Central STL News

Sonny Gray’s performance has become a key factor in the St. Louis Cardinals’ efforts to remain competitive in the National League Wild Card race this season. After leading the team to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, Gray noted that the Cardinals have posted an 18-6 record when he starts, which is currently the best mark among MLB starters with at least 20 outings.

“At the beginning of the season, I was thinking what do I want out of [2025]? And I do remember saying, ‘I want to win the games that I pitch, that I start,’” Gray said after surpassing both Tarik Skubal of Detroit and Cristopher Sánchez of Philadelphia for team wins during his starts. “There’s been a ton of games where [teammates] have picked me up where I may have had an ugly start. I’m just appreciative of everyone showing up, playing and busting it for that day.

“That [18-6 team record] is probably my favorite thing thus far this year.”

Gray held Chicago to five hits and two runs (one earned) across seven innings while striking out seven and walking one at Busch Stadium. The outing marked his 17th home win with St. Louis over two seasons—second only to Skubal’s 18 wins in Detroit over that period—and improved his home record this year as well; St. Louis is now 13-2 in his home starts.

Manager Oliver Marmol credited Gray’s preparation as central to his success: “He’s been consistent for us, but it goes back to his overall mentality and approach to his game,” Marmol said. “In between starts, it’s a real routine that leads to consistency [for Gray]. There’s an attention to detail and a purpose behind everything he does. He’s very consistent with the days in between and once it’s his day to go, man he’s ready. It’s been fun to watch, and he gives us a shot almost every time out.”

The Cardinals’ record stands at 42-53 when anyone other than Gray pitches—a stark contrast that has kept them within reach of postseason contention.

Sunday's game preparation was affected by storms in St. Louis, which delayed first pitch by nearly an hour and disrupted usual routines for both teams. Despite missing planned warmups due to weather delays, Gray found ways to adjust mentally alongside teammates watching golf on television during downtime.

“It was a weird day in the clubhouse because everyone got here early to do things on the field, and then everyone is walking around and looking at the tarp on the field, but we did get to watch the golf,” Gray said regarding handling rain delays. “I’m starting to learn how to do these rain delays a little better, fortunately or unfortunately. At first, I let them consume me and think, ‘This is messed up.’ But the more it’s happened, I’ve realized, ‘I can’t control this.’ So, I had to find a way that works.”

Catcher Pedro Pagés contributed both offensively—with a two-run homer—and defensively by throwing out Jon Berti as a pinch-runner late in Sunday night’s contest.

“Man, I’m just competing and trying to get back into the box and get in the mindset of competing and not think so much about mechanics,” Pagés said after hitting his eighth home run this season. “I dove into [hitting mechanics] a lot this year and it hasn’t benefitted me. So I just talked to the hitting [coaches] about, ‘Hey, I just want to compete. Forget about everything and just compete and put good at bats together. I’m glad that some good is coming out of it, and I want to keep going.”

Pagés also praised Gray's methodical preparation: “His routine is amazing and every day that he goes about his business, it has a meaning and a purpose,” Pagés said. “The way it builds up to his next start, it’s amazing. It’s something he’s done over his career and it helps him.”