Cardinals-Cubs game on Fourth of July moved to Apple TV+ exclusive streaming: Media Views
The Fourth of July. Barbecue. Fireworks. Baseball. Those all-American traditions go hand in hand. It’s Independence Day, after all.
It also will be a day that Major League Baseball will be declaring its independence from some Cardinals and Cubs fans’ desire to watch the rivals play on one of the clubs’ familiar television outlets, as the game that day at Wrigley Field has been whisked off the teams’ television channels.
Instead, it will be exclusively streamed by Apple TV+.
The contest has been added by Apple as part of its season-long schedule of MLB games it streams on Fridays, with no local productions permitted — in the Cardinals’ case, not on FanDuel Sports Network, KMOV (Channel 4) or Matrix Midwest (Channel 32), as part of the fourth season of the MLB-Apple arrangement.
The package is dubbed “Friday Night Baseball,†but in this case, it will be a Friday afternoon matchup as the contest in Chicago is set to begin at 1:20 p.m.
While the Fourth of July move of the Cardinals-Cubs game to the subscription streaming service will go over like a wet bag of firecrackers to some of those teams’ fans who don’t subscribe to Apple TV+, it certainly won’t be the most aggravating Apple-only contest for Redbirds rooters. That came in 2022, when Apple exclusively had the game in which the Cards’ Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run to become just the fourth major leaguer to do so — after months of buildup and anticipation.
The Cardinals have two other streaming-only games through July. Their June 27 contest in Cleveland is in the Apple package, and their contest there two days later is in Roku’s Sunday lineup.
Free Birds
On the other end of the TV spectrum, the Cardinals have added a handful of over-the-air telecasts to their local broadcast package this season for the first time in 15 years, and that schedule now has been set through July.
Gray Media has a deal with the team to simulcast at least 10 contests that also are shown on FanDuel Sports Network, the club’s pay-television home. That makes those contests also available via “free TV†on KMOV (Channel 4) and/or Matrix Midwest (Channel 32) as well as on more than a dozen other stations in the Midwest.
Five have been carried thus far with there more now set to come, all on Fridays. Also, Fox (KTVI, Channel 2 locally) has one Cardinals game in July in its Saturday night broadcast package. The schedules:
June 20: 6:15 p.m. vs. Cincinnati, Matrix (32).
July 11: 7:15 p.m. vs. Atlanta. KMOV (4), Matrix (32).
July 18: 8:40 p.m. at Arizona, KMOV (4), Matrix (32).
July 19: 6:15 p.m. at Arizona, KTVI (2).
Football falloff
Last year, the Battlehawks, St. Louis’ entry in the United Football League, lost in the playoff semifinals, but the league nonetheless had awarded its championship game to the city based on its strong support of spring football.
The result was an announced attendance of 27,369 to see Birmingham beat San Antonio 25-0, with 2.1% of the St. Louis market tuning in to the telecast per viewership tracking firm Nielsen. The same situation occurred this month, with the B’hawks losing at home in the league semifinals but the title game nonetheless being played in the Dome at America’s Center. The result was significantly different. Announced attendance tumbled to 14,559 for DC’s 58-34 demolition of Michigan, and the St. Louis TV rating (on ABC, KDNL Channel 30 locally) slid to 0.5% of the market watching.
Local television viewership of the game fell far below a couple other nationally televised events from the area last weekend.
The IndyCar race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison (on Fox, Channel 2) was seen in 3.1% of the market, according to Nielsen. That far surpassed the rating the NASCAR race at the track last summer did (1.6 rating).
The City SC-Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer contest drew a 1.0 rating (also on Fox/Channel 2).
Columnist Lynn Worthy joined Jeff Gordon to discuss breakdowns with the relief corps and some outfield slumping.
Worthy: The Tampa Bay Rays staff a potential pitching roadmap for the Cardinals
Shane Baz has a fastball that averaged just shy of 97 mph, throws three different off-speed pitches and yet somehow doesn’t miss a lot of bats.
Who is Baz? Well, the 6-foot-3 right-hander and former first-round pick in the 2017 MLB draft pitches for the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s part of the five-man rotation that, so far this season, has found upper-level success with lower levels of swing-and-miss in this strikeout-driven era in the major leagues.
The Rays rotation, which boasts five starters who’ve made at least 14 starts, don’t have a single starter with a strikeout rate higher than 24%. By comparison, the Houston Astros rotation features four starters (at least nine starts) with a strikeout rate of 24% or higher.
If you haven’t already connected the dots yourself, the Rays and their rotation are an example of a team that trades punches with baseball’s big boys despite a similar type of rotation as the Cardinals this season.
The Rays’ success lets us all know that strikeout-heavy starters, while a definite benefit, aren’t required to compete. At least not required as much as strikeout “stuff†late in games.
The Rays’ example also shows us that finding reliable relief pitchers with the ability to attack the zone with swing-and-miss stuff might be one of the most important things the Cardinals do this season.
The Cardinals’ last homestand, particularly the series against the Toronto Blue Jays, underscored the heavy reliance on pitch-to-contact starters such as Andre Pallante, Miles Mikolas and Matthew Liberatore.
The Blue Jays collected 40 hits on that three-game sweep of the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Each time a line drive off the bat of a Blue Jays hitter smacked a patch of green grass or a ground ball with eyes found its way through the Cardinals infield defense, the drumbeat got louder. The importance of swing-and-miss stuff seemingly grew with each hit.
Any astute baseball follower knows, the most surefire way for a pitcher to work around having men on base is via strikeouts.
When the ball isn’t put in play because of strikeouts, that also means you’re collecting outs, not giving up hits and runners aren’t advancing or scoring.
When the opposition puts the bat on the ball, the likelihood of hits, productive outs and fielding misplays goes up.
You only need recall the fourth inning in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox.
Cardinals starter Erick Fedde got within an out of escaping the inning with a one-run lead intact. His strikeout of Ryan Noda put him in that position. However, Josh Rojas whacked a ball back up the middle that shortstop Masyn Winn gloved on the outfield grass, but his low throw allowed Rojas to reach base, the tying run to score and extended the inning.
Strikeouts take that sort of thing off the table.
Of the Cardinals starting pitchers, only Sonny Gray has logged better than a strikeout per inning this season (9.6 per nine innings). His strikeout rate of 26.1% puts him well ahead of Liberatore (20.1%) for the lead. Steven Matz actually showed the most swing-and-miss ability in his two starts, but he’s since shifted to a jack-of-all-trades role out of the bullpen.
Which brings us back to the Rays and their contact-heavy starting rotation, who entered Thursday in second place in the American League East and the fourth-best record in the AL.
All the Rays have done, since the start of May, has been go 27-17 with a starting staff that doesn’t miss bats.
The Rays also led the majors in innings pitched by their rotation (418 2/3) while the Cardinals ranked seventh (401 2/3 in one fewer game).
Rays starters ranked among the bottom third (23rd overall) in the majors in strikeouts per nine innings (7.70), a little bit ahead of the Cardinals (27th, 7.10), but that hasn’t sunk them.
With pitchers like Drew Rasmussen (50% ground-ball rate), Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell and Baz, the Rays don’t have an All-Star selection between the five of them. They don’t have a household name, no Paul Skenes. Yet their staff has allowed the seventh-fewest runs in the big leagues this season.
That success comes in no small part because the Rays have put together one of the stingiest bullpens in the big leagues (3.02 ERA, second-best in MLB). The Rays don’t have the nastiest bullpen corps as far as racking up strikeouts — they’re ranked 15th in strikeouts per nine — but they’ve been considerably better than the 30th-ranked Cardinals.
What’s more, none of the Cardinals’ three biggest strikeout threats out of the bullpen — Phil Maton (11.6 strikeouts per nine), Ryan Helsley (10.8) and Matz (7.8) — are under contract past this season.
Not only may the Cardinals have to replace all of them after this season, but they could all also be trade candidates in a little more than a month.
Sorting through the viability of relievers such as Riley O’Brien, Gordon Graceffo, Chris Roycroft, Matt Svanson, Andre Granillo, Roddery Munoz and Ryan Fernandez could become paramount by the end of this season. Finding out what they have in that regard would fit with the theme of this season.
The Rays are proving that a cadre of pitch-to-contact starters, the type the Cardinals traditionally have leaned on in the past, can still anchor a playoff-caliber team. But pairing that with a lack of swing-and-miss from the bullpen isn’t a viable formula.
Of all the Cardinals outfielders on the ‘runway,’ why it’s Alec Burleson who’s taking off
CHICAGO — During a four-game visit to Cincinnati that ended as May began, Alec Burleson had zero hits, plenty of questions, and one invitation.
A few members of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ing staff and manager Oliver Marmol asked him one evening to grab a drink with them, right there at the hotel. Pull up a chair. Enjoy the company. The manager would say later that alleviating the pressure accumulating on a player can “start sometimes just by grabbing a beer together.†The specific beverage was not as important as the conversation, which strayed away from baseball. Burleson described it “as just people talking on a personal level†and how much that meant to him.
A ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ said it was a shared chance to be “human.â€
“It’s nice to connect outside of the baseball field, and sometimes it’s just as important,†said bench ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Daniel Descalso early Thursday morning when asked about that evening Burleson had with him and others in Cincinnati. “I think that’s part of the job in today’s game — to relate to the player and let them know they’re more than just a numbers in the lineup.â€
What’s followed has everything to do with the names now in that lineup.
The Cardinals’ Alec Burleson celebrates after drawing a walk against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Busch Stadium.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
Burleson emerged steadily in the weeks that followed Cincinnati — a hit here, an extra-base pop there — and by June he’s been gangbusters. Within an eventful doubleheader sweep Thursday at Rate Field against the White Sox, Burleson had four hits total and a three-run homer in the evening game. In June, he’s batting .400 (24-for-60), and since that conversation away from the field in Cincinnati he’s batting .352 and slugging .576 in his past 125 at-bats.
As clear as the doubleheader’s lineups that had him batting No. 3 in each game Thursday, Burleson has rewritten the Cardinals’ “runway†plans with his takeoff, and playing time for others is adjusting around him.
“Continuing to find out about him is important,†Marmol said.
As the Cardinals return home for a revealing home stand against Cincinnati and the Cubs, Burleson has become a fixture in the lineup, which often means starting in the outfield. That puts the squeeze on starts for Jordan Walker as it has since his return from the injured list. Or if Burleson is at designated hitter then it’s trickier to get Nolan Gorman at-bats unless Ivan Herrera catches. The only solution to fit all of the young hitters into the lineup — or onto the “runway,†as the Cardinals call it this season — is to start more than nine players, something that MLB rules, to date, do not permit.
“I don’t think there’s a stock answer or an easy answer,†Marmol said in his office this week. “I think it’s actually fairly difficult, but certain guys are playing well, and I think when you’re trying to find out about what guys are capable of, it’s not just one bucket of players. You’re trying to find out what you have in general. And when certain guys are playing well, reward them and allow them to continue to show they can hold onto that for a period of time. It’s not as easy as running certain guys out there regardless of performance.â€
Marmol agreed that Burleson has forced the choices and raised the organization’s view of his ceiling in the process.
For Burleson, 26, that’s been his career curve.
“I feel like I’ve had to prove throughout my time in the big leagues, and each year it’s been different what I’ve had to prove,†Burleson said. “This year, it’s been prove that I can hit lefties. Last year, it was just prove that I can hit at this level. So, it’s something that I’ve always felt like I’ve had to prove to people.â€
Referring back to their conversation in Cincinnati, Descalso added: “We get it. We’ve been there. I’ve been there in that spot where you’re trying to carve out a role for yourself but you also want to be a winning player on a winning team and you try to balance all of it while not always playing. It’s not easy to do.â€
There was little doubt that the Cardinals’ 2020 draft pick would be able to make contact in the majors. Burleson has a knack for reaching pitches throughout the strike zone and around it — and putting the ball in play. It’s a skill the Cardinals have worked with him on maximizing but getting more comfortable looking for pitches to drive early in the count and trusting his ability to make contact with two strikes.
The Cardinals’ Alec Burleson celebrates after hitting a double in the eighth inning against the Diamondbacks on Saturday May 24, 2025, in St. Louis.
Joe Puetz, Associated Press
At the ballpark, it’s been the conversation around Burleson for several years — could he be more selective with his swings early, take more aggressive swings early, and play for power while going for contact in two-strike situations.
He could hit for average. Could he up the damage?
“I know it has something to do with the swing,†Burleson said. “I know it has something to do with pitch selection, approach. It kind of all goes hand in hand. I just had time to redefine that and — I don’t want to say perfect it, because I’ll perfect it. But I’m getting better at it. I definitely feel like I’m slugging differently this year than last year.
“Not chasing results,†he concluded, “but hopefully getting to a place where I get results.â€
Burleson described it once as “earning a pitch to hit.â€
That’s the conversation that Marmol overhears between Burleson and the hitting ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥es. In the Cardinals’ victory Tuesday against the White Sox, Burleson told ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Brant Brown that he didn’t want to “swing under this guy†and that if he “swung at the top of the zone or above the zone, I’m going to be OK.†Burleson’s plan was to miss up, and when he got a pitch way, way up, he was ready and drove it. Burleson went 3 for 5 Tuesday, 7 for 13 in the series sweep, and each pitch he hit he could trace back to how he earned it. He counted on a fastball after driving two off-speed pitches.
Similarly, he’s earning the playing time by what he’s produced during that playing time, and the more playing time is giving him the experience do produce more.
And that playing time has come against lefties.
Entering the doubleheader Thursday, Burleson had seven hits in his previous 14 at-bats against left-handed pitchers. It’s a limited sample size, but it’s a sign of more opportunity.
Burleson fielded a question on past struggles vs. lefties with bluntness.
“It’s the truth,†Burleson said. “That’s what has kind of kept me out from being an everyday guy is my production against lefties. That’s an area where I need to be better, and I feel like I’ve kind of made progress in that aspect of it.
“I’m probably more homed-in on those at-bats than I am against righties,†he said, laughing. “Which is probably not good.â€
What evolved from more looks at lefties and more starters overall during the seven-game road trip was a significant part of the Cardinals’ doubleheader sweep of the White Sox. Marmol has said Burleson hit his way into the everyday lineup, and that he likes the look of left-handed Burleson beside right-handed Willson Contreras.
In 5-4 first game victory of the doubleheader, Contreras crushed a two-run homer into the wind that tied the game as a prelude to Yohel Pozo’s pinch-hit, RBI single. In the second game — an 8-6 victory in extra innings — Burleson drove an opposite-field home run for three RBIs that erased an 0-1 deficit. Nolan Arenado followed with a solo shot for his 350th career homer and the Cardinals’ first back-to-back homers since April. Combined in the doubleheader, Burleson and Contreras went 6 for 15 and slugged .800 with eight RBIs.
Burleson had four of the hits. Contreras had five of the RBIs.
“Two scary at-bats right now, right?†Marmol said late Thursday. “They can beat you a lot of different ways. They can shoot you the other way and drive in a couple of runs that way. They can leave the yard. It’s just a very tough at-bat. Both of them are in a really good spot.â€
For Burleson, that spot is the lineup.
Regardless of where the conversation takes place, Burleson has been consistent when it turns to baseball and what he’s been striving for: giving the manager every reason to keep him in the lineup and fewer to write him out.
“I think I’m a better hitter this year — which is contributing to more slug,†Burleson said. “It’s not that I didn’t have an approach before. But I have a better understanding of what my approach is. I’m able to use that to my advantage.â€
With a solo homer, Arenado became the seventh player in history with 350 homers and 10 Gold Gloves. Five others are in the Hall of Fame; the sixth will be.
A five-run lead vanishes in the vapor trail of a grand slam, but Cardinals, led by Nolan Arenado's historic homer and presence in 10th, win 8-6 to sweep White Sox.
Photos: Cardinals win second game of doubleheader vs. White Sox
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras runs after hitting a two-run double during the fourth inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy, right, throws out Chicago White Sox's Michael A. Taylor, left, at first base during the second inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado swings strikes out swinging during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
The Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman (16) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a two-run double by Willson Contreras during the fourth inning on the second game of a doubleheader against the White Sox on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Chicago.
Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press
Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable, second from left, talks to players during the fourth inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras hits a two-run double during the fourth inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Vasil throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Ryan Noda, right, celebrates with third base ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Justin Jirschele, left, after hitting a solo home run during the second inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Ryan Noda hits a solo home run during the second inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable, left, watches players during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi hits a single during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado looks to the field from the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the third inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Alec Burleson hits a single during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Vasil throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi, right, celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker scores on a one-run single by Nolan Arenado during the 10th inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker (18) celebrates with teammates after scoring on a one-run single by Nolan Arenado during the 10th inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker scores on a one-run single by Nolan Arenado during the 10th inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker scores on a one-run single by Nolan Arenado during the 10th inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado hits a one-run single during the 10th inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker scores on a one-run single by Nolan Arenado during the 10th inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Dan Altavilla looks at the scoreboard after St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar hit a solo home run during the 10th inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Columnist Lynn Worthy joined Jeff Gordon to discuss breakdowns with the relief corps and some outfield slumping.
Nolan Arenado's 350th homer puts him in a golden group bronzed in Cooperstown: Cardinals Extra
The Cardinals Nolan Arenado, left, is congratulated by manager Oliver Marmol in the dugout after the third baseman hit a solo home run, the 350th home run of his career, in the third inning of the second game of a doubleheader against the White Sox on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Chicago.
Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press
CHICAGO — With a swing of his bat, Nolan Arenado joined an exclusive and illustrious group also known for their gloves.
As part of a back-to-back set of home runs in the evening half of Thursday’s doubleheader, Arenado hit the 350th home run of his career. He is one of seven players in major league history with at least 350 homers and at least 10 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, and he and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt are the only infielders in the group.
The Cardinals held a clubhouse gathering after their doubleheader sweep Thursday to celebrate Arenado's accomplishment as a group.
"It’s a great accomplishment," Arenado said after late Thursday after the game. "I thank God that I’ve been healthy enough to play and post and go out there and accomplish it. It’s a really cool thing. As I was running the bases, I was actually thinking about Albert (Pujols') 700th home run and how insane that is that he he was able to do that. This is my road. And I’m thankful for my teammates, for anyone who has helped me accomplish it."
In the first game of the doubleheader — a 5-4 win by the Cardinals — Arenado tagged a ball that was caught at the left field wall. In his second at-bat of the second game, he jumped on a sweeper and sent it 385 feet into the seats. Arenado’s ninth homer of the season was a solo shot that followed Alec Burleson’s three-run shot in the third inning. In the 10th, Arenado's RBI single brought home the deciding run in an 8-6 win to sweep the series.
Arenado joins Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds and his former teammate Paul Goldschmidt as the only five players to hit their Nos. 250, 300 and 350 career homers while wearing a Cardinals jersey.
The other five players with at least 10 Gold Gloves and 350 home runs are: catcher Johnny Bench and outfielders Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Al Kaline and Andruw Jones. All of them save for Jones have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. And if voting trends hold for Jones, he’ll be elected imminently, possibly as early as this offseason. Jones received 66.2% of the vote this past year and needs 75% for induction.
After the game, outfielder Lars Nootbaar read the list of players Arenado joined to Arenado.
"When you realize the name you hear about it’s pretty crazy," Arenado said. "It hasn’t hit me quite yet."
Arenado is the 11th everyday third baseman to reach 350 home runs.
An eight-time All-Star, Arenado is the only player other than Ichiro Suzuki to win 10 Gold Gloves in his first 10 years. Winning an 11th at third base would vault Arenado ahead of Schmidt and behind only Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, who has 16.
With two more doubles, Arenado will reach 400 in his career and join a group of third baseman with 350 homers and 400 doubles that only includes Hall of Famers Chipper Jones, Schmidt, Adrian Beltre and also Aramis Ramirez and former Cardinal Gary Gaetti.
Two more home runs would put Arenado in the top 100 all time.
Why delay Gray’s start?
The Cardinals opted to nudge Sonny Gray’s scheduled start against the White Sox back several days due to the right-hander’s routine, and deep into it he got Wednesday before the official postponement.
Instead of against the White Sox, Gray will start Saturday against Cincinnati, and the rotation will shift around him. The assignment assures Gray will get home starts against the Reds and Cubs in the next week, and it also freed him up for a bullpen session Thursday morning at Rate Field. Giving him Saturday’s game instead of Friday’s series opener allowed the bullpen session.
“The way he ramps up,†Marmol said, “pushing him is not ideal.â€
Andre Pallante will remain on turn to start Friday’s game. Miles Mikolas will shift to Sunday. That puts Matthew Liberatore and Erick Fedde as the first two starts for the Cubs’ four-game visit. The Cardinals have planned to use sixth starter Michael McGreevy on June 24, but Gray’s shifting schedule may adjust that too.
McGreevy started the evening game Thursday as the Cardinals’ 27th man.
4-K Matz joins Gibson’s feat
With four strikeouts in the sixth inning of Thursday’s afternoon game, Steven Matz pulled off a feat done only once before by a Cardinals pitcher on the road.
Hall of Famer Bob Gibson struck out four batters in the fourth inning of a game at Pittsburgh on June 7, 1966. Gibson struck out 12 total that day in seven innings of a loss to the Pirates. In an eventful fourth inning, Gibson struck out the first two batters. He walked Donn Clendenon, then struck out Bill Mazeroski, but because of a wild pitch, the inning wasn’t over and two Bucs were on base. The inning would also feature two steals.
Gibson struck out Don Cardwell to end the inning without giving up a run.
Matz struck out the first batter of the inning, but when a wild pitch got away, that put a leadoff runner on. Matz did not get a strike call on Michael A. Taylor before allowing a two-run homer to him, meaning the lefty arguably struck out five in the inning. Matz then spun the final two batters of the inning to end it.
“It’s a cool thing to have,†starter Erick Fedde said between halves of the doubleheader. “It’s fun to say. When we’re all done playing, we’ll look back on things, and he’ll say, ‘Yeah, I struck out four people in an inning.’â€
Bunking with Brewers
The rainout Wednesday meant more time for the Cardinals at the team’s downtown hotel, where they had unlikely neighbors — the Milwaukee Brewers. Fresh off their four-game series against each other in Wisconsin, the Brewers and Cardinals each bused to Chicago to face the Cubs and White Sox, respectively. That put the division rivals in the same hotel for three days, including one with no games due to rainouts.
The Contreras brothers, Willson and William, were in the same hotel, and several Cardinals said they did see the Brewers around.
Helsley zips to 14th save
On the final day of the road trip, closer Ryan Helsley had his sharpest outing in weeks. Helsley pitched a perfect ninth on 10 pitches in Game 1 of the doubleheader to secure his 14th save of the season. He returns to Busch for this weekend series having blown three saves during the previous homestand. Helsley whipsawed through the ninth Thursday in familiar fashion — throwing his slider more often than his fastball and elevating the fastball to 101 mph when needed.
He struck out one and got two groundouts.
“He knows what gives him success, and there are some outings he’s gotten beat and then there’s some randomness,†Marmol said. “What we saw is that quick (outing): did what he wanted with the ball, was able to spin it when needed, attack with the fastball. Good to see.â€
Doubleheader superlatives
The Cardinals have played in six of the 17 total doubleheaders in the majors this season and no other team has played in more than three.
They are the third team in the past four decades to play six doubleheaders before the 75th game of the season, joining the 2022 Guardians and 2021 Mets, according to research by Elias.
The last time the Cardinals and White Sox played a doubleheader was August 15, 2020 — a significant date in recent Cardinals history. That was their return to play from a 17-day quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cardinals swept the doubleheader, and making their major league debuts that day were Dylan Carlson, Max Schrock and Jake Woodford.
Yohel Pozo's 2-out pinch-hit RBI saves Cardinals from missed chances, upends White Sox
Cardinals pinch hitter Yohel Pozo celebrates as he heads to first base after hitting an RBI single in the eighth inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the White Sox on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Chicago.
Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press
CHICAGO — With several squandered opportunities left abandoned or dismantled behind them Thursday afternoon, the Cardinals kept creating them until they capitalized.
Willson Contreras continued his eventful road trip with a timely two-run homer that pierced the gusting-in wind and tied the first game of the Cardinals’ doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. But to take the lead, the Cardinals had to exploit an eighth-inning error and wild pitch in a way they didn’t earlier in the game, and they got one out away from missing this one too.
Pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo roped a two-out RBI single to left field that brought home the runner who reached on the error, Nolan Gorman.
That was the difference in a 5-4 win littered with potholes, missed chances, and three fly balls caught in the wind before they were caught near the wall.
Closer Ryan Helsley pitched a perfect ninth inning to secure his 14th save, and he got the final out just under the wire of a three-hour game. Contreras’ clutch homer in the eighth, Pozo’s pinch hit and Helsley’s finishing touch put the Cardinals in position to sweep the series with a win in Thursday evening’s conclusion of the doubleheader.
The Cardinals were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position in the game and the one hit was Pozo’s.
“There were some opportunities to score and break that game open a little early,†manager Oliver Marmol said. “Unfortunately we weren’t able to. I do like some of the swings we took. We weren’t rewarded for them, but still came out with a win.â€
Cardinals starter Erick Fedde limited his former team to two runs in five innings, though his outing was complicated by the defense behind him. The Sox took the lead with Michael A. Taylor’s two-run homer in the sixth inning, but true to the nature of the day’s afternoon game, the runs came in a rare four-strikeout inning by reliever Steven Matz.
Missed opportunities galore
The Cardinals set a tone right from the beginning, just not one they wanted.
In the top of the first inning, the first three Cardinals to appear all reached base safely. By the time cleanup hitter Contreras came to the plate, the bases were loaded on Sox starter Sean Burke, and he’d yet to record out.
From this bountiful opportunity, the Cardinals squeezed one run.
Contreras hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Masyn Winn, and the inning petered out from there.
Burke struck out Nolan Gorman to regain a hold on the inning.
Nolan Arenado stung a deep drive that was caught in left field.
Other opportunities would also be missed. In the fifth inning, Jordan Walker drilled a liner to left field that exited his bat at 113 mph. Walker broke from the box as if the ball was going to be caught. When Taylor did not make the catch and the ball reached the wall, Walker settled for a single instead of the gift double. That inning fizzled on two strikeouts.
In the sixth, a rarity from the White Sox helped the Cardinals tie the game (see below), but there was much more to be had for the Cardinals.
Much more, like, a lead.
Ivan Herrera opened with a leadoff single, and Alec Burleson followed with a 10-pitch at-bat that ended with a catcher’s interference. That helped chase Burke from the game and put the strategic matchups in motion. The Sox opted to walk Arenado and load the bases to get lefty Brandon Eisert against Lars Nootbaar. The walk put Eisert against right-handed hitter Walker. Eisert took Walker to a full count and then dropped a change-up.
Walker froze for a called strike three that ended the inning.
Through six innings, the Cardinals stranded six runners, three in scoring position.
Error, pinball adds up vs. Fedde
In his return to the South Side to face the team that gave him a chance coming back from Korea and starring in the KBP, Fedde held the White Sox to one earned run on six hits through five innings. He searched for his sweeping slider all game and worked through the bottom of the order to limit any trouble caused by the top of the order. Fedde came his sweeper had a “regression†from how it felt earlier on the road trip.
The Cardinals right-hander did not leave with the lead because of mishaps behind him.
Back-to-back singles opened the fourth inning for the Sox, and still Fedde had a chance to escape thanks to a strikeout he got with a series of cutters.
The combination of Luis Robert Jr. bunting to assure he and his .190 average moved runners over and the cutter-K of Ryan Noda opened the chance for Fedde to slip loose of the jam without allowing a run. He even got the ground ball to do it. It came right back at him and then over second base, where Winn snagged it.
Teammate Gorman hit the deck to clear the angle for a throw.
Winn’s throw was low, and Contreras’ reach was not enough to make the dig.
That play allowed the tying run to score. An inning later, Andrew Benintendi pulled a ball down into the right field corner for a certain double. The ball skittered in the corner enough that Walker had to pause, and that gave Benintendi time to stretch for a triple. He scored on a Miguel Vargas’ RBI single.
The RBI was Vargas’ team-high 32nd. He came to the Sox in last July’s three-team deal that sent Tommy Edman to the Dodgers and brought Fedde to the Cardinals.
Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley (56) celebrates with catcher Ivan Herrera, right, after they defeated the White Sox in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Chicago.
Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press
Rare walk knots score
The strategy was sound, even as it loaded the bases against them.
By intentionally walking Arenado so that Eisert could face Nootbaar, the White Sox put a reliever who determinedly does not walk left-handed batters against a left-handed batter who, at his best, is one of the leaders at earning walks.
Eisert had yet to walk a left-handed batter this season.
His 57th and 58th plate appearance against a lefty without allowing a walk came in the sixth inning, and stretching back to last season, his first in the majors, Eisert had walked only one left-handed batter in 69 plate appearances.
His first three pitches to Nootbaar were balls.
His fifth was, too, to walk his first left-handed batter and, as a bonus, make sure it pushed home the game-tying run. Nootbaar’s bases-loaded RBI walk leveled the game 1-1 in the sixth.
That tie did not weather the bottom of the inning.
Rarer inning unties score
For reliever Matz, the sixth inning will be reflected as a four-strikeout inning and only the second ever by a Cardinal on the road. He joins Bob Gibson, who had a four-strikeout inning on June 7, 1966, per MLB researcher Sarah Langs.
It will also be one where Matz allowed two runs.
The curious combination of numbers in his pitching line hinged around a wild pitch that allowed a strikeout to not include the out part. Pinch hitter Lenyn Sosa led off the inning, and Matz struck him out quickly. But the third strike evaded catcher Herrera, and that allowed Sosa to reach base on a wild pitch. Matz struck out three of the next four batters he faced. The one he did not, Taylor, hit a two-run homer to thrust the Sox into a 4-2 lead.
Matz appeared to get a strike 3 on Taylor that was called ball, so the lefty arguably had a fifth strikeout of the inning.
Both of the runs were earned, and those would be the only runs against Matz in 1 2/3 innings.
Photos: Cardinals rally to win first game of doubleheader at White Sox
Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth, right, steals second base as St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman waits for the ball during the first inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde, right, talks with catcher Iván Herrera during the fourth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Michael A. Taylor hits a two-run home run during the sixth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Michael A. Taylor, left, celebrates with first base ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Jason Bourgeois after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Michael A. Taylor rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. bunts during the fourth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi hits a triple during the fifth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi runs after hitting a triple during the fifth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas, right, celebrates with first base ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Jason Bourgeois after hitting a one-run single during the fifth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas hits a one-run single during the fifth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
MYA throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the first baseball game of a doubleheader between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras hits a sacrifice fly to Chicago White Sox left fielder Michael A. Taylor during the first inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth, right, steals second base as St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman waits for the ball during the first inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera, left, celebrates with first baseman Willson Contreras after the Cardinals defeated the Chicago White Sox in the first baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Josh Rojas, right, returns a ball he autographed to a fan before the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Spectators are reflected in a Chicago White Sox security guard's sunglasses as they stand during the national anthem before the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth reacts after striking out swinging during the ninth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Yohel Pozo hits a one-run single during the eighth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Cam Booser kicks the mound after St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar walked during the eighth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, left, talks with relief pitcher Cam Booser during the eighth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Steven Matz tosses the rosin bag during the sixth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Yohel Pozo hits a one-run single during the eighth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Nam Y. Huh - AP
Cardinals biggest showdown isn't vs. Cubs, it's with themselves: Annual Flag Day episode
CHICAGO — Two showdowns loom for the Cardinals in the coming weeks. First, they face the division-leading Chicago Cubs for the first time with a four-game series at Busch Stadium..
Second, they face themselves at the trade deadline.
Hall of Fame broadcaster and fixture on Cardinals' radio Mike Claiborne joins the Best Podcast in Baseball for his annual appearance around Flag Day. Claiborne has long argued that Flag Day is the first day to check the standings are start making plans on what kind of team the Cardinals are going to be. This year's time might take a little longer, but Claiborne tells baseball writer and BPIB host Derrick Goold what he already knows about the 2025 'transition' club.
Claiborne and Goold also discuss what the Cardinal can aim to get in return at the trade deadline if the upcoming series against the Cubs point them in the direction of selling.
That is if they can fight their tendency for straddling the fence -- never all-in and hesitant to drop out.
The podcast was recorded on the South Side of Chicago at Rate Field before another postponed game due to rain forced the Cardinals into their sixth doubleheader of the season.
In its 13th season as one of the most-popular and longest-running Cardinals-centric podcasts, the Best Podcast in Baseball is sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis. BPIB is a production of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, , and Derrick Goold.
While pitching injuries proliferate around the majors, the Cardinals do not have an MLB pitcher on the IL. They credit luck and scheduling that began months ago.
“I guess, there’s always a first time for everything,†Contreras said.
Ten Hochman: Oscar Taveras would’ve been 33 today. Remembering Cardinals’ top prospect
Hochman: Ron Taylor, Cardinals’ unsung hero of 1964 World Series, has unique MLB legacy
Former Cardinals pitcher Ron Taylor and other members of the 1964 World Series champion team are introduced before a game against the Yankees on Monday, May 26, 2014, at Busch Stadium.Â
Post-Dispatch photo
Just as it started, it appeared over.
Down 3-0 in the first inning, the Cardinals looked like they’d go down 3-1.
World Series, 1964. Game 4.
But Ken Boyer, the great captain, hit a grand slam. St. Louis suddenly led, 4-3, in the sixth inning.
And into the game — and into your life — came Ron Taylor.
The Redbird reliever hadn’t thrown all series, but he proceeded to pitch the four final innings of Game 4. Didn’t allow a run. Or even a hit.
He earned the four-inning save in the 4-3 win. In many ways, he helped save the season.
With the World Series tied, the Cardinals then won Game 5 in New York ... and, ultimately, Game 7 in St. Louis.
Ronald Wesley Taylor died this week. He was 87. Of the 38 men to play in 1964 for the famed Cardinals club, only 15 remain.
Taylor was an unsung hero in the World Series for the 1964 Cards — and then again for the ’69 Mets. He first earned a relief win in the National League Championship series for New York and then, against the overpowering Orioles in the World Series, didn’t allow a run in two relief appearances, while earning a save in Game 2.
But beyond his rings, his legacy in baseball in unique.
“He was our team doctor the eight years I was there in Toronto — and he was a super, super individual,†said Tom Henke, a former Cardinals and Blue Jays closer, by phone from his home near Jefferson City. “You know, when I first met him, I didn’t realize he was a ballplayer. I thought he was just a doctor. And then I thought — Ron Taylor, that name sure sounds familiar. I did a little more research, and then I found out. Because you would have never known — he never said anything about it when he was around the ball club.â€
From 1979 to 2014, Dr. Taylor served as the Blue Jays’ official team physician. He was on staff for the World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. He earned the wonderful — and one-of-a-kind — nickname of “Dr. Baseball.†He’s believed to be the only former Major League Baseball player to serve as a Major League Baseball team doctor.
“He did an absolutely wonderful job for the Blue Jays the whole time I was there,†Henke said. “And he was very pleasant, very quiet, kind of humble guy. You almost had to drag words out of him sometimes.â€
Taylor was a Toronto native — in 1985, the sinkerballer was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame — and enshrined in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. According to his SABR biography, he was inducted into the Order of Ontario by Lt. Gov. James K. Bartleman for his work in medicine in 2006.
In interviews over the years, Taylor explained that two Mets offseason trips to visit troops in Vietnam sparked his fascination with medicine and patient care. He played in the majors from 1962-72, amassing 74 saves and a 3.93 ERA in his exactly 800 career innings (491 games with 17 starts). Upon retirement, he enrolled in the medical school at the University of Toronto.
Most fans in the Blue Jays ecosystem already knew of Ron Taylor, but many within the Cardinals’ might only learn of Taylor upon his death. His legacy is similar to that of Carl Warwick, who reached base in his first four pinch-hit appearances in the 1964 World Series. One of his pinch hits happened, wouldn’t you know, in the sixth inning of Game 4. He led off with a single ... and scored on the Boyer grand slam. Warwick passed away in April at 88.
But these men are forever nuggets in history, figurative little diamonds upon the World Series ring.
During the 1964 series, Taylor took up yet another vocation — sportswriter. He penned diary-like pieces for the Toronto Star.
Of his four innings pitched in Game 4, he wrote: “I think it was the greatest thrill of my career. ... When Carl Warwick pinch hit for pitcher Roger Craig in the sixth, the phone rang in the bullpen and pitching ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Howie Pollet turned to me and said: ‘You’re in there.’ I didn’t even see Ken Boyer’s homer because I was warming up. ...
“I’m glad they don’t have a car or a motor scooter to bring you in from the bullpen (at Yankee Stadium). The long walk in gives you a chance to get the feeling of the game. ... I think the key play for me was on Roger Maris in the eighth. (Shortstop) Dick Groat reacted so quickly and got the ball which just ticked my glove. With Mickey Mantle coming up next, it would’ve been a much tougher situation. ...
“My mother and father were there from Toronto, and my wife, but the only thing I was thinking about was winning the game until Timmy McCarver ran out to congratulate me after the final out. ... Craig and I have lockers side-by-side and the reporters were swarming all over. It’s the first time in the series anybody has been talking to us. Somebody even asked me if I was related to E.P. Taylor, who owns Northern Dancer. But I’m not. He’s the wealthy one.â€
Earlier in 1964, Northern Dancer was the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby.
And after Game 4, the legendary Bob Broeg wrote on these pages about Taylor’s final four innings: “He’s the greatest stretch runner to come out of Canada since Northern Dancer.â€
