Locked On Cardinals - Daily Podcast On The St. Louis Cardinals - WHITEY HERZOG PLAYBOOK: St. Louis Cardinals TURN Back Time, Herrera and Scott SPARK Key Victory

Starting point is 00:00:00 The St. Louis Cardinals used some Wighty Herzog style small ball tactics to avoid the sweep in Detroit. This is Locked on Cardinals. You are Locked on Cardinals. Your daily St. Louis Cardinals podcast, part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. Hey there, Cardinals fans. I'm J.D. Haffron. In today's episode, is being brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, use code locked on for $20 off your first purchase.

Starting point is 00:00:33 on today's show. We're going to cover the rain, short and loss on Saturday where Jordan Walker got a lot of people's attention with that monster game that he had. We've got the three stars from the series finale on Sunday night, but we're going to

Starting point is 00:00:49 start with that game. We've got to break it down for Sunday's nationally televised game between the Cardinals and the Tigers. Cardinals were trying to avoid the sweep and they had Kyle Leahy on the bump making his second start of the year. Now, before the game, the Cardinals did make a couple of roster moves.

Starting point is 00:01:05 The team option reliever Chris Roycroft to Memphis and called up the left-hander Jared Schuster. Schuster was not on the 40-man roster. So to add him, they had to DFA somebody, and that ended up being another lefty in Nick Roque. Roycroft was stung by some soft contact and bad luck against the Tampa Bay raise, but he had a rough go again on Saturday,

Starting point is 00:01:30 walking to allowing a home run. It's not like Ali didn't give him a chance, you know. Chris Roycroft was in five games, five appearances so far this year. And I think this probably had more to do with just getting someone up on the roster that could go multiple endings rather than punishing Roycroft. I believe if they didn't need that person, that they would ride it out with Roycroft. But a lot of fans are pleased to see him go down. And now you've got three lefties at your disposal with Schuster.

Starting point is 00:02:01 Brule and Romero. So Schuster can fill kind of that Stephen Matt's role that they deployed him with last year. But before you get excited about it, just be warned. A reminder that Schuster has not been very good. Had an ERA close to seven last year in 26 starts at AAA. He was with the White Sox and the A's organizations. And his only appearance in Memphis this year, he gave up four runs on five hits and three innings. So it's not like he was impressing anyone.

Starting point is 00:02:34 So try to keep your expectations in check. But moving on to the game, moving on to the game itself from Sunday where our baby birds had to come from behind yet again to escape with a victory and avoid the sweep. And Detroit Cardinals fell behind two to nothing on another home run for the Tigers. This time, Parker Meadows. Detroit had just one home run this year. And I, you know, I say this year, like if they played like, if they played like. like 50 games or something, but they'd only hit one home run so far until the Cardinals rolled into town. They hit six in this series.

Starting point is 00:03:07 So that was a problem. Keeping the ball in the ballpark was an issue for the Cardinals here. And that's a big ballpark too. It's not like we're talking about, you know, Great American small park and Sensi. We're talking about the big dog, Camarica. So, and they brought the fences in a little bit, but still, ball, ball was taken off and getting out of there for, for the Detroit Tigers hitters. But it was still only two runs.

Starting point is 00:03:34 Like it's two run home run, but it's two runs. Like you can come back from that. And the fifth inning, the Cardinals were able to break out some of the old school white ball style maneuvers to rally for four runs to take the lead. It all started with a lead out single by Nolan Gorman. Then there was a walk. And then my guy Nathan Church grounded into what should have been a double play. But the tigers, tigers botched it, weren't able to make a clean,

Starting point is 00:04:00 throw over to second base and we're forced to use a tag there instead of just turn it to two. They only get the one out. So that brings in Pedro Paias, who floats in an RBI single to left. But really the great part about that, great that Pahas got a hit. But was that Nathan Church got such a great jump. He's got good wheels, good speed, and read the play completely. And on a floating base hit to left field, he was able to get the third base and motored all the way around there. So that was huge.

Starting point is 00:04:31 And as bad as church has looked offensively since like that first game of the year, the speed and the defense is still something that is considered well above average. I don't want to say elite tools, but well above average. Like he's a fast guy. He's got a great arm in the outfield, solid defensively. And he was able to use those wheels there to get all the way over to third base. And this ended up being a big deal. Speaking of wheels, that brings in Victor Scott, who lays down the safety squeeze,

Starting point is 00:05:03 move that the Whitey Herzog 80s teams love to use to their advantage, which is why when we were saying old school, that was one of the spots where you just don't see a lot of squeeze plays anymore. And it wasn't a suicide. It was a safety squeeze. And you know how it is. You put pressure on the opposition's defense, and sometimes it's going to force them to make mistakes.

Starting point is 00:05:26 some of the really good teams will just won't even bat an eye at it and they'll make the plays. But Detroit makes another mistake in this inning. And they botched this play as well. The row gets away at first base, which ties the game. And it's able to move Pahas and Victor up to second and third with one out. J.J. Weatherhold hits a fly ball, but it's that deep enough to score the very slow-footed Pahas from third base. So that was unfortunate.

Starting point is 00:05:54 But luckily, you got to go. named Yvonne Herrera, who's batten after JJ and with two wouts, he comes up clutch, singles to right to score both runs, gives the team a four to two lead, which is a lead that they would never relinquish. They go on to win this one, five to three. Your three stars of the game, we're going to go with Yvonne Herrera at number one with that clutch hit to gain the lead. You know, after going one for 13 to start the season, he's now hitting 333, going six for 18 and four RBI's since that cold start. So he's still working on it.

Starting point is 00:06:28 Still getting his timing back. He doesn't have any home runs yet, but you can tell he's getting there. He's taking the ball to the opposite field. He's ripping it to left, like he's getting there. So it won't be too long until Ivan starts popping him over the wall. Also something to think about courtesy of our guy, Josh Jacobs over at MLB and Redbird Rants,

Starting point is 00:06:47 which is where we know him from when he used to come on the show here. But Pahas ranks 51st out of 54 catchers and ABS overturns. He had a really bad one in this game where it missed by over two inches. And for whatever reason, Paias was like, hey, I'm a tap my head. No clue why he chose to do that there. But apparently he has sucked at it. 51st out of 54 catchers in ABS overturns versus expected. And last in ABS runs versus expected behind the plate.

Starting point is 00:07:18 These are stats you can find at baseball savant. Herrera, on the other hand, 26th and 24th in those same respective categories. I know that the throwing hasn't been great. You've seen it a couple times, and it's still like, oh, my gosh, dude. This dude can't even get it down to second base. But the rest of his game, as far as calling games, and the ABS stuff, that stuff hasn't been so bad.

Starting point is 00:07:41 So just food for thought, just food for thought. They're going to keep moving pahas in there, though, and maybe even Pozo eventually because they want to keep Herrera healthy. That's really what the big deal is about. It's not so much that they don't trust Herrera about. there and they want pahas back there. It's because they're just trying to keep Pereira healthy. They're not going to be able to, they're not going to let them catch 100 plus games each

Starting point is 00:08:03 year. So number two star, let's go to the relievers. Joe Joe Romero, come on down, brother. When George Soriano came on with the game at 42, ends up loading the bases up, nobody out. It's got to walk, single, walk. and after Glabar Torres lines out to right, which was a nice catch by Jordan Walker, by the way,

Starting point is 00:08:29 who has not been so bad at right field this year, if you've noticed. That made it four to three, but Ali turns it over to Jojo, who ends up getting the ground ball to turn two, but Mason Wend is out for the second straight day with the hip tightness, so Cajee's a short, and JJ fields the ball, flips it to Cajisi, who loses the handling on the transition at second,

Starting point is 00:08:51 forcing him to, you know, they only get the one out. So that means Jojo's got to face McGonagall, who's the top young prospect for the Tigers, ends up walking him and then gets Glabar Torres to ground out to snuff out the rally. But he had to face two extra people because of this. He then fires a clean inning in the seventh inning, which bridges the gap to Ryan Stanick and then Riley O'Brien, who finished things off.

Starting point is 00:09:15 So once again, an excellent job by Jojo Romero, who is picking up right, right where he left off last year. He was awesome then and has been pretty awesome so far here. Your number three star, let's go to Calahey. Solid on what was a very cold night. I think it felt like in the low 30s in Detroit,

Starting point is 00:09:34 so not the best conditions as a starter. Limited the Tigers, who we know is a pretty good offense to just two runs in five innings. Walks three, which you don't like to see, but he also struck out four. His change-up was dancing. Like it was a nasty, nasty, nasty pitch on Sunday night.

Starting point is 00:09:52 That was his best one, which had the Tigers baffled for a while. And that's when they were just hunting first pitch fastball. They were just going after him then because they didn't want to get behind to the count because that change up, they couldn't hit it, couldn't touch it. But Leahy gets the victory, moves to one in one. Shout out to Nolan, Gorman with the sack fly in the eighth inning. Those are a position where normally we would see Gorman strike out. You know it.

Starting point is 00:10:17 I know it. We were waiting on it. And he came through. basis loaded and gets the sack fly at the very least he gets the run in which ended up being a very important insurance run just to kind of give yourself a little breathing room there uh jj got that rally going with the lead off single a lot of cold bats this weekend and i'm not talking about just the weather um yeah i mean it was cold to detroit don't get me wrong but burly oh for four the average down to 242 so jacy oh for three is down to 118 church oh for four down to 115 uh rob

Starting point is 00:10:50 STL Sportspage.com had this stat that the Cardinals came into the game with their fifth through ninth place hitters, writing a streak of a combined 42 at bats without a hit. That is disgusting, man. Although this game, the group collected three hits, drove in three in the wind. So awesome to see them contributing, but they were very, very cold. Jordan Walker was one for three in this game, but he's going to be more remembered for what took place on Saturday. You know, huge day for Jordan Walker and a not so great day. Once again for Dustin May.

Starting point is 00:11:25 We're going to talk about both those guys. Coming up next on Lockdown Cardinals. MLB season is back and you can feel it. You got the fresh new faces of players, new expectations, the crack of the bat, and there's nothing like being in the ballpark for all of it. The only problem is getting your tickets can feel like a grind. So you got to, you know, you got to deal with those long cues. Surprise feed.

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Starting point is 00:13:06 Go to Lockdown STL Cardinals. Dot supercast.com. Use the code finally. You'll unlock every episode ad free. Get access to our private listener group chat. Just tap the link in the show notes or use that code finally to claim your free month. All right. So Saturday's game, we've got to walk you back a little bit because I did an episode after

Starting point is 00:13:26 the game on Friday. But then when he gets to talk about Saturday, yeah. So we got to go back there. And it was one of those games where it's frustrating, absolute frustrating. Dustin May got the start against former Cardinal Jack Flaherty. And, you know, you're coming into it and you're like, hey, wouldn't it be great?

Starting point is 00:13:46 If Dustin May could shove and the Cardinals could beat up on Jack Flaherty a little bit. And for a few innings there, it was the exact opposite. in May. My goodness, man. Just beat up again. Got beat up by the race in his first outing. Didn't get any better for him in Detroit. It's lit up like the Griswold House again for seven runs on seven hits, two home runs and just three and a third innings. Maybe it was a bad omen early on when the first batter of the game. It was Colt Keith, ripped the grounder right up the middle. It hits May in his ankle, which left him hobbling around there for a little bit. He stayed in the game.

Starting point is 00:14:26 didn't say, you know, didn't want to use it as an excuse. There was some swelling or whatever, but apparently he was, he's going to be fine. And not long after that happens, he gives up the home run to Kerry Carpenter, that apo taco to left field to make it three to nothing. And it was like, it wasn't even a bad pitch, which is the sad part, you know, it was a change out. It was low and away. And Carpenter just beat him.

Starting point is 00:14:51 He just waited back and he drove it out to left field. And nobody thought that ball was going to be a whole. home run off the bat. But it went out. Sometimes the batter wins. But it puts the boys behind the eight ball. They're down three to nothing right away. Fourth inning, things got an ugly. The score was four to one at this point, hits the leadoff guy, which brings in the left-handed hitting McKinstree. He clobbers an O2 sweeper that sailed right into his swing path. It's why, you know, you want to throw cutters and stuff like that to the opposite hand, because when you throw sweepers and stuff, that curves right into him.

Starting point is 00:15:26 And if you don't put it in the right spot, like it goes right where the left-hander is going to smash one, and he put it low it in and McKinstree just mashed it, sailed right into that swing path. He unloads six to one. Then on a flybottle left center, Victor and Church can't communicate properly. It drops, turns into a triple,

Starting point is 00:15:47 and that knocks May out. He's responsible for that runner on third. Sack fly, seven to one. All of them are charged to Dustin May, who after Saturday's outing, might want to cover your eyes for this one or ears, whichever if you're listening or watching, he's been abused to the tune of 13 runs

Starting point is 00:16:07 on 17 hits and just seven in the third innings. After the game A said, I don't know if I'm telling them what's coming, talking about the tipping possibilities. I don't know if I'm pitching into sequences, which is making it easy for them to figure out what's coming next. I'm pitching into whatever they want me to throw. Something is got to get,

Starting point is 00:16:27 figured out. Yeah. Yes, it does. The positives are that May is healthy. The velocity has been there. The movement's been there. Problem is his lack of command. It's very simple. It's lack of command. He's getting too much of the plate when he does get the ball over the plate and the walks and just not having control of where the ball is going to go. That's been his downfall. According to Derek Gould at STL today.com, May fell behind in the count to six of the first nine batters that he faced and got ahead in the count on only nine of the 18 total batters. I only did it half the time. Pitching from behind and counts over and over and over is the recipe for disaster. It just is. You just kind of paint yourself into a corner and you

Starting point is 00:17:14 major league hitters aren't going to let you out of it. So that's exactly what has happened in May's first two starts. It's just been a disaster. So so much that there's a joke is that the fans were like, I thought we got rid of Miles, Michaelis. What's up with the gingers? Why are the redheads having such a tough time in our starting rotation? You know, you compare it. And I started comparing the stats. And yet, Dustin May at 0 and 2 with an ERA of 15.95.

Starting point is 00:17:44 Opposing hitters are hitting an incredible 486 against him. That's insane. Michaelis right now also 0.2. The IRA 14.46. opponents are batting 378 against him. So Dustin May right now is worse than Miles Michaels, which is why people are making the jokes. As someone who advocated for Dustin May and wanted him, I thought it was a good siding. I could always say, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Now, I still think he's going to figure it out. Again, his stuff is too good.

Starting point is 00:18:19 I don't know how that this can continue. There's got to be something going on. They got to figure it out. He can't continue to be this bad. 486 is hilariously awful. The bullpen didn't fare much better in this one. Justin Brules, Vanson, and Roycroft, each giving up runs of their own and the loss. The highlight of the game in case you were, you know, off the grid, not paying attention this weekend was the huge game by Jordan Walker. Down 7 to 1, the Cardinals mounted another comeback and almost completely erased the depth set. Thanks to an RBI double by Burley. and then a Jordan Walker grand slam that Stadcast had at 459 feet and 113.7 miles per hour off the bat and an absolute nuke that got them within a run.

Starting point is 00:19:07 Like all of a sudden it was seven to six and you're like, bro, the Cardinals are, they might pull this off and come back again, kind of how they did against the Tampa Bay race. Walker finished with an RBI single earlier in the game as well. so ends up finishing three for four grand slam five ribbies stolen base as well which was kind of funny because he jumped early on the tell that he had on the pitcher but ends up beating the throw to second base I'm telling you he's really fast um had he robbed that torres home run in the seventh inning it might have been one of the greatest all around games in history but unfortunately he got to the wall hit the wall and didn't put his arms up all the way because everybody he thought he caught it.

Starting point is 00:19:49 And he didn't. Could have pulled like the Joe Adele. Joe Adele stole three home runs in one game against Seattle over the weekend. But it wasn't meant to be credit to the offense for clawing their way back into the game. But it was just a ghastly day for the pitching staff. They allow 11 runs on 12 hits, four home runs, six walks, just vomit-inducing numbers. Not many teams are going to overcome. that type of display.

Starting point is 00:20:19 Like it was horrendous. So, and luckily it was in it early. They cut it off at the end of the eighth inning. They wouldn't even get a chance to hit the ninth. I'm not sure if they would have done anything. I guess I shouldn't say that because the way this team has been able to come back, maybe they would have gotten something done. But it was just pouring.

Starting point is 00:20:37 They tried to finish it, but it was pouring rain. So up next, we got a rundown of things in the NL Central after the first two Sundays of the season. and plus look ahead at the team's next series against the Washington Nationals. These are coming up. Locked on Cargles. It's tax time, but for a lot of us, the old way of doing taxes is a lot, trying to book an appointment. That's not the most convenient sitting in a waiting room with a stack of papers,

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Starting point is 00:22:09 Milwaukee Brewers continue to do what the brewers seem to always do. And that's win ball games. They're off to a seven and two start. after taking two of three in Kansas City and doing it without arguably their best player in Jackson Churio. He's been out hurt. They're going to be traveling to Boston to face the two and seven Boston Red Sox. Who the hell saw that coming? Is it really?

Starting point is 00:22:34 Because our guy, Sam, for Blockton Cubs, said, he warned me that when Wilson Contreras came to St. Louis, he was going to torpedo this team? It wasn't going to be good. And it kind of went south real quick. And now he's in Boston and they're two and seven. What's going on on Wilson-Kittreras here? The pirates have now rattled off five straight wins. They're six and three on the year after sweeping the Baltimore Orioles.

Starting point is 00:23:00 Connor Griffin was called up this week, the superstar prospect 19-year-old shortstop that everybody can't get enough of. He hasn't done a whole lot yet. It's really been free agent signing Ryan O'Hern and center fielder, even though he's not very good in center field, but his bat still works. O'Neill Cruz, those two guys are doing the majority of the damage lately. They're going to welcome in the San Diego Padres to P&C. The Reds go to Texas and sweep the Rangers over the weekend, completely shutting down their offense.

Starting point is 00:23:31 No Lodolo, no Hunter Green, no problem for the Reds so far. Red's pitching gave up just four runs and three games to the Texas Rangers, and three of those came in one game. Friday's night, Friday night's five to three win for Cincinnati. They'll head to Miami to take on the surprising six and three. Barlins. Cardinals stay above 500 with the win on Sunday. They're now five and four.

Starting point is 00:23:52 And in last place, yes, last place. Four and five, Chicago Cubs. Chicago Cubs. They got bad news. You don't like seeing injuries. So I'm not celebrating this. But they lost their young star pitcher Kate Horton to an arm injury. Don't know how long he's going to be out.

Starting point is 00:24:11 They split their double header on Sunday against Cleveland. But the offense, it just hasn't, hasn't been there yet. Alex Bregman, huge free agent signing, Ian Hap, Michael Bush, Dansby Swanson. All four of those guys are hitting under 200, under 200 so far. They're going to be at 4 and 5 Tampa Bay to start the week. And as far as Garnels go, we get the Washington Nationals, who are sitting in the bottom of the NL East at 3 and 6. so this could be an opportunity.

Starting point is 00:24:44 Win a couple games, take another series. They've got the longest losing streak in baseball right now. They've lost five in a row. Although they've lost, it's a pretty good team. So they lost two in a row to Philly and then three in a row to the Dodgers. So Andre Palante versus Zach Lattel is your scheduled starter for Monday night, 545 start at St. Louis time. Tuesday, Matthew Libertore against former first runner, Kate Cavali.

Starting point is 00:25:09 And then on Wednesday, Michael McGreevy against our old friend. Miles Michaelis, who just got annihilated by the Dodgers over the weekend, 11 runs and four home runs hit against him his last time out. And I swear, if he fires off like some ridiculous revenge game gem against the Cardinals, things will be broken in my house. Like, come on, man, you cannot let Miles Michaelish shove against you. Jack Flaherty was doing it for a couple of innings, and then they were able to get to him. The Grand Slam was not hit off Jack Flaherty, but he was responsible for runs that were involved there. But you could not let Miles Michaels embarrass you. Please, I beg you, Cardinals, don't let it happen.

Starting point is 00:25:59 Anyway, after the Washington series, they'll play Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, they get the day off on Thursday before they come back to Bush Stadium, and the Red Sox and the Guardians will be coming to town. So that's what it looks like for the upcoming week. And I'm glad the Carls were able to salvage a win out of that series. Detroit team's a good team, you know, as many people that are like down like, see, they suck. This is it.

Starting point is 00:26:24 Buddy, Detroit was one of the best teams of baseball last year. Like, they're good. No, you didn't have to face Scoobel, but for Amber Valdez and Flaherty, didn't have to face Justin Verlander on Sunday night, which was a little bit of a bummer because you kind of want to watch Justin Berlander pitch as a baseball fan. But you go and you do what you got to do and you got the win. So good comeback win, fun game to watch after they started to score a little bit. It was a cool inning to see them doing the small ball stuff. And after that, you know,

Starting point is 00:26:57 ball putting settle down and was really, really good. So good stuff, good stuff. Five and four. We're chugging along here. But let's take advantage of the nationals being down right now. after losing five in a row. So thanks for making Locked on Cardinals, you first listed on the day. If you haven't already, give us a follow on X at L0 underscore Cardinals, TikTok, Instagram.

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Locked On Cardinals - Daily Podcast On The St. Louis Cardinals - WHITEY HERZOG PLAYBOOK: St. Louis Cardinals TURN Back Time, Herrera and Scott SPARK Key Victory

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