Steven Matz's accomplishment places him alongside Cardinals royalty

One of baseball's quirkiest rules is that of the dropped third strike, which originated during baseball's infancy and remains as a vestige of how the sport was played in the mid-19th century. The rule allows a hitter who swung a pitch for strike three to run to first base if the catcher fails to catch the pitch. Probably the most notable dropped third strike in history was in Game 4 of the 1941 World Series, where Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Mickey Owen allowed a passed ball on a swinging strike that would have ended the game. The New York Yankees came back to win the game and the series.

The rule holds no purpose in the modern iteration of the game, but its existence can bring about a result that would otherwise be impossible in baseball. On June 7, 1966, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson managed to strike out not three, but four batters in an inning thanks to a dropped third strike that allowed a batter to reach base.

Gibson was the first pitcher in Cardinals history to earn this odd accomplishment, and for 59 years, he remained the only Cardinal to strike out more than three batters in an inning. But at long last, he has some company in that domain.

Steven Matz fanned four batters in an inning during a game against the Chicago White Sox.

Matz entered the first game of a June 19 doubleheader in the bottom of the sixth inning with the score tied 2-2. His strikeout of White Sox batter Lenyn Sosa skipped past catcher Ivan Herrera, and Sosa reached first base on a wild pitch. He then struck out pinch-hitter Austin Slater. He was less fortunate against Michael A. Taylor, who swatted a two-run home run to put the White Sox ahead 4-2. Unfazed, Matz proceeded to strike out Mike Tauchman and Chase Meidroth. The game had a happy ending, as the Cardinals pulled out a 5-4 victory.

When the Cardinals signed Matz after the 2021 season, they were hoping for a rock-solid mid-rotation starter. Injuries have eaten away at the lefty over the course of three seasons, but he has found a home in the bullpen in 2025. Now, after an inning with four strikeouts and three outs, Matz has gained membership into one of the most exclusive clubs that the Cardinals possess.