Boston Cardinals Review - July 2020

The Cardinals played extremely well during most of July registering fourteen wins against only six losses. A six-game losing streak to conclude the month put a damper on the enthusiasm displayed by the fans in Boston, but overall the loyal followers of the home team remained optimistic despite the 14-12 record for the month. The Cards entered August battling for the division lead.

Throughout the month the Cardinals continued to feature a strong offense, horrible starting pitching, and excellent performances from many relievers to give the Cards an opportunity to prevail in many close contests. Nevertheless, the bullpen needed a reliable stopper to snuff out late inning rallies. Fans were delighted with the acquisition of all-star closer Troy Fountain just prior to the trade deadline to do just that.

Nick Holmes, Bob Hayes, and Donald Cameron were en fuego throughout the entire month. Holmes batted .388 for the month, reached base on 50% of his plate appearances (!!), and recorded a 1.031 OPS. Incredibly, he earned 21 bases on balls while striking out once! 

Bob Hayes launched seven home runs and drove in 18 runs in nineteen games before being sidelined for a week with a strained oblique. For the month, Hayes batted .365 with a .714 slugging percentage and a 1.132 OPS. 

Since taking over as the starting shortstop, Donald Cameron has been nothing less than impressive. Not only has he been flashing the leather in the field, but he also has been wielding a hot bat. In July his 36 hits were second only to the 38 hits recorded by Holmes. His .353 batting average and .388 on base percentage provided a welcome boost in offense from the shortstop position.

The overall performance of the starting staff was awful, although Brad Dixon surprised the pundits by winning two of three decisions and recording a respectable 3.58 ERA in five starts. The pitching highlight of the month was the combined performance of relievers Larry Foley, Eric O'Farrell, Mark Huber, and Homer Turner. Together they held opponents in check with a 2.22 ERA in 52.2 innings pitched. Without strong performances by these relievers, the Cardinals would have been in serious trouble.

In summary, July was a good month. Hopefully we will improve in August. Go, Cardinals!