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YESTERDAY'S RESULT -- PIT 5, STL 4
PIT 0 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 -- 5
STL 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 -- 4
Matthew Liberatore struck out 9 batters but surrendered 2 home runs -- Esmerlyn Valdez's 2-run shot in the second and Jared Triolo's solo blast in the fifth -- as Pittsburgh built a 4-0 lead. Ivan Herrera drove in 2 (RBI single in the fifth, RBI double in the seventh) and Thomas Saggese went 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored, but the Cardinals fell 5-4, dropping the series 2-of-3.
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THE BREAKDOWN
WHAT WORKED
- Thomas Saggese: 3-for-4, 2 runs scored -- the Cardinals' most productive bat yesterday afternoon. - Ivan Herrera: 2-for-5, 2 RBI (RBI single in the fifth, RBI double in the seventh). - Matthew Liberatore: 9 strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. - Gordon Graceffo: 2 scoreless innings, 3 strikeouts in relief. WHAT DIDN'T - Liberatore allowed 2 home runs (Valdez 2-run in the second, Triolo solo in the fifth) and surrendered 4 runs in 5.2 IP. - Ramon Urias committed an error at 3B in the third, gifting Pittsburgh an unearned run. - Jordan Walker went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts; Nolan Gorman went 0-for-4. - Luis Gastelum allowed 1 earned run in the seventh, extending Pittsburgh's lead to 5-2 before the Cardinals' rally. | |||
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Cardinals off day. No scout report today. Next game: September 1 vs Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium (9:10 PM CT, Game 1 of 3).
Injury update (August 30): St. Louis Cardinals placed 2B JJ Wetherholt on the 10-day injured list -- right wrist tendinitis -- and recalled 3B Cesar Prieto from Memphis. Wetherholt joins five others currently sidelined: Andre Pallante (right elbow inflammation, 15-day IL), Hunter Dobbins (right forearm tightness, 15-day IL), Everson Pereira (left hand contusion, 10-day IL), Peter Strzelecki (right forearm extensor inflammation, 15-day IL), and Blaze Jordan (left ankle sprain, 10-day IL). | |||
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TREND WATCH
Three straight series losses -- and the Cardinals are below .500 in series play for 2026. From August 21 through August 30, St. Louis dropped all three series it played -- 0 won, 3 lost, 0 split -- leaving the season series ledger at 22 won, 24 lost, 2 split across 48 series (.458 series-win rate). No quality start in the last 10 games has driven the slide; the bullpen has covered the ground and is now pacing at 604.7 relief innings against the franchise record of 584.3 from 2021. One stat in the rotation worth noting: Matthew Liberatore's strikeout rate has climbed to 34.8% over his recent sample against 22.0% over the rest of his season -- the stuff indicators haven't matched the results yet.
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Three Straight Series Losses Close August for the Cardinals. The Dodgers Are Next.
Aug 31, 2026
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2 min read