In a game against the Washington Nationals on Monday, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty struggled early on but managed to overcome his frustration and deliver a solid outing. Flaherty allowed five runs on eight hits in less than five outs, yet he found himself still on the mound in the seventh inning with his team holding the lead.
The Cardinals staged a comeback from an early 5-0 deficit, thanks to Brendan Donovan and Paul Goldschmidt hitting back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning. Donovan’s three-run homer tied the game at 5-5, and Goldschmidt’s solo shot put the Cardinals ahead for good. The Cardinals went on to win the game 8-6.
Flaherty acknowledged his past difficulty in controlling his frustration during rough starts but credited his ability to ignore the scoreboard for his performance on this occasion. Despite issuing a walk in the seventh inning, Flaherty held on to earn the win. He had given up six runs in each of his previous two starts but had not secured a victory since May 15.
The Cardinals, who had recently been 16 games below .500, have won three consecutive games but still have their worst record through 73 games since 1990. Despite their struggles, the team remains optimistic and aims to compete for the NL Central title.
The Cardinals also showed promise in the bullpen, with Génesis Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos, and Jordan Hicks successfully closing out the game. Hicks recorded his third save in as many days, striking out a batter with a 103 mph fastball to end the game.
For the Nationals, Luis García contributed four RBIs, and Lane Thomas doubled twice. However, the team suffered their fourth consecutive loss and fell to a 3-12 record in June.
In terms of injuries, the Cardinals activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar from the injured list, while 1B Lucien Baker was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Cardinals left-hander Packy Naughton is set to undergo season-ending surgery on June 26, although details of the procedure were not provided.
The next game in the series will feature Cardinals left-hander Jordan Montgomery (3-7, 3.91 ERA) against Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore (3-5, 3.74 ERA).