Manager Mike Matheny was fired the weekend before the All-Star break, and replaced with bench coach Mike Schildt. Schildt is 4-4 after taking over, essentially towing the status quo of this season.
However, the Cardinals achieved something earlier this week that has not happened in over 50 years, and it was thanks in part to two rookies.
Monday saw the Cards open a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, who have the best record of any last-place team currently in baseball. A major part of the Cardinals even-par performance this season is due to their starting rotation being obliterated by injury over the last couple of months.
Currently, Adam Wainwright (elbow inflammation), Michael Wacha (oblique strain), Carlos Martinez (also an oblique strain), and Alex Reyes (season-ending shoulder surgery) are all on the disabled list. “Waino” and Martinez have only recently started throwing again, trying to get back for the stretch run, if the Cardinals have any hopes of getting back into the NL Wild Card race. The Cardinals went from being seven games in front of fourth-place Pittsburgh on July 7, to 1.5 games behind as of today. This was partly due to the Pirates going on an 11-game winning streak, which was ended yesterday by the Cleveland Indians.
Daniel Poncedeleon got the call to make his major league debut against the Reds on Monday. Poncedeleon was called up to the Cardinals from AAA Memphis earlier this season, but was not used, and demoted back down to Memphis. The fact that the 26-year-old rookie was even in a uniform was amazing to begin with.
While pitching with the Redbirds on 7 May 2017 in a game against the AAA Iowa Cubs, Poncedeleon took a line drive off the temple by (now current) Cubs catcher Victor Cartilini. After being rushed to the hospital, surgery was performed to alleviate the bleeding on Poncedeleon’s brain. He remained in the hospital for three weeks, which included multiple visits by newfound friend Cartilini, and a fundraiser hosted by the Iowa Cubs to help alleviate medical expenses. Poncedeleon could not resume any baseball-related activities until August 2017.
He made the most of it on Monday.
Throwing 116 pitches, striking out two, and walking three, Daniel Poncedelon took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Unfortunately, the Cardinal bullpen imploded, as closer Bud Norris gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth, and the Reds walked-off with a 2-1 victory. It was Norris’ third blown save of the year, and the worst of the trio for wasting Poncedeleon’s gem.
Despite his outstanding effort, Poncedelon was sent back to Memphis to make a roster spot available for rookie starting pitcher Austin Gomber.
Gomber went 6 ⅓ innings, striking out six, and walking two over 90 pitches.
Notice there was also no mention of a hit in Gomber’s stat line?
Gomber carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning as well, when a fire alarm went off in Great American Ballpark. It took stadium officials more than seven minutes to reset the alarm, which turned out to kill any momentum Gomber had built. Joey Votto singled for the Reds as the next hitter after the play resumed, and Eugenio Suarez homered right behind Votto. Gomber went from no-no to being the pitcher in position to take the loss within 10 minutes.
Thankfully, Dexter Fowler rescued the Cardinals by hitting a two run homer in the top of the 11th, and the bullpen held for a 4-2 victory.
Gomber and Poncedeleon became the first pair of rookie teammates to carry no-hitters into the seventh inning on consecutive nights since 1964.
While Matheny remained loyal to oft-injured players like Wainwright, and overpaid offseason acquisition Miguel Ozuna (who right now could not hit is way out of the restroom), Shildt decided to give the rookies a chance, and came off smelling like a rose for the buzz his club got this week.
Regardless of how injured the Cardinal rotation is, you have to give kudos to Schildt and General Manager Michael Girsch for deciding to bring his prospects up while still heavily involved in a playoff run. The Cardinals are not catching either the Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, but something says making a debut like this will not affect either Gomber or Poncedeleon when the bright lights of October are on them either this or next fall.
-JC24