Dustin May terrific in tough luck no-decision

May was tested in the fourth, when he walked the leadoff man and gave up a single with one out. He then induced a double play ball, only for David Hamilton to botch it at short and get no outs. So, May just went and got another double play ball, and the defense converted it this time. It was the third time this year that May completed seven innings. The first time, in May, he was facing the Brewers team he pitched for today. The second time was his one-hit shutout in June against the team he faced today. He’ll take on the Mariners next.

May, acquired from the Cardinals on Monday, allowed three hits, walked three and struck out five to win for the first time since his one-hit shutout of the Padres back on June 15. He’s allowed just three runs over 17 innings in his last five starts, taking his ERA back down to 4.30. He’s set to face the Padres next week, and given how well his previous two starts this year went against them, he seems like a decent streaming option.

May might have peaked in May, but he’s still done quite well in posting a 2.92 ERA with 28 strikeouts over 24 2/3 innings in his last five starts. The Brewers don’t ask for lengthy outings from their starters, which should work in May’s favor. His fantasy value should increase a tad with the deal, though there is the risk that the Brewers will occasionally pull him with a lead in the fifth. The Brewers will have to decide whether to go to a six-man rotation for now or to have May replace Robert Gasser.

Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale are going to St. Louis, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. May could replace Robert Gasser in the Brewers rotation or the team could shift back to a six-man setup for now. Romero will take some pressure off Aaron Ashby in relief once he comes off the IL.

May put together a solid start here while it was obvious that the Cardinals were trying to protect him. He got through his five scoreless innings, but didn’t face a single batter for a third time and was yanked at just 70 pitches. His fastball also trended down closer to 95 mph from his usual 97 in that fifth or final inning. To further defend that decision, May’s command was all over the place and he only forced three total swings-and-misses. In the end, May has faltered over the last month, was wild again here, and the Cardinals did well to quit while they were ahead. May is a trade candidate ahead of Monday’s deadline, so keep an eye out for where and when his next start is.

May gave up eight hits, walked four and struck out six. He fell to 5-7 with the loss. Saturday wasn’t May’s best start and it was the third time he’s allowed at least five runs in his last five starts. The 28-year-old right-hander has a 4.78 ERA and a 3.89 xFIP. May’s .328 BABIP allowed and 63 percent left on base percentage also point to him being unlucky this year. He’s lined up to face the Diamondbacks at home next week.

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.