ST. LOUIS -- After a flirtation with history less than three weeks ago in Milwaukee, Cardinals starter Dustin May was at it again on Monday night at Busch Stadium.
May carried a perfect game bid into the seventh inning, but permitted a walk and a base hit (the only ones he allowed) to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, respectively, to put an end to the dizziest of his dreams for the outing.
But May’s noteworthy night didn’t stop there.
May went the distance for the first time in his big league career, shutting out the Padres in a 3-0 Cardinals win.
May’s masterful performance marked the first shutout by a Cardinals starter since Sonny Gray on June 27, 2025. He became the first Cardinal to twirl a shutout at Busch Stadium since Miles Mikolas accomplished the feat on July 15, 2019.
After losing his bid at history, May benefitted from a slick double play turned on an 83.0 mph strike from Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn to first baseman Alec Burleson, which propelled him to push through the rest of the shutout.
In the eighth inning, May struck out the side for the second time on the night. He also set a new career high in innings pitched by recording an out in the eighth inning of a start for the first time in his big league career.
The bullpen hardly stirred after Ty France swung through May’s 93rd pitch of the game, signaling May would have every opportunity to finish what he started.
May did exactly that, throwing his 101st pitch on the night by Tatis to set off the fireworks in downtown St. Louis.
Through five innings, May had set down 15 Padres in order, requiring just 50 pitches to do it. May’s sixth inning showed he was not nearing any sort of proverbial wall.
The 17 pitches he threw to traverse the frame represented the most he had thrown in an inning all night, but he struck out the bottom of the San Diego lineup in order to assert his continued dominance over the proceedings.
The bid at history ended in the seventh inning, with Tatis drawing a walk two batters ahead of a Machado base hit through the left side of the St. Louis infield. Winn’s efficiency on the inning-ending double play turn, though, kept alive the dream for May to record his first shutout in seven MLB seasons.