Quinn Mathews to start doubleheader game for Cards

Pallante got the ball for the second game of Monday’s doubleheader and managed to somehow keep the ball in the yard, despite allowing 10 hits across six frames. He struck out five and only handed out one free pass. He gave up an early run before silencing Cincinnati into the sixth inning before surrendering three runs on hits from Michael Toglia and Héctor Rodríguez in the frame. He’ll face the Phillies to wrap up a two-start week on Saturday.

It took Matthews 95 pitches to get 12 outs, so he wasn’t allowed to try to qualify for the win with a 2-1 lead. Still, this makes two solid outings in two tries for him this month. He’ll rejoin Triple-A Memphis after serving as the 27th man today, but he should get a chance to make more starts for the Cardinals before the end of the year.

Pallante and Cristopher Sánchez went zero-for-zero over six innings, so although both starters pitched well enough for a win, but go wanting. The 27-year-old scattered four hits and three walks, and he whiffed two before leaving after 97 pitches. Pallante is never dominant, but more often than not he limits the damage. He’ll take a 3.46 ERA into a scheduled showdown in Cincinnati versus the Reds.

Pallante gave up three hits, walked three and struck out four. He improved to 12-6 with the win. Pallante walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the bases-loaded in the sixth inning, but otherwise held the Yankees scoreless. His ERA is 3.63. Pallante is lined up to face the Phillies at home next week.

This is surprising, especially following Dustin May’s departure. Mathews did solid work against the Jays in his major league debut Saturday (2 ER in 5+ innings), and it seemed like he was going to get an extended look. Something obviously has changed since, or the Cardinals presumably would have sent him down on Sunday.

Mathews allowed six hits, walked three and struck out three, which doesn’t sound great. However, he allowed just four hard-hit balls, and he finished with 12 whiffs and a solid 29 percent CSW. He was likely to stay in the rotation no matter how today went, but it was definitely a decent enough first effort. Since he’s lined up for a home start against the Rockies, he’s a fair streaming option next week.

Mathews will make his major-league debut against the Blue Jays on Saturday at the Rogers Centre. The 25-year-old southpaw was widely regarded as one of baseball’s most exciting pitching prospects entering last season before a shoulder injury, compounded by mechanical issues that wreaked havoc on his command, completely derailed his development. The result was nearly 50 Triple-A starts over the past two seasons instead of a prolonged opportunity in the majors. He still misses bats at an impressive clip, keeping him firmly on the fantasy radar, but his inability to consistently throw strikes amplifies the risk more than most pitching prospects. He’s a fascinating talent, but forecasting his future is extremely challenging. He’s certainly not a fit for risk-averse fantasy managers.

The 25-year-old hurler has made 19 starts at Triple-A Memphis this season, registering a 3.13 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 111/52 K/BB ratio across 92 innings of work. His strikeout upside could make him an intriguing addition in deeper mixed leagues, though his elevated walk rate does lead to risk in the ratio departments as well.

The right-hander struck out three opposing hitters on the day while issuing a pair of walks. The Cubs scratched out a run against him in the fourth inning, then chased Pallante after a one-out walk in the seventh, with that run ultimately coming around to score. Pallante got 11 whiffs on 90 pitches on the afternoon, registering a CSW of 24 percent. He’ll carry a solid 3.64 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and an 86/34 K/BB ratio (118 2/3 innings) into a tough matchup against the Yankees in New York on Tuesday.

Gordon Graceffo finished up the shutout, adding four more strikeouts. Pallante improved to 11-6 in 20 starts after finishing 6-15 last year. The eight strikeouts, one more than he had totaled in his previous three outings this month, matched his season high from a start against the Mariners in April. He’ll take a 3.77 ERA into his next outing, which will probably come Friday against the Blue Jays.