REPORT: St. Louis Cardinals Closer Off Start In unexpected way
St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley secured his 30th save yesterday afternoon at home against the Cincinnati Reds, striking out two in the Cardinals’ 2-0 victory. Helsley is the first closer this season to reach 30 saves, leading the league with five more than Cleveland Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase, who has 25 saves.
Helsley has converted 30 of 31 save opportunities in 2024, with his only blown save occurring in his first chance of the year. Since then, he has been flawless. His season record stands at 2-3 with a 2.61 ERA. Can Helsley maintain this impressive performance for the rest of the season?
Ryan Helsley Career Summary
Ryan Helsley notches his 30th save of the season in a dominant performance.
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— MLB (@MLB) June 30, 2024
Ryan Helsley made his MLB debut in 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He earned his first MLB All-Star selection in 2022 and appears to be on track for another All-Star appearance in 2024 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. This season marks Helsley’s first as the Cardinals’ primary closer, and he has excelled in the role.
Helsley holds a career record of 23-13 with a 2.79 ERA and 65 saves.
St. Louis Cardinals Season Summary
The St. Louis Cardinals (43-40) are currently in second place in the National League Central and hold the third and final National League Wild Card spot. After a rough start to the 2024 season, where they hit a low point with a 15-24 record on May 11, they have rebounded by going 28-16 to re-enter the playoff race.
Offensively, the Cardinals have been mediocre this season, ranking 17th in batting average, 21st in home runs, and 27th in runs scored. Shortstop Masyn Winn and second baseman Nolan Gorman have been the bright spots. Winn leads the team with a .286 batting average, while Gorman is among the top 20 in the league with 16 home runs.
However, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and third baseman Nolan Arenado have underperformed. Goldschmidt is hitting just .235 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs, and Arenado is hitting .262 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs. Both players will need to improve their performance for the Cardinals to meet their season expectations.
The pitching staff has been average as well, ranking 12th in ERA, 21st in strikeouts, and 19th in opposing batting average. Starting pitcher Sonny Gray has been a standout, ranking fourth in the league with nine wins and being among the top 20 in ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP. Relievers JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge have been exceptional, leading the league in holds, ranking first and second respectively.
Cardinals Upcoming Schedule
The St. Louis Cardinals have a day off today before embarking on a seven-game road trip. They will face the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game series starting tomorrow, followed by a four-game series against the Washington Nationals in the “Nation’s Capital.”
St. Louis needs its bullpen’s strong performance to spread to other parts of the team. After missing the playoffs last season, they are determined to return this year. The Cardinals have positioned themselves well to remain in the playoff race deep into the summer months.