The St. Louis Cardinals opened the year, losing a series against the NL West powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers. They lost that series 3-1 before heading up to play the San Diego Padres for a three-game set. They won that series against the Padres behind solid outings from Kyle Gibson and Mike Mikolas winning the series 2-1. They start a three-game series at home against the Miami Marlins on Thursday, April 4th, and the Marlins enter the series without a win in the season. Before the game, the team announced a couple of roster moves.
DH – Matt Carpenter
Matt Carpenter was placed on the 10-day injured list today, retroactive to April 2nd, with a right oblique strain. So far this season, Carpenter has played in three games with ten at-bats and one run scored with three strikeouts. He is slashing .300/.300/.300 with a .600 OPS on the young season. Carpenter is a veteran lefty bat who was brought back to St. Louis this year to provide leadership as well as a left-handed reliable bat for manager Carlos Marmol.
C – Pedro Pages
Pages was recalled from the Memphis Redbirds today to join the Cardinals. The 24-year-old started his season with the Redbirds, playing in three games. He has nine at-bats with three runs scored, one double, one home run, and two RBIs so far this season. He is slashing .222/.417/.667 with a 1.084 OPS on the year in Triple-A.
Wrap up:
As the St. Louis Cardinals attempt to right the ship after last season’s disappointing season, a 3-4 start to the year is less than inspiring. With that said, they did have to battle an MLB favorite to win it all in the Los Angeles Dodgers to start the year. They managed to avoid the sweep and win one game against the powerhouse. Then, they were able to win the series against the San Diego Padres in San Diego, which is an encouraging sign. They now get the Marlins in a three-game set at home. Then, this weekend, they host the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game set. So, needless to say, they start the year off with some stiff competition. Hopefully, Matt Carpenter can return as scheduled after his trip on the 10-day injured list without requiring a rehab stink.
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