Monday’s Game Report: Rangers 2, Cardinals 1
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals historically have not had much success against Jacob deGrom and that didn’t change on Monday night.
deGrom shut out the Cardinals on just four hits over five innings, striking out eight, to lead the Rangers to a win in the opener of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals have not defeated deGrom since 2016, and the win on Monday night improved his record since then to 5-0 with one no-decision. In his last five starts against the Cardinals, dating back to 2017, deGrom has allowed a total of five runs in 37 1/3 innings.
deGrom was able to pitch out of jams in the first, second and fourth innings, stranding two runners on base in each inning as he outdueled Michael McGreevy.
The only run for the Cardinals came on a home run by Masyn Winn in the sixth inning, after deGrom was out of the game. Since May 3, the Cardinals have scored two runs or less 14 times in their last 27 games.
Here is how Monday night’s game broke down:
At the plate: In the first inning, the Cardinals left runners on first and second; in the second they stranded runners on second and third, and in the fourth they stranded runners on first and third as they went 0-of-4 with a runner in scoring position … Winn’s homer, his second of the year, came with two outs in the sixth but was the last baserunner for the Cardinals, who did not hit a ball out of the infield the rest of the game … They struck out a season-high 14 times, four by Jordan Walker and three by Nolan Gorman.
On the mound: McGreevy worked six innings, scattering five hits and giving up a run in the fourth and the fifth innings, when a one-out walk to the eighth place hitter led to the run. It was the eighth time in 12 starts this season that McGreevy has allowed no more than two runs and his record in those games is 3-1 with four no-decisions … George Soriano kept it a one-run game in the ninth despite giving up two infield singles to open the inning, retiring the next three hitters on a strikeout, a foul popup and another strikeout.
Key stat: Walker has just one hit in 15 at-bats during this homestand and had his third career game with four strikeouts, the first since Aug. 31 of last year.
Worth noting: The Rangers stole three bases, and Ivan Herrera has now allowed 37 consecutive stolen bases (15 this season) since he last threw out a runner trying to steal on Sept. 1, 2024 … The Cardinals lost their first two ABS challenges in the first two innings, leaving them without a challenge for the rest of the game … Lars Nootbaar is heading back to Memphis to finish off his rehab assignment. It is likely he will be activated before this weekend’s series against the Reds … Hunter Dobbins remained on the big-league roster after his 3 2/3 inning relief appearance on Sunday night and likely will get another bullpen outing later this week.
Up next: Dustin May will get the start Tuesday night in the second game of the series.
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