The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Minnesota Twins 6-1 on Saturday at Target Field. The two teams have now evened the series for the finale on Sunday.
Here is what you need to know from Saturday’s contest
Not So ‘Sonny’ Return
For the fifth time over his last nine starts, Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray allowed five earned runs in his start on Saturday. He made his return to Minnesota after being in the Twins rotation last season and finishing as the runner-up for the American League Cy Young (behind New York Yankees Gerrit Cole ).
But since Gray has signed a multi-year contract with the Cardinals, he has not shown he still has what it takes to be the staff ace for not only 2024, but the other two seasons he is signed for. On Saturday, Gray allowed five runs on seven hits, including two home runs in the contest. He has now given up eight homers in his last five appearances. He has a 6.75 ERA in July and is up to a 5.10 this month. If the Cardinals plan to be competitive for the rest of the season they must have a better outing from someone they are giving $25 Million a year to until the end of the 2026 season.
A Huge Blow to the Lineup
The Cardinals may have lost their starting catcher for the rest of the regular season on Saturday. Willson Contreas dislocated his finger after being hit by a pitch in the top of the fourth inning against the Twins. It is already determined that he will hit the injured list…