6-11-24 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X
With the new schedule format, this is the first time that the Pirates and Cardinals will face off this season.
Both teams may be at the bottom of the division looking up but each have been battling as of late with the Pirates notching critical series wins against the Dodgers and Twins and the Cardinals winning 5 of their last 8 series played.
6/11
Pirates – Paul Skenes (R) –3-0, 27 IP, 3.00 ERA, 38 Ks/6 walks, 1.00 WHIP
Cardinals – Miles Mikolas (R) – 4-6, 71 IP, 5.32 ERA, 53 Ks/14 walks, 1.28 WHIP
6/12
Pirates – Bailey Falter (L) –3-3, 68.1 IP, 3.69 ERA, 44 Ks/18 walks, 1.04 WHIP
Cardinals – Sonny Gray (R) – 7-4, 61.2 IP, 3.21 ERA, 82 Ks/19 walks, 1.07 WHIP
6/13
Pirates – Mitch Keller (R) –8-3, 79.2 IP, 3.16 ERA, 74 Ks/22 walks, 1.24 WHIP
Cardinals – Lance Lynn (R) – 2-3, 65.1 IP, 3.58 ERA, 63 Ks/27 walks, 1.38 WHIP
Pirates:
Rowdy Tellez – For all the hate he’s received and probably deserved this season, Rowdy has never backed down or shown that he was frustrated by the crowds booing him. A few calls with his former coach, a few sessions working directly with Shelty, a quick trip north of the border and maybe his bat is turning things around. In June, he’s gone 9 for 17 with 3 doubles and a home run, posting a 1.461 OPS and – as he put it – putting pride back in the jersey he wears. He looks more comfortable and confident at the plate and that is HUGE for getting results in MLB. If Rowdy can be able to keep this level of production going, this team is a completely different animal.
Cardinals:
Nolan Gorman – Gorman had a slow start to the year with a 66 wRC+ through May 9th but has been on a TEAR since then with a 195 wRC+ and 10 of his 14 home runs coming in the last month alone. He’s been a BIG part of the Cardinals recent resurgence with a .291/.378/.674 slash line and the Cardinals posting a 16-11 record in that time.
Pirates:
Connor Joe – Call it overexposure or expected regression but Joe has not been looking good lately. In June, he has a .179/.281/.393 triple slash with 3 walks and 9 strikeouts. And while three of his five hits were pivotal and for extra-bases, he has come up short far more often than you would expect. He may need some time off to rest and reset so he can be the play-maker we’ve seen him be earlier this season.
Cardinals:
Nolan Arenado – How the mighty have fallen! Just 2 years removed from being an MVP finalist, Arenado currently has a .680 OPS on the season. In the same span of games where Gorman has been red hot, Arenado has been ice cold, posting a .204/.255/.337 slash line with just 4 extra base hits over 106 plate appearances since May 10th. He’s also dropped from an elite defender who won 10 straight Gold Gloves into a liability at third base, currently posting a UZR/150 if -4.4 and Outs Above Average of -2.
Key Injuries
Pirates:
Martín Pérez – Pérez has been on the shelf with a left groin strain since leaving his start against the Braves on May 26. He was reportedly scheduled to start throwing off a slope this past weekend but Ben Cherington advised in his weekly radio interview on Sunday that he will not return to the rotation this week. He likely should throw a bullpen session and potentially rejoin the team next week sometime.
Cardinals:
Willson Contreras – Contreras was the top offensive performer before he fractured his wrist during the game on May 7th. He won’t return during this series but will likely come back ahead of the next time these teams face-off July 2-4 in Pittsburgh.
Team Notes
Pirates Bullpen – Outside of former Pirates reliever Ben Heller, this bullpen has been legitimately good with a 1.15 ERA in June. If they can keep minimizing damage once the starter leaves the game, the rotation won’t have to do as much heavy lifting this season.
Divisional Matchup – The Cardinals are 49-31 against the Pirates since 2019 but the Bucs bested the Red Birds in 2023, winning 9 of their 13 games.
Let’s Go Bucs!
Steel City Pirates 