2:49 AM UTC
ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals’ hopes of using a key series against the Yankees to jump-start a second-half surge will have to wait at least one day.
Friday night’s opener of the three-game series between the Cardinals and Yankees at Busch Stadium was postponed after heavy rains rolled into the area about 90 minutes prior to first pitch, with inclement weather forecasted into Saturday morning.
Friday’s contest will be made up as part of a split doubleheader Saturday, with Game 1 slated for 1:15 p.m. CT and Game 2 set for 6:15 p.m. CT. Tickets to the postponed game will be honored for Saturday’s nightcap, the club announced. Right-hander Jack Flaherty will pitch the first game for the Cardinals, while rookie left-hander Matthew Liberatore will pitch the second.
Friday’s postponement will also delay the Cardinals’ date with Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Cole, who is 8-1 with a 2.78 ERA, will line up opposite former teammate and close friend Jordan Montgomery on Sunday. The Cards traded center fielder Harrison Bader to the Yankees for Montgomery (5-7, 3.52 ERA) on Aug. 2 last year.
In 2022, the Cardinals used a three-game sweep of the Yankees at Busch Stadium as a launchpad that eventually led them to win the National League Central and make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Montgomery, who is still close with several Yankees, pitched five scoreless innings in a 1-0 St. Louis win in that series.
The Cardinals are hopeful that they will have All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado and utility man Brendan Donovan fully available for Saturday’s doubleheader. Arenado, who left Wednesday’s game with low back tightness, was originally scheduled to be in the lineup at DH on Friday, but manager Oliver Marmol is hopeful that Arenado can play in the field in at least one of the two games on Saturday.
Donovan, the first rookie Gold Glover in Cardinals history in 2022, was scratched from Friday’s starting lineup to get imaging done on his painful right arm. An MRI revealed no structural damage in his throwing arm, Marmol said, but Donovan — an elite fielder who has appeared at six defensive positions this season — will be on a “no throw” plan for a matter of days. Marmol added that he will still be available to the club as a DH or pinch-hitter.
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