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What was a top-10 offense as of April 30 has continued a steady decline throughout the season.

As each calendar month has ended, the Redbirds have dropped another 8-10 points off their on-base plus slugging percentage. The end of August looks to be no different.

What was a .738 OPS on April 30, eighth-best in baseball, has now dipped down to .701.

Since the All-Star break, St. Louis' .662 OPS is dead last in baseball.

Individually, the struggles of two of their better hitters have dragged down the Cardinals' offense. Brendan Donovan (.543 OPS since the break) and Ivan Herrera (.601) have been the two most noteworthy anchors on the offense. Donovan (sprained toe/left groin) has only appeared in 21 games in that span, however.

Those batting stats don't always directly translate to run scoring, and the Redbirds have been on a mini-surge lately. They're averaging 4.6 runs over their last 15, their highest 15-game run-scoring average in two months.

The Cardinals on Wednesday will task right-hander Sonny Gray (12-6, 4.33 ERA) with holding down the Pirates. Gray has a 6.75 ERA in seven starts since the break.

The Pirates will start right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (3-7, 3.89 ERA), who has a 2.79 ERA in two starts vs. the Cardinals this season.

The Cardinals are 65-68 and 6 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot. The final two games of this series will decide the season series. The Cardinals must win both, as a split gives the Pirates the series.

Pittsburgh is 58-75. The Pirates' August offense ranks 14th in baseball by multiple metrics, a big improvement for a team with the second-worst OPS in baseball in the first half.

John King put on IL

Before the game, the Cardinals made a roster move, putting left-hander John King (mid-back strain) on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday.

Right-hander Andre Granillo was recalled from Triple -A Memphis.

How to watch Cardinals vs. Pirates

When: 6:45 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Busch Stadium in St. Louis

TV/radio: FanDuel ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Network Midwest (); KMOX (1120 AM and 104.1 FM), other stations in the as well as .

Your options to watch: Input your ZIP code and see your choices for watching Cardinals games.

Lineups

CARDINALS

1. Lars Nootbaar, RF

2. Iván Herrera, DH

3. Alec Burleson, LF

4. Willson Contreras, 1B

5. Nolan Gorman, 3B

6. Masyn Winn, SS

7. Thomas Saggese, 2B

8. Pedro Pagés, C

9. Nathan Church, CF

P: Sonny Gray, RHP

PIRATES

1. Jared Triolo, SS

2. Spencer Horwitz, 1B

3. Bryan Reynolds, RF

4. Tommy Pham, LF

5. Nick Gonzales, 2B

6. Andrew McCutchen, DH

7. Oneil Cruz, CF

8. Henry Davis, C

9. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 3B

P: Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP

Injury report

John King, LHP (mid-back strain): King’s back injury is believed to be related to the left oblique strain that landed him on the IL near the end of July and kept him sidelined through the first three weeks of August. King tried throwing before Tuesday’s game and felt discomfort and underwent imaging. A timeline for his recovery could become clearer later this week, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said. Updated Aug. 27

Nolan Arenado, 3B (right shoulder strain): Arenado, who began taking swings recently, has begun a throwing program, Marmol said Wednesday. How Arenado progresses in throwing will be one of the final boxes the Cardinals will look to check during Arenado's recovery. He traveled from the team’s training complex in Jupiter, Florida, where he has done his rehab, to Miami last week to join the Cardinals during a series vs. the Marlins. He said the pain in his right shoulder has lessened. Arenado went on the 10-day injured list Aug. 1 with a shoulder injury he’s spent the past month trying to play through. There is no timetable for his return. Updated Aug. 27

Brendan Donovan, 2B (sprained toe/left groin): An injury sustained before the All-Star break persists and is likely contributing to soreness in his leg and groin, the infielder said recently. The Cardinals placed him on the 10-day injured list Aug. 18 retroactive to Aug. 15. He’s begun hitting off a tee, taken swings through soft toss, and reportedly felt progress in his groin. As of Wednesday, Donovan was continuing to make progress toward a point where he’s free of pain. There is no timetable for his injury recovery. Updated Aug. 27

Victor Scott II, CF (sprained left ankle): Scott sprained his ankle Aug. 16 while trying to rob a home run from Aaron Judge, and the Cardinals placed him on the 10-day injured list the following day. He took batting practice and fielded fly balls on Wednesday. He could join Class AA Springfield by Thursday to go through pregame activities with the affiliate before potentially playing in a rehab game on Friday, Marmol said. Updated Aug. 27

Masyn Winn, SS (knee): A late scratch Sunday ahead of the series finale after feeling discomfort in his right knee, Winn returned to the lineup Monday and described himself as “day-to-day� while he deals with the injury. Winn has been playing through the soreness for most of the season, and he has a daily regimen that involves treatment and training for the knee. He underwent an MRI of the knee on Monday that showed improvements, Marmol said. Winn received an anti-inflammatory shot during the All-Star break to alleviate some of the pain. He said Monday the injury will require him to play through pain. Updated Aug. 25

Zack Thompson, LHP (shoulder, lat strain): Lefty starter remains on a throwing program in Jupiter, trying to overcome some setbacks as he increased the intensity of his throws through the course of the season. He's visited St. Louis for evaluation to monitor if the injury worsens. Thompson has been sidelined since the start of March and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in early April. There is no timetable for his return to the mound. Updated Aug. 6

Coming off a start in Miami marred by walks and stolen bases, Pallante gave up five runs in the first inning vs. Pittsburgh. Pallante, 26, allowed hits to each of the first four batters he faced, walked the fifth and did not record an out until Pittsburgh’s No. 7 hitter stepped to the plate.

Pallante’s brutal first inning left the Cardinals in a 5-0 hole that grew to 7-0 by the end of the second inning and rose to 8-0 by the third inning when the righty gave up a solo homer to Henry Davis.

Pallante’s struggles to get swing-and-miss and limit the Pirates in the Cardinals’ 8-3 loss at Busch Stadium left him with a season-high eight runs allowed over five innings. The outing, which marked his fifth consecutive losing decision and ninth losing decision in his previous 11 starts, raised the right-hander’s ERA to 5.44 on the season.

“I’ve been working a lot on trying to be a positive force and trying positivity. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m doing my best,� Pallante said of the mental challenge this season has presented.

With the start, Pallante dropped to 6-12 over 26 starts this season. In his previous nine starts after tossing seven scoreless innings in Pittsburgh on July 1, Pallante has a 9.80 ERA in 44 2/3 innings.

He’s turned in one quality start in that span and has not completed a sixth inning in an outing since twirling a scoreless performance to open July.

Following Tuesday’s loss, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said there are “adjustments to be made� by Pallante. Marmol said there is “a lot� the Cardinals must take into consideration as they map out the next steps for Pallante.

What’s “best� for Pallante and the Cardinals’ starting pitching depth both will be considered. Discussions on Pallante’s next steps could come as early as Wednesday.

“There are more moving parts to it, for sure,� Marmol said.

Pallante ranks among Major League Baseball’s best in ground-ball rate this season but has a strikeout rate that sits in the bottom 8% of qualified pitchers. While he’s improved his whiff rate from 19.8% in 2024 to a 23.1% whiff rate this year, opposing hitters have hit Pallante’s fastball for a .306 batting average and slug .519 against it, per Statcast.

Left-handers, against whom Pallante has had success since debuting in 2022, have produced a .285 average against the righty’s fastball after they hit .203 against it in 2024 and .208 during the 2023 season. The jump in average has also come with more hard contact and more frequent contact in the air.

The struggles to limit opposing lineups with his fastball have heightened the importance for Pallante to find more consistency in his breaking pitch mix, which has kept hitters to a .201 batting average.

“He’s got to be mentally tough enough to endure some of the crap that goes with learning on the fly,� Marmol said of Pallante. “It’s not easy. I agree it hasn’t looked good. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it has. It hasn’t, and we have to figure out what’s next.�

On Tuesday, Pallante pointed to the command on his fastball as an area that has hampered him. Four of the first five hits Pallante surrendered in the loss came on that pitch and in early counts.

Spencer Horowitz, a lefty, singled off Pallante on an 0-1 fastball thrown over the middle of the plate to advance Jared Triolo to third base after Triolo opened the game with a leadoff single. The switch-hitting Bryan Reynolds doubled to left field on an 0-1 fastball to score Triolo in the following at-bat.

After Oneil Cruz drew a walk, Andrew McCutchen laced an 0-0 fastball to right field for a two-run single that had a 107.2 mph exit velocity behind it. Lefty-hitting Jack Suwinski took two fastballs from Pallante for balls before driving the third one to left field for a ground-rule double that scored Cruz.

An inning later, a single by Horowitz and a double by Reynolds, both on fastballs, scratched a sixth run to Pallante’s line.

“I believe it’s just the involvement of commanding my fastball better down in the zone,� Pallante said. “When it’s up, it gives them a chance to kind of shoot it the other way or hit the ball up in the air, especially the lefties, primarily because that’s really where, I feel like, that’s been the biggest decline in my game.�

The adjustment to locate his fastball lower in the strike zone and to his glove side present possible solutions to help him through a frustrating stretch.

“I’m definitely frustrated,� Pallante said. “I want to be there. I want to give quality starts and good starts for the team. ... It’s frustrating, but I’m working, doing the work I can and showing up each and every day, trying to improve myself and be better. That’s all I can ask.�

“Yeah, he was one of the first guys I met, and I was just able to pick his brain there,� said Skenes, Pittsburgh’s pitching supernova and the presumptive Cy Young winner, who’s in St. Louis this week for a series with the Cardinals. “It’s kind of just a connection that’s gone on since. It’s definitely unique.�

The first meeting of the “1-1s� — baseball jargon for the first pick in the first round — happened on Aug. 25, 2023, which was three years ago Monday. Benes’ son, Drew, is a minor league pitching coach in the Pittsburgh organization. Andy would annually attend spring training and knew most of the staff. So when the club drafted the Louisiana State star that summer, the Pirates’ pitching coordinator asked Andy to meet Drew in Altoona to work with Skenes.

“We talked probably an hour in a bullpen in Altoona,� said Benes, who has lived in St. Louis since joining the Cards in 1996 — and retired in 2002, the year Skenes was born. “We talked about expectations — and what to expect.�

Benes was the first pick in 1988 by San Diego out of the University of Evansville. Since 1988, only 14 times has the first overall pick been a pitcher. In 1989, the 21-year-old made 21 starts in the minors and was called up the bigs. He finished his career at 155-139 with exactly 2,000 strikeouts and an All-Star Game appearance (Skenes started the All-Star Game as a rookie in 2024).

“We sat out in the bullpen during batting practice,� Benes, 58, recalled, “and I literally said: ‘This is what I know about you: I know you were at the Air Force and LSU, you were the first pick and you signed for a lot more than I did in 1988. And that’s it.’ And so, the first question, I said, ‘So are you married? You’re dating somebody?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, I’m dating somebody.’ ...

“Later, Drew asked, ‘What did you guys talk about?’ I said, ‘Well, family at first. I asked if he had a girlfriend or was married.’ He goes, ‘No you didn’t dad — really?’ I go, ‘What are you talking about?’ He goes, ‘His girlfriend made more than he did last year — and he signed for $9 million.’�

For those that don’t know, Skenes is dating Livvy Dunne, the social media sensation who was also a gymnast at LSU. She has 8 million followers on TikTok and 5.4 million followers on Instagram.

“In our chat,� Benes said, “I told him you’re picked first because the team was bad the year before. So when you get to the big leagues, it’s not like you’re on a really good team. And so we just talked about having the right perspective. I said, ‘I went through a lot of the same things.’ ... I was the worst in run support in Major League Baseball for my first six seasons. It’s super-hard.

“I told Paul, ‘They’re not going to be great offensively. But that’s not your job. Your job’s defense. You really have to keep that perspective.’ And he’s like — ‘I’m going to do what I’m going to do, and the rest is what it is.’�

Indeed, Skenes has a league-best 2.07 ERA in 27 starts — yet a record of 8-9.

Now, during that time in Altoona, Benes closely watched Skenes carry himself around the minor league club. He was a phenom — so all the pitchers watched his bullpen session. But Skenes went out of his way to be humble and kind, introducing himself to every player on the club. Yet when Skenes did his workouts, Benes said he was “an absolute animal.�

“And I think the thing that impresses me most about him,� Benes said, “is he’s from a military family. And one of my questions was, ‘What do you see yourself doing after baseball?’ He goes, ‘I’d really like to be involved in the military at some point.’ He’s super-grounded. ... There’s no entitlement.�

Early in the 2024 season, Benes visited Drew, who is known as “Benny� around the Pirates’ the Class AAA clubhouse. There, Andy Benes reunited with Skenes (who, in seven starts, had a 0.99 ERA before his 2024 call-up).

Skenes instantly burst onto the scene. He tallied a 1.96 ERA in his 23 starts for Pittsburgh — and won the 2024 rookie of the year.

Later that season, Benes visited the Pirates when they were at Busch Stadium.

“Paul’s the down the hall,� Benes recalled, “and he came running over and said: ‘Papa Benny! What’s up? What are you doing in here?’ It’s kind of neat because you have a chance to really pour into these guys.�

Contreras was ejected from Monday’s game against Pittsburgh in the seventh inning for saying “vulgar� things to Thomas, crew chief Jordan Baker said Monday night to a pool reporter. Contreras struck out looking during his at-bat that inning and did not argue the called strike. He said he did not argue any pitches during any of his previous at-bats but said he told Thomas to “call those pitches to both sides� as he walked to the dugout.

Contreras turned around and heard Thomas had ejected him from the game, a move that surprised the first baseman. Contreras’ frustration grew after Thomas claimed he said something he never told Thomas during their exchange.

On Monday night, Contreras declined to comment on what Thomas said he heard Contreras say.

“I was just walking back to the guy with my head down,� Contreras said following the Cardinals’ 7-6 win Monday. “I knew I struck out on a good pitch. I didn’t argue any of the pitches in any at-bat today because I know he’s a good umpire. But the only thing bad I said was call those pitches to both sides. That’s it. It kind of surprised me because I knew the game was (separated) by one (run). At the point, it was by one (run). I don’t want to get thrown out in a close game like that.�

Said Cardinals manager Oli Marmol on Tuesday: “In talking to (Contreras), he said that he didn’t say that. He’s always honest with me. As far as if he said something or messed up, he’ll tell me. But he said that there was a misunderstanding of what was said and heard. It’s unfortunate, but in that environment, that’s tough. No matter what side you’re on. If you’re the umpire, that’s tough. If your him — it’s a tough call.�

Contreras continued to exchange words on the field with Thomas after the ejection. He stepped closer to Thomas as his frustrations grew, and as Marmol tried pull Contreras back from Thomas, Contreras appeared to make contact with Thomas and was pulled back.

“My job is to hold them back and make sure it doesn’t (escalate), but I’ll take more of a look at it and see kind of where we’re at,� Marmol said Monday. “I was more concerned with what was actually said prior to the ejection than what happened afterwards, because it doesn’t lead to an ejection if we get that part right. We’ll have to dive into it and make sure that what Willson is saying is what happened, but I believe him.�

As Contreras walked off the field and into the dugout, ushered by bench coach Daniel Descalso, he threw his bat behind him and hit coach Brant Brown as the Cardinals hitting coach walked alongside first base umpire Stu Scheurwater.

Baker said to a pool reporter Monday night that there was contact made by Contreras on an umpire but did not know the intent of Contreras. Baker also said he did not know Contreras’ intent when he threw his bat and if that was intentionally in the direction of an umpire.

“I wasn’t planning on making contact with the umpires,� Contreras said of the on-field exchange. “I know that the grabbing of my coaches, of course, (they are) always afraid of me making contact with the umpire or any player making contact umpires. I know that I wasn’t going to make contact with the umpires. But to be honest, I don’t have the last word. They’re going to do it and say whatever they think is right for the game and (what) they think is right for tonight, and we’ll see what happens.�

Extra bases

Monday’s win was Marmol’s 312th of his managerial career and tied him with Gabby Street for 12th all time among Cardinals managers. Marmol sits five wins shy of tying Johnny Keane for the 11th-most wins for a Cardinals manager.

• The Pirates designated left-hander Andrew Heaney for assignment on Tuesday after Heaney allowed five runs in 2/3 of an inning on Monday.
• Cardinals minor league pitcher Zeke Wood was suspended for 80 games on Tuesday by MLB following positive tests for performance-enhancing substances. Wood, who tested positive for GW1516, was disciplined under the minor league drug program.

Wood signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in June. He appeared in 12 games and posted an 8.49 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.

The Tampa Bay Rays will visit for opening day on March 26 and stay for a three-game series. There is serendipity to the Rays' visit because the Cardinals' opening day will also be the first for Chaim Bloom as president of baseball operations, and he got his start in Major League Baseball as an intern and later top executive with Tampa Bay.

The Cardinals' first homestand of the 2026 season will also feature the New York Mets for a three-game series.

The Cardinals do not host any major holiday games at Busch Stadium.

The club and Major League Baseball revealed the schedule Thursday.

The Cardinals will play 53 of their 81 home games before the All-Star break and the All-Star Game in Philadelphia to celebrate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. After Aug. 1, 2026, they'll have only 21 remaining home games. They conclude the year with a road trip to Pittsburgh and then Milwaukee for the season finale, Sept. 25-27.

The 2026 season will be the third straight that the Cardinals finish on the road.

The Cubs visit St. Louis for a three-game series on May 29-31 and a four-game, weekday set from July 27-30, possibly leading into or including Major League Baseball's trade deadline.

The Cardinals do not have a home game against a division foe in the final month of the regular season.

That and the lack of holiday games at Busch are noteworthy for 2026.

The Cardinals will be on the road for Easter Sunday (in Detroit), Mother's Day (in San Diego), Memorial Day (in Milwaukee), Juneteenth (in Kansas City), Father's Day (in Kansas City) and will spend a second consecutive Fourth of July at Wrigley Field to face the Cubs. 

The Cardinals will host teams for some of MLB's event dates, including a visit from the Guardians on Jackie Robinson Day (April 15) and the Giants coming to town on Roberto Clemente Day (Sept. 15). 

Eight American League teams will visit as part of MLB's balanced schedule, and all of them will be in St. Louis for a three-game series, including the Kansas City Royals. One of the matchups highlighted by Major League Baseball in its announcement of the schedule was the Boston Red Sox visit to Busch Stadium on April 10-12. Other AL teams headed to St. Louis are: the Guardians (April 13-15), the Mariners (April 24-26), the Royals (May 15-17), the Rangers (June 1-3), the Orioles (Aug. 25-27) and the White Sox (Sept. 11-13).

During the Cardinals' June visit to Kansas City, they have a Saturday off-day (June 20) in the middle of a series.

There is a World Cup game scheduled for that Saturday in Kansas City.

After going many years without regularly opening at home due to the team's preference to limit April dates due to weather and school nights, the Cardinals will have opening day at Busch Stadium for the fifth time in seven years.

The Cardinals have two homestands of nine games, and in the final seven weeks of the regular season, they'll have road trips of 10 games and nine games. 

The veteran right-hander will have the right to control his future via a no-trade clause in his contract, but the Cardinals still have a large say in the proceedings. Moving on from Gray this winter may suit Gray more than it does the club.

After all, the Cardinals appear likely to spend at least another season laying the foundation and sorting through roster decisions under incoming president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Expecting an instant turnaround isn’t realistic.

Gray, 35, will head into the offseason only assured one more season with the Cardinals. If getting a better chance at a postseason run matters enough that Gray would consider accepting a trade, then it’s surely worth consideration.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s something the Cardinals must do.

Gray has one year and a club option remaining on his current contract. He’s slated to make $35 million next season, and the buyout for the club option year is an additional $5 million. If exercised, the club option for 2027 will pay Gray $30 million for the final year of the deal.

Gray’s presence alone won’t keep the Cardinals in playoff contention next season. Though his departure from the rotation will not have a negligible impact.

Heading into Monday, the Cardinals’ record in Gray’s starts dating back to last season was 36-18. Meanwhile, the team’s overall record since the start of the 2024 season was just one game above .500 at 147-146.

For what it’s worth, the Cardinals — not Gray but the team — won 2/3 of the days when Gray stepped on the rubber. When he didn’t, they were a well below .500 team (111-128).

Sure, you can say that’s not a perfect measurement of his impact. You might even argue that winning his starts isn’t going to matter next season as much getting experience for younger pitchers.

Well, the organizational lack of starting pitching depth is the major prism the front office should filter decisions through this offseason.

Even if they believe they’ve started to turn the tide in that respect with additions through the draft and minor leaguers acquired through trades, the pitching shortage of recent years will still affect the major league club next season.

The Cardinals starting rotation currently includes young starters Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante and Michael McGreevy.

Miles Mikolas becomes a free agent at the end of the season. So that’s one rotation spot that opens up just by doing nothing other than not re-signing Mikolas.

Last season’s Baseball America Minor League Pitcher of the Year Quinn Mathews seems to have gotten back on track after ups and downs and a stint on the injured list in April (shoulder), but Zach Thompson, Drew Rom, Ian Bedell, Tekoah Roby, Sem Robberse, Cooper Hjerpe and Tink Hence all had their seasons interrupted or curtailed by injury.

Roby, Robberse and Hjerpe had Tommy John surgery, which will mean their respective rehabs will continue into the 2026 season.

So the internal options after Mathews, who you could slide into Mikolas’ spot, consist of pitchers who haven’t proven themselves durable enough to handle the workload and/or haven’t yet proven themselves up to the level of competition.

Convert a current reliever into a starter? Some potential candidates for that exist in Gordon Graceffo and Kyle Leahy.

Though its an open question how they’d translate as full-time starters in the majors. On top of that, you’d risk of running into the same thing that’s been on display late this season where workload has caught up to both Liberatore and Pallante. Their performances have become inconsistent, and some physical concerns have arisen.

There’s a hyper-aggressive approach of pushing starters with even less experience in the upper levels of the minors such as Max Rajcic, Brycen Mautz, Ixan Henderson or Pete Hansen to the majors, crossing your fingers and hoping you’re not setting them up for failure or a setback in their development.

Of course, if Gray remained with the Cardinals through the first part of next season, that would buy time for those others to gain sturdier footing before making that leap.

Without Gray, that would make Pallante the closest thing in the Cardinals’ projected rotation to an experienced starter. He’ll likely max out at around 160 innings this season, his first full year in the rotation.

That leaves a lot of uncertainty and a lot of potential innings to account for next season, and that’s if all goes well in terms of health.

Of course, the Cardinals could go out and sign a veteran free agent on a one-year deal to provide some stability and a baseline level of certainty as far as innings. Then again, you could get that from Gray.

If you’re focused on saving salary — I’m sure ownership thanks you — well, there’s the possibility that you have to pay a portion of Gray’s salary to facilitate a trade. So you could spend money to trade Gray and spend money to slot another veteran placeholder into the rotation.

Oh, and Gray would still dictate where he’s traded.

Perhaps it’s worth it to have Gray stay put, provide certainty in the rotation, a potential trade chip next summer and a security blanket that lets the organization proceed deliberately with the development of its internal starting options.