The St. Louis Cardinals had a difficult trip to Boston, as they were swept by the Red Sox, including an unsightly 18-7 loss Wednesday night. On the plus side, the offensive remained hot over the weekend, making some history along the way.
The Cardinals’ 11 hits in Sunday’s 5-4 loss marks the ninth consecutive game this season in which the offense had ten or more hits, setting a new franchise record. They subsequently extended the streak to nine games by recording 12 hits in game two of the day-night doubleheader, setting a new National League record.
The 1901 and 1956 Cardinals set the previous franchise record of seven consecutive games with ten or more hits to begin a season. Tonight, the Cardinals will have the opportunity to tie the MLB record of 10-straight games with double-digit hits to begin a season, set by the Cleveland Guardians in 1999.
The Cardinals face the Pirates at 5:40 p.m. CST at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. If they tie the record tonight, they will face Paul Skenes tomorrow for a chance to break it. While it’s still early in the season, the Cardinals are at the top of the league in most offensive metrics. They have an MLB-best 11.11 hits per game and are second in runs scored per game (6.89), following only the Yankees.
The Cardinals also have the league’s highest batting average and on-base percentage. Brant Brown’s time as the Cardinals’ hitting coach has begun on a positive note. Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and Iván Herrera are among the Redbirds’ standout players.
Nootbaar leads the squad in hits, with 13. Donovan and Arenado are right behind him, both with twelve. Despite sharing time behind the plate with Pedro Pages, Herrera leads the Cardinals in home runs and RBIs. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Herrera was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday due to a left knee injury.
Despite a strong offensive start, the Cardinals’ 4-5 record is mostly owing to their team ERA of 6.01, which ranks dead last in the league. They hope to get back on track this week against the Pirates and Phillies.
