果酱视频

As Winn settled into the starting job as a rookie last season, he also showed he could punish opposing pitchers for thinking his tendency to hit baseballs the other way meant that they could sneak pitches past him on the inner half of the plate.

Winn mashed 15 home runs last season, all on pitches over the middle or inside. He also hammers pitches in the lower part of the zone, typically an area pitchers go to avoid 鈥渄amage.鈥�

Winn, 23, packs explosive athleticism into a 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame, but it raises a question.

As he continues to round into the hitter he鈥檒l ultimately be in the big leagues, will Winn battle the urge to stop hitting opposite-field line drives in favor of taking big swings and trying to pull the ball in pursuit of home runs and extra-base hits?

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a battle, it鈥檚 a fricking superpower,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淭hink about it. If someone has the ability to pick and choose when they can use the right side of the field or go pull-side, it鈥檚 a strength 鈥� once you understand that both of those things are a strength.鈥�

Little did I realize that using the term 鈥渂attle鈥� was like putting the key in the ignition of a car and turning it.

Marmol cited Winn鈥檚 two-strike prowess and his ability to put the ball in play (lower strikeout rate than about three-quarters of MLB players since the start of 2024).

By keeping the bat in the strike zone for a longer period, it makes hitters like Winn dangerous and very difficult for opposing pitchers to handle. If he鈥檚 able to hit the ball everywhere, a pitcher can鈥檛 simply approach him like a power hitter and focus on avoiding mistakes.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a tough, tough out,鈥� Marmol continued. 鈥淭hen when he鈥檚 ahead in the count, his ability to get the head out and pick his spots 鈥� whether that鈥檚 sitting on a pitch or just getting the head out on a fastball and going pull-side and hitting and doubles and homers 鈥� he did that at a high rate. He hit 15 homers.

鈥淪o it鈥檚 not a battle, in my opinion, as much as gaining an understanding of your entire game. There鈥檚 different clubs for different situations, and his ability to know when to pull those clubs out is incredible. He has that ability. Not everybody in that clubhouse has that ability. That鈥檚 what makes him 鈥� you can dream on what鈥檚 possible for him. It鈥檚 that skillset that鈥檚 super-intriguing.鈥�

Somewhere in the middle of Marmol鈥檚 response and rejection of the term 鈥渂attle,鈥� it clicked.

I suspect that either Marmol or members of the coaching staff have likely delivered some version of a similar sermon to Winn, stressing his unique talent of being able to pull out 鈥渄ifferent clubs for different situations.鈥�

Part of the reason I suspect that has to do with Winn鈥檚 own words.

鈥淚鈥檓 trying to pull the baseball,鈥� Winn said during the final homestand before the MLB All-Star break. 鈥淲hen I go oppo, for the most part, I鈥檓 just late. 鈥� Early in the count, I鈥檓 trying to pull the ball. You know. If I get a knock the opposite way, it鈥檚 great.鈥�

Even going back to last season, Winn has talked about wanting to get off his 鈥淎-swing鈥� in order to do a bit more damage and provide more offense for the Cardinals lineup in the form of extra-base hits as opposed to piling up singles.

It鈥檚 also natural that he鈥檇 want to continue to expand his individual game, both as a competitor and as a young player who knows in the back of his mind that power numbers play into how he鈥檒l be judged in salary arbitration as well as the .

However, Winn referenced small adjustments at the plate following a three-hit game that included two doubles against the Miami Marlins on Monday at Busch Stadium.

鈥淩eally just using the big part of the field and I think it鈥檚 opening up both sides,鈥� Winn said.

That鈥檚 not just talk or echoing things coaches may be telling him behind the scenes. He鈥檚 putting that approach into practice.

Of the four batted balls Winn put in play that night, one was straightaway and three others (including both doubles) went to his pull side (left field).

In his first 50 plate appearances coming out of the All-Star break (through play on Friday night), Winn struck out just five times, was hit by a pitch once and laid down one sacrifice bunt.

Of the remaining 43 plate appearances (he did not have a walk), Winn put 15 balls in play to the opposite field, 15 up the middle and 13 to the pull side.

During that 13-game stretch and the same size of 50 plate appearances, Winn has batted .375 with a .388 on-base percentage and a .458 slugging percentage with four doubles.

Hmmm. Different clubs for different situations.

鈥淗e has the ability to beat you a lot of different ways,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淭he better he gets at understanding that, the better player we鈥檙e going to see. He doesn鈥檛 have to chose between just a guy who hits balls in the 4-hole or a guy that hits homers. Do all of it.鈥�

In the fourth inning late Saturday night at Petco Park, the Cardinals trailed by four runs early, nibbled into the Padres鈥� lead to begin the fourth and put two on with one out for Pages. The starting catcher had gone nearly five weeks since his last home run, felt his batting average drain to .201, and here he was behind in the count with his team behind in the game. He was going to make sure he got the bat of his choice.

And then he got the pitch of his hopes.

A curveball.

Hanging.

The Cardinals鈥� comeback for an 8-5 victory against the Padres included a resolute start by Michael McGreevy near his hometown, a scoreless turn by two relievers trying to hold their first lead for a post-Ryan Helsley bullpen and a 422-foot launch of that pitch by Pages to tie the game. The win spun around three curveballs 鈥� two that Pages called and one that he crushed.

McGreevy froze a hitter with one in a pivotal moment. Kyle Leahy challenged a future Hall of Famer with one to own the eighth with a two-run lead. And Pages sent one to a second-story balcony overlooking left field.

鈥淐urveballs were big today,鈥� he said.

Here鈥檚 how they bent the game in the Cardinals鈥� direction:

Curve 1: 4th inning, 80.8 mph, 51-inch drop

Padres starter Randy Vazquez got a ground out out from Pages in their first meeting Saturday, and the right-hander got ahead on Pages in the fourth inning with a sinker he took for a strike and two sweeping sliders he nicked for foul balls.

Following the second-inning ground out, Pages鈥� batting average for the season teetered at dipping below .200. Since his most recent home run on June 27, Pages hit .148 with only singles in 61 at-bats. The Cardinals rely on him as the starter because of how he handles pitchers behind the plate. Aware Pages鈥� frustrations were percolating at the plate, manager Oliver Marmol gave the catcher a few days off over the past week.

Pages didn鈥檛 want the struggles or the break to make him defensive at the plate.

With teammates on base, he wanted to remain aggressive to get a ball in play. Hence going after the sweepers even to just clip them for a foul ball.

Willson Contreras sparked the fourth inning with a leadoff double. He scored on Nolan Gorman鈥檚 single 鈥� the second of back-to-back singles ahead of Pages. With Masyn Winn at second and Gorman at first, Pages was the potential tying run at the plate. The new bat came just as he faced a decisive moment in the inning. He was behind, and Vazquez had plenty of options to try to spin Pages out of the at-bat.

Vazquez went to the curveball and did not land it.

He gave away the curve out of his hand, and it stayed high with the horizontal movement to meet Pages鈥� barrel.

鈥淚t was in the zone that I wanted,鈥� he said.

And he did not miss.

The curve that left Vazquez鈥檚 fingers at 80.8 mph jumped off Pages鈥� new bat at 103.2 mph. It traveled 422 feet 鈥� his longest homer of the season 鈥� and it gave him seven for the year, tying his career high. The three-run bolt tied the game 4-4, and Winn would give the Cardinals the lead with a two-run double in the top of the fifth.

Guess the type of pitch that helped the Cardinals hold that lead.

Curve 2: 5th inning, 80.3 mph, 57-inch drop

What changed for McGreevy between the end of the third inning and the beginning of his three scoreless innings was more than just how he mixed his pitches.

鈥淭here was a difference in how he was coming out of the dugout and coming back into the dugout,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淰ery clear from an overall mentality standpoint.鈥�

At the ballpark he grew up watching on TV and visiting to see his beloved Padres, McGreevy made his first career appearance in Petco Park. Many members of his family made the hour drive south from San Clemente, California, to see McGreevy鈥檚 San Diego debut. He admitted feeling nervous throughout the morning鈥� and then seeing that familiar backdrop he knew from TV, but this time it was from the actual mound, not his sofa.

The Padres greeted him rudely.

Three batters into the game, Manny Machado had an RBI single and the Padres took a 1-0 lead. Thirteen batters into the game, Jackson Merrill powered a four-seam fastball for a home run that put the Padres ahead 4-0. Merrill鈥檚 homer to dead center field traveled 415 feet and over the reach of center fielder Victor Scott II. That was the last run McGreevy allowed.

鈥淵ou could just tell it switched over from a mentality standpoint,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淗e had a lot more edge to him in the last three innings, just the way he was approaching hitters. He didn鈥檛 care who was in the box. He needs to continue to take that type of mindset from the very beginning of the game.鈥�

Ground outs got him out of the third, through the fourth and into the fifth with two outs and no one on base when Merrill鈥檚 turn came back around.

McGreevy showed him a mix of everything. In the first pitches of the at-bat, Merrill saw pitches at 92 mph, 88 mph, and 79 mph.

Merrill, a rookie sensation a year ago, dropped into a 2-2 count when he fouled off a change-up that drifted low and away from him. His new teammate, trade deadline acquisition Ryan O鈥橦earn, would strike out on the same change-up in the sixth inning, and McGreevy referred to that as 鈥減robably the best change-up I鈥檝e thrown all my life.鈥� The change-up to Merrill in the fifth served to open up the strike zone to set up the curve.

鈥淲e hadn鈥檛 used it yet to that extent, especially to finish,鈥� Pages said. 鈥淢errill covers the curveball pretty well usually. But it鈥檚 something if you execute it well and go about setting it up with the heaters up, the cutters up 鈥� well then that back door is open.鈥�

McGreevy spun his 2-2 curveball to the outer edge of home plate.

It appeared to clip the strike zone as is dived down to Pages鈥� mitt.

The 57-inch drop on the pitch was the most of any pitch in the game, and Merrill admired it without flinching. The called-strike curve finished the inning 鈥� and McGreevy (3-2) would not allow another Padre to reach base to close out his six innings.

鈥淗igh chase guy who hit the homer, and you don鈥檛 have to be perfect,鈥� McGreevy said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to (dot) the four-seam there. You can miss up and away. Put this (stuff) where he cannot hit it, and that was a good spot. That curveball felt great.

鈥淟ooking back it was perfect clipping the edge.鈥�

After the game, McGreevy glanced at his phone to see a text message from an unfamiliar number but a number definitely was glad to have.

The text came from noted curveball wizard Adam Wainwright.

Curve 3: 8th inning, 84.0 mph, 52-inch drop

In his office after the win with one of his coaches, Marmol marveled at the breaking ball Leahy threw to Machado. One of the best and most balanced hitters in the majors, Machado can drive a ball to right field with authority and pull a pitch into the left field seats.

It took confidence in the curve for Leahy to challenge him with it.

It also came with a confession.

鈥淚 kind of did leave it not in the best spot,鈥� Leahy said.

The Cardinals鈥� rising right-handed setup man, Leahy got five outs from five batters on 16 pitches to hold what was a two-run lead with him in the game. But it was his strikeout of Machado in the eighth inning that set up teammate JoJo Romero to carry the game through the ninth for his first save of the season. Marmol stayed with Leahy entering the eighth because Machado loomed on deck following former batting champion Luis Arraez.

If Arraez slipped a grounder through for a base hit, Machado would be the potential tying run. Arraez grounded out. Machado still proved a threat to trim the lead. And Pages knew just the pitch of Leahy鈥檚 six or seven that the right-hander would want to set up.

The curve.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something he loves to use and I love to call,鈥� Pages said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nasty pitch. If you set it up right, even if it鈥檚 in the zone, it鈥檚 hard to hit because he rips it.鈥�

The setup was a 96.5 mph four-seam fastball up over the plate. Machado fouled it back. Leahy came back with a sweeper that veered away from Machado and got a swing and a miss. Leahy then spiked an 86 mph curveball to see if Machado would chase. He did not.

Pages and Leahy successfully extended the area Machado had to cover up with the fastball and out with the slider.

The curve had more room to operate 鈥� even if it caught too much of the plate.

Machado swung and missed it.

鈥淭hat is a big pitch,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淵ou look at Leahy鈥檚 sweeper and you look at the curveball and the shape of them is very different and they can be some nasty pitches. We鈥檝e seen an uptick in how he鈥檚 been using his stuff. He went through that lull 鈥� but that鈥檚 changing a little bit. It鈥檚 to his credit how he鈥檚 using his stuff. That curveball was gross.鈥�

Leahy credited Pages for priming the at-bat for a curve.

Just as McGreevy complimented Pages for the timing of the curve.

But even as they shaped the game and secured the Cardinals鈥� win, neither of those were his favorite curves of the game.

鈥淚鈥檒l say the one I hit 420, right now, honestly,鈥� Pages said. 鈥淚 needed that one a lot.鈥�

They had no Steven Matz warming.

They had no Phil Maton to man the eighth.

They had no Ryan Helsley looming.

The Cardinals鈥� new formula for holding leads emerged based on matchup. Right-hander Kyle Leahy, an increasingly prominent member of the bullpen, shepherded the lead into the eighth for JoJo Romero to finish. Leahy pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Romero handled the rest to earn the first save of the post-Helsley era.

Romero stepped onto the tightrope in the ninth by walking the first batter he faced. A two-out single by No. 9 hitter Freddy Fermin drove home the run and brought leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. to the plate. With a three-run lead to work with and Tatis only able to tighten the game not flip it, Romero stayed in. Tatis drove the ball to right field 鈥� where Lars Nootbaar reached up and caught it near the top of the wall.

That catch secured Romero鈥檚 first save of this season and second since his cameo as the closer late in 2023.

The three scoreless innings from two relievers followed 3 2/3 scoreless innings from relievers in Friday night鈥檚 loss to the Padres.聽

McGreevy steadies in homecoming

A native of San Clemente, California 鈥� about an hour drive north of Petco Park depending on traffic and trapped between Orange County and San Diego 鈥� Cardinals starter McGreevy (3-2) grew up a Padres fan. He had family in the stands for his second start against the Padres and first appearance at their ballpark, the one not too far from home.

San Diego greeted McGreevy with runs in each of the first three innings.

Former batting champ Luis Arraez slashed a double down the left-field line to then score on Manny Machado鈥檚 first-inning single for a quick 1-0 lead three batters into McGreevy鈥檚 start. In the second inning, one of the Padres鈥� trade-deadline prizes, outfielder Ramon Laureano, skipped a triple into the right-field corner to score Xander Bogearts. Laureano then scored on a groundout for 3-0 lead on McGreevy鈥檚 fifth out of the game.

In the third, the Padres were more direct with their rally.

Jackson Merrill drilled a pitch from McGreevy to straightaway center field for his eight homer of the season. The ball traveled 415 feet and over the reach of Victor Scott II. Thirteen batters into the game, McGreevy had allowed four runs and the Cardinals had answered with zero.

Both trends would shift.

McGreevy found his footing with the pair of groundouts I the fourth inning, and then got a key double play that boosted his start and got him through six innings. After a leadoff single by Arraez in the fifth, McGreevy coaxed a groundball from Machado and then participated in the inning-altering double play. When Merrill came up for his at-bat after the homer, McGreevy dropped a 2-2 curveball on him that the umpire ruled caught the outside edge of the strike zone for a called strike three. That was the first McGreevy鈥檚 three strikeouts in four batters.

He finished the sixth inning with strikeouts on a changeup and a sweeper.

Pages launches Cardinals鈥� comeback

Handed a new bat to replace the broken one in the middle of his at-bat, Pages made immediate use of the fresh tool with a hit that upended the game.

The Cardinals鈥� starting catcher entered Saturday鈥檚 game with a .201 average, a frustrating spell at the plate, and several days off in the past week to get away from his struggles. He hit a groundout in the second to end the Cardinals鈥� first tease at a rally, and in the fourth inning he found himself behind 0-2 with two teammates on base and a deficit to erase.

First, he got a new bat.

Second, he got a hanging curveball.

Padres starter Randy Vasquez flipped the 1-2 curveball at 80.8-mph, and Pages put such a no-doubt swing on it that it left his bat at 103.2 mph and soared 422 feet toward the Western Metal Supply Co. beyond left field. The home run reached the second balcony of the building that鈥檚 part of Petco Park鈥檚 downtown charm. And, as it rattled there, Pages circled the bases to tie the game, 4-4.

The homer was Pages鈥� first since June 27.

He matched his career of seven from this past season.

It erased the four-run deficit the Padres created in the first three innings, and it set the stage for the Cardinals taking their first lead an inning later.

For the Winn

What first appeared like an inning that was going to gust away on the breeze of strikeouts instead became the Cardinals breakthrough 鈥� one of their few offensively in the past week.

Shut out in back-to-back games by the Marlins before coming west and held to a solo homer Friday in the series opener in San Diego, the Cardinals had Pages鈥� three RBIs as their tailwind when Ivan Herrera opened the fifth inning with his third hit of the game. Alec Burleson followed Herrera鈥檚 single with a walk.

And then came the whiffs.

Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada struck out Willson Contreras and Nootbaar to freeze the runners in their place and put the scoring chance on tilt.

Shortstop Winn rescued it when he pulled a ball that hugged the left-field line. Herrera scored easily to break the tie, and Burleson rampaged from first base to reach home ahead of the tag for a 6-4 lead. Winn鈥檚 two RBIs came on his second hit of the game, his third hit of the series, and 24th double of the season.

Fresh off his rehab assignment and a sliding catch in right field during Harry Potter Night at Class AA Springfield 鈥� complete with a Gryffindor scarf printed on his jersey 鈥� Nootbaar rejoined the Cardinals on Saturday in San Diego. He started in right field, and the lineup adjusted around him. Since Nootbaar went on the 10-day injured list on July 12, the Cardinals have freed up designated hitter at times by playing Ivan Herrera in left field, but with Nootbaar back that put Herrera at DH and Jordan Walker on the bench.

Other permutations will have Nootbaar in left field and Walker in right, but then No. 3 hitter Alec Burleson is either at first, DH, or yielding at-bats to another player on the team鈥檚 鈥渞unway.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檒l have to rotate them through and get everybody at-bats and find time for all of them,鈥� manager Oliver Marmol said Saturday evening at Petco Park. 鈥淚t will be a combination of giving guys days off during this stretch. You can do that. We鈥檒l rotate them appropriately.鈥�

Since the Cardinals affirmed their focus on the future this season with trade deadline moves that subtracted from the present, a question lingered: How can they get enough playing time for overlapping players to adequately evaluate who鈥檚 advancing and what鈥檚 needed for next year鈥檚 lineup? Marmol said there was a reason the club did not trade any of its hitters at the deadline, and he referred to the current group as the coming 鈥渃ore.鈥�

The core riddle is who plays where because with 50 games remaining as of Saturday evening there are limited at-bats, and there鈥檚 as much overlaps as ever.

Nolan Gorman starting at third base in place of Nolan Arenado, who went on the IL on Friday, is creating at-bats for him. Herrera relocating from DH to left field every so often, frees up the DH to rest Willson Contreras or start Burleson. But with the current roster, there鈥檚 no room for Nootbaar, Burleson, Victor Scott II, Herrera, and Walker to all start. Production will ultimately make the decision, but the Cardinals have set forth the coming months to allow for patience and playing time before making the call on who has the most upside.

Marmol was asked what will guide his hand with the lineups to assure playing time for the evaluation the team keeps advertising and if production will play a part.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to try to get them at-bats,鈥� he said.

Mathews has 9K outing

Lefty Quinn Mathews, the Cardinals鈥� top pitching prospect entering the season, set a season high with nine strikeouts in his victory for Class AAA Memphis against Norfolk on Friday.

Mathews pitched 6 2/3 innings for the win and allowed two runs on five hits and walk. A year ago, in his first full season of pro baseball, Mathews scaled four levels and became the first Cardinals鈥� minor-leaguer in more than 20 years to strike out 200 batters. He won Baseball America鈥檚 pitcher of the year award for all of the minor leagues, and he gave a brief glimpse of his ability during big-league spring training.

His encore season, all of which has been at Triple-A Memphis with the exception of two rehab appearances, has been inconsistent. Within the opening weeks of the season, Mathews went on the injured list for a month and had to regain his groove after proving his health.

In 14 starts for Memphis, Mathews has a 4.09 ERA with 1.73 walks-plus-hits-per-inning (WHIP). He has struck out 63 batters in 55 innings.

Post-deadline debuts

Welcomed to the field by the familiar blast of AC/DC鈥檚 鈥淗ell鈥檚 Bells,鈥� Ryan Helsley made his Mets debut Friday night in Queens. Citi Field had his entry all cued up. Helsley pitched a scoreless inning with two hits allowed and three strikeouts before the Mets lost in extra innings. 鈥� Jesus Baez, the infielder the Cardinals received from the Mets as part of the return for Helsley, started at shortstop for High-A Peoria on Friday and went 0 for 4 in his first game with the Cardinals鈥� organization. 鈥� Reporting to the Rangers less than 24 hours after being traded, right-hander Phil Maton pitched his first inning for Texas on Friday and struck out a batter in a scoreless eighth at Seattle. 鈥� Steven Matz had his first assignment for the Red Sox on Saturday and pitched scoreless sixth inning for his eighth hold of the season in a win against Houston. Matz walked one and struck out one.

That was when his phone rang.

鈥淎t that point, I was still no prospect at all,鈥� Svanson said. 鈥淚t caught me off guard. Everyone thought I was joking with them.鈥�

The call came from the Blue Jays鈥� front office and notified the right-hander that he had been traded to the Cardinals for shortstop Paul DeJong. It was a small, early move at a trade deadline that saw the Cardinals sell for the first time in a generation and strip-mine the roster for deals that got a lot more attention than DeJong, a former All-Star, to Toronto for a Class AA pitcher who had yet to throw an inning in Class AA.

Two years later, almost to the date, Svanson found himself on the mound at Petco Park in a pivotal moment Friday night against Manny Machado with the bases loaded. Svanson was the first reliever into what鈥檚 will become a two-month audition for late innings after the club鈥檚 latest sell-off at the deadline.

The Cardinals traded three veteran relievers in less than 24 hours this past week, and by moving closer Ryan Helsley to the Mets, setup right-hander Phil Maton to the Rangers, and lefty Steven Matz to the Red Sox, the Cardinals opened up three roles in the bullpen. Those include who handles the final two innings of any game. The Cardinals promoted right-handed relievers Andre Granillo, Ryan Fernandez, and Roddery Munoz to the majors on Friday. Along with relievers already present, like Svanson, manager Oliver Marmol plans to sort through assignments to see which relievers seize a role and can run with it through the remaining two months 鈥� and into next season.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about it,鈥� Marmol insisted.

It did not take long for the manager to have a game that offered him reason to start taking looks at the remaining relievers.

In their 4-1 loss at Petco, the Cardinals鈥� mustered four hits overall and only one against Padres starter Nick Pivetta in his seven innings. Yet, the Cardinals had a lead thanks to Willson Contreras鈥� solo homer going into the bottom of the fifth inning. Two throwing errors by Nolan Gorman and Willson Contreras vaporized that lead by allowing the tying run to score. The go-ahead runner got into scoring position, and six batters into the fifth inning starter Matthew Liberatore had misplaced the lead and loaded the bases.

The Cardinals recently gave Liberatore two weeks off to manage his workload for the season, and they鈥檒l continue to be cautious with the lefty through the remainder of the season. Pitch count is the driving metric. That is why in the middle of the fifth he was relieved. Liberatore had thrown 31 pitches, and the Cardinals have a soft cap of 30 for the lefty due to the stress long innings can cause.

With Machado due up, Liberatore was out and Svanson was in.

鈥淭hat was tough,鈥� Liberatore said before referencing the exchange of hit batters that marked the Padres鈥� visit to Busch Stadium this past month. 鈥淓specially after what happened between us and Machado last time out in 果酱视频. That was definitely the guy in that moment that I wanted to face. Tough to come out right there. I understand it. I threw a lot of pitches in that inning. Big situation. Probably showing him a different look a third time through is the right move.鈥�

The Cardinals followed Liberatore with three relievers. Svanson was the first right-hander in with three runners on base. Gordon Graceffo, another candidate for some save opportunities, followed with a scoreless inning, and newly promoted Ryan Fernandez, who spent last season as a setup reliever, pitched the eighth for the Cardinals. The Cardinals鈥� trio of relievers pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings. They allowed three hits and struck out three. Two of those strikeouts were from Svanson.

One was Machado with the bases loaded.

Svanson opened the at-bat with a sweeping slider.

Machado checked his swing and missed a strike.

鈥淲e knew he was going to be aggressive, especially with guys on,鈥� Svanson said. 鈥淲anted to go off-speed and then obviously getting that check swing was huge. It opened up everything. He had to respect the slider and fastball. Just put some good location on it.鈥�

Svanson followed the breaking ball with a 96.1-mph sinker that Machado took for a strike. An 0-2 attempt to get the All-Star chasing after another sweeper didn鈥檛 work. Machado took it for a ball. No active player has more grand slams than Machado鈥檚 13, and he entered Friday鈥檚 game batting .529 (18 for 38) in his previous eight games. With the 1-2 pitch, Svanson went back to the heat but didn鈥檛 skimp on it to wedge the fastest pitch of the at-bat inside on Machado.

He swung late and over the 98.5-mph sinker.

鈥淭hat was impressive for a lot of reasons,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淭hat environment鈥檚 real. For him to come into that against that hitter and to read the at-bat enough to do that 鈥� it was very impressive. I liked it. I really did. One of those moments where he鈥檚 going to learn from it. I like his overall mentality of how he came in there.鈥�

In their trades that sent out three veteran relievers, the Cardinals acquired six minor-league players, four of them pitchers. Three of the pitchers were at a similar spot in their careers as Svanson. He had been promoted from Class A just before the trade, and three of the pitchers acquired this week 鈥� lefty Mason Molina and right-handers Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt 鈥� are in Class A. Svanson had to convince his teammates that he had been traded, and some didn鈥檛 believe him, he said, until he packed his stuff at the ballpark and they saw the trade crawl across the screen on ESPN.

Since there wasn鈥檛 a flight to his new team until 6 a.m. the next morning, he remained in Binghampton that night, watching the game in street clothes from a spot near his former teammates, right out there by the bullpen. The next day he took three flights to reach Springfield, Missouri, and immediately joined the Cardinals鈥� Class AA club鈥檚 bullpen.

This season, he鈥檚 made his most significant strides 鈥� tapping into more consistent velocity and landing pitches more consistently at that higher speed.

鈥淚 think the adrenaline up here helps a lot,鈥� he said late Friday night in the Cardinals鈥� clubhouse. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a reason I鈥檓 a tick or two up from down in Triple-A. Definitely knowing you can鈥檛 take pitches off or you鈥檙e going to get punished.鈥�

Immediately after striking out Machado, he got that reminder.

With the bases still loaded and one more out to get, Svanson fell behind Jackson Merrill. Moreover, he gave Merrill a look at three different pitches as he did so. Svanson will try to keep a pitch in his pocket to show a batter for the first time late in an at-bat. Against Merrill, Svanson missed with his cutter and his sweeper to fall behind 0-2. Svanson turned to his sinker for a strike, and Merrill fouled it off. When Svanson tried to play that swing against his cutter, Merrill connected for a liner to center and a two-run single.

Those inherited runners counted against Liberatore and completed the Padres鈥� four-run inning to set the final score.

Svanson finished the inning two pitches later on a sweeper.

His lessons in tight-binds relief are just starting.

鈥淒efinitely love getting in there in higher-leverage situations,鈥� Svanson said. 鈥淜eeping taking the positives and rolling it into the next outings. Make sure I keep my same approach 鈥� attack, attack, attack over and over again. (These are) learning opportunities.鈥�

Padres 4, Cardinals 1

果酱视频 AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Donovan 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .282

Herrera dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 .293

Burleson lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .284

Contreras 1b 3 1 1 1 0 0 .257

Winn ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 .271

Gorman 3b 3 0 1 0 0 1 .221

Walker rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .227

Pozo c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .276

Scott cf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .227

Totals 29 1 4 1 0 6

San Diego AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Tatis rf 3 1 0 0 1 0 .267

Arraez 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .297

Machado 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .302

Merrill cf 4 0 2 2 0 1 .263

Bogaerts ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .267

Laureano lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Cronenworth 2b 3 1 0 0 1 1 .236

Iglesias dh 2 1 0 0 0 0 .232

O鈥橦earn ph-dh 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000

D铆az c 3 1 1 1 0 0 .204

Totals 32 4 7 3 2 4

果酱视频 000 010 000 鈥� 1 4 3

San Diego 000 040 00x 鈥� 4 7 0

E: Contreras (6), Gorman (3), Fernandez (1). LOB: 果酱视频 1, San Diego 7. HR: Contreras (15), off Pivetta. RBIs: Contreras (62), D铆az (22), Merrill 2 (43). DP: San Diego 2.

果酱视频 IP H R ER BB SO ERA

Libertre, L, 6-9 41/3 4 4 1 2 1 3.96

Svanson 12/3 1 0 0 0 2 2.93

Graceffo 1 1 0 0 0 1 4.91

Fernandez 1 1 0 0 0 0 10.24

San Diego IP H R ER BB SO ERA

Pivetta, W, 11-3 7 1 1 1 0 5 2.73

Miller 1 2 0 0 0 1 0.00

Suarez, S, 31-35 1 1 0 0 0 0 3.35

Inherited runners-scored: Svanson 3-2. HBP: Svanson (O鈥橦earn). T: 2:08. Att.: 44,933.

Still struggling to score runs, the Cardinals further complicated their evening with a pair of errors that goosed the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 victory Friday night in front of a sellout, raucous crowd at Petco Park. Three of the four runs against Matthew Liberatore in the fifth inning were unearned, but they were more than enough to overtake an offense that produced three hits through eight innings. The Cardinals were retired in order more times in the game (five) than they had hits total (four). They almost had as many errors (three) as hits (four).

The loss dropped the Cardinals to 55-56.

It is the first time they鈥檝e had a losing record since the first week of May.

Padres starter Nick Pivetta faced one over the minimum in his seven innings.

The game took 2 hours, 8 minutes to play, and it only felt like the Padres were speeding through the top of the innings fast faster.

The only run the Cardinals got came on Willson Contreras鈥� solo homer to lead off the fifth inning, and from there the Padres cruised.

Putting the O鈥檚 in Offense

Through the first seven innings of the game, the only inning the Cardinals were not retired in order 鈥� three up, three down 鈥� was the fifth, and even then only one Cardinal touched a base.

Padres starter Pivetta was perfect through four.

He got 12 outs from 12 batters and the Cardinals鈥� ongoing struggles to produce runs had surpassed 20 innings. Shutout in back-to-back games by the Miami Marlins before the trade deadline, the Cardinals continued that parade of zeroes following the trade deadline. Their scoreless streak reached 23 innings 鈥� and then Contreras led off the fifth.

The Cardinals鈥� first baseman drilled a pitch into the seats beyond left field to momentarily animate the Cardinals. His bat-flip was a tight pinwheel of elation.

The home run gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead by snapping Pivetta鈥檚 bid for a perfect game, a no-hitter, and a shutout 鈥� all in the same swing. The homer also launched Contreras into the team lead with 15 home runs this season.

It did not have staying power.

Pivetta struck out the next two batters to regain control of the inning, and the right-hander faced only one over the minimum through seven innings.

Contreras was also about to give back the lead he gained.

Errors enflame inning

Before the Cardinals made the call to remove Liberatore from the fifth, the inning got out of hand due to throws he did not make.

On the same groundball chopped to third by designated hitter Jose Iglesias, the Cardinals committed two throwing errors that led directly to a tie game and put the Padres in motion for a far bigger inning.

In his first start at third base since coming off the injured list and since Nolan Arenado went on the IL Friday, Nolan Gorman gloved the grounder. His throw on the go, however, was to Contreras鈥� left and put the first baseman鈥檚 extended glove toward the runner. The ball glanced off Contreras鈥� glove, and it was ruled a throwing error. Contreras compounded the problem when he retrieved the ball and tried to whip it toward third.

His throw was low and got past three teammates and into foul territory on the other side of the field.

That allowed Jake Cronenworth to score for a tie game, 1-1.

Iglesias took second on the error, and that put him in scoring position for catcher Elias Diaz鈥檚 single up the middle. Two more Padres would reach bases 鈥� one via walk and the other on a flair single to left. That was enough for manager Oliver Marmol to pull Liberatore with the bases loaded and two outs to get.

Bring on the bullpen experiments.

The post-Helsley plan

Before Friday鈥檚 game, Marmol agreed that he would go with a closer by committee in the closing months of the season with his usual closer in Queens and setup man deep in the heart of Texas. That鈥檚 opened up all of the innings for younger relievers to get a grip on 鈥� or in.

Rather than have Liberatore try to pilot himself out of a mess not entirely of his making in the fifth inning, Marmol began the auditions for higher-leverage relievers.

First assignment: Bases loaded with Manny Machado at the plate.

To face the active leader in grand slams, Marmol turned to right-hander Matt Svanson, himself a spoil from the 2023 trade deadline sell-off. Svanson got a check-swing strike from Machado to take control of the at-bat. He struck out the All-Star with 13 career grand slams on a 98.5-mph fastball wedged inside on the right-handed batter. Machado swung past it for the strikeout.

His teammate, Jackson Merrill, connected against Svanson.

His line drive to center brought two more runners home for the 4-1 lead.

Flamethrower鈥檚 debut

That鈥檚 where the score remained in the top of the eighth when the Padres鈥� hotshot acquisition at the trade deadline made his debut. Mason Miller, an All-Star closer already with the Athletics, came to San Diego in a deadline deal that included one of the top-five prospects in all of minor-league baseball. The Padres made the play because they鈥檒l have four more years of Miller and his 103-mph fastball and at least two months of having him shorten games with it.

The eighth was his San Diego debut, and they already had the entry theater cued up 鈥� complete with flames and flashing lights.

The Cardinals ripped a couple of singles off Miller, but he held fast.

After back-to-back base hits opened the eighth on the right-hander, Jordan Walker struck out on three pitches that capture the Miller experience. Walker fouled off a 102-mph fastball. He then saw a 101.9-mph fastball and then 102.6-mph fastball for the strikeout.

Miller got a groundball from Yohel Pozo that the Padres turned swiftly into a double play that ended the inning and kept Miller鈥檚 line scoreless in his first Padres outing.

When he said that, the club had already been discussing how it would.

The at-bats were about to be found.

Highly decorated third baseman Nolan Arenado went on the 10-day injured list Friday afternoon with a shoulder injury he鈥檚 spent the past month trying to play through. The decision to go on the IL and rest was made after a conversation between Arenado and manager Oliver Marmol in 果酱视频 this past week, the manager said. Gorman completed his rehab assignment Thursday night with five at-bats and did so knowing he was headed to San Diego in time to start at third base Friday as the Cardinals open a three-game series against the Padres.

There is no timeline for Arenado鈥檚 return, no prescription other than rest and then whatever strengthening program is put in place.

鈥淭his is a guy who does not like coming out of games, does not like off days, definitely doesn鈥檛 want to be on the IL,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淗e played through discomfort for quite some time now, and now it鈥檚 time for him to just get his body back where he鈥檚 full strength and able to move the way he wants to move. So, we sat down and talked about it and that鈥檚 how we鈥檙e moving forward.鈥�

Marmol was asked if Arenado could miss the remainder of the season.

鈥淚t鈥檚 too early to tell,鈥� he said twice.

The move to activate Gorman from the IL after missing time to recover from back soreness was the first of several additions Friday that replenishes a roster after the trade deadline. The Cardinals promoted three relievers to the majors: right-handers Ryan Fernandez, Roddery Munoz and Andre Granillo. Fernandez returns for the first time to the majors after opening the year in the bullpen and spending all of last season as a late-inning option. He was able to reconnect with the consistency of his fastball at Class AAA Memphis and had a 3.12 ERA to go with one of the best strikeout rates in the minors.

Lefty JoJo Romero, Kyle Leahy, Matt Svanson, Gordon Graceffo and Riley O鈥橞rien are all options to get an audition in the late innings of tight games. Romero has past experience as a closer, handling the role in 2023 after the Cardinals鈥� losing record prompted their previous sell-off at the trade deadline.

The Cardinals have openings galore in their late innings after trading closer Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets, setup man Phil Maton to the Texas Rangers, and versatile lefty Steven Matz to the Boston Red Sox.

Marmol said the team initially will go with closer 鈥渂y committee鈥� to see what young arm thrives in the ninth and carries it through the remainder of the regular season.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of young guys who are trying to establish themselves up here,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a great opportunity for them. They鈥檙e going to be able to pitch in some leverage situations that otherwise they wouldn鈥檛 be able to. It will be good to see how they respond to it.鈥�

Arenado, 34, injured a finger on his right (throwing) hand during the Cardinals鈥� late-June visit to Cleveland. That caused him to miss four of the next six games, including two games of a sweep by the Pirates in Pittsburgh that spurred the Cardinals鈥� July tumble. In his return, the pain in the finger contributed to soreness in his right arm as he compensated for the hand pain to make throws from third base.

At the plate, his struggles increased.

Since the hand injury, he hit .167 with a .219 on-base percentage and a .200 slugging percentage over 64 plate appearances. He had two extra-base hits in that span, and he goes on the IL 25 games removed from his most recent home run. The Cardinals are 9-16 in those 25 games.

Arenado鈥檚 preference was to muscle through the injury to contribute while the Cardinals remained in the division or wild-card race. The team鈥檚 view of the standings shifted coming out of the All-Star break and promoted this week鈥檚 auctioning off of veteran relievers on expiring contracts and pivot to the future. The Cardinals explored trade talks with a few teams about Arenado, but the 10-time Gold Glove-winner has a no-trade clause, complete say in where he goes, and two years remaining on his contract with the team. The Cardinals agreed to a trade this past winter with Houston and Arenado vetoed it. The Cardinals have also declined overtures from other teams, knowing they did not fit Arenado鈥檚 preferred destinations.

In addition to reducing payroll, a goal of trading Arenado was to free up playing time at third base for former first-round pick Gorman.

Arenado鈥檚 return to the team for 2025 has placed Gorman in more of a complementary or part-time role. He was able to get starts at second, third, and sometimes designated hitter, though DH at-bats dwindled with Ivan Herrera moving from catcher to that position for most games. Marmol has often described Gorman as a hitter who gets better with more repetitions and the rhythm that comes from consistent playing time.

The left-handed-hitting infielder showed an uptick in performance through sporadic playing time with a .505 slugging percentage from June 3 through going on the IL in mid-July. In those 33 games, Gorman had a .841 OPS, 20 RBIs, 11 extra-base hits, and 40 times on base to offset 39 strikeouts in 119 plate appearances. During his three-game rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield, Gorman went 3 for 13 with a home run, a double and two RBIs.

To use the Cardinals鈥� lingo of the year: His 鈥渞unway鈥� has arrived.

鈥淗e鈥檒l get a decent amount of time at third and more consistent at-bats,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be able to take a better look at that.鈥�

After all, you鈥檝e got to factor in the high level of uncertainty surrounding the 2027 season. The current collective bargaining agreement between the MLB Players Association and Major League Baseball expires the night of Dec. 1, 2026. So that 2027 season is a wild card, especially when you鈥檝e got a superstar player like in expletive-laced clubhouse exchange.

Anyway, the Cardinals turned their attention to the future at this week鈥檚 MLB trading deadline.

In the process, they got prospects in return for players on expiring contracts. They also took the legs out from underneath their bullpen by subtracting record-setting closer and two-time All-Star Ryan Helsley (to the New York Mets), veteran set-up man and strikeout afficionado Phil Maton (Texas Rangers) and versatile left-handed bullpen convert Steven Matz (Boston Red Sox).

The Cardinals already began trying to put a brighter face on the final two months of the season with terms like 鈥渙pportunity,鈥� but the hard fact is they鈥檒l have limited options in terms of experience and consistent performance aside from lefty JoJo Romero.

That will make it difficult to lean on the bullpen to keep them in games or close out games.

Yes, teams have been 鈥渟ellers鈥� at the deadline and still made a playoff push. Cardinals veteran starting pitcher Miles Mikolas offered a recent example of the Detroit Tigers as either a rallying cry or a sign of denial, depending upon your outlook (or level of delusion).

鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of young guys in here that are really good ballplayers,鈥� Mikolas said standing in front of his locker at Busch Stadium on Wednesday night after his start. 鈥淵ou saw kind of what the Tigers did last year, sellers at the deadline. I don鈥檛 put that past this group of guys at all.鈥�

The Cardinals will finish the season with largely the same core group they brought into the year, but that group now enters a state of limbo. A new sheriff takes over the baseball operations department after this season, and his name is Chaim Bloom.

For right now, the closest thing to a specific direction that鈥檚 been communicated by the Cardinals has been a desire to do what鈥檚 necessary now to position the club for long-term success.

鈥淲e knew we were going to have to make some tough decisions in order to set this thing up for the future,鈥� Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said after a series-ending loss to the Miami Marlins.

鈥淲e鈥檝e talked a decent amount about it. Man, I want to be part of exactly that 鈥� not just sneaking into the playoffs, but setting this up in a way where we have some really good players (and) where you show up every day and you鈥檙e expecting to win.鈥�

Of course, it remains an open question if the new front office regime views the current core as the group that will anchor the next contending Cardinals club.

Or will Bloom, once he officially takes over, begin the process of building a foundation centered around an even younger group that includes prospects like and pitcher Quinn Mathews?

Might Bloom look to swap part of this current core in return for players that line up age-wise with the group of prospects currently in the minors?

Most of the players acquired at this deadline were below the Double-A level of the minor leagues. They鈥檙e likely multiple seasons away from contributing to the big club.

Thanks to the infernal injury bug, the Cardinals still have a sizeable hole in their internal starting pitching options. Top pitching prospects Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, Cooper Hjerpe, Sem Robberse and Mathews were all bit by it, to some extent, this season. As were pitchers with major-league innings under their belt like Zack Thompson and Drew Rom.

Unless the Cardinals miraculously hit the ground running coming out of the gate in 2027, which almost assuredly will require some hefty spending on this winter鈥檚 free-agent market, then you鈥檙e talking about this current group getting another year older and another year closer to free agency before it ever makes a true playoff run.

Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar only remain under club control through 2027, while Andre Pallante, Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman aren鈥檛 obligated past 2028.

If next season serves as a new starting point for Bloom to build for multiple years down the line, then the current core could be near the end of its collective window when this rebuild comes to fruition.

Even if Wetherholt, Jimmy Crooks, Liam Doyle and whatever other prospect you want to hang your hopes on arrive next season, that doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檒l immediately turn into the major league players they鈥檒l ultimately become.

Just look around MLB.

Kansas City Royals superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. went from about a 1-WAR (wins above replacement) player as a rookie to a 4.3 WAR player in his second season to an MVP candidate and 9.4 WAR in his third season. His third season.

Former No. 1 overall draft pick and Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman made an immediate impact in the big leagues as a rookie in 2022, and his production has dropped each season since.

Neither Jonathan India nor former Cardinal Dylan Carlson has maintained the level of play that put them among the top rookies in 2021. India won the NL Rookie of the Year that season. Neither remains with his original team.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has become one of the current flag bearers for big-league starting pitchers, but his first three seasons were largely characterized by potential.

There鈥檚 no pinpointing when or if the Cardinals will be ready to turn a corner, regardless of highly touted draft classes or upgrades to the player development infrastructure.

This trade deadline just confirmed that it won鈥檛 be this season, and next year is a very big question mark.

While there is no sign of any ownership change on the horizon, and who knows if Marmol will be back next season for the final year of his contract, there are definitive developments with two of the aforementioned topics of prime discussion. Mozelik is stepping away at season鈥檚 end, and the Cardinals are done for this year with having games shown solely by a national streamer.

The Mozeliak move has been in the works since September, when it was announced that Chaim Bloom would replace him at this season鈥檚 conclusion. But the streaming information is newer, as Apple TV+ recently released its schedule for the rest of the way, and the Cardinals are not in the lineup of contests it exclusively streams on Fridays.

That thus means they will finish with six exclusively streamed games, an aspect of Major League Baseball鈥檚 media deals that agitates many fans who either are irked that they already are paying for a local package but have to spend even more if they want to watch these games or simply aren鈥檛 tech-savvy and don鈥檛 know how to connect to them.

The Cards will end up with four appearances on Apple TV+, which charges $9.99 per month for access. In addition, they鈥檒l finish with two on Roku, which exclusively streams games on Sundays. It had announced its full schedule last winter, unlike Apple, which has updated its lineup as the season has progressed.

Although there is no charge for the Roku games, grumbling has come from fans who don鈥檛 stream. That鈥檚 a shrinking and older audience that can seem easy to disregard for being behind the times 鈥� but a group that has endured all the changes in the game, many it doesn鈥檛 like, and still forms perhaps the sport鈥檚 most loyal fan bases.

Baseball on NASCAR track

Major League Baseball has cashed in with novelty acts in recent years, staging games in unique locations.

There have been a couple at the filming site for the 鈥淔ield of Dreams鈥� movie in Dyersville, Iowa; one at the Fort Bragg military facility in North Carolina; and last year a trip to Birmingham, Alabama, where the Cardinals met the Giants on tradition-laden Rickwood Field in a tribute to the Negro Leagues. There also now is a regular stop in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, during the Little League World Series, where Seattle and the New York Mets are scheduled to play on Aug. 17.

The list is set to be expanded Saturday, when the Reds and Braves tangle at Bristol Motor Speedway in the first big league game to be played in Tennessee. MLB announced this week that 85,000 tickets have been sold in the NASCAR track, with several thousand more sales expected. That would make the so-called Speedway Classic the most-attended regular-season major league contest, surpassing the record of 84,587 set in 1954 for a game in Cleveland between the then-Indians and Yankees. (The overall record is 115,300, for an exhibition game in 2008 between the Red Sox and Dodgers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.)

Bristol Motor Speedway has a capacity of more than 146,000 for racing events and was able to accommodate 156,990 for a college football game there in 2016 (Tennessee 45, Virginia Tech 24), a record for that sport. Tickets for the baseball game, which will be played on a field set up on the track and the configuration leads to not all seats being available because of poor site lines.

Fox shows the game nationally (KTVI, Channel 2 locally), with coverage set to begin at 5 p.m. and the first pitch at 6:15 p.m. (果酱视频 times). The network has Saturday night MLB telecasts throughout the season and usually has regional games, but this one will be a national presentation.

Pregame festivities include ceremonial first pitch involving Hall of Famers who spent their entire playing careers with the teams competing in the matchup. Former Braves third baseman Chipper Jones to former Reds catcher Johnny Bench.

The U.S. Navy, which celebrates its 250th birthday in October, will be recognized throughout pregame festivities including a flyover by four F/A-18 Super Hornets.

There also are to be NASCAR-style player introductions, a 鈥渧ictory lane鈥� themed celebration for the winning team and a trophy presentation, and musical performances by Tim McGraw (whose father, Tug, one of the top relievers in the 1970s), Pitbull and Jake Owen.

Memphis Redbirds on TV

Hold the jokes about Cardinals fans having to endure a season of watching some minor league level starting pitching performances. But now they will be able to watch the actual minor league games, as FanDuel Sports Network is picking up five home contests of the Memphis Redbirds, the Cardinals鈥� top farm club, as the team鈥檚 season winds down.

The schedule begins next Thursday, and the games will appear on television as well as the FDSN streaming app. Redbirds broadcaster Alex Coil is set to provide the play-by-play. The schedule, revised from the original version:

• Aug. 7: vs. Durham, 6:45 p.m.
• Aug. 23: vs. Gwinnett, 6:35 p.m.
• Sept. 4: vs. Rochester, 6:45 p.m.
• Sept. 17: vs. St. Paul, 6:05 p.m.
• Sept. 18: vs. St. Paul, 11:05 a.m.