While one could argue that the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting pitching is improving, it won’t take away the frustration of many fans who are struggling to remain optimistic during their difficult period.
St. Louis is now 9-15 on the season and six games under. 500 for the first time since June of 2017.
The root of many of their issues have been the struggles of the pitching staff.
The team entered their game against the San Francisco Giants having 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 Cardinals’ games with an ERA of 4.84 or higher as of 2009, and the number will shock some fans.
Asked @SlangsOnSports How many games have the Cardinals played with their team ERA of 4.48 (or higher) over the last 14 years? The answer is noteworthy:
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 in the list is 18.
There were a 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 doing pretty poorly on the mound.
With plenty of pitching available during the winter, the Cardinals had their fair share of opportunities to make some upgrades.
Their only major move on the pitching front was re-signing Adam Wainwright to a one-year, $17.5 million contract.
Wainwright is currently on the injured list.
The Cardinals are slipping fast in the NL Central standings and could find themselves in an insurmountable hole unless their pitching staff makes some drastic improvements and leads them to a few more wins.
next:
Latest Comments From Cardinals GM Will Disappoint Fans