Cardinals' veteran right-hander Dustin May struggled yet again on Saturday, surrendering eight hits, four walks and five earned runs in a 5-3 loss to the Dbacks. May's ERA in his seven losses this season climbed to 6.88.
When Dustin May pitched the game of his MLB life on June 15, throwing a complete-game, one-hit shutout to completely baffle the Padres, the hard-throwing right-hander’s value on the trade market was likely never higher.
May’s effectiveness – and subsequently his potential value as a trade piece for the rebuilding Cardinals – has systematically waned since that stellar performance at Busch Stadium in mid-June.
May’s wildly erratic season hit new depths on Saturday in Arizona when he grooved far too many balls in the middle of the plate and surrendered eight hits, four walks and five earned runs as the Cardinals lost 5-3 to the Dbacks.
With potentially three starts remaining before the Aug. 3 MLB Trade Deadline, the Cardinals must be wondering what value the 28-year-old May (5-7) has on the market. Since that heady, high-water moment against the Padres in mid-June, May has made five starts – a sixth was scratched because of back pain – and he’s pitched to a head-scratching 9.93 ERA over just 16 1/3 innings of work.
In his five wins this season, May has shown off his superstar potential with a 0.83 ERA and just one homer allowed. However, his 6.88 ERA and four homers surrendered in his seven losses bring uncertainty to his long-term future as a top-of-the-rotation starter.
Cards offense muted most of Saturday
A night after putting forth a game full of strong at bats, the Cardinals’ offense was mostly muted by Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (4-1), who got seven ground ball outs through the game’s first five innings.
Home Run Derby champion Jordan Walker singled in standout rookie JJ Wetherholt in the sixth inning for his MLB-most 75th RBI. Wetherholt registered his 29th multi-hit game of the season with singles in the sixth and seventh innings.
The Cards got within 5-2 on a Masyn Winn groundout, and they got the tying run to the plate, but slumping Nathan Church popped up on the infield. The rookie hasn’t had a hit in his last 27 at bats.
Rookie catcher Jimmy Crooks blasted a 443-foot homer in the ninth inning. His third long ball of the season left the bat at 108.8 mph.
May gave an indication what kind of day it would be from the first batter when he walked Ketel Marte on four pitches. He got a double play the next batter and got out of the first inning scoreless, but Arizona reached him in the second inning when he grooved a sinker middle-middle to James McCann, who singled in Gabriel Moreno.
The Dbacks scored three times in the third inning on a May wild pitch and another center-cut sinker that former Cardinals’ star third baseman Nolan Arenado drilled into the left field corner for a two-run double. Marte made it 5-0 in the fourth inning when he plunked a single into shallow left field to score No. 9 hitter Ryan Waldschmidt led off the inning with an opposite-field double.
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