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Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Day St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJack Martinez Sets the Tone as Palm Beach Completes Doubleheader Sweep I didn't have much to say about Jack Martinez in my pre-game notes, but he picked the right day to give Palm Beach some length.After the Cardinals had already battled through a tight 7-6 win in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader against Lakeland, they needed a starter in Game 2 who could take the ball, settle the day down and keep the bullpen from being stretched thin.Martinez did all of that.The right-hander delivered one of his best outings of the season, working a career-high six innings as Palm Beach rolled past the Flying Tigers 10-2 to complete the doubleheader sweep. Martinez allowed two runs on four hits, walked just one and tied a career high with nine strikeouts.That is how you finish a long day.Lakeland jumped ahead early with two runs in the first inning, but Martinez did not let the game get away from him. Instead of letting the early damage turn into a crooked night, he settled in, attacked hitters and gave the Palm Beach offense time to respond.The Cardinals answered in a big way.Palm Beach erupted for seven runs in the third inning and added three more in the fourth, turning a 2-0 deficit into a commanding lead. Once the Cardinals took control, Martinez made sure Lakeland never found a way back into the game.That matters in a doubleheader.A bullpen can get chewed up quickly when a club has to play two in one day. The first game had already been tight, and Palm Beach needed someone to carry the load in Game 2. Martinez did not just protect the staff. He gave the Cardinals six strong innings, missed bats and kept the game firmly in hand.The nine strikeouts stand out, but the walk total may be just as important. One walk over six innings shows he was not surviving on raw stuff alone. He was in the zone, forcing Lakeland hitters to earn their way on base and controlling the game after the first inning.For a first-place Palm Beach club, this was the kind of outing that carries extra value. The Cardinals swept the doubleheader, improved their second-half position and turned a postponed game from the night before into a productive day at the ballpark.Martinez was the biggest reason the second game never got complicated.On a night when every full-season Cardinals affiliate won, there were plenty of good performances to choose from. But six innings, nine strikeouts and a doubleheader-clinching win are hard to beat.That is why Jack Martinez is the Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Day.Old School Take: Doubleheaders reward pitchers who can save a bullpen and win their own game. Jack Martinez did both. Six innings, nine strikeouts, one walk and a sweep-clinching win will play every time. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Jack Martinez, Palm Beach Cardinals | MiLB

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Jack Marinez

Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJoshua Báez Powers Memphis Comeback With Two-Homer NightJoshua Báez gave Memphis exactly what it needed Thursday night.Power. Production. Pressure. And one of the loudest offensive lines in the Cardinals’ minor league system this season.Báez went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, three RBIs, three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base as the Memphis Redbirds rallied to beat the Charlotte Knights 8-6 at AutoZone Park.That is not just a good night.That is a full-service offensive performance.Memphis trailed by three runs multiple times, falling behind 4-1 and later 6-3, but the Redbirds kept chipping away. Báez was at the center of it, giving Memphis the kind of impact bat that can change the shape of a game in a hurry.His two home runs gave him 28 on the season, keeping him among the most dangerous power bats in the International League. He also added a double, reached base four times and even stole a base, showing that this was not simply a one-dimensional night built around the long ball.Báez did a little bit of everything.For a Memphis club sitting atop the International League West, games like this matter. The Redbirds had been shut out the night before, wasting six scoreless innings from Bruce Zimmermann in a frustrating 2-0 loss. A good team answers that kind of night quickly.Báez helped make sure they did.The Redbirds scored two runs in the sixth, two more in the seventh and three in the eighth to complete the comeback. Ramon Mendoza tied the game with an RBI double, and Noah Mendlinger came off the bench to deliver the go-ahead triple. But Báez gave Memphis the offensive backbone that kept the comeback alive.That is what middle-of-the-order bats are supposed to do.Báez has been one of the most productive sluggers in the Cardinals’ system this season, and Thursday night was another reminder of the damage he can do when he is locked in. The power is obvious, but the full line is what stands out: three hits, four times on base, three runs scored and a stolen base.That is a player impacting the game from start to finish.On a night when the Cardinals’ full-season affiliates swept the board, there were plenty of candidates across the system. Springfield had a seven-run inning. Palm Beach swept a doubleheader. Peoria snapped its skid.But Báez’s performance rose above the rest.Two home runs. A double. Three RBIs. Three runs. A walk. A stolen base. A comeback win.That is why Joshua Báez is the Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day.Old School Take: When a hitter gives you two home runs, reaches base four times, scores three runs and steals a bag, you do not need a committee meeting. Joshua Báez carried a big stick Thursday night, and Memphis rode it to a comeback win. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

MiLB Player of the Day: Joshua Báez

Cardinal Chronicle Morning Farm Report St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurCardinals Affiliates Sweep the Night Across the Full-Season SystemThe St. Louis Cardinals’ full-season affiliates had themselves a night Thursday.Memphis rallied late for an 8-6 win over Charlotte. Springfield jumped out big, then held on to beat Arkansas 10-8. Peoria snapped its three-game skid with a 6-2 win over Wisconsin. Palm Beach played two at Lakeland and won them both, taking the opener 7-6 and rolling in the second game 10-2.That made it a clean sweep across the full-season system: four affiliates, five games, five wins.Those are the nights you don’t overcomplicate. You just tip your cap and enjoy the board.Memphis Redbirds Memphis 8, Charlotte 6 Memphis: 50-34 overall, 1st, International League West; 3-6, Second HalfMemphis pulled off one of its better comeback wins of the season Thursday night, rallying from multiple three-run deficits to beat the Charlotte Knights 8-6 at AutoZone Park.The Redbirds trailed 4-1 and later 6-3, but they kept coming. Memphis scored in three straight innings late, putting up two runs in the sixth, two more in the seventh and three in the eighth to complete the comeback. The win tied the Redbirds’ largest comeback victory of the season.Joshua Báez was the story.The right-handed slugger broke out of a mini slump in a big way, going 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, three RBIs, three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. His two homers were his 27th and 28th of the season, and it marked his third multi-homer game of the year.Ramon Mendoza helped finish the rally with his second RBI double of the night in the eighth inning, tying the game. One walk later, pinch hitter Noah Mendlinger delivered the go-ahead triple to put Memphis in front for good.Starter Pete Hansen allowed four runs on five hits, walked three and struck out three. Cade Winquest earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, and Scott Blewett worked a perfect ninth for his team-leading sixth save.Old School Take: Memphis got punched, got punched again, and still found a way to get off the mat. Báez supplied the thunder, Mendoza tied it, and Mendlinger delivered the finish. That is how a first-place club answers a bad night at the plate from the day before.Springfield Cardinals Springfield 10, Arkansas 8 Springfield: 38-39 overall; 7-2, 1st, Texas League North, Second HalfSpringfield built a big lead, watched Arkansas make it uncomfortable, then still found a way to close the door.The Cardinals beat the Arkansas Travelers 10-8 on Thursday night at Route 66 Stadium behind a seven-run second inning and just enough late pitching to hold off a Travelers comeback. Springfield remained in first place in the Texas League North second-half standings at 7-2. Tre Richardson III delivered the biggest swing of the night, launching a grand slam in the second inning. Rainiel Rodriguez followed with a solo home run as Springfield piled up seven runs in the frame and took control early. Richardson’s grand slam was his third Double-A home run and Springfield’s seventh grand slam of the season.The Cardinals led 8-0, then pushed the advantage to 10-3 after Won-Bin Cho hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Cho has now hit five home runs in eight games at Double-A, which is a pretty strong way to introduce yourself to a new league.Arkansas did not go quietly. The Travelers scored five unanswered runs to make it a two-run game, but Randel Clemente shut the door in the ninth for his second save. Chen-Wei Lin started and retired the first 10 batters he faced before finishing with three runs allowed on three hits, five strikeouts and no walks.Old School Take: Springfield did the hard part early, then had to sweat through the finish. A seven-run inning, a grand slam, another Cho homer and a win over Arkansas? That will do, even if it made the manager age a little in the late innings.Peoria Chiefs Peoria 6, Wisconsin 2 Peoria: 37-40 overall; 5-6, 3rd, Midwest League West, Second HalfPeoria needed a clean response, and the Chiefs got one.After dropping three straight, Peoria beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6-2 Thursday night at Dozer Park. The Chiefs allowed two runs in the first inning, then held Wisconsin scoreless the rest of the way. Peoria moved to 5-6 in the second half and sits third in the Midwest League West. Wisconsin struck first on a two-run double by Tayden Hall, but Peoria answered immediately. José Suárez led off the bottom of the first with a double, moved to third and scored on Jalin Flores’ sacrifice fly. Josh Kross followed with a double, and Sammy Hernandez blooped a single into shallow right to tie the game 2-2.Hernandez helped spark the go-ahead run in the fourth, singling, stealing second and advancing to third on an error before Anyelo Encarnación drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Encarnación added an RBI double in the sixth, Flores drove in another run in the seventh, and Jack Gurevitch added an RBI single in the eighth.Suárez finished with three hits, and Flores drove in two runs. That was enough support for the pitching staff.Ty Van Dyke earned the win after allowing two runs on three hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out three. Nate Dohm followed with 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Bobby Olsen recorded the final two outs in the ninth, both by strikeout, to earn his fourth save.Old School Take: Peoria fell behind early, but the Chiefs did not let the game get away. Van Dyke settled in, Dohm bridged it, and Olsen slammed the door. That is how you snap a skid without needing fireworks.Palm Beach Cardinals Palm Beach 7, Lakeland 6 — Game 1 Palm Beach 10, Lakeland 2 — Game 2 Palm Beach: 42-36 overall; 9-3, 1st, Florida State League East, Second HalfPalm Beach had to work overtime after Wednesday’s postponement, and the Cardinals made the most of it.The Cardinals swept Thursday’s doubleheader at Lakeland, beating the Flying Tigers 7-6 in Game 1 and 10-2 in Game 2. The sweep moved Palm Beach to 42-36 overall and 9-3 in the second half, good for first place in the Florida State League East. In Game 1, Palm Beach fell behind 3-0 before taking control with a four-run fourth inning. Ryan Weingartner singled, stole second and scored on a Matthew Miura single. Jonathan Mejía then smashed a two-run homer, and Yordalin Peña followed with a solo shot for back-to-back home runs that gave the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.Palm Beach added two more in the sixth, with Miura reaching on an error to score Brayden Smith before Peña lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Weingartner. The Cardinals tacked on another run in the seventh when Ryan Mitchell scored on a throwing error. Lakeland made it close in the bottom half, but Palm Beach held on 7-6. Nelfy Ynfante earned the win, allowing three runs on four hits over 2.1 innings.Game 2 belonged to Palm Beach after another early deficit. Lakeland scored twice in the first, but the Cardinals answered with seven runs in the third inning. Trevor Haskins doubled, Johnfrank Salazar singled, Sebastian Dos Santos drove in a run, Yairo Padilla added a two-run double, and Palm Beach kept the line moving until the game had turned completely.The Cardinals added three more runs in the fourth. Smith delivered an RBI single, and Peña capped the scoring with a two-run double to make it 10-2.Jack Martinez took care of the rest. The right-hander earned the win with a career-high six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while tying a career high with nine strikeouts and walking just one.Old School Take: Palm Beach trailed in both games and swept the doubleheader anyway. That is a first-place club taking a long day and turning it into two wins. Not glamorous. Just tough, useful baseball.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Joshua Báez, OF, MemphisJoshua Báez earns Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors after one of the loudest box-score lines in the system this season.Báez went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double, three RBIs, three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base in Memphis’ 8-6 comeback win over Charlotte. His two homers gave him 28 on the season, keeping him atop the International League home run leaderboard.That is a full night’s work.The Redbirds needed every bit of it. Memphis trailed by three runs multiple times, and Báez helped keep the offense alive long enough for Mendoza and Mendlinger to finish the comeback late.When a hitter homers twice, reaches four times, drives in three, scores three and steals a base, there is not much debate.That is your Player of the Day.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Jack Martinez, RHP, Palm BeachJack Martinez gets the nod as Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after leading Palm Beach to a 10-2 win in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader.Martinez worked a career-high six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while tying a career high with nine strikeouts. He walked just one and gave Palm Beach exactly what it needed after the Cardinals had already played a tight opener.That matters in a doubleheader.Palm Beach needed length. Martinez gave them length. Palm Beach needed strike-throwing. Martinez gave them that, too. The offense exploded for 10 runs, but Martinez made sure the game never tilted back toward Lakeland after the Cardinals took control.On a night full of winning baseball, his outing stood out as the best mound performance in the Cardinals’ full-season system. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Image: Joshua Báez, Memphis Redbirds | MiLB

The Farm Report: A Clean Sweep Across the Board

The Cardinal Chronicle Dustin May Avoids Major Injury, But Ankle Contusion Clouds Next Start St. Louis, MO By Ray Mileur The St. Louis Cardinals appear to have avoided the worst-case scenario with Dustin May, but they are not out of the woods yet.May left Thursday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning after being struck near the right ankle by a hard comebacker off the bat of Dominic Smith. The ball drilled May in the ankle/shin area, caromed into the outfield and helped fuel Atlanta’s five-run first inning.The good news came after the game. X-rays were negative, and May was diagnosed with a right ankle contusion. That rules out a fracture, which is the first and most important hurdle. Now the question becomes pain, swelling and whether May can make his next scheduled turn in the rotation.May initially tried to stay in the game after the line drive hit him. He was checked by manager Oliver Marmol and the training staff, tested the ankle, threw a few warmup pitches and continued for three more batters. At the time, May said his foot had gone numb, which likely masked some of the pain.Once he got back to the dugout and sat down, the numbness wore off. That is when the pain started to take over.The injury clearly affected him. May lasted just two-thirds of an inning, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks over 34 pitches. It was not a normal outing, and it should not be evaluated like one. He was pitching through an immediate lower-leg injury after already working through traffic in a messy first inning.The timing is the frustrating part for both May and the Cardinals.This was May’s first start back after having his previous turn skipped because of lower back tightness. The Cardinals were hoping to get him back on track and rebuild some rhythm heading toward the final stretch before the All-Star break. Instead, they now have another day-to-day situation involving a key rotation arm.Structurally, the news is encouraging. A contusion is a bruise, not a break. But anyone who has been hit on the ankle by a baseball knows that “just a bruise” can still be a miserable phrase. The ankle is a bad place to take that kind of impact because swelling can limit mobility, balance and drive off the mound.For May, the next few days will matter. If the swelling comes down and he can push off the rubber without altering his mechanics, he could stay on schedule. If the ankle remains stiff, swollen or painful, the Cardinals may have to push him back again.That would create another rotation question for a club already trying to navigate a long season with October still in view.The Cardinals’ bullpen did its job after May exited, keeping Atlanta off the board the rest of the night and giving the offense time to come back in an 11-5 win. That helped soften the immediate blow. But the larger concern remains May’s availability.For now, the Cardinals can exhale because the X-rays were clean. But they will still be watching closely. A right ankle contusion is not season-ending news, but it is enough to cloud May’s next start and force St. Louis to keep a backup plan ready.The Cardinals dodged the big injury. Now they wait to see how much pain is left behind for the pitcher, the Cardinals and the fans. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Dustin May Avoids Major Injury, But Ankle Contusion Clouds Next Start

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals’ Offense No Show Again as Braves Even Series St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurMichael McGreevy gave the St. Louis Cardinals another chance Wednesday night.The offense gave him almost nothing.The bullpen gave the game away late.After opening the series with a needed road win Tuesday night, the Cardinals could not build on it Wednesday at Truist Park. Atlanta beat St. Louis, 5-1, evening the three-game series and handing the Cardinals another frustrating loss built around a familiar combination: too little offense and too much late-inning leakage.This one was not complicated.The Cardinals scored in the first inning, then disappeared.Iván Herrera doubled to deep center with one out against Reynaldo López, giving St. Louis an early scoring chance. Alec Burleson grounded out, moving Herrera into position, and Jordan Walker followed with a two-out single to right field to bring him home.The Cardinals had a 1-0 lead.They also had their last run of the night.That is the hard part.St. Louis had a chance to make López work early, but the inning ended when Lars Nootbaar struck out. From there, the Cardinals’ offense went quiet enough to make the early run feel more like a memory than a foundation.Atlanta answered immediately in the bottom of the first. Drake Baldwin singled to shallow center, and Ozzie Albies drove a ball deep to right field. Baldwin scored on the double, but Walker made a strong relay play from right field, and Albies was thrown out trying to stretch the play to third.The run tied the game 1-1.The defense helped prevent more.For a while, that mattered.McGreevy settled in after the first. He gave the Cardinals six innings, allowing two runs on three hits, walking one and striking out three. He threw 87 pitches, 57 for strikes, and kept St. Louis in position to win a low-scoring road game.That has become a recurring theme with McGreevy.He may not always dominate. He may not pile up strikeouts. But he competes, limits damage, and gives the Cardinals a chance. On Wednesday night, he did exactly that again.The problem is that the Cardinals continue to ask him to work with almost no margin.Atlanta took the lead in the third when Albies struck again, this time launching a solo home run to right-center field. It was his 13th homer of the season and gave the Braves a 2-1 lead.That was all McGreevy allowed.He kept the game right there.The Cardinals just never responded.After Walker’s first-inning RBI single, St. Louis did not produce another hit. JJ Wetherholt walked in the third, but the Cardinals could not turn it into anything. The lineup struck out eight times, produced only two hits, and never forced the Braves to manage traffic for any extended stretch.That is not enough.Not against Atlanta.Not on the road.Not when the starting pitcher gives you six competitive innings and hands the game over with the deficit still sitting at one run.The Braves’ bullpen handled the middle innings cleanly. Dylan Dodd worked a scoreless sixth. Didier Fuentes followed with a scoreless seventh. By the time the Cardinals reached the eighth, the game was still within reach on the scoreboard, but it did not feel like St. Louis had enough offensive pulse to change it.Then the bottom of the eighth turned a close game into a comfortable Atlanta win.Justin Bruihl opened the inning and could not keep the deficit at one. The Braves put traffic on the bases, and Michael Harris II singled to center to score Baldwin, pushing Atlanta’s lead to 3-1. Mauricio Dubón followed with a sacrifice bunt that brought Albies home, stretching the lead to 4-1.Gordon Graceffo entered and could not completely stop the inning. Austin Riley singled to left, bringing home another run and making it 5-1.That was the meltdown.It was not one grand swing. It was traffic, pressure, poor execution, and a Braves club taking advantage of every extra chance. The Cardinals had spent seven innings trying to survive with a one-run offense. The eighth made that impossible.Atlanta finished with five runs on six hits. Albies did the heaviest damage, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBIs. Baldwin scored twice. Harris drove in a run. Dubón helped manufacture another. Riley added the final blow.The Braves did not need a huge offensive night.They just needed more than the Cardinals.That bar was not high.St. Louis finished with one run on two hits. Herrera had the double and scored the only run. Walker had the RBI single and also made the defensive play that cut down Albies in the first inning. Wetherholt drew the only walk. Everyone else went quiet.The middle of the order did not carry the offense.The bottom of the order did not extend innings.The Cardinals did not put together anything after the first inning.That is how a winnable game slips away.McGreevy deserved better. His line was strong enough to win with normal support. Six innings, three hits, two runs, one walk and three strikeouts should give a club a real chance. Instead, he was left trying to make one early run stand against a first-place team in its own ballpark.That is a bad way to live.The Cardinals have been here too often lately. Strong-enough starting pitching. Empty offensive innings. A late bullpen crack that makes the final score look more decisive than the game once felt.Wednesday fit that pattern almost perfectly.The series now sits even at one game apiece. The Cardinals won the opener behind Matthew Liberatore’s rebound start and a three-run homer from Nathan Church. They had a chance Wednesday to take control of the series, put pressure on Atlanta, and guarantee at least a road series win before Thursday’s finale.Instead, they are back to needing the rubber game.There is still a chance to leave Atlanta with a series victory.But the Cardinals will need more than two hits to do it.They will need more than one early run.They will need the bullpen to hold the line instead of turning tight games into uphill climbs.The pitching gave them a chance Wednesday night.The offense did not take it.The bullpen caved to give the Braves a win. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, game recaps and old-school baseball commentary: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Michael McGreevy, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Cardinals’ Offense No Show Again as Braves Even Series

The Cardinal Chronicle May Gets the Ball as Cardinals Look to Take Series in Atlanta St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals came to Atlanta with a chance to make something of this road series.Now they need to finish it.After splitting the first two games against the Braves at Truist Park, St. Louis returns Thursday night for the rubber game of the three-game set, looking to take the series and avoid letting another winnable road opportunity slip away.First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. CT, with right-hander Dustin May getting the ball for the Cardinals against Braves right-hander Hurston Waldrep.The Cardinals enter the finale at 44-39, while Atlanta comes in at 50-34 and still sits atop the National League East. The Braves had been scuffling before this series, but Wednesday night showed why a first-place club is never something to treat lightly. Atlanta beat St. Louis 5-1, evened the series, and reminded the Cardinals that one good opener does not carry over by itself.Tuesday belonged to St. Louis. Wednesday did not.In the opener, the Cardinals got a strong start from Matthew Liberatore, home runs from Nelson Velázquez and Nathan Church, and a 5-3 win that gave them a chance to grab control of the series. But in Game 2, the offense went quiet after the first inning. Iván Herrera doubled, Jordan Walker drove him in, and then Atlanta pitching shut the door.The Braves retired the final 20 Cardinals hitters.That is not a slump. That is a shutdown.Michael McGreevy deserved a better fate Wednesday. He gave the Cardinals six solid innings, allowing two runs on three hits, but the offense never gave him a second run to work with. Atlanta’s bullpen handled the rest, and the Braves added late insurance to turn a tight game into a 5-1 loss.Now May gets the chance to answer.May enters at 5-6 with a 4.30 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and 77 strikeouts. His season has had some uneven turns, and after recently having his schedule adjusted because of back tightness, this is an important start for more than one reason. The Cardinals need him healthy, but they also need him effective. This staff is thin enough that every stable outing matters.When May is right, he gives the Cardinals something different. The power sinker, cutter and heavy movement can keep hitters uncomfortable and produce the kind of contact a defense can handle. The key is command. If he is ahead in counts, he can attack. If he starts falling behind, Atlanta has enough bats to make the night long in a hurry.The assignment is straightforward.Give the Cardinals length. Keep the ball on the ground. Avoid free passes. Do not let the Braves’ middle order bat with traffic on the bases all night.That last part matters because Atlanta still has plenty of damage in the lineup. Ozzie Albies did the heavy lifting Wednesday with a double, a solo home run and two RBIs. Matt Olson remains the top power threat. Michael Harris II has been one of Atlanta’s most consistent bats. Austin Riley snapped an 0-for-17 skid with an RBI single Wednesday, and that is the kind of thing that can wake a hitter up if pitchers are not careful.Even with Ronald Acuña Jr. on the injured list, this lineup is not harmless.For St. Louis, the offensive approach against Waldrep has to be sharper than it was Wednesday. Waldrep comes in with limited big-league work this season, carrying a 0-0 record and a 0.00 ERA over two innings, but the small sample does not mean the Cardinals can sleepwalk into the matchup. Young pitchers can be wild, uncomfortable, fearless or all three. The Cardinals need to find out early.That means patience without passivity.Make Waldrep throw strikes. Make him work from the stretch. Make Atlanta’s defense handle the baseball. But when he gives the Cardinals something in the zone, they cannot let it pass by. After Wednesday’s final 20 hitters went down in order, St. Louis cannot afford another night of passive at-bats and empty innings.Walker remains the central power threat in the lineup, entering the finale with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs. His RBI single Wednesday gave the Cardinals their only run, but St. Louis needs more than one swing or one run from the middle of the order. Alec Burleson, Herrera, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Blaze Jordan, Jimmy Crooks and the rest of the lineup have to help lengthen the night.The Cardinals do not have to turn the finale into a slugfest.They do have to get traffic.The formula is not complicated. Get runners on base. Force Waldrep into stressful innings. Make the Braves use the bullpen earlier than they want. Give May a lead and let him work with it.That is how this series can still turn back toward St. Louis.The larger picture remains what it has been for weeks. The Cardinals are contenders because the standings say they are still in the fight. But they are flawed enough that games like this carry extra weight. They cannot keep wasting strong starts. They cannot keep letting the offense disappear for long stretches. They cannot keep asking the pitching staff to live on a one-run margin every night.Thursday gives them a clean chance to fix the tone before leaving Atlanta.Win, and the Cardinals take a road series from a first-place club. Lose, and the opener becomes a missed opportunity, and the road trip leaves another sour taste.That is the beauty and cruelty of a rubber game.Everything before it sets the stage.But the final game writes the line.May gets the ball. The Cardinals need the bats to show up behind him. And if St. Louis wants to leave Atlanta feeling like a contender, this is the kind of game it needs to win.Game Info Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves When: Thursday, July 2, 2026 First pitch: 6:15 p.m. CT / 7:15 p.m. ET Where: Truist Park, Atlanta Probable Pitchers: RHP Dustin May vs. RHP Hurston Waldrep May: 5-6, 4.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 77 SO Waldrep: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 SO Records: Cardinals 44-39; Braves 50-34 Broadcast: Cardinals.TV / BravesVision / MLB.TV The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals | AP Photo/Kayla Wolf

May Gets the Ball as Cardinals Look to Take Series in Atlanta

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle 

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle, Ray Mileur

The Cardinal Notebook

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Jack Marinez

MiLB Player of the Day: Joshua Báez

The Farm Report: A Clean Sweep Across the Board

Dustin May Avoids Major Injury, But Ankle Contusion Cloud...

Cardinals’ Offense No Show Again as Braves Even Series

May Gets the Ball as Cardinals Look to Take Series in Atl...