Locked On Cardinals - Daily Podcast On The St. Louis Cardinals - St. Louis Cardinal's Promising Start UNRAVELS in Brutal Loss | Andre Pallante's Spot in JEOPARDY

Episode Date: June 4, 2025

Cardinals' crushing defeat: How did a 5-run lead slip away? Pitching woes and offensive highlights collide in St. Louis' painful loss to the Royals. Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-st-louis-cardinals/ Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/ Follow on Twitter/X: @JDSPORTSRADIO Follow the show on Twitter/X: @LO_Cardinals Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Wonderful Pistachios Get snackin' and get crackin' with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more! Supply House Join the TradeMaster program today at SupplyHouse.com/TM and start ordering plumbing, HVAC, and electrical supplies with just a few clicks. Plus, use promo code S-H-5 for 5% off your first order. That’s SupplyHouse.com! Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONMLB at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. FanDuel Right now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #ForTheLou #stlcards #mlb #lockedoncardinals #stlouiscardinals Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It was one of the more painful losses of this season for the Cardinals who blow a five-run lead and lose to the Kansas City Royals. Let's dissect it on today's episode of Lockdown Cardinals. You are Locked-on Cardinals, your daily St. Louis Cardinals podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcasts. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, there are Cardals fans. I'm J.D. Hafford and I'm your host for Locktown Cardinals, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network covering your team every day. You can follow me on X at JD Sports Radio. You can follow the podcast on acts as well at L0.1 or score Cardinals.

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Use code locked on MLB at Monarch Money.com for 50% of it. off your first year. There are a lot of different types of losses throughout a season. Some are close games, summer blowouts, none of them are all that fun. And some, they just sting a little more than others. And Tuesday night at Bush Stadium was one of those that stinks. It's one of those that makes your stomach turn a little bit because this was a game that at one point seemed like it was in the back.

Look like the Cardinals were going to run away with things. But it's baseball. Anything and everything can and usually does happen. And boy, did it turn from bad, good to great to bad to awful. Just a roller coaster of emotions, really, that unfortunately got away from the good guys and continued to trend of bad pitching

that started in Texas over the weekend And after getting whooped twice by the Rangers, the Cardinals fell behind right away in the first inning of this game, two-run shot by one of the best players in baseball. Let's be honest. Bobby Whit Jr. You know, of course it's not ideal to ever give up home runs. But Bobby Witt, Jr. is a special talent.

So I'm not going to shame Andre Palante for giving up a home run to somebody that is as good as Bobby Witt Jr. I would give this advice to Andre Palante. when you are pitching against somebody as good as he is or anybody at the major league level, maybe don't throw a four-seem fastball right down the middle. Maybe don't do that. That's not going to work out. I know it's duh.

It's a very duh thing to say. But pitch placement is such a big deal for rotations like the Cardinals have. Not a lot of swing and miss stuff. And if you miss your spots, even the lowest level, major league hitter can put one out of the yard when you throw him before seamer right over the heart of the plate. I mean, haven't we learned that from Miles Michaelis over the years? When you see him hitting the corners and up and down in the zone, he lives. When he's over the heart of the plate, he dies.

Same stuff with Andre Palante. And that's kind of what happened on that particular. It's not like he's trying to throw it right down the middle. really missed a spot. So it just shows you how much of a difference that can make, right? Especially when you're throwing to a superstar like Bobby Wade, Jr. I also want to backtrack for a moment real quick because I got to mention this dude for a second as well.

I am so sick of Jonathan India playing the Cardinals. The dude killed the Cardinals when he was a member of the Cincinnati Reds. And he was in the middle of all the shenanigans in this one, too. and before the home run by WID, it was Jonathan India who let off with a base hit. Had three hits in this game. The guy absolutely owns the Cardinals.

There's no other way around it. Career 310 hitter against them coming into this particular series with an OPS plus of 150. He just kills the Cardinals. And we're talking about a guy that's a career 250 hitter. And the Cardinals for whatever reason, they struggle at getting Jonathan in the, yeah. I don't know if it's his hair that throws him off.

The goate thing that he's got, beard thing that he's got. I don't know, but it's infuriating. My mother calls him that stupid number six guy. And for good reason, because he clobberes the Cardinals. But after the first, Andre Palante, Palante, what? Andre Palante settles it nicely, right? And while he's doing that, the Cardinals jump on,

Royal starter Michael Lorenzen, another former Cincinnati Red. They get them for seven runs in two and two-thirds innings. And boy, oh boy, do the offense need that after scoring just four runs and three games over the weekend in Texas. The first big swing came from someone who has not seen a lot of playing time with the Cardinals because the Cardinals have been playing well with Adam, and that's Nolan Gorman. And what a sight for sore eyes. This was not all that long ago, if you remember, let's take you back.

Noah Gorman looked like he was going to be one of the best young left-handed power hitters in baseball. 27 home runs and 119 games. But things have trended in the wrong direction ever since. The strikeouts went up. The home runs have gone down. And now his playing time has gone down. Even though they said in the offseason like, well, we're going to give these guys runway. Well, the cardals didn't really expect that they were going to be winning as many games as they have.

So it's been a struggle to get Gorman into the lineup because he hasn't been very good when he does play. He's a bench player so far in 2025. Well, in the second inning, he answers the belly smashes a two-run shot to center field, just off the glove of Isbell in center field. First pitch he saw ties the game up at two. Just the second home run of the season. Granted, limited at bats for Gorman so far this year. It's been a terrible season for him.

but with Jordan Walker out for a bit, maybe he'll see regular at-bats more often and can help add more to this offense. It's probably wishful thinking because he hasn't shown that he can do that on a consistent basis, but he got off to a good start with the dinger on Tuesday, although he looked really bad in the strikeout to end the game. But the Cardinals will continue to pound Lorenzo in the third inning,

and everything seemed like it was going according to plan, you know? But then all hell broke loose and not in a good way for the Cardinals in that fifth inning. We'll continue to comb through all of this coming up next on Locked on Cardinals. Get the supplies you need from the site made for the skilled trade. Supply house, whether you're in plumbing, HVAC or electrical work. Supply house is the reliable way to order products online. They've got a very easy to use website. It is packed with helpful resources and the latest product information to help you get the job done right.

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I know we're going to get some comments about what happened to the offense later in the game. Why is Andre Palante still here? We're going to talk about all that stuff. Don't worry. But at this point of the game, we're tied to the Cardinals end up erupting for five runs in the bottom of the third. Mason-Winwood single. Britt and Donovan would walk. And then Wilson Contreras smokes a 2-0 pitch down the left field line, gives the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.

they would get a little lucky with Nolan Aronado. He puts one down the third baseline. A very nice play by a third baseman Mikel Garcia. Nice backhand play, but the throw, even with Aronado's wheels, which aren't great, probably a ball he should have put in his pocket. And what ends up happening is he throws it across the infield, skips off the grass, and it actually hits Aronado, who's running towards first base, goes off his foot.

but Pasquantino doesn't even have a chance over at first base. Donovan and Willie score. Now we're looking at a 5-2 ball game. Then you get a seven-pitch battle that ends in a two-run blast from Alec Berluson, Biscuits, pops one, enter center field. It's 7-2. The boys are off and running. Everybody's smiling and high-fiving and we're having a good time.

We're doing the bird. We're flapping the wings. All the momentum at this point is in the car. Cardinals dug out. Palante's cruising at this point, retired 13 in a row. You're like, this is what we need it. This is what we're looking for. Talk about a bounceback game after a day off, kind of an ugly weekend in Texas. And just when you think you got it in the back, and just when you think you can take your foot off the gas and just kind of coast the rest of the game, the Royals bats heat up. And it all started with a little.

one out of home run by the Royals number seven hitter. And getting burned by the bottom of the order is a big problem. Because the Royals don't have one of the most productive lineups in baseball. But they do have a decent top of the order there. And to give up a home run to Nick Lofton, you know Nick Lofton, right? No, you don't. Nobody really does. Slider, yanks it over the wall in left field.

First home run of the season, just his second home run in the big leagues. This is not a power hitter. This is not a guy you want hitting home runs off of you. And I don't know if this rattled Palante or the Royals were picking up on something. If you were watching the telecast, they even mentioned you can see some of the royals whispering to each other as if they may have, they may have something. But they just started feasting with Andre Palante at this point. and one of the things about Palante or any pitcher that is a pitch to contact type of guy, eventually, eventually you're going to come across a game where everything finds a hole.

And I hate to keep bringing Miles Michaelis up, but you've seen it a lot over his career where they may not even be hitting the ball all that heart off of them, though, because they're putting it in play, they're making contact, it finds holes. and that's kind of what was going on with Palante and this one. You know, after the home run, which, you know, the biggest hole is over the wall. The number eight hitter drew Waters, singles against the shifted infield between third and short, past a diving mason win. You're going to hear this phrase a couple of times, a diving mason win.

So just out of the reach of him, right? Number nine hitter, Kyle Isbell, comes up next. Next, he singles up the middle. also passed a diving Mason win just out of his reach. That stupid number six, Jonathan India rips a single up the middle, and now its bases loaded for Bobby Witt Jr. And it was a hell of a battle. It was a very exciting portion of the game because one of the best hitters in baseball,

the bases are loaded, games in the balance. Palante and him are going back and forth. He lays off a couple of tough pitches, eight pitches in total. But it ends with Bobby Witt coming out on top. He smacks a single to left field past a diving Mason win. I feel like I'm doing the Chris Farley bid down by the river. But Mason Wynn, three balls that get through the infield to the outfield. He's within diving distance up where it's just out of his reach inches away from Mason Wins' glove,

who covers a lot of ground. But they find holes. And now you got a 7 to 5 ball game. Ollie is like, all right, hold on. We don't want this to get away from us, right? So he's like, I'm not even wasting time. I'm going to Stephen Matt's. He's been really, really good this year.

But it didn't work this time. He gets the first out, which is usually the toughest out, but then leaves a sinker over the heart of the plate to the left-handed Pasquantino, who hits an absolute piss missile, 109 miles an hour off the bat. I feel like that's selling it short. Like it looked like it was hit way harder than that. goes into the gap in right center field, ties the ball game at 7-7, and then you get Salvador Perez just been one of the better clutch hitting catchers in baseball for many years now.

He finishes the comeback with a base hit, and it's 8 to 7. Just like that, 8 to 7. The crowd is stunned. I was stunned. I feel like I looked down for a second, look back up, and it was poof, gone. And you haven't seen the Cardinals blow at lead like this. This is not something that happens this year. At least we haven't seen it this year.

But as you know, baseball will humble you. It will pull the rug right out from under you in a blink of an eye. And that's exactly what happened. And the Cardinals would never recover. The Royals end up tacking on two more in that sixth inning with two outs, no less, which is, again, just you're like two outs. stuff, two out rallies, walk, stuff like that. Those just drives you nuts.

Isbell singles, Jonathan India with another hit again. Just, it's, ugh. And I, the player Jonathan India is, I adore him. I think he's great, great guy. I've met him before. He's a great guy. Just, for whatever reason, he just, for whatever reason. and he just kills the Cardinals.

So you get the Isbell single, you get the India single, you get another walk to Witt, and then Garcia shoots a ground ball into right field. Once again, another shifted infield for the Cardinals. So that's twice where if they had just been set up in, you know, basic straightaway defenses, probably right at somebody. But scouting says that you're supposed to do this, puts it in this massive hole into right field

where the second baseman would normally be. two more score. It's 10 to 7. And that's how this one would end. You know, the Cardinals will get a few hits here and there, threaten a little bit, but nothing where you're like, here we go. I mean, they had a couple times where the tying run would come up to the plate, but just shell-shocked at what they saw. Like, just like, what happened here? So a very deflating, shocking loss for the Cardinals. It was tough to watch. And in the other side of it, too, is like, you know, it's against the team that isn't known for its offense this year.

Even though some of the names you're like, I mean, they should be better than this, but all year, they haven't done much. I think they were coming in, scoring less than three runs a game this year. Like horrible. Like Colorado Rockies horrible type of offense stuff. And that's 10 more against this Cardinals pitching staff. So we're going to go through some of the stats from this one.

I got some thoughts on Andre Palante. Plus we got some news. Some news that will probably make a lot of Cardinal fans very happy about Michael McGreeby. That's coming up soon. He's coming back, I should say. We'll talk about it here in a moment on Locked on Cardinals. Stick around. Every check your bank account and wonder, where did all my money go between dining out,

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Your first listen today for your second listen. Check out the all new locked on MLB game night. Every game every night all season long. Get local analysis on a national scale. You can find MLB game night, Locked on in will be on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts. So the big takeaway from this one, and I wasn't sure which one I was going to go with, whether or not it was the offense, not doing much after the big inning early on when they scored five.

But I think it's got to be Andre Palante, right? It's got to be Andre Palante. It looks so good and then just fell off a cliff in that fifth. thinning? Was he tipping pitches? What were the Royals whispering about? Or was it just like I said, where you're a pitch to contact guy, if you're not going to get a lot of strikeouts, eventually the ball is going to find some holes. I don't know which one it was. It could be a combination of both. One thing I can say is that Andre Palante has not been all that effective this season. And many are wondering, myself included, if it's time to give someone else

a crack at that rotation spot. Now, I respect Andre Palante, but it seems like every game, or just about every game, because he had some good ones too, but just about every game, there's like one inning or one pitch that just blows everything up. In the month of May, Andre was two and one, the area of 4.34. Did have back-to-back strong outings against Washington and Kansas City, where he went seven innings in both, which is beautiful. Love to watch in those games.

He allows just two earned runs in both. But since then, he had that kind of meh outing against the Detroit Tigers, where he allowed three runs in five and two-thirds innings, walked four hitters, which is a big no-no. Then against Baltimore, four runs, three of those earned, five and two-thirds innings, walked three more. They'd have seven strikeouts, but gave up that big home run. The one thing is, and you don't want to mess with a good thing.

thing was that the Cardinals were still winning in his starts. They won four or five of his starts in May. Two of them, he clearly earned the wins against Washington and Kansas City, but the other two, the Cardinals won despite his pitching performance. Not like he did anything all that special. And the name that everyone is clamoring for is former first round pick Michael McGreevy. And I cannot blame you because all he's done when he comes up to the Major leagues is look awesome. He was so good last year in the few games that he pitched, was excellent this spring, but couldn't crack the rotation in St. Louis because they already had six starters that were

healthy. He had Sunny Gray, Eric Fetty, Miles Michaelis, Andre Palante, Stephen Matt's. And then you had Matthew Libertor that they wanted to use. So, you know, everything's kind of like, all right, well, what do we do with them? And the fear was that they were going to try to turn him into a bullpen guy, right? That's what that's what everybody was afraid of, is that he was going to become a bullpen guy, and they were going to screw him up. And that was not something that we wanted.

So they decided not to do that. And they were like, well, let's put him down to Memphis. and let him pitch every fifth day down there. And if you remember, I'm sure you do, came up as the 27th man for that game. It was a double-headed day, right? It was brilliant, throwing five and two-thirds innings of shutout ball in relief of Andre Palante, who was getting spanked, four runs, nine hits in just three to third innings. McGreevy comes in and saves a day.

one hit against the against him five strikeouts and this was against the new york mets this is not against um cream puff team this is against the new york metz he shoved he looked great and that was the win that catapulted them into their nine game winning streak if you remember but he does this against the metz one of the best teams in the league was probably sent right back down to AAA Memphis because there's not enough room for him. But now we have word that Michael McGreevy is indeed headed back to the Cardinals, who will be reverting back to that six-man rotation that works so well for them earlier this year. We hope it works that way again.

But it appears that he will be part of that, and it will not be Stephen Mats, who will, I guess, continue to be the swing guy. On Tuesday, McGreevy was pulled from his start with Memphis after four and a third scoreless innings and 75 pitches. At first, everybody was freaking out, like, Is he hurt? Why is he coming out after four to third innings? And then you saw the report.

John Denton believed that he'll be named the starter for Sunday's game against the Dodgers. Yay, you get to come up and face the Mets and then you get to face the Dodgers. Go get him, Mike. But he's been good. He's been really, really good. AAA this year, six and one and 11 starts with an ERA of 2.78 over 55 innings. The lone loss of the year was the very, first game that he pitched against Louisville.

He hasn't lost a game in the majors or in minors since March 28. In April, five starts, 3.28 ERA. In May, 1.30 ERA gave up just four runs over 27 and two-thirds innings. There's nothing left for him to prove down at Memphis. So you can see why fans and local media. want him in the major leagues. Like, why are we wasting his arm down in the minors? Like, can we bring him up and he can win games from the St. Louis Cardinals?

Can't really blame people for thinking like that. So it seems like we're going to see him very soon as Cardinals make their way through. What is an exhausting schedule in June? Only one more day off in June. Like crazy stuff, right? Tuesday, or Wednesday, I should say, Noah Cameron against Miles Michaelis again. This is a rematch of the rematch of the game. the same pitching matchup that we had in Kansas City.

Cameron has been so good. The rookie 1.05 ERA through four starts. One of those was against the Cardinals on May 17, allowed one run over six in the third innings and lost. Michaelis was on the other side of that particular game. Coming off a not so good starting Baltimore, but the Cardinals came back, won that game. He's sitting at four and two on the year.

The ERA under four at 3.90 through six shutout innings against Kansas City in that same game against Cameron on the 17th. hopefully it works out for the Cardinals again. Hopefully this is not the Royals heating up offensively, although credit to their rookie Jack Caglione, who was 0 for five, but got robbed a couple of times that Victor Scott catch was beautiful. Nolan Arnado got him on a play too.

So he looks like he's going to be something, right? Like he just looks the part. He looks like a slugger. So I hope he does not get a hit against the Cardinals, but he looks good, man. He looks really good. Like he's going to do some damage. So keep an eye on that guy.

Tough loss on Tuesday. Got to pick yourself up, bounce back on Wednesday. That's all there is to it. Thanks for making a locked on Cardinals. Your first listen every day, if you haven't already, give us a follow on X at L1 or square Cardinals

and a JD Sports Radio. You can find out on TikTok and Instagram and Locked on Cardinals. Like, subscribe on YouTube, help our channel and love for the Cardinals grow. You guys are the best fans in baseball for a reason. We'll see you next time on lockdown. Carlin.