Graceffo debuts, but Cards outslugged by Reds

06/29/2024 05:42 PM

Yesterday, I wrote about how the Cardinals really needed to win their series this weekend against the Reds. Cincinnati came in reeling and the Cardinals had a great opportunity to kick them while they were down.

Unfortunately, a series win is no longer possible. As was the case in the first game, the Cardinals were completely outslugged by the Reds. Sonny Gray was off today and didn't even make it through five innings.

There were a few positives. Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run and Michael Siani, Matt Carpenter, and Nolan Gorman each drove in a run. But it wasn't enough.

This is the frustrating part about this team. They can beat a good team but fail to take care of business against teams like the Reds, Marlins, Rockies, and White Sox, and it's why I'm still finding it hard to take this club seriously. The Cardinals should never be fighting to just secure a split against these teams, but here we are. Let's break this one down.

India continues to cook Cardinals

Unfortunately, the Cardinals still don't seem to have an answer for Jonathan India. He had two doubles and drove in a run on each of them. Stuart Fairchild also had a solid game, but it's India who has given the Cardinals fits over the past four seasons.

If the Cardinals want to bounce back tomorrow behind Lance Lynn, they'll need him to control India. He's just one of those guys that has turned into a Cardinal killer, much like Ian Happ. He's had a big series and is somebody they need to get under control.

Not Sonny in St. Louis

The weather was, for all intents and purposes, "Sonny." But in terms of Sonny's outing, it was rather Gray. Sorry for the bad pun.

To be fair, he should've been out of the fifth with a double play and just two runs allowed, but Nolan Arenado's error kept the inning alive, and the Reds piled on six more runs while also finding a weak spot with John King. Only three of Gray's runs were earned.

But still, Gray wasn't himself today. He had been pitching really well over his past few starts, so it was a little disappointing to see after he had made such progress. I do think this is just going to be a blip on the radar screen though. He wasn't good today, but he's made a ton of progress after a bad stretch, and he even struck out six batters. The seven hits allowed and Arenado's error really spoiled the day for him.

Graceffo debuts

The highlight of the game was Gordon Graceffo. After King recorded only one out, St. Louis turned to the hard-throwing right-hander, and he did not disappoint.

It was really encouraging to see him hit 96 mph with his fastball, and it was also nice that he was able to give the bullpen a little bit of rest. He walked two batters, but only allowed three hits and one run while striking out four in his MLB debut.

I've been worried about the Cardinals' depth options in the minors, but it's nice to know that they do at least have a guy they can trust in Graceffo in case of an injury. He's made a ton of progress, and it was nice to see him do his thing.

His family was also in attendance, which made it even better. But this was definitely the best part of what really wasn't a great day for the Redbirds.

Lynn gets the start tomorrow against Hunter Greene as St. Louis tries to avoid a series loss.