While one could make the argument that the starting pitching of theSt. Louis Cardinalsis improving, that won t ease the frustrations of many fans who are struggling to stay optimistic during their tough stretch.
St. Louis is now 9-15 on the season and are six games under .500 for the first time since June of 2017.
The crux of many of their issues has been the struggles of the pitching staff.
The team entered their game against the San Francisco Giants having had a team ERA of 4.84 or higher in 21 of their first 23 games.
On Twitter, Buster Olney made a list of the number of games the Cardinals had an ERA of 4.84 or higher dating all the way back to 2009, and the numbers will shock some fans.
Asked @SlangsOnSports how many games the Cardinals played with their team ERA at 4.48 (or higher) over the last 14 years. The answer is remarkable:
2009 2
’10 1
’11 3
’12 0
’13 1
’14 1
’15 0
’16 3
’17 7
’18 5
’19 11
’20 0
’21 18
2023: 21 of 23 games.Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 25, 2023
The highest number on the list is 18.
That was the number of games during the 2021 season that St. Louis had a team ERA of 4.84 or worse.
To start the 2023 season, the Cardinals have already shattered that mark and are performing quite poorly on the mound.
With plenty of pitching available over the winter, the Cardinals had more than their fair share of opportunities to make some upgrades.
Their only major move on the pitching front was the move to re-sign Adam Wainwright to a one-year, $17.5 million contract.
Wainwright is currently on the injured list.
The Cardinals are quickly slipping in the NL Central standings and may find themselves in a seemingly insurmountable hole unless their pitching staff makes some drastic improvements and leads them to some more wins.