Sonny Gray is nearly perfect in St. Louis Cardinals win against Cleveland Guardians

After splitting the four-game series against the Chicago Cubs at home, the St. Louis Cardinals were looking for some good mojo before their nine-game road trip against the Cleveland Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Cubs.

Sonny Gray provided that, and then some, on Friday night.

Sonny Gray throws his best game as a St. Louis Cardinal in a Maddux against the Cleveland Guardians.

Sonny Gray pitched a complete game shutout on Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians. Gray struck out 11 batters, walked none, and allowed only one hit: a single by Nolan Jones in the bottom of the fifth inning. After the game, Gray said that the single was the only pitch that he shook off by catcher Pedro Pages. It was an 84 MPH sweeper down and in to Jones. Gray's last CGSO came nearly a decade ago on July 28th, 2015 against the Oakland Athletics.

Gray's sweeper was hands down his best pitch of the night. He generated 10 whiffs on 15 swings with his sweeper. Gray generated 16 whiffs on 44 pitches for a 36% whiff rate on the night overall. His fastball averaged 92 MPH on the gun. It took him only 89 pitches and 28 batters to finish the game in two hours and 11 minutes. It was an exceptional Maddux.

In fact, Sonny Gray is the only pitcher in baseball history to throw nine innings while allowing one hit or less, not allowing a run, not walking a batter, and striking out 11 or more batters under 90 pitches. Not a single pitcher in MLB history was as efficient or dominant as Sonny Gray was on Friday night.

The most pitches that Sonny threw in an inning was 12 pitches in the fifth inning, the same inning when Nolan Jones got his single.

This is the second complete game shutout of the year for a Cardinals starter. Erick Fedde threw a CGSO on May 9th against the Washington Nationals. Fedde struck out eight batters that game, and it took him 109 pitches. The Cardinals have two complete game shutouts this year. The previous complete game was in 2022. Ironically, both of the complete game shutouts this year have been when the Cardinals were broadcast on Apple TV+.

Gray was helped out by his offense tremendously as well, though he didn't really need it. Alec Burleson and Pedro Pages contributed two home runs, and Nolan Arenado drove in two runners to cap it all off. However, Sonny was the star of the show tonight, and he shone brightly all evening.

Gray's pitching performance on Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians will certainly go down as one of the best in Cardinals history if not MLB history. He was exceptional all night, and his masterful performance started off the road trip right for the Cardinals.