Cards making most of new and improved version of Matz

ST. LOUIS -- Among the many “what ifs” in a season gone so horribly wrong for the Cardinals, this one in particular ranks near the top of the list: What if this version of Steven Matz had been ready to start the season instead of the one who struggled so badly for months?

Had the Cardinals had this version of Matz -- the one who improved to 3-0 with a 1.65 over his past six starts -- instead of the one who started 0-6 with an unsightly 5.72 ERA, they might not have opened 10-24 and 10 games back of the division lead before the season was even six weeks old. Then, they might have been buyers at the Trade Deadline instead of uncharacteristically selling off pitchers Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, Jordan Hicks, Chris Stratton plus Génesis Cabrera to contending teams.

Back in the rotation since July 9 following an extended demotion to the bullpen, Matz continued one of the best stretches of his career on Saturday in a 6-2 win over the Rockies. Matz went six innings for a third consecutive start and allowed just one run -- the first run he’s allowed since July 20.

Whereas Matz was 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA in April and 0-3 with a 5.00 ERA in May, he has gone 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his past six starts since returning from the bullpen. So, what gives between the Matz who struggled early on and one who got 15 swings and misses with dominant stuff on Saturday night?

“It’s hard to put my finger on one thing,” said Matz, who had more strikeouts (six) than hits allowed (five) on Saturday. “I made a big pitch tonight with the bases loaded -- really, three good changeups in a row. That [bases-loaded situation] could have snowballed for me earlier in the year, but now it’s just about pitching with confidence and making the pitches that count. That’s big for me now.”

Matz used an early home run from Tyler O’Neill, a two-run double from Willson Contreras and a two-run triple from leadoff hitter Tommy Edman to help notch his third win of the season. Contreras, who notched his 23rd double to tie his total from 2022 when he played for the Cubs, feels that a renewed aggressiveness has led to the talented left-hander being much more successful now than he was early on.

“You can tell that his body language is way different, he’s going right after batters, he doesn’t care who’s up there and he’s really believing in himself,” said Contreras, who snapped an eight-game stretch without an RBI. “He believes in his fastball, changeup and curveball. I think he’s been our best starter since he’s been back in the rotation.”

With the Cardinals trading away five pitchers, it’s no secret they will be on the prowl for pitching throughout the offseason. With Miles Mikolas and Matz under contract for 2024, the Cardinals will need to land at least two and maybe three starting pitchers. They will do so while hoping that they can count on Matz being the revived and effective starting pitcher he’s been over the past month instead of the one who struggled with confidence issues early on.

“Absolutely,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said when asked if Matz can be a dependable starter in 2024. “It wasn’t a regular offseason for him [following a 2022 knee injury], but we’re seeing a really good version of him now. Our job is to build off that and allow this to be what we see from him every time.”

One big difference for Matz has been the effectiveness of his changeup since returning to the rotation. After trying several grips on the changeup, he settled on one as a reliever, and the pitch evolved into more of a weapon for him. On Saturday, Matz threw 24 changeups and induced 18 swings and five misses. That pitch also aided the effectiveness of his sinker -- a pitch that induced eight swings and misses.

“Everything plays off my fastball, and I’m moving my fastball around and keeping the changeup where it needs to be … down,” he said. “I threw some good curveballs, but ultimately everything plays off my fastball.”

For now, Matz simply wants to continue his best run as a Cardinal. However, in the back of his mind is how much the team will lean on him and Mikolas as the backbone of the rotation, and he wants to prove he’s ready to shoulder that load.

“When you assess where we are, it’s good to just build momentum,” he said. “I’m continuing to build good relationships with Contreras and [Andrew] Knizner while trying to still win the games and build momentum. We can feed off each other and build for next year.”