Dustin May allows five runs in loss Saturday

McGreevy had an outstanding first half for the Cardinals, posting a 3.01 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 66/23 K/BB ratio over 101 2/3 innings through his first 18 starts. Dustin May will follow on Saturday with Andre Pallante taking the ball in Sunday’s series finale.

May needed 84 pitches to get through the four frames, as he issued four walks while procuring four strikeouts. It’s a disappointing end to the first half for May, who has pitched much better as of late than his 4.55 ERA on the year might indicate. The 28-year-old could be back on the bump over the weekend after the All-Star break, but the Cardinals haven’t set their rotation as of yet.

The Cardinals said May was on a pitch count of 65 tonight after leaving his last start with an ankle contusion, but they let him throw 81 to try to get the win. They finally pulled him with a 2-0 lead after back-to-back singles with two outs. The Brewers went on to score four runs in the seventh anyway, so it probably wouldn’t have mattered had May gotten through five. It was still a really nice outing after a couple of misfires. He’s allowed zero, zero, six, five and zero runs in his last five starts. He’ll next face the Braves on Saturday.

May suffered a right ankle contusion during his previous outing against Atlanta last week and simply hasn’t thrown a ton of pitches in any single outing since reeling off a one-hitter against the Padres back on June 15. The Cardinals aren’t going to push him too much from a workload standpoint with the All-Star break literally around the corner. The firm pitch count dampens his appeal for fantasy purposes, especially against a Milwaukee lineup that tends to do considerable damage against right-handed starters.

May was drilled in the ankle by a batted ball off the bat of Dominic Smith in the opening inning, then remained in the game to face three additional hitters, so it was unclear initially if he was pulled due to injury or ineffectiveness. Either way, he was saddled with five runs on five hits and a pair of walks in just 2/3 of an inning. It sounds like he was able to avoid serious injury though, so he may be able to take his final turn in the Cardinals’ rotation before the All-Star break.

The Cardinals are skipping May’s turn due to lower back tightness with Andre Pallante taking the ball on regular rest against Miami on Saturday. The 28-year-old could probably use some extra rest after getting torched for six runs by the Royals his last time out following a one-hit shutout against the Padres back on June 15.

May struck out two, walked one, and allowed two homers in the abbreviated outing. His last start was a one-hit, complete-game masterpiece, and he had been on a roll dating back to mid-April. The Cardinals still found a way to win 12-10, so every pitcher got hit hard today. Despite the tough result, he’ll remain a streaming option next time out, at home against the Marlins.

May retired 18 consecutive batters before issuing a leadoff walk to Fernando Tatis Jr. to open the seventh inning, ending his perfect-game bid. He lost the no-hitter two batters later when Manny Machado sliced a one-out single into left field. He managed to complete eight innings on just 93 pitches and got the nod to return for the final frame, managing to set down Sung-Mun Song, Rodolfo Durán and Fernando Tatis Jr. on eight pitches to complete the shutout. He’s allowed three earned runs or fewer in four consecutive starts since May 27, lowering his ERA from 4.57 to 3.75 in the process. He’ll wrap up a two-start week with a home tilt against the Royals on Sunday.

May easily outdueled Freddy Peralta, and continues his hot run after a less-than-spectacular beginning to his campaign. The 28-year-old allowed only four hits — only one of those for extra bases — and he struck out six against a single free pass. May has looked the part and then some as of late, and his 4.21 ERA is more impressive when you consider it was 6.98 just a few outings ago. He’s worth streaming consideration next week against the Padres, with that start scheduled for Monday.

After entering the eighth with a no-hitter last time out against the Brewers, May struck out nine for a second straight outing tonight. Particularly impressive was that he threw his fastball 24 times with a 54 percent CSW and no hits allowed. Since giving up 13 runs in his first two starts, May has a 3.19 ERA and a 53/16 K/BB in 59 1/3 innings. We still wouldn’t typically trust him in mixed leagues, but he has some upside in a two-start week against the Mets and Twins next week.