Welcome to the 2023 St. Louis Cardinals Weekly Preview for August 7 through August 13.
The weekly preview will highlight the St. Louis Cardinals opponents for the week, probable pitchers for both teams, recent top performers to watch, and other news and notes that are important to watch for.
Starting soon, a weekly review will go over the St. Louis Cardinals’ previous week. This includes their win/loss record, top performers, and other weekly news.
2023 St. Louis Cardinal Weekly Preview 8/7-8/13
Schedule
The Cardinals start the week with an off day on Monday before taking on the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field for a three-game series. Then they travel to Kansas City for a two-game set against the Kansas City Royals. The Cardinals finish the week with another off day on Sunday.
The Rays have the second-best record in the American League (67-46) and are just three games behind their AL East rival Baltimore Orioles. They are a top-five offense regarding OPS, runs scored, home runs, and stolen bases. Their pitching staff has the best batting average against (.229) in baseball and the third-lowest ERA (3.77)
The Royals have not been as victorious overall, with a 36-76 record placing them second to last in the American League. However, they have won seven of their last ten games. In the previous 15 days, their offense ranks top ten in almost every category, including OPS, runs scored. They also have the most stolen bases over this stretch as well. The Kansas City pitching staff has the third-worst ERA (5.18) in baseball this year behind the fifth-worst batting average against (.263).
Probable Pitchers
Game 1 @ Tampa Bay: Miles Mikolas vs Zach Eflin (Tuesday 5:40 PM CDT)
Miles Mikolas starts the week off for the Cardinals against right-hander Zach Eflin. Eflin is in his first season with the Rays and is having a career year. His 3.46 ERA and 2.93 FIP are both career bests.
Mikolas is coming off a five-game suspension after allegedly purposefully throwing at Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ on July 27. Mikolas appeared against the Minnesota Twins on August 1 before serving his suspension. In this game, he pitched seven innings and struck out seven batters but allowed six hits and one walk for three runs (two earned).
Game 2 @ Tampa Bay: Dakota Hudson vs N/A (Wednesday 5:40 PM CDT)
Dakota Hudson takes the bump for game two. Hudson comes into this game carrying a 4.10 ERA and a 2-0 record across 26.1 innings and eight appearances. His most recent appearance was a start against the Twins, easily his most impressive appearance in 2023. He pitched seven innings and struck out seven batters, allowing just two hits and three walks for three earned runs. Hudson earned the win in this game.
The Rays do not have a probable starter listed due to ace Shane McClanahan getting injured and being placed on the injured list. The Rays will likely promote Adrian Sampson (acquired from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline) or Cooper Criswell.
Game 3 @ Tampa Bay: Matthew Liberatore vs Zack Littell (Thursday 5:40 PM CDT)
Matthew Liberatore faces Zack Littell to end the series. Littell has made two straight appearances out of the rotation, earning a win in both games. He threw 11 innings and recorded five strikeouts while allowing 11 hits and one walk for two runs.
Liberatore, on the other hand, is having a rough season compared to Littell. He has a 6.93 ERA and 5.26 FIP through 37.2 innings. The young lefty has an abysmal 1.28 strikeouts per walk.
Game 1 @ Kansas City: Adam Wainwright vs Zack Greinke (Friday 7:10 PM CDT)
A battle of the veterans takes place during the first game of this rendition of the I-70 series. Unfortunately, it has been an upsetting season for both Adam Wainwright and Zack Greinke. Greinke has a 5.32 ERA and 1-11 record, while Wainwright has a 7.81 ERA and a 3-6 record.
Game 2 @ Kansas City: Steven Matz vs Cole Ragans (Saturday 6:10 PM CDT)
The second game is a much better pitching matchup. The Royals acquired Cole Ragans from the Texas Rangers earlier this year in exchange for Aroldis Chapman. Ragans has made two starts for the Royals and has been lights out. He pitched 11 innings and struck out 11 batters in these outings while allowing 11 hits and three walks for one run.
Matz is in an incredible stretch of baseball. Over his last three starts, he’s allowed just one earned run while striking out 14 batters across 17 innings. Matz also allowed 12 hits and two walks in this span.
Top Performers to Watch
Lars Nootbaar: Over his last 15 games, Nootbaar is slashing .373/.468/.725 with 13 runs and nine RBI.
Tyler O’Neill: Since returning from the injured list on July 20, O’Neill is slashing .304/.396/.522 with six runs and six RBI across 13 games.
Tommy Edman: The Cardinals shortstop is on a four-game hitting streak and scored three runs and two RBI over this stretch.
Opposing Players to Watch
Wander Franco, SS, Tampa Bay Rays: Wander Franco is one of the most exciting players in baseball. At just 22 years old, he is already one of the best shortstops in MLB. He is slashing .269/.334/.448 this season with 58 runs and 51 RBI. He has an incredible 42 extra-base hits and 29 stolen bases.
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals: At 23 years old, Bobby Witt Jr. is the first player in history to have 30+ stolen bases and 20+ home runs in each his first two seasons. Witt Jr. is a remarkable player and fans need to keep a close eye on the rising star.
Projected St. Louis Cardinals Record This Week: 2-3
This will be another tough week for the St. Louis Cardinals against these two offenses. The key for the pitching needs to be limiting the stolen bases and extra-base hits. While the key for the offense is to score early and often at the hands of the top performers.
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