PHOENIX – It looked like things were lining up Monday for Adam Wainwright to get a much-needed win in his push for 200 career victories. Until it wasn’t.
Although the Cardinals won Monday’s series opener in Arizona, Wainwright’s best chance at career win No. 199 was spoiled by the bullpen. Wainwright departed after five innings with a 5-2 Cardinals lead. By the end of the seventh inning, the Arizona Diamondbacks led 6-5, ending his chance of a milestone-building night.
When the bullpen is unable to hold a lead left by the starting pitcher, that is known as a blown save. After Monday, the Cardinals have 23 of those as a team this year. After Monday’s blown lead, Cardinals Twitter was quick to point out a disappointing trend.
Right now, the Cardinals are tied for most blown saves in the league with the Chicago White Sox. The Cardinals are also on pace for 37 blown saves, which would be a new MLB record.
The Washington Nationals currently hold the record after 36 blown saves in the 2021 season. They recently broke a record of 34 blown saves held by the 2021 Philadelphia Phillies and 2002 Colorado Rockies. Washington also matched that previous record of 34 last year.
The Cardinals’ record pace is indicative of prolonged struggles since Opening Day. Jordan Hicks and Ryan Helsley both blew save opportunities in the home opener. Andre Pallante has blown six save situations, most for anyone who doesn’t have a save this season and one back of this year’s MLB lead.
Oddly enough, there was also a game earlier this season when the Cardinals and White Sox went head-to-head, during which the Cardinals blew a lead for the most blown saves in the sixth inning, then the White Sox matched that record when the Cardinals jumped ahead the next inning, all for the Cardinals to spoil another save opportunity and lead in blown saves again. Pretty strange.
As a unit, the Cardinals bullpen sports a 4.45 ERA this year, one of the worst marks in the league. That means a relief pitcher, on average, is giving up one run for around every two innings covered, putting the team at risk of many blown saves when games are close.
John Mozeliak, lead Cardinals executive, told FOX 2’s Martin Kilcoyne in a recent one-on-one interview he was hoping to give more “internal” options a role to claim pitching roles, particularly in the starting rotation. But after some inconsistencies and a rash of injuries, the Cardinals might finish with their worst record of the century due to untimely results from pitching. “Clearly as we sit here today, yes, we would do something different,” said Mozeliak when reflecting on the pitching staff, both the rotation and bullpen.
For some of the issues the Cardinals bullpen has had, Jordan Hicks has proven sturdy at the back-end of games in recent weeks, saving eight of his last nine chances.
Ryan Helsley, who enjoyed an All-Star season with a 1.25 ERA and 19 for 23 in save conversions last year, has blown just as many in fewer opportunities this year and was just moved to the 60-day injured list on Monday due to forearm concerns.
Blown saves have plagued the Cardinals for much of the year, setting the tune to a 45-56 record just one week ahead of the trade deadline. Hicks and Chris Stratton, two of the more reliable arms in the bullpen this year, could be trade options as pending free agents.
The Cardinals continue a three-game series in the Arizona heat on Tuesday before returning home Thursday with a four-game series with the Cubs. After that, the calendar turns to August and the trade deadline will pass before St. Louis next plays.