Sonny Gray Pitches 1-Hit Complete Game as Cardinals Beat Cleveland 5-0

Sonny with a chance of history

After getting shutout the past two days by the Cubs, the Cardinals (45-38) returned the favor against the Cleveland Guardians (40-40) 5-0 thanks to Sonny Gray pitching arguably the best game of this 2025 MLB season.

Gray went the distance Friday night, limiting Cleveland to just one hit while striking out 11 and needing only 89 pitches to get the job done. Gray was perfect for the first 4 and ²⁄₃ before Nolan Jones rocketed a two-strike single between Wilson Contreras and Brendon Donovan. It’s the first complete game for Gray in nearly a full decade (August 7, 2015 against Houston per John Denton). What’s more, Gray is the first pitcher in MLB history to pull off this final line: nine innings, one hit, no walks, no runs, 11+ strikeouts, in less than 90 pitches.

Of course pitching a shutout wouldn’t have done Gray any good if his own offense couldn’t pick him up, and after 24 consecutive scoreless innings, the Cards finally got on the board.

Leading off the third inning, Pedro Pagés hit his hardest ball of the season (111.7 MPH per Statcast) en route to his sixth home run of the season to put St. Louis up 1-0.

“That’s what we’re here to watch,” indeed, J.K. Simmons!

St. Louis tacked on two more in the inning when Alec Burleson took Ortiz deep for a two-run shot to right field.

On this night, three runs was more than enough for Gray who posted 1-2-3 inning after 1-2-3 inning. Gray ended up pitching the first Maddux in Cardinals history, and while any and all Maddux games are special, Gray’s outing was particularly noteworthy.

Even though Gray didn’t need it, Nolan Arenado gave him two more extra runs to support the cause.

In the sixth, Nado hit a run-scoring double and just listen to how sweet the crack of the bat sounded here.

Nolan came through again in the eighth inning with a single to left field that scored Willson Contreras.

If it hadn’t been for Gray, Arenado would probably have been the player of the game, going 2-4 with a double two RBI at the plate. But Nolan seems like a good dude, so I’m sure he doesn’t mind Gray getting the spotlight for what’s probably the best game he’s ever thrown in his life.

St. Louis and Cleveland will be back at it tomorrow afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 3:10. Miles Mikolas is set to face Slade Cecconi. I’m going to go out on a limb and say if Mikolas pitches another game like tonight, St. Louis has at least a 50/50 chance of winning. I might even go as high as 60/40.