51黑料

Looking to swing back into production at the plate amid a stretch he feels has been 鈥渞ough,鈥� Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar believes his recent offensive showing has been 鈥渦ncharacteristic鈥� of himself.

In his last 21 games played entering Tuesday, Nootbaar has had his strikeout total nearly match that from his first 43 games to open the season while seeing his slugging percentage dip to .379 on the year. It鈥檚 a stretch that鈥檚 put the 27-year-old Nootbaar in a spot where he hasn鈥檛 鈥渂een able to do the things that I wanted to do鈥� and left him looking to regain the form that led to his early season production.

鈥淛ust trying to get back to a place where I make sure my strengths are still my strengths and I鈥檓 not doing anything other than that,鈥� Nootbaar said.

The left fielder received a break from starting duties on Tuesday as he looks for to turn around his production. Nootbaar, the Cardinals鈥� primary leadoff hitter, was absent from his starting lineup against the Blue Jays, marking his first time not starting since May 23.

Nootbaar鈥檚 absence from the starting lineup bumped Masyn Winn up to the leadoff spot 鈥� where Winn started a team-high 102 games in 2024 鈥� and shifted Brendan Donovan from second base to left field.

鈥淗e鈥檚 gone hard. He鈥檚 had a long run, and he can use it physically, mentally and just regroup and get ready to go again,鈥� Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of Nootbaar.

After beginning the year as the Cardinals鈥� leadoff hitter on opening day, Nootbaar鈥檚 295 plate appearances from the No. 1 spot ranked fourth-most among leadoff hitters across MLB at the start of Tuesday. Only Boston鈥檚 Jarren Duran, the Dodgers鈥� Shohei Ohtani and Toronto鈥檚 Bo Bichette had more plate appearances as their team鈥檚 leadoff hitter than Nootbaar.

Nootbaar has walked in 12.9% of his plate appearances as a leadoff hitter, which ranks only behind Ohtani for the highest walk rate among hitters with 200 or more plate appearances from the leadoff spot.

He opened the year with a .263 batting average and an .839 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) through 30 games, but his recent scuffles have left the 27-year-old with a .237 batting average and a .720 OPS entering Tuesday.

His off-day arrived following a string of 16 consecutive games played. The 27-year-old batted .194 with 23 strikeouts and a .570 OPS over that period. Going back to May 16, when his OPS sat at .808 entering a series opener against the Royals in Kansas City, Nootbaar has 17 hits in 85 at-bats and reached base at a .274 clip. He鈥檚 struck out 29 times in a span of 95 plate appearances since the start of the weekend series in Kansas City after striking out 31 times in his first 201 plate appearances to begin the season.

鈥淥bviously I haven鈥檛 been playing very well,鈥� Nootbaar said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those things where, right now, I think probably they鈥檙e giving me an off-day, giving me a little break, but then also, they need some production. Right now, I haven鈥檛 been there. It鈥檚 one of those things where I鈥檒l probably just go in the cage, work on some things and then get back to it.鈥�

Ranked in the 100th percentile of qualified major league hitters with a 16.9% chase rate a year ago, Nootbaar owns a chase rate of 21.6% this season, per Statcast. He had a 18.5% chase rate across April, but his willingness to offer at pitches out of the strike zone led him to a 23.3% chase rate in May and a 27.9% chase rate through his first 37 plate appearances in June.

The rising chase rate was described by Nootbaar as a product that may be 鈥渕ore mental than anything.鈥� But one that has become an apparent issue to correct.

鈥淏atted-ball luck is one thing, but if I鈥檓 chasing or doing things that are out of my game, then that鈥檚 something that I need to address and then be better at,鈥� Nootbaar said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just kind of how it is. It鈥檚 frustrating. This game is a grind physically and mentally. When you鈥檙e not performing, you try to do so many things, but that鈥檚 part of it.鈥�

Herrera in the clutch

The two-out, three-run home run Ivan Herrera bopped in the eighth inning that gave the Cardinals a momentary lead before it slipped away in the ninth inning of a 5-4 loss in 10 innings on Monday was Herrera鈥檚 third three-run homer this year and seventh homer on the season.

It also marked his fifth homer of 2025 that has put his team in a tie or provided a lead.

On Monday night, the 25-year-old attributed the late-game heroics to having a sound approach when he steps up to the plate and noted what moments like those can do for his growth as a major leaguer.

鈥淭he more I play, the more comfortable I get,鈥� said Herrera, who owns a .322 batting average and 31 RBIs in 34 games this year. 鈥淓arly in my career, I just felt overwhelmed by everything. Right now ... I don鈥檛 feel any kind of pressure like. I feel like my heart rate is low every time I go out there. This game is so hard that I鈥檓 going to struggle. I鈥檓 going to strike out with bases one night. It鈥檚 just going to be part of the game.

鈥淕oing out there with the confidence that I鈥檓 going to have success is what鈥檚 helping me.鈥�

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Series sweep just out of reach, but Cardinals sent message to Dodgers: 鈥榃e can compete鈥�

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Despite seeing the Blue Jays retake their lead in the fourth inning and seeing them extend it with runs in the seventh and ninth innings, what Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol feels his club鈥檚 offense showed on Tuesday night reinforced an 鈥渋dentity.鈥�

The Cardinals broke through with four runs in the fourth inning to close a 4-0 gap, tacked on another two in the eighth to bring them to an 8-6 deficit and, after Toronto鈥檚 lead grew back to four runs, received a 432-foot, three-run homer from Willson Contreras when the Blue Jays were forced to turn to closer Jeff Hoffman in the ninth. The late rally highlighted by Contreras鈥� ninth-inning homer was enough to bring the Cardinals to within a run of Toronto, but it was the last offense they produced in a 10-9 loss at Busch Stadium.

For Marmol, his club鈥檚 ability to rally throughout Tuesday showed 鈥渆xactly what they鈥檙e about.鈥�

鈥淕uys not giving in. Not giving anything away. Trying to win every pitch,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淚t shows, and there鈥檚 not a whole lot of breathing room. There are some guys that aren鈥檛 feeling great about their swings, but they鈥檙e still competing, and then some guys (where) it鈥檚 starting to click for them. That鈥檚 fun to watch, but I feel like just competing every pitch has been a key to it.鈥�

The Cardinals (36-31) trailed the Blue Jays 4-0 after Andres Gimenez hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Alan Roden singled home George Springer in the fourth against Miles Mikolas, who allowed six runs on nine hits across five innings in his start.

A pair of singles and the first of three homers the Cardinals hit provided their first response.

After Brendan Donovan reached base with a hit by pitch to open the bottom of the fourth, singles from Alec Burleson and Nolan Arenado produced the Cardinals鈥� first run off Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt. The string of hits put runners on base for Nolan Gorman, who entered his start at second base with two homers off Bassitt over his career.

Gorman鈥檚 ability to foul off a 1-2 cutter earned him an additional pitch vs. Bassitt, who threw a third consecutive cutter to Gorman. The left-handed-hitting infielder pulled Bassitt鈥檚 cutter 391 feet to left field with a 111.6 mph exit velocity for a three-run homer that tied the game.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think he was coming back with a third (cutter),鈥� Gorman said. 鈥淚 thought he was going to try to throw something away and try to get a ground ball for a double play, but I was just making sure I was on time for hard (velocity) and put a good swing on it.鈥�

The Blue Jays strung together three consecutive hits off Mikolas to open the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead that eventually grew to 6-4 later that inning on a sacrifice fly from Springer.

鈥淚t gives us a chance,鈥� Mikolas said of the Cardinals lineup鈥檚 production. 鈥淎side from that first inning, the one that鈥檚 going to bother me is going out and not having a good shutdown inning after we come back and score four right there. That鈥檚 me letting the boys down.鈥�

Even after they fell behind and saw Toronto maintain its lead with help from Alejandro Kirk鈥檚 two-run homer in the seventh inning and two runs in the ninth, swings early in counts against Blue Jays relievers backed Marmol鈥檚 belief in his lineup.

One of those swings came from Nolan Arenado.

When the Blue Jays called on Chad Green from their bullpen, Arenado welcomed the right-hander to the game by homering on the first pitch, a 95.4 mph fastball, he threw to the Cardinals third baseman.

An inning later, the three-run homer by Contreras came on the first pitch he saw from Hoffman.

鈥淲e鈥檙e never out of a game,鈥� Gorman said. 鈥淚 think you saw that tonight as well (against) two of their better relievers. (We) put some runs up on them but just not enough. I don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e ever out of a game, no matter what the score is or inning or situation.鈥�

While producing as one of MLB鈥檚 top offenses, the Cardinals finished Tuesday ranked fifth in team batting average (.257) and eighth in team on-base plus slugging percentage (.733) when they are behind in games. Those figures place them alongside teams across the majors, including the division-leading Cubs, Mets and Dodgers.

The figures provide examples of the resilience Marmol believes his club possesses.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e building towards something really neat, and it becomes your identity,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淚 mean, you go in that clubhouse right now, and ... they never feel like they鈥檙e out of a game. You give up three in the first and you know you鈥檙e going to figure out a way to come back. And they do exactly that. It鈥檚 not once in a while; it鈥檚 every game you look at the style of play. It鈥檚 just every single game we鈥檙e putting pressure on them.鈥�

Donovan exits with left toe discomfort

Making a start in left field with Lars Nootbaar receiving a day off, Donovan exited Tuesday night鈥檚 game at the start of the ninth inning because of discomfort in his left toe.

Donovan said the discomfort was in a joint in his big toe on his left foot. The injury is one he said was not caused by a singular moment. Rather, it was something he said 鈥渁ccumulated over time.鈥�

When he met with reporters on Tuesday night, Donovan recalled feeling the discomfort earlier in the day while he was running in the outfield. He said the discomfort got 鈥減rogressively worse鈥� as the game went on and made it difficult for him to swing and rotate.

鈥淚 tried to finish out the game, but we just thought it鈥檇 probably be a good idea to get off of that foot,鈥� Donovan said.

Donovan, who is tied for third in the National League in hits and is tied for second in doubles with 20, felt like the injury is 鈥渘ot that bad.鈥� The 28-year-old Gold Glove utility defender will be reevaluated on Wednesday.

51黑料 Cardinals

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51黑料 Cardinals

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Photos: Despite ninth inning rally, Toronto Blue Jays beat Cardinals 10-9

Although Willson Contreras provided a three-run jolt that clawed his team back within one run and set fireworks off Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, the threat of a Cardinals comeback ended one pitch later.

A ground out from Alec Burleson in the following at-bat sealed a 10-9 win for the Blue Jays, who staved off a Cardinals comeback by regaining an early lead they lost and adding to it.

Within the first three at-bats of the fifth inning after Nolan Gorman鈥檚 three-run homer in the fourth swung the Cardinals into a 4-4 tie, Toronto pushed across one run vs. Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas to regain their lead. Toronto added another run to Mikolas鈥檚 pitching line before the inning ended and tacked on an additional two in the seventh inning against the Cardinals bullpen.

An eighth-inning jolt from Nolan Arenado in the form of a two-run homer pulled the Cardinals within two runs to spark some momentum. But two runs allowed by Chris Roycroft slimmed the chances of a comeback before Contreras鈥檚 tape-measure three-run homer with two outs in the ninth provided some late-inning hope.

Coming off a quality start that marked his third in his previous four outings before facing a high-contact Blue Jays lineup, Mikolas鈥檚 six runs allowed in five innings on Tuesday were his most in a game since giving up nine in an early April start vs. the Red Sox.

Mikolas surrendered a three-run homer in the first inning to Andres Gimenez that put the Cardinals down 3-0 and allowed another run to cross in the fourth inning on a single from Alan Roden. Three consecutive hits to open the fifth inning and a sacrifice fly from George Springer put the Cardinals in a 6-4 hole.

Following Mikolas鈥檚 departure after five innings and six runs allowed, the Blue Jays pushed across two runs in the seventh inning when Alejandro Kirk homered off Kyle Leahy. One of the two runs that scored on Kirk鈥檚 two-run homer was charged to left-hander John King, who completed 1 1/3 innings before Leahy was summoned in relief.

Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt held the Cardinals to two hits through three innings before Alec Burleson鈥檚 one-out single put runners on first and third base following Brendan Donovan鈥檚 hit by pitch to open the frame. A single by Arenado scored Donovan, allowed Burleson to go from first-to-third and set the table for Gorman.

Donovan, who started in left field while leadoff hitter and primary left fielder Lars Nootbaar received his first day off in over two weeks, exited at the start of the ninth inning because of left toe discomfort. Donovan fouled a pitch off his left foot during his nine-pitch at-bat that led off the eighth inning.

An early 3-spot

Bo Bichette鈥檚 leadoff single and a softly hit fly ball Kirk dropped into shallow center field put traffic on the bases for Mikolas before he could get through the first inning.

That was all before a fastball left over the middle of the strike zone to Gimenez put the right and the Cardinals in an early deficit.

Gimenez pulled a 92.1 mph fastball from Mikolas to right field for a three-run homer that marked Gimenez鈥檚 third of the season and his first since March 31. The Platinum Gloved infielder opened his first season with Toronto with three homers in his first five games of the year but did not hit one in his next 36 games heading into Tuesday鈥檚 matchup.

The homer was the fifth Mikolas has given up this year 鈥� all of which have come in his six most recent outings. Despite the homers, Mikolas whittled his ERA down from 4.66 to 3.96 over that stretch.

The five runs allowed left the veteran鈥檚 ERA at 4.48.

Going Going Gorman

After the Cardinals pushed one run across with one out in the fourth inning on Arenado鈥檚 single to left field, Gorman pulled the Cardinals to a tie when Bassitt threw him a third consecutive cutter during their encounter.

Gorman took a sweeper in the dirt to begin the at-bat with runners on first and third base. He fouled off a back-to-back cutter from the Blue Jays鈥� right-hander before seeing a third that was pulled 391 feet to right field for three RBIs.

Gorman鈥檚 homer had a 111.6 mph exit velocity behind, per Statcast. It marked just his third in 39 games, but his second since the start of June

As the Cardinals鈥� continue work in at-bats for Gorman, the 25-year-old infielder has made the most of them. He had five hits in 12 at-bats before making Tuesday鈥檚 start and reached base three times in the loss. After his homer and a walk in the second inning, Gorman added to his night with a single in the eighth.

Scott snaps homestand skid

Hitless through his first 16 at-bats since the Cardinals鈥� current homestand began a week ago against the Royals, Scott snapped his skid with his second at-bat against Bassitt.

After flying out to right field on a ball hit with a 101.1 mph exit velocity in the third inning, Scott lined a single up the middle with two outs in the fourth. The single was Scott鈥檚 second in 33 at-bats dating back to May 26.

The 24-year-old collected one hit during the Cardinals鈥� two-city road trip to face the Orioles and Rangers prior to the current homestand. Scott owned a .277 batting average before the Cardinals traveled to Baltimore but saw it sink to .236 following a hitless night on Monday.

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Photos: Despite ninth inning rally, Toronto Blue Jays beat Cardinals 10-9

The trouble Ryan Helsley got into in the ninth inning of his third blown save this homestand began a few pitches earlier when he fell behind in the count.

His confidence he鈥檒l emerge from this turbulence goes back several weeks after beginning the season unsure of his pitches.

The Cardinals鈥� All-Star closer, 11 months removed from the longest streak of successful saves in club history, allowed a solo homer to Toronto鈥檚 No. 9 hitter in the ninth inning Monday night to squander his teammates鈥� stunning, eighth-inning rally. Helsley鈥檚 fifth blown save of the season tumbled into a 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays at Busch Stadium. In three appearances this month, the right-hander has allowed a total of three runs but also misplaced three leads. Two slipped away on some unfortunate bounces, and then Monday鈥檚 vanished on a blast that didn鈥檛 bounce until it hit the seats.

鈥淚 think the positive is I feel good,鈥� Helsley said, 鈥渁nd I can build off of that.鈥�

That was not the case in the first month of the season, not as Helsley sorted through a mechanical issue, dealt with a sore foot and had limited work.

Toward the end of the spring training, Helsley had a sore toe that required a rigid insert into his cleat. The protection was uncomfortable, and looking back on it, the right-hander said it caused some pain his arch. He was concerned about plantar fasciitis, a painful condition that Albert Pujols dealt with in his career and can feel like wearing cleats inside out.

The discomfort in his right foot caused some shifts in his delivery and less drive from his back leg. That led to less velocity. He tried to compensate with his upper body, and that cost him some command 鈥� and the kinetic chain of events was underway to erode the shape and effectiveness of his pitches.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e asking what Hels looked like in the first two, three weeks of the season, that wasn鈥檛 Hels,鈥� manager Oliver Marmol said late Monday night. 鈥淭hat was 鈥� something was off. And we addressed it. And we got to where we felt really good about the shape of his pitches and the usage and kind of how he was attacking hitters. (And) what the fastball was doing. There is a distinct difference between Hels Weeks 1, 2, and 3 and what we鈥檝e seen post that time.鈥�

A contributing factor during that same time was how few games the Cardinals needed their right-handed closer. He appeared in 10 of the team鈥檚 first 32 games.

He didn鈥檛 get the innings to work through the glitch.

But, he said Monday, he did get time away from games to do so, and that was beneficial as coaches identified inconsistencies in the movement of his hips and torso that he could correct. By the time the fastball started behaving, the save opportunities arrived. He went 9 for 9 in save chances in May to give him 13 for the season in 24 appearances. Only an official scorer鈥檚 decision kept him from a perfect 10-for-10 month. (Helsley was awarded a win by the scorer鈥檚 discretion instead of a save in a game he closed; the ruling is not reversible, per players鈥� union and club officials.)

鈥淚 fell into some bad habits at the end of spring,鈥� Helsley explained. 鈥淭hey showed up for a month. I felt good the past few weeks.鈥�

The most tangible example of that feeling is fastball velocity. Helsley did not average more than 99 mph on the fastball in the season鈥檚 opening weeks, and he鈥檚 averaged swifter than 99 mph in his recent outings. On Monday, he averaged 99.8 mph on his dozen fastballs, and he touched 101.9 mph with it. This past weekend, he had the fastest pitch in the majors on one day when he surpassed 102 mph.

That was the same day that Shohei Ohtani got a base hit when a ground ball bounced off a base. In the inning, Helsley got two ground balls that could have been outs, struck out the side and still could not hold a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals won, 2-1, on a walk-off in the ninth.

鈥淪trike out the side and somehow give up a run,鈥� Helsley said. 鈥淪ometimes baseball just happens.鈥�

What happened in the ninth Monday was not a fluke bounce or unlucky angle.

With one out and the Jays鈥� No. 9 hitter up, Helsley fell behind 1-0 with a 99.7 mph fastball. At the plate, Toronto had center fielder Jonatan Clase. He brought a .207 average into the game with precisely one big- eague homer in his career. It came September of 2024 and was one of his three extra-base hits in the majors.

鈥淛ust challenge the nine-hole guy,鈥� Helsley said. 鈥淭rust my stuff.鈥�

Challenge he did with his second pitch 鈥� a 100.9 mph fastball that Clase fouled off.

Helsley went to his off-speed pitch and missed high.

That put him behind 2-1 and took him back into the zone to dare Clase with a fastball. Helsley鈥檚 pitch left his fingers at 97.8 mph. The ball left Clase鈥檚 bat at 106.8 mph and soared an estimated 415 feet to tie the game 4-4.

鈥淵ou fall behind the nine-hole hitter, you鈥檙e not going to give in and try to get to the top (of the lineup),鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淗e was on the fastball. He doesn鈥檛 miss it. It鈥檚 falling behind the hitter that costs you that swing.鈥�

Marmol said he couldn鈥檛 tie any 鈥渃ommonalties鈥� between the three blown saves in the home stand. A ground ball got through against Kansas City. A grounder pinballed against the Dodgers. And a No. 9 hitter crushed the first homer of his season for Toronto.

Constantly called on to close a year ago, Helsley was about to get his 22nd save in his 30th appearance at this point in the season. He was in the midst of a record-setting run of successful saves. He would convert 31 consecutive before entering a game in extra innings and losing the save when the runner who started extra innings on second base scored. A rule only a few years old kept Helsley from adding to a record no Cardinal had matched in 100 years.

鈥淗e has saved us more times,鈥� said catcher Ivan Herrera, whose three-run homer in the eighth staked the Cardinals to a 4-3 lead for Helsley. 鈥淗e can go 30 saves in a row.鈥�

Helsley finished this past season with a club-record 49 saves.

He had only four blown saves all season.

He had four this season going into Monday鈥檚 ninth, but what he didn鈥檛 have the first month he senses he has now despite the results, and what he didn鈥檛 have a year ago was the confidence that comes from having already put a streak like that together.

鈥淛ust to know that I鈥檝e done it, and I feel great,鈥� Helsley said. 鈥淪tuff is there. And shapes. Velo. Those guys get paid a lot of money too to do their jobs. That鈥檚 not an excuse. I feel good and the only I can do is move forward.鈥�

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Photos: 51黑料 Cardinals come up short against Toronto Blue Jays

Is it possible Willson Contreras is actually a better defensive first baseman than his natural position of catcher?

Sure, it鈥檚 tricky to compare those two different positions 鈥� and he sure had a cannon behind the plate 鈥� but the fact we can even have this debate shows how impressive Contreras has played.

The story of the 2025 surprise Cardinals isn鈥檛 complete without Willson鈥檚 defense 鈥� for a team with starters who pitch to contact and an infield with some live arms, Contreras鈥� steadiness has been an anchor. Now, I don鈥檛 want to say he鈥檚 Gold Glove-esque, but he has been Goldschmidt-esque. The former first baseman Paul hadn鈥檛 won a Gold Glove since 2021 but still had some strong recent seasons playing his position.

And surely, some fans this winter asked the famous baseball question with the emphasis on the first word 鈥� 飞丑辞鈥檚 on first?

Yup, the Cards were going with a catcher. But it鈥檚 worked.

Contreras and the Cards are currently at two defensive runs saved for the season 鈥� only six teams have a first base DRS total that鈥檚 higher.

鈥淚 think since the first day that they wanted me to move to first base, I took it as a challenge,鈥� said the 33-year-old Contreras, who has hit .300 since April 18, but we鈥檒l talk about his offense on another day. 鈥淎nd a lot of people thought that I couldn鈥檛 play first base. And right now, I feel that I鈥檓 enjoying every single second of it because I鈥檓 putting the work in, and I know that I鈥檓 doing my best over there.

鈥淚 know I鈥檓 not one of the best first baseman right now, but I鈥檒l be at some point. That鈥檚 my goal. Besides that, just helping the team in any way I can. I know, for me, moving from home plate to first base created a lot of depth in the lineup. So that鈥檚 one of the reasons why we鈥檙e winning a lot this year.鈥�

Indeed, Contreras at first has allowed Ivan Herrera and defensive-minded Pedro Pages get games behind the dish (and the budding hitter Herrera has also played his share of designated hitter).

Meanwhile, Contreras is pickin鈥� and slidin鈥� and ridin鈥� out first base like a pro. He鈥檚 only made two errors. And his outs above average rating is in the 92nd percentile on Baseball Savant. The guy is a baseball savant himself. What an athlete.

鈥淗is footwork is good, he moves around the bag extremely well, he gets to certain balls,鈥� said manager Oliver Marmol, whose club was 36-29 entering Monday. 鈥淗e鈥檚 athletic, turning the double play and getting back to the bag. I mean, all the way around, he鈥檚 moving very, very well.鈥�

He鈥檚 not only making plays, but also erasing mistakes.

On Sunday against the Dodgers, young hurler Michael McGreevy was in a pickle. And this wasn鈥檛 like a little gherkin; this was a full-blown Kosher dill. McGreevy was already down 3-0 in the second inning. He had two outs, but there was a runner on third 鈥� and All-Star Mookie Betts was up (with All-Star Freddie Freeman on deck and All-Star Teoscar Hernandez in the hole).

Betts smacked one to the hole, shortstop Masyn Wynn scooped and threw 鈥� but way off target. As the Betts jetted to first, Contreras somehow keep a foot on the edge of the base, while stretching his left arm to capacity (it hurt to even watch). Contreras caught the ball, and Betts was ruled out 鈥� L.A. challenged the call, but it was for naught.

鈥淚t was funny,鈥� McGreevy said. 鈥淢e and Teoscar locked eyes, and I gave him like a little please (pray hand sign). I got a laugh from him. But, you know, it鈥檚 just one of those plays where it could save your day. If that run comes across like who knows what would happen the rest of that inning? They鈥檝e got the heart of the order coming up right there. So it was an awesome play to kind of help me reset. I think it really did make a difference.鈥�

My Post-Dispatch teammate Daniel Guerrero pointed out that Contreras actually has replaced two Cardinals who have won Gold Gloves 鈥� Yadier Molina and Goldschmidt. And there were far more questions about Willie replacing Yadi than replacing Goldy.

鈥淚 have to point out the work being put in,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淓nd of the day, you get better by working 鈥� and he鈥檚 done exactly that. From his offseason to his spring training to, we鈥檙e in June, and you watch him out there (before games) 鈥� it鈥檚 just very detailed, but he鈥檚 having fun with it, right? Like, he鈥檚 out there with (Alec) Burleson. They鈥檙e playing games of 飞丑辞鈥檚 going to bobble (first)? what like. There鈥檚 just intentionality to that 鈥� it looks like having fun, which it is, but there鈥檚 also an intentionality to being crisp and clean and on point, which has allowed that to kind of play into the game.鈥�

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Before Ivan Herrera's heroics and before the Blue Jays put another dent in Ryan Helsley's armor, there was another battle won on Monday.聽

Entering the Cardinals' series-opener against the Blue Jays, Andre Pallante faced an uphill climb. Part of it had to do with avoiding a repeat of his most recent outing, when he allowed seven earned runs to the Royals in 4 1/3 innings pitched. But in order to do so, he'd have to take unfavorable numbers on paper and rip them to shreds on the field.

That started with his propensity to make the Cardinals' defense work (although it has for much of the season), and that could prove to be a problem against a team that Marmol called "high-contact."聽

鈥淭his is a guy that lives and dies off of ball(s) in play,鈥� Marmol said of Pallante before the game.聽

The data backs up the statement. Entering Monday, Pallante's strikeout percentage of 15.5 was the fifth-lowest among qualified pitchers in Major League Baseball, according to FanGraphs. On the other side, Toronto had the fewest strikeouts in the league. Three qualified Blue Jays had strikeout percentages under 15 (Alejandro Kirk, Ernie Clement, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.). The only other team in the league that could match that was Arizona.聽

"These guys don't swing and miss," Marmol said.聽

They also topped the league in barrel percentage (10.5). No team has ever finished with a higher number over an entire season since Statcast began tracking barrels in 2016.聽

Pallante endured rocky waters early on, as Toronto made solid contact early in counts, even on outs. None of the game's first six batters had their first at-bats last longer than four pitches. Better yet for the Blue Jays, the trio of Addison Barger, Kirk and George Springer needed just six combined pitches to record consecutive singles. The last of which 鈥� a looper off of Springer's bat into left field 鈥� put Toronto on the board. Clement and Bo Bichette both recorded hits in the second inning, and their at-bats took a combined five pitches.聽

"You look at those first two innings, and you have this sense of, 'Oh gosh, here we go again'," Marmol said after the 5-4 loss in 10 innings.

But just like Michael McGreevy against the Dodgers on Sunday, Pallante settled down after a turbulent start. He allowed just two hits over the next four innings 鈥� one of which was a bunt single by Jonathan Clase. Unlike the first two innings, Pallante was the one dictating the ball's direction upon contact.

The ground-ball guru came alive.聽

Among qualified pitchers, Pallante entered Monday with a ground ball percentage of 63.4, trailing only Angels flamethrower Jose Soriano for the league lead. From the second to sixth innings, Pallante induced seven groundouts, including all three outs in the fourth. His grand total on the night was 13.

Against a Toronto squad that led the league in line-drive percentage entering Monday per Statcast, Pallante was able to keep the Blue Jays grounded for most of the night.聽

"A lot of contact was right at people moving forward," Marmol said. "That's how he has to live ... I think he did a really nice job of mixing in his off-speed and landing some curveballs early."

Pallante's knuckle curve had mixed results. He allowed a double to Clement in the second and a double to Kirk in the third. Even so, neither ball was tattooed, a silver lining that Pallante highlighted after the game.聽

"They weren't line-drive, hard-hit balls. They were fly balls that dropped, and I can live with that," Pallante said. "I felt like knowing that was my plan going into the game, and then having some of these good results, it can help me feed off of that and help make me a more dynamic pitcher."

That same knuckle curve, along with his slider, generated quite a few swings outside of the strike zone. Not all of them were swings and misses. Kirk's double was one of them. But some of those misses were, as Marmol called them, "awkward" and "defensive". After the game, Pallante said he wanted to throw his curveball more than usual on Monday.聽

For the most part, it paid dividends.

"I thought he battled," Helsley said. "I feel like all his starts are relatively the same. Guy's going to put the ball in play. We've got a great defense, and he uses it."聽

Once again, strikeouts were sparse for Pallante, as he tallied just three on the evening. But he allowed just two earned runs in six innings pitched, good for his fifth quality start of the season and first since May 16. He successfully quieted an offense that'd scored 69 runs since May 28 鈥� the most in the league during that timespan.聽

As Marmol said, this is how Pallante is going to live. It's how he's lived for years. Baseballs hit bats often when he's on the mound; it's just about the direction they've gone in. Some nights, like Monday, launch angles are small, and more outs are made. Other nights, like last week against Kansas City, baseballs take to the skies more than the Cardinals would want.聽

But for the guy whose pitching motion looks more like he's playing tennis than baseball, Pallante served up a stellar outing on Monday, which is even more valuable considering how much the Cardinals' pitching depth has been criticized this season.聽

"I'm privileged to be able to go step on that mound. I really want to take advantage of that," Pallante said. "Being able to keep the teams in games that we could win, that's the whole point (of why) I'm here. That's what my job is. Regardless of how I feel or how things are going, that's what I'm trying to do."

Cardinals rally but lose to Blue Jays after Ryan Helsley鈥檚 3rd blown save of homestand

Cardinals scored four runs in the eighth inning, three of them on Ivan Herrera's homer, to take a one-run lead that Helsley could not hold in 5-4 loss in 10th.

Cardinals hotshot prospect Tekoah Roby promoted to Class AAA Memphis amid swath of moves

After more strikeouts (57) than hits (34) in 47 innings at Class AA Springfield, Tekoah Roby is heading to Memphis with Drew Rom going back on the IL.聽

As bullpen reinforcements arrive, Michael McGreevy returns to Class AAA: Cardinals Extra

The Cardinals recalled reliever Riley O'Brien and Chris Roycroft the the majors on Monday. The moves shuttled Michael McGreevy and Matt Svanson back to Class AAA Memphis.