St. Louis Cardinals News & Notes 05/20/2026

The St. Louis Cardinals are 28-19, winning last night’s game against the Pirates. They’re 0.5 games back of the Brewers for first place in the National League Central, and hold a four-game lead in a wild card spot and trail the Padres by 0.5 games for the top wild card spot in the National League.

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MLB Game Recap

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the third inning as JJ Wetherholt hit a two-run home run to make it 2-0. They added another run in the fourth as Nolan Gorman drove in a run on a double-play. The Pirates took the lead in the fifth, scoring four runs. The Cardinals took the lead back in the sixth as Gorman hit a two-run home run. In the eighth, Alec Burleson hit a solo home run to make it 6-4. The Pirates tied it in the top of the ninth as the game would go to extras. In the bottom of the tenth, Ivan Herrera hit a three-run home run to walk off the Pirates 9-6.

Standout Performer

JJ Wetherholt went 2-4 in the win with two RBI on his two-run home run, and he had two runs scoring on the walkoff home run. He also walked.

Key News & Notes

The Cardinals have won four of their last five games, averaging 4.6 runs per game while allowing 3.6 runs per game. During that stretch, their starters are 1-1 with a 3.07 ERA, a 3.39 FIP, a 1.33 WHIP, and a 7.4 K/9. The bullpen has a 2.89 ERA, a 4.99 FIP, a 1.39 WHIP, and a 7.2 K/9. Ivan Herrera is on a seven-game hitting streak. He’s hitting .267 with a double, a home run, five RBI, and four runs scored. Nolan Gorman has a six-game hitting streak, hitting .333 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored.

Farm Report

• Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Jimmy Crooks went 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored in a 6-3 win over the Cubs.
• Springfield Cardinals (AA): Springfield was rained out, and they’ll play a doubleheader today.
• Peoria Chiefs (A+): Josh Kross went 2-4 with a double and an RBI in a 10-5 loss to the Kernels.
• Palm Beach Cardinals (A): Brayden Smith went 2-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in a 4-1 win over the Mets.
• FCL Cardinals (ROK): J.P. Cabrera went 2-7 with two RBI combined in two losses yesterday, first a 4-3 loss to FCL Nationals, then a 4-1 loss to the FCL Nationals.