moved up closer to the plate. However, JD Martinez's bat hit Contreras on the left forearm during his swing.
Contreras is out of the game. He was in obvious pain, yelling out right away. pic.twitter.com/0XCgzBQG0D
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) May 8, 2024

Iván Herrera replaced Contreras, who had doubled in his lone plate appearance of the game. On the season, Contreras has six home runs and 12 RBI to go with a .931 OPS.

7 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Mets’ Brett Baty Hilariously Fell Over an Umpire While Trying to Make a Throw

The New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, on Monday. The Mets were able to overcome a close call that was upheld on replay and disagreed with on the broadcast as they stopped a three game losing streak. The Mets seemed to be at odds with the umpire crew throughout the game. Just look what happened in the bottom of the first inning when leadoff hitter Jose Fermin bounced one down the line to third baseman Brett Baty.

Baty fielded the ball cleanly and was considering one of those cool jump throws that Derek Jeter used to do all the time, but instead straight ran into third base umpire Doug Eddings. Rather than throw the ball, Baty ate it as he fell on top of a backpedaling Eddings and Fermin ended up safe at first.

Brett Baty collides with third base umpire Doug Eddings on a play at third base pic.twitter.com/p6g2jo9Xkj
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 7, 2024

There are just some things in life that are satisfying. People falling down without getting hurt is definitely one of them. It's so awkward and funny. Keith Hernandez described it as Edding, "doing the moonwalk," while Gary Cohen compared his moves to the Cha-Cha Slide. Whatever ill-advised wedding dance move you want to reference, it's hard to contain the giggles.

Once everyone finished laughing the game continued with Baty going 0-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts. Knocking over an umpire was unquestionably the highlight of his day.

4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Cardinals’ Sonny Gray Credits Odd Ritual for In-Game Improvement in Win vs. White Sox

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray improved to 4-1 on the season after throwing seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball with six strikeouts in a 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

The 34-year-old Gray continued his torrid start to the season, improving his ERA to a stunning 0.89 through five starts, establishing himself as an early National League Cy Young candidate as the calendar turns to May.

While Gray put together another sterling start, a high-stress third inning caused him to reevaluate things in the dugout. Gray credited an odd in-game ritual for his turnaround and efficiency on the mound throughout the rest of the game.

"I've done this before," Gray told reporters after the game. "I just came in here after the third and took all my clothes off and got redressed with new cleats, socks, underwear, pants, belt, jersey and hat and said, 'You're a new guy, now start over.' So that's kind of how I reset it."

Sonny Gray needed a reset after a high-pitch third inning. What did he do? "I've done this before, but I came in [the clubhouse], took all of my clothes off and got redressed. New cleats, socks, underwear, pants, belt, jersey, hat. ... Kind of like, 'Alright, you're a new guy.'" pic.twitter.com/fJKLraWJAF
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) May 4, 2024

Nothing like a mid-game wardrobe change to get the mind right!

St. Louis improved to 15-17 on the season and sits in fourth place in the NL Central.

30 Apr 24 Jimm Sallivan

Tigers Pitcher Jack Flaherty Dials Up Historic Performance vs. Cardinals

Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty had an afternoon to remember Tuesday against his former team at Comerica Park.

Flaherty whiffed the St. Louis Cardinals' first seven batters to start the game, tying an American League record shared by four pitchers. He came up two strikeouts short of the MLB record, set in 2021 by Pablo López when the then-Miami Marlins right-hander fanned the first nine Atlanta Braves batters he faced.

Flaherty finished the outing with a career-high 14 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings, holding the Cardinals scoreless and allowing just two hits and one walk. He is the fifth pitcher in MLB history to tally at least 14 strikeouts and allow no runs in less than seven innings of work, joining Max Scherzer (2010), Mike Fiers ('14), Yu Darvish ('19) and Shane Bieber ('20) on that list.

The Tigers, however, lost to the Cardinals 2–1 after Shelby Miller surrendered two runs in the ninth inning to rob Flaherty of the win.

Flaherty, who was drafted by St. Louis in 2014 and pitched there from 2017 to '23, signed a one-year contract worth $14 million with the Tigers this offseason.

In six starts this year (36 innings), Flaherty has logged an 0–1 record, 4.00 ERA and 50 strikeouts.

The Tigers and Cardinals will play the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader at Comerica Park.

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Category: St. Louis Cardinals