ST. LOUIS – Andre Pallante, the Cardinals' tough-luck starter on Monday against the Blue Jays, said one of the things that he admires most about Ryan Helsley is that whether the All-Star closer is on a 31-straight save heater – as he was during a record-setting 2024 – or going through struggles, he always has the same disposition.
Still, the even-keeled Helsley admitted that Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays in 10 innings carried a bit more sting to it because of how it spoiled an impressive late-game rally by Iván Herrera and the Cardinals' offense.
The NL’s Trevor Hoffman Closer of the Year award-winner in 2024 when he set the club record for saves with 49, Helsley uncharacteristically blew his third save in the past five days on Monday when Toronto’s No. 9 hitter, Jonatan Clase, reached him for a 415-foot home run in the bottom of the ninth. A year after blowing just four saves and allowing only three homers, he’s already let five save opportunities get away while also surrendering three long balls.
“Against Kansas City, I got the double-play ball and it just happened to be right up the middle and then against the Dodgers the ball hits the [second-base] bag … and I strike out the side and somehow give up a run,” Helsley said of his previous two missteps since last Thursday. “Tonight, I was just challenging the No. 9 hole guy [Clase] and trusting my stuff, but he put a good swing on it, and I have to tip my hat.
“I’m just trying to see the positives in everything, learn from it and take it one day at a time. That’s all I can do.”
Helsley’s wobble overshadowed Herrera’s three-run, go-ahead home run in the eighth that gave the Cardinals their first – and only – lead of the night at 4-3. Incredibly, five of Herrera’s seven home runs this season have either tied the game or put the Cardinals into the lead. Just like on Thursday, when Herrera hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to vault the Cards ahead of the Royals, Helsley failed to close the game in the ninth.
“I mean, I guess I’m just being clutch,” said Herrera, who is 12-for-38 (.316) with four home runs in seventh-inning-or-later situations. “Right now, it’s happening and I’m happy I can try and help the team win. Today was not the day, but at least I tried.”
Unlike in 2024, when Helsley was mostly unhittable throughout the best season of his career, things have been far from smooth for the longest-tenured player in the Cardinals' system. Irritation in his toe near the end of Spring Training led to trainers inserting a plate into Helsley’s shoe – something he thought kept him from properly pushing off the mound and causing a drop in fastball velocity that regularly remained in triple-digit ranges last season. Helsley said that chain of events led to some bad habits as he tried to regain his velocity and started overthrowing instead of driving off the rubber with his legs.
“I fell in a bad habit there at the end of Spring and early in the season – like the first week – and then it showed up for like a month,” Helsley admitted. “I’ve felt really good these last few weeks, but I haven’t had great results. Sometimes, baseball just happens. I’m trying to just keep working, stay out there and stay after it.”
Pallante, who shook off a slow start and limited the red-hot Blue Jays to two earned runs over six innings, said members of the pitching staff will do their best to pick up the spirits of their two-time All-Star closer – even though it’s not really necessary.
“I’ve seen him carry himself around here for the last four years and he does a phenomenal job of whether it’s good or bad, he’s the same guy every time,” said Pallante who retired 10 straight at one point on Monday, including eight with ground-ball outs. “He’s just got that great mentality that a closer needs. We do [offer encouragement], but he doesn’t need it. He knows what he needs to do to be really good.”
Whereas a rough stretch like this might have rattled Helsley early in his career, he said that he can fall back on the fact that he’s pitched at a high level before and he certainly thinks he can get back there again. If that doesn’t work, Helsley need only consider that he is one of three relievers in Cardinals history to lead MLB in saves and the other two – Bruce Sutter and Lee Smith – are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“Just to know that I’ve done it and I feel great and my stuff’s there, shape and [velocity],” he said. “I feel good and the only thing I can do is move forward.”