Sonny Gray provides cryptic quotes after another tough start

Sonny Gray's rough outing against the Washington Nationals on Friday night capped off one of the worst months of his career. Gray went 5 innings, allowed seven hits, walked three, gave up five runs, and struck out seven batters. It took him 90 pitches to throw those five innings, and the Cardinals ended up losing the game in extra innings 10-8.

This start capped off a rough month of July for the right-handed veteran. In four starts, Gray threw just 24 innings, and he had a 6.75 ERA in the month. He allowed five home runs, and hitters hit .330 against him. His 1.50 WHIP was one of the worst in any month of his career. Suffice it to say, Sonny Gray has not been the ace that the Cardinals needed heading into the July 30th trade deadline.

Gray often takes full responsibility for his outings whether good or bad. In his postgame interview following Friday night's game, he spoke cryptically about a need to change his output over these final two months of the year.

Physically, I feel good. I'm just not putting up zeroes right now. I know what I need to do. I just have to do it. I just have to commit to doing it, and I will.

Gray promised reporters that the changes that he needs to make will show in the near future, and he spoke with confidence. Gray went on to discuss the issues with compounding mistakes. He did touch on his mental state saying, "You give up a hit, and then you stand there in the middle of the field like, 'shame on me, look at me' this and that."

Gray has held his composure for all of his career; he is known for being a competitor on the field and a savant off the field. To hear him speak about how he presents himself on the field following mistakes is eye-opening. Gray's second half last year carried him to a second-place finish in the American League Cy Young race, as he had a 2.29 ERA in 13 starts. He'll need to repeat that finish this year to ensure the Cardinals stand a chance at making the playoffs.

For a team desperate for postseason performances, the St. Louis Cardinals need their best pitcher to perform as such. The Cardinals have descended in the playoff picture, and they stand 1.5 games back from the Wild Card after a tough start to the second half.

With some shrewd trade moves and a return to form from their best pitcher in Sonny Gray, the Cardinals could find themselves standing with the best in the National League. They first need Gray to put his words into action.