Samuel Johnathan Tuivailala…resides in San Mateo, CA…was a 3-sport athlete at Aragon High School in San Mateo, CA, garnering 1st-team All-Conference selections in baseball, basketball and football…pitched and played shortstop in high school posting marks of a 6-0 record,1.28 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 60.1 innings on the mound his senior season while batting .324 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI playing shortstop…threw a nohitter with 17 strikeouts…committed to Fresno State before signing with the Cardinals.
2019
Went 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA (6 ER, 23.0 IP) with 27 strikeouts and 11 walks in 23 appearances (2 starts) with the Mariners...Did not allow a run over 14 consecutive outings (2 starts) from July 20 - September 1, spanning 14.1 innings… struck out 16 and walked 6 while limiting opponents to a .140 (7x50) average against during this span...Recorded a hold in 6 straight outings, August 13-25…struck out 5, allowed 2 hits and walked 2 in 6.0 scoreless innings during this span...Made 2 starts as an "opener" - August 4 at Houston and August 11 vs. Tampa Bay - and did not allow a run in 2.0 innings of work...Allowed a home run (Austin Hays) on September 21 at Baltimore, his first home run allowed in a Mariners uniform…snapped a streak of 25.1 consecutive innings pitched without a home run as a Mariner and 29.0 consecutive innings without allowing a home run overall...Posted a 0.96 ERA (1 ER, 9.1 IP) in 10 games (1 start) at home… had a 3.29 ERA (5 ER, 13.2 IP) in 13 games (1 start) on the road...Began the season on 10-day Injured List while recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon (injury occurred Aug. 8, 2018 at Texas)…transferred to the 60-day IL on May 25…made appearances on rehab assignments with ShortA Everett (2 GS), High-A Modesto (6 G), Double-A Arkansas (5 G) and Triple-A Tacoma (6 G)…reinstated from the 60-day IL on July 15.
2018
The Totals - In 36 appearances between St. Louis and Seattle, was 4-3 with 4 holds and a 3.41 ERA (14 ER, 37.0 IP) with 30 strikeouts and 12 walks...Seattle Totals - In 5 games with the Mariners, was 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA (1 ER, 5.1 IP) with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk...Bird Land - Went 3-3 with 4 holds and a 3.69 ERA (13 ER, 31.2 IP) with 26 strikeouts and 11 walks in 31 relief appearances with St. Louis...Going for Distance - Logged 9 outings of at least 5 outs…in those 9 games, had a 1.72 ERA (3 ER, 15.2 IP) with 11 strikeouts, 2 walks and a .203 (12x59) average against...Rough on Right - Held opposing right-handed batters to a .225 (20x89) average against with just 3 extra-base hits, while opposing lefties hit .356 (21x59) with 9 extra-base hits..Trade - Acquired by Seattle from St. Louis for minor leaguer Seth Elledge (rhp) on July 27...Sidelined - Exited the game on Aug. 8 at Texas in the 6th inning with a ruptured right Achilles tendon…placed on the 10-day disabled list on Aug. 9…underwent surgery on Aug. 15 in San Francisco; orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ken Akizuki - the Giants' team surgeon - performed the procedure…transferred to the 60-day DL on Aug. 1.
2017
Divided his season between Memphis (AAA) and the majors, with five recalls to St. Louis and appearing in a career-high 37 Major League games ... Led National League rookie relievers with 1.06 GIDP/9 IP ... Ranked 3rd among National League (5th MLB) rookie relief pitchers with a 1.09 WHIP ... His 37 games (42.1 IP) with no inherited runners were the most in Cardinals history and the most since the Padres' Joaquin Benoit had 67 games (65.1 IP) in 2015 ... Made seven appearances of 2.0 or more innings, tied for the team lead with Tyler Lyons ... Had 19 games finished, 2nd on the Cardinals behind Seung Hwan Oh (38) ... Held opposing batters to a .111 BA (3-27, 3 singles) with runners in scoring position ... Struck out a batter in 25 of 37 appearances. Had a seasonhigh three strikeouts vs. PIT (6/24) ... Recorded three wins, T2nd among Cardinals relief pitchers trailing Tyler Lyons (4); earned all three wins on the road and suffered all three losses at home ... Earned his first Major League win (5/7) at ATL pitching 2.0 scoreless innings in a 14-inning, 6-4 Cardinals win ... Won back-to-back games 5/7 at ATL and 5/10 at MIA ... Pitched on consecutive days four times ... Threw 7.1 scoreless innings 6/20-8/4 (seven games) ... Finished the season with four straight scoreless appearances of 1.0 IP each ... Threw a season-high 3.0 scoreless IP of one-hit ball (8/20) at PIT during the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa., hurling a career-high 44 pitches.
2016
Split the season between St. Louis and Memphis (AAA) making 42 appearances in Triple-A and 12 with the Cardinals over four separate occasions...Named a Pacific Coast League All-Star but did not play due to promotion to St. Louis...Ranked 4th in the PCL in games finished (33) and 5th in saves (17). His 35 career Triple-A saves rank 3rd in Redbirds franchise history (Victor Marte, 45, 2011-13)...Fanned 72 batters in 46.2 IP, 7th-most among non-starters in the PCL. Recorded a 13.88 K/per 9.0 IP ratio that would have ranked 2nd in the PCL if qualified...Led all Cardinals minor leagues in saves and strikeouts per nine innings...Had a nine-game stretch (10.0 IP) from 4/24-5/20 in which he allowed no runs and earned three saves and one win...Did not allow a home run to 47 total batters faced. Had allowed 4 HR in 75 TBF from 2014-15...Nine of 12 appearances for St. Louis were scoreless. Eight outings were 1.0 IP, four less than 1.0 inning...First recall came 7/1-7/15 (Kevin Siegrist to D.L.) and made 2 scoreless appearances (2.0 IP) in that time...Recalled as the "26th man" on 7/26 when the Cardinals had a double header at New York Mets. Pitched 1.0 scoreless inning in the Game 2 loss...Recalled on 8/16 and allowed runs in two of three games before 8/25 option...Final recall came on 9/6 for the remainder of the season. Five of his last six games were scoreless.
2015
Split the season between St. Louis and Memphis (AAA) making 43 appearances in Triple-A and 14 with the big league club…Recorded nine straight scoreless appearances in St. Louis (5/19-8/29) covering 9.0 IP…Posted 2 Holds, both in the same two-game series at CWS (7/21-22), throwing 0.2 IP in both…Pitched 2.0 innings in two appearances, both vs. PIT (5/3, 1 R & 7/11, 0 R)…Struck out 11 batters in his last four MLB appearances (4.2 IP, 21.2 K/9 IP)…Topped out at 43 pitches in an app. (8/18 vs. ABQ) in Memphis; 35 in St. Louis (9/18 at CHI)…Named a Pacific Coast League All-Star but did not play due to promotion to St. Louis…Of his 43 appearances in Memphis, 35 were scoreless…Did not allow a run in his last eight minor league appearances (9.0 IP, 3 H)…Was 17-for-17 in save opp. to rank 4th in the PCL and ranked 3rd in games finished (37)…Named Best Reliever in the Pacific Coast League by Baseball America in its Best Tools survey.
2014
Began the season in Palm Beach (A) and advanced to St. Louis by the end of the season, making appearances in Springfield (AA) and Memphis (AAA) along the way. Finished his season in the Arizona Fall League with Peoria...Led all of Minor League Baseball with 14.55 strikeouts/9 IP...His 97 minor league strikeouts ranked 4th among all relief pitchers who did not record a start, trailing Andrew Kittredge (SEA, 116 K, 89.2 IP), Armando Rivero (CHI, 100 K, 65.0 IP) and fellow Cardinals minor leaguer Chris Perry (98 K, 63.0 IP)...Made his Major League debut at Cincinnati (9/9) entering the game in the bottom of the 8th and allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning...Appeared in two Major League games, both against Cincinnati. Allowed four runs on five hits covering one full inning...Posted marks of 2-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 48 minor league appearances. Struck out 97 batters in 60 innings for a 14.6 strikeouts/9 IP, ranking 2nd among Cardinals minor league pitchers behind Dixon Llorens (15.00)...Ranked T4th among Cardinals minor leaguers with 48 appearances...Struck out 64 batters in 37.1 innings at Palm Beach, ranking 5th on the team in strikeouts...Allowed only one home run to 222 total batters faced...Was promoted to Memphis (AAA) on August 31 and made two appearances with one save. Made one appearance in the Pacific Coast League playoffs and struck out two batters in one inning...Played for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League. Was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 12 appearances nailing down five saves. Struck out 13 batters in 14 innings and allowed only one extra base hit (a double) to 59 batters faced with opponents batting .196...Selected to the Arizona Fall League All-Star Game and made a relief appearance in the 8th inning allowing one run and ended the inning with a double play.
2013
Made 28 relief appearances for Peoria (A)...ranked 3rd among Cardinals minor league pitchers with a 12.74 K's/9 IP and 6th in toughest to homer off with zero home runs in 159 total batters faced...struck out batters in 24 of 28 appearances tying his career high with five strikeouts twice.
2012
Converted from shortstop to pitcher...began the season in Johnson City, made one appearance as designated hitter vs. Greeneville (6/20) and hit a solo home run in his first at bat.... appeared in 11 games in relief and struck out 23 batters in 13.0 innings for 15.9 strikeouts/9 IP...allowed only one extra base hit to 64 total batters faced and it was a home run (7/19 at Elizabethton)... struck out multiple batters in 11 of 13 appearances topping out with four batters twice...made one appearance in the Appy League playoffs allowing one run on two hits in 2.0 innings with five strikeouts...his five postseason strikeouts ranked T2nd among Cardinals pitchers (the other three were starters).
2011
Played in 44 games for the GCL Cardinals, starting 43 at shortstop...ranked 2nd on the team with 40 hits...tallied 11 multi-hit games with three, three-hit games...batted .311 with runners in scoring position.
2010
Played in 42 games at the Gulf Coast League level, making 24 starts at shortstop and 15 in the outfield...hit first professional home run off Juan Urbina vs. GCL Mets (8/12)... batted .320 (8-25) vs. left-handed pitchers.
