Cardinals Head West for Four-Game Test Against Padres
The Cardinal Chronicle
Cardinals Head West for Four-Game Test Against Padres
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
The St. Louis Cardinals do not have much time to dwell on Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee.
After settling for a two-game split with the Brewers at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals head west for a four-game series against the San Diego Padres beginning Thursday night at Petco Park. It is an early-May matchup with a little more weight than the calendar might suggest, with St. Louis entering the series at 21-15 and San Diego sitting at 22-14.
Both clubs are off to strong starts. Both are above .500. And both are trying to keep themselves positioned near the top of their respective division races before the long summer grind begins.
For the Cardinals, this series offers another measuring stick away from home. St. Louis has played steady baseball on the road, and Petco Park will provide a different kind of test — late-night starts, a strong opponent and four straight games against a Padres club that has enough talent to make mistakes costly.
The Cardinals have announced their starters for the series, while San Diego has yet to list its probable pitchers.
Matthew Liberatore will open the series Thursday night, with first pitch scheduled for 9:10 p.m. Central time. The left-hander is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and will pitch on national television, with the game carried by ESPN and KMOX.
Michael McGreevy is scheduled to start Friday night at 8:45 p.m. Central time. McGreevy is 2-2 with a 2.52 ERA and continues to give the Cardinals a steady young arm in the rotation. Friday’s game will be carried by Apple TV+ and KMOX.
Dustin May is lined up for Saturday’s 6:15 p.m. Central time game on FOX and KMOX. May is 3-3 with a 5.15 ERA and will be looking to give the Cardinals length in the third game of the series.
Kyle Leahy is scheduled for Sunday’s finale at 3:10 p.m. Central time. Leahy is 4-3 with a 4.93 ERA, with the game available on Cards.TV and KMOX.
The pitching matchups remain incomplete from the San Diego side, but the Padres enter the series dealing with some uncertainty on their staff. Joe Musgrove remains on the injured list following Tommy John surgery, Nick Pivetta is sidelined with right elbow inflammation and Germán Márquez is out with right forearm nerve irritation. Jake Cronenworth also was placed on the seven-day injured list with concussion symptoms, adding another absence to the Padres’ roster.
The Cardinals are not exactly entering the series at full strength, either. Ramón Urías was placed on the 10-day injured list with right elbow lateral epicondylitis, with Thomas Saggese recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Urías had struggled offensively, batting .158 with two home runs and five RBIs through 25 games.
St. Louis also saw outfielder Nathan Church leave Wednesday’s game after being hit in the left leg by a 98 mph fastball. The initial diagnosis was a left leg contusion, and his status will be worth watching as the Cardinals open the series in San Diego. Wednesday’s loss also included a rough first inning from Andre Pallante, who allowed four runs after retiring the first two batters, with Andrew Vaughn’s three-run home run giving Milwaukee early control in a 6-2 Brewers win.
That is the kind of inning the Cardinals can ill afford in San Diego. Petco Park does not always reward teams trying to play catch-up, and the Padres have enough pitching and bullpen depth to shorten games if handed an early lead.
For the Cardinals, the keys are not complicated. They need cleaner first innings, better situational hitting and enough length from the rotation to keep the bullpen from being asked to cover too many outs across a four-game road set. They also need their young bats to continue giving the lineup energy.
Jordan Walker remains one of the focal points of the offense, while JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera continue to help shape a younger, more athletic look for the Cardinals. St. Louis has had flashes of the kind of offense that can pressure opponents, but this series will require consistency, not just scattered traffic on the bases.
San Diego will have plenty going on around the ballpark as well. The Padres’ homestand includes national television windows, a City Connect Friday and a Mother’s Day finale on Sunday, giving the series a little extra shine beyond the standings. But the main attraction is simple enough: two winning National League clubs meeting for four games in a ballpark where every mistake tends to stand out.
It is still early. Nobody is handing out trophies in May.
But four games at Petco Park should tell the Cardinals a little more about themselves. They are 21-15, still in good position, and now they get a chance to prove their start can travel against one of the better teams in the National League.
Series Schedule
Thursday, May 7
Cardinals at Padres, 9:10 p.m. CT
LHP Matthew Liberatore, 1-1, 4.50 ERA vs. TBA
TV/Radio: ESPN, KMOX
Friday, May 8
Cardinals at Padres, 8:45 p.m. CT
RHP Michael McGreevy, 2-2, 2.52 ERA vs. TBA
TV/Radio: Apple TV+, KMOX
Saturday, May 9
Cardinals at Padres, 6:15 p.m. CT
RHP Dustin May, 3-3, 5.15 ERA vs. TBA
TV/Radio: FOX, KMOX
Sunday, May 10
Cardinals at Padres, 3:10 p.m. CT
RHP Kyle Leahy, 4-3, 4.93 ERA vs. TBA
TV/Radio: Cards.TV, KMOX
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.