Playing cards’ Sonny Grey eyes turnaround, beginning vs. Cubs

MLB: Game Two-St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta BravesJul 20, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; St. St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Grey (54) pitches in opposition to the Atlanta Braves throughout the second inning at Truist Park. Obligatory Credit score: Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports activities

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Grey enters Thursday night time’s sequence opener with the host Chicago Cubs sitting among the many Nationwide League leaders with 10 wins, however he might be comfortable to flip the calendar to August.

Grey (10-6, 3.79 ERA) was simply 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in 4 begins in July, permitting 18 earned runs on 32 hits and 4 walks over 24 innings. He is available in off a 10-8 loss to the Washington Nationals on Friday that noticed him enable 5 runs on seven hits and three of these walks over 5 innings.

It marked the third time in 4 begins that Grey, within the first season of a three-year, $75 million contract with the Cardinals, had allowed at the least 5 earned runs. However the three-time All-Star and American League Cy Younger Award runner-up in 2023 stated he feels superb and is assured that he can flip issues round.

“Bodily, I am feeling good,” Grey stated. “I am simply not placing up zeroes proper now.”

“I do know what I must do and I do know what I’ve to do to be an important pitcher, and it takes quite a lot of effort and quite a lot of power, however I will decide to doing it once more.”

Grey is 5-4 with a 2.86 ERA in 13 profession begins in opposition to the Cubs, however he’s simply 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in 4 profession begins at Wrigley Discipline.

St. Louis, which is in second place within the Nationwide League Central, 5 video games behind first-place Milwaukee, brings a two-game profitable streak into the four-game sequence after defeating the Texas Rangers 10-1 on Wednesday behind the pitching of right-hander Michael McGreevy.

McGreevy, ranked the workforce’s No. 15 prospect by MLB Pipeline, held the defending World Sequence champions to at least one run on 5 hits over seven innings in his main league debut.

“Oh, man, that was superior to look at,” St. Louis supervisor Oliver Marmol stated. “Most likely essentially the most spectacular factor was how a lot he was in management. You would not have thought it was his first time on the market on a big-league discipline. He did not make the second any greater than it was, and he was calm all through.”

Rookie left-hander Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.95 ERA) will make his second profession begin in opposition to St. Louis. Imanaga gave up one run on 4 hits over seven innings whereas hanging out six in a 5-1 win over the visiting Cardinals on June 15. The Cubs are 15-4 when he pitches, tied for essentially the most workforce wins in begins by any NL pitcher.

Chicago is 10 video games behind first-place Milwaukee and 6 1/2 video games out of a wild-card spot after splitting a six-game highway journey to Kansas Metropolis and Cincinnati by beating the Reds 13-4 on Wednesday.

Ian Happ had a two-run homer amongst his three hits, Cody Bellinger went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and third baseman Isaac Paredes, picked up on the commerce deadline from Tampa Bay, went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three runs to steer Chicago.

The Cubs completed with season highs for runs and hits (17) and clubbed 9 doubles, their most in a recreation since 2010.

“We simply hit quite a lot of balls exhausting and had quite a lot of good at-bats,” Chicago supervisor Craig Counsell stated. “It was only a nice night time for the offense.”

“To return out on getaway day and to have that win and head again house for a giant sequence in opposition to the Cardinals, it is good momentum,” Happ added.

–Discipline Degree Media