BALTIMORE — By the time he got five pitches into his first at-bat against Baltimore’s starter, Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn felt he had the timing down for Cade Povich’s fastball. When Winn struck out on the sixth pitch – a four-seam fastball – it took quickly reviewing video of the swing to see why the feel didn’t match the result.
He was, Winn said, “a year late on that last heater.”
“I thought I was all over it and I wasn’t sure how I missed it,” he explained late Wednesday night. “I went back and looked and I was under it and super-late, so I knew I had to make an adjustment.”
As he passed information to teammates about what he saw, Winn decided he had to get his front down quicker to drive the fastball, and that’s exactly what he did in his second at-bat against Povich. Winn connected on the fastball for a base hit in his second at-bat, and he fouled off the fastball to get an enticing curveball in his second at-bat. Winn roped the fastball for a single that was 107.4 mph off the bat, drove the curveball off the left-field wall, and helped flip the game on Povich in the middle innings.
People are also reading…
The Cardinals scored five runs in the span 11 batters against the lefty to upend the Orioles’ lead and then follow the bullpen to a 6-4 victory Wednesday at Camden Yards.
Before leaving Charm City for a weekend in Texas spent visiting the Rangers, the Cardinals cinched their eighth series win in their past 10. Their past five victories have come after trailing at some point in the game. The Cardinals trailed by a run in the fifth inning Tuesday at Camden, trailed 3-0 after the second inning on a rainy, chilly Wednesday along the harbor. And each time the bullpen did not allow a run in the final four innings, and the steady, persistent, learning lineup maintained the pressure until bursting through. Winn’s four hits and Brendan Donovan’s lead-taking, two-run homer decided Wednesday’s game.
“I think that is the reason that we’ve been on such a tear lately,” starter Miles Mikolas said. “Our hitters are not giving up. It’s easy with the weather being like it is today to let’s get out of here and throw at-bats away. That’s not our attitude. That’s not our mentality right now. And they dug in and gave the pitcher a tough time until he cracked.”
Or, as Winn asserted: “We rake as a squad.”
When they rake reveals their identity as a squad.
The Cardinals’ 47 RBIs in their third look in a game at the starter lead the majors, just ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Only four teams are hitting better than the Cardinals’ .290 in their third at-bats against a starter, and only four reach base more often that Cardinals’ .359 on-base percentage. With five runs off Povich in the fourth and fifth innings, the Cardinals have outscored opponents by 43 runs in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings combined. (They didn’t score any in those innings Tuesday and still won, 7-4.) Outscoring teams in those specific innings illustrate the starters holding back teams in the middle and the lineup breaking through against a starter the second or third time they see him.
It also shows how, in real-time, the Cardinals adapt as a group and draw confidence from this ability to improve and gather momentum within a game, not just game to game.
“I think there’s something to that, I really do,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “When I say the vibe or the conversation in the dugout is like guys are making outs and in the past they would come in and just be frustrated with their at-bat. They’re sharing what they learned from the at-bat immediately after making an out.”
Added Donovan: “There is not a lot of breaks. Even if a guy doesn’t get a hit, he wears him out enough to pass the torch to the next guy to take the walk, take the knock, take the tough at-bat. I think that’s just a testament to this offense, testament to the preparation behind the scenes in the hitters meetings and the chemistry of the group too.”
Donovan, who bats No. 3 right after Winn at No. 2, said his preference is to get insight on the pitcher from Winn after “he’s taking a left turn and I’m talking to him as he’s touching home plate.” But sometimes it happens in the dugout over the iPad or after looking at it.
Lars Nootbaar stung the first pitch of the game for a single, but Povich vexed the Cardinals from there through three innings. Winn struck out on the fastball. Donovan followed with a strikeout. Povich struck out six of the first 10 batters he faced, and with a mix of unfamiliarity – no Cardinal had a big-league at-bat against the lefty before Wednesday – and the use of his fastball. He was less consistent with his sweeping slider, and his changeup clanked.
Word spread through the Cardinals’ dugout.
“For me, it’s tough sometimes,” Winn admitted. “If I go up there and I strike out, it’s tough to go back in and be super-talkative. A lot of times, I’ve got to man-up and just let the guys know this is what this curveball looks like. His heater was pretty good, so make sure you get your foot down. Our whole lineup is smart. We learn from our mistakes.”
What Winn saw on the video of his whiff connected with what hitting coach Brant Brown offered as an approach and began to take hold as Povich began the fourth inning.
“Take the sneak out of the heater,” Brown said. “Get on the fastball and if the spin pops, we hit it.”
Winn led off the fourth with the single that left his bat at 107.4-mph.
Donovan followed with a single that he struck at 104.6 mph.
Both of them scored on Jordan Walker’s two-out, two-run single to left.
As the drizzle and mist started to part, the Cardinals provided more lightning strikes in the fifth inning during their third look at Povich. They had him solved. With no movement in the Orioles’ bullpen or, curiously, their dugout, Nootbaar doubled to lead off the fifth. Winn doubled to score Nootbaar, and Donovan crushed his fourth homer of the season to reverse the game on Povich. The Cardinals put four balls in play at 103.2 mph or faster in that fourth, and in the span of eight pitches put in play, six were at 103.2 mph or faster.
They took the sneak out of the heater – and put a sizzle on it.
“It was relentless out there,” Winn said. “It feels like even innings we don’t score, we have opportunities. It feels like we’re always in it. We could be down five, we could be down eight, and we always feel like we have a chance.”
The Cardinals went 4 for 6 as a lineup against Povich in their third at-bats against the second-year starter. That improved them to 77 for 258, or .298. They’ve added to those hits 24 walks against only 49 strikeouts. It’s common for a lineup to do better when facing a starter for a third time – it’s one of the reasons why the Cardinals have kept some of their starters from late innings and a third glimpse – but the spike for the Cardinals is notable, as is the raw production.
The Cardinals took their first lead in Sunday’s game against Arizona with a run in their third turn against the starter. They trailed 1-0 on Friday against the Diamondbacks before scoring four runs in the sixth – three of which came on Nolan Arenado’s bases-clearing triple.
Through 56 games, the Cardinals have scored the sixth-most runs in baseball, and 129 of those runs have come in the middle four innings. Their opponents this weekend in Arlington, Texas, have scored 185 runs total, 80 fewer than the Cardinals. The Rangers scored a total of three runs in their previous three games. On the same day the Cardinals had their 24th game with at least 10 hits, the Rangers had their 27th game with two or fewer runs.
Donovan delivered that much with his homer Wednesday that was the exclamation point on all the chatter in the dugout.
“I’ll tell you what – it’s a lot more fun,” Donovan said. “This group has fun. We have a good time. The dugout always has good energy. There is also a sense of calmness, too. Hey, boys, we’re fine. Let’s just continue to have good at-bats. We’ll score. Celebrate the runs. But then go, ‘Hey, let’s get to it and stay on them.’”
Close
Baltimore Orioles’ Maverick Handley (98) advances to third base in front of St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, left, on a throwing error by Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages during a pickoff attempt in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan is unable to field a ball hit in by Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins for a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins (31) celebrates with Adley Rutschman (35) after scoring on an RBI single hit in by Dylan Carlson during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan returns to the dugout after scoring on a two-run single hit in by Jordan Walker during the fourth inning of a game against the Orioles on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera holds his broken bat during an at-bat in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Ramon Urias (29) reacts to a strike during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Jackson Holliday (7) celebrates in front of St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) after hitting an RBI double to score Cedric Mullins during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera looks at his broken bat during an at-bat in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Cade Povich (37) delivers during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Ryan O’Hearn (32) scores past St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages, left, on a throwing error by Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins, below, steals second base in front of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Maverick Handley (98) hits in an RBI groundout to score Ramon Urias during the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins, below, steals second base in front of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) fields a ground ball hit in by St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado to make the throw to second baseman Jackson Holliday for a double play during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Cade Povich delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas delivers during the second inning of a baseball game Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Fans use umbrellas to cover their seats after a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals was delayed, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
A fans stands behind netting as the groundskeeping crew work on the field after a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals was delayed, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Fans sit in the stands as the groundskeeping crew work on the field after a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals was delayed, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Maverick Handley (98) advances to third base in front of St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, left, on a throwing error by Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages during a pickoff attempt in the fourth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan is unable to field a ball hit in by Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins for a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins (31) celebrates with Adley Rutschman (35) after scoring on an RBI single hit in by Dylan Carlson during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan returns to the dugout after scoring on a two-run single hit in by Jordan Walker during the fourth inning of a game against the Orioles on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera holds his broken bat during an at-bat in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Ramon Urias (29) reacts to a strike during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Jackson Holliday (7) celebrates in front of St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) after hitting an RBI double to score Cedric Mullins during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera looks at his broken bat during an at-bat in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Cade Povich (37) delivers during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Ryan O’Hearn (32) scores past St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages, left, on a throwing error by Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins, below, steals second base in front of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Maverick Handley (98) hits in an RBI groundout to score Ramon Urias during the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins, below, steals second base in front of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) fields a ground ball hit in by St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado to make the throw to second baseman Jackson Holliday for a double play during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Cade Povich delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas delivers during the second inning of a baseball game Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Fans use umbrellas to cover their seats after a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals was delayed, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
A fans stands behind netting as the groundskeeping crew work on the field after a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals was delayed, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Fans sit in the stands as the groundskeeping crew work on the field after a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals was delayed, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Baltimore.
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!