Jaime Garcia expected to make next start; Holliday making progress
ST. LOUIS -- All signs point to Jaime Garcia being able to make his next start Tuesday after an injury scare cut short his outing Wednesday night in Miami.
The injury-prone lefty came up limping as he crossed home plate in the seventh inning of a 6-1 win over the Marlins. Afterward, Garcia and manager Mike Matheny described it as a cramp near the groin area in his left leg, and so far it doesn't appear to be a lingering issue.
"We'll see how it goes and any time we get him back out there or any of our guys we're encouraged," Matheny said. "But we were excited right away when we saw him (Wednesday) kind of doing some of his workouts and realizing he was feeling pretty good."
Garcia will throw a bullpen session Saturday to ensure all is well, and general manager John Mozeliak said the Cardinals are hopeful. Since coming back to St. Louis after a preseason shoulder injury, Garcia has posted an impressive 1.69 ERA and gone at least six innings in all seven starts.
Holliday, Walden working toward recovery
Two more key pieces should be back for the first-place Cardinals around the All-Star break.
Matt Holliday told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he hit off a tee and threw this week as his right quad continues to get "better" and "stronger" since he suffered a strain playing defense at Colorado 2 1/2 weeks ago. Mozeliak said the left fielder should be tested a little more next week and could return as soon as the next road trip, which begins July 6 against the Cubs.
Matheny expects Holliday to start running soon, and his progress will depend largely on how he responds. So far, the recovery has gone well for the Cardinals' leader in on-base percentage with a .417 mark this season.
"He's excited kind of seeing that finish line for him getting back here," Matheny said. "That's not just good for Matt, that's good for us."
The bullpen will receive a similar boost when Jordan Walden can come back off the disabled list, where he's been for nearly two full months due to a right biceps injury. Mozeliak said the reliever could be ready to begin a rehab assignment in the next two weeks, setting him up for a possible return to the big-league team shortly after the July 14 All-Star Game.
Cardinals look to continue record pace at home
The Cardinals' home dominance puts them on pace to make history heading into their final homestand before the All-Star break.
A 26-7 record at Busch Stadium leads Major League Baseball by two full games, making St. Louis the only team without at least 11 home losses. They're on pace to reach nearly 64 wins, which would shatter the franchise record of 60 set in 1942, when the team played only 154 games.
No team has won more than 57 at home since 1998, when the New York Yankees went 62-19. They also hold the MLB record for most home wins in a 162-game season with 65 in 1961, the first year of the expanded schedule.
The 1975 Cincinnati Reds hold the National League record with 64 wins, and no NL team has even won 60 since the Philadelphia Phillies in 1977.
St. Louis, which has won six straight at home, still hasn't lost a series of more than two games at home since losing four straight to the Pirates in July 2013. The upcoming nine-game homestand will feature three against the Cubs, three against the White Sox and three against the Padres.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
