Helsley's MRI clean, but closer not available for Game 2

ST. LOUIS -- Though an MRI of Ryan Helsley’s right middle finger came back clean Friday night, manager Oliver Marmol said that Helsley would not be available for Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Phillies since he threw 33 pitches in Game 1.

Helsley was to play catch Saturday, and assuming he felt no lingering pain in his finger, he was expected to be ready to pitch should the Cardinals have pushed the series to a decisive Game 3. However, St. Louis was eliminated with a 2-0 loss in Game 2.

“He got an MRI, the MRI was clean, so he’s good,” Marmol said before the game. “Helsley will not be available today. I mean, my hope is that [starting pitcher] Miles [Mikolas] closes this game out, and if he doesn’t, we’ll figure the rest out.”

Jordan Hicks and Giovanny Gallegos each has past closing experience, and both entered late in Saturday's game -- Gallegos tossing a perfect eighth and Hicks tossing a scoreless ninth, including starting a superb double play to end the frame. Hicks got the final two outs of the sixth inning in Game 1 by throwing 12 pitches -- six for strikes.

As for Gallegos, he opened the season as the Cardinals' closer before struggling -- specifically against left-handers -- and lost his job to Helsley. He saved 14 games in 20 opportunities, and the 14 saves tied his career high from 2021. On Friday, he worked a strong seventh inning and recorded an out in the eighth before walking eighth-place hitter Bryson Stott. Marmol then pulled Gallegos and turned to Helsley.

Tasked to work multiple innings 18 times during the regular season (1 1/3 innings or more), Helsley was called upon to get five outs late in Game 1. He had no problems in the eighth inning, but the ninth was a different story. With one out, he gave up a single, walked two and hit a batter before being pulled. All four runners came around to score in an eventual 6-3 Phillies win.

Complicating matters, of course, is the fact that Helsley injured the middle finger on his pitching hand on Tuesday in Pittsburgh when he stumbled and jammed his finger while trying to balance himself. Helsley was examined by the team’s medical staff on Thursday and he was cleared following a throwing session later that day.

However, in the heat of the action on Friday, Helsley was compromised because of “stiffness” in his middle finger.

“Your best chance for that game to end is Helsley,” Marmol said. “Helsley said there was no pain, and he just felt stiff and he had trouble finishing his pitches. That’s why he never looked in [the dugout], because it wasn’t a matter of him being hurt. He said, 'I figured on the next pitch I’d figure it out. There was no reason for me to ask you guys to come out because nothing was hurt.'”

The four runs allowed matched Helsley’s career high. He had allowed just nine earned runs in 54 regular-season appearances and rung up 94 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings pitched.