St. Louis Cardinals Director of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak addresses reporters as interim manager Mike Shildt listens. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Cardinals’ Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Bill DeWitt, Jr., President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, General Manager Mike Girsch and interim manager Mike Shildt met with the media at Busch Stadium prior to Sunday’s game with Cincinnati to discuss the reasons behind the firing on manager Mike Matheny, hitting coach John Mabry and assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller.

Mozeliak said after having discussions with DeWitt on Friday, both felt the time was now to make the change at manager.  Mozeliak insisted the firing was not due to recent stories of clubhouse friction such as Dexter Fowler and Matheny not speaking for months or that Matheny had veteran pitcher Bud Norris reporting back to him if pitchers weren’t compliant with team rules.  This decision was based on the wins and losses.

The Cardinals are currently 47-46, 7 1/2 games out of first place in the Central Division behind the Cubs and four games out and four teams behind a Wild Card spot.

Hear the full press conference:

“Some places, just having a winning record, or being .500 is acceptable…not in this city, not with this team and these great fans,” DeWitt said during his opening statements.

In Dewitt’s opening statements: “Some places, just having a winning record, or being .500 is acceptable…not in this city, not with this team and these great fans.” pic.twitter.com/HgJ8jzdOVr

— Bill Pollock (@missourisports) July 15, 2018

Shildt, 49, has been a member of the Cardinals organization since 2004 and has served on the team’s Major League coaching staff the past two (2017-18) seasons.  The North Carolina native managed for eight seasons in the Cardinals farm system where his clubs won league championships in 2010 and 2011 with Johnson City of the rookie Appalachian League and in 2012 with Springfield of the Texas League (AA).  He most recently managed in 2016 with Memphis of the Pacific Coast League (AAA).

“I see this as an opportunity and not a threat.  I’m blessed beyond belief,” said Shildt.

In addition to name Shildt the interim manager, the Cardinals also promoted Mark Budaska and George Greer to be the hitting coaches.

St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux and catcher Yadier Molina visit the mound to talk to pitcher Brett Cecil as he gets into a jam in the in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on June 6, 2018. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Jack Flaherty was jolted for eight hits and six runs in five innings as the Cardinals lost 11-3 to the Marlins at Busch Stadium.  Jose Martinez went 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI for St. Louis, which has lost the first two games in the series.  Lewis Brinson hit a pair of home runs and Derek Dietrich also went deep for Miami.

The pitching woes continued for the bullpen.  Brett Cecil gave up two runs, one earned.  Preston Guilmet appeared for the second day in a row since being added to the roster and gave up another homer and a couple of runs.  Things were so bad, Mike Matheny called on Jedd Gyorko to pitch the ninth.

>>Cardinals Close Out Series With Marlins Today

The Cardinals close out their three-game series with the Marlins this afternoon at Busch Stadium.  First pitch is at 12:15 p.m.  Miles Mikolas starts for St. Louis.  He’s 6-and-1.  Elieser Hernandez toes the rubber for Miami.  The Cards are 32-and-27, three-and-a-half games behind the first-place Brewers in the NL Central.

>>Cardinals’ Reyes Has Season-Ending Surgery

The season is over for Cardinals pitcher Alex Reyes.  He had surgery yesterday to repair a tendon attached to a strained muscle in the upper right side of his back.  Recovery time is estimated at six months.  Reyes pitched four innings in his season debut on May 30th after missing 22 months following Tommy John surgery.

The St. Louis Cardinals announced prior to tonight’s game that they have placed catcher Carson Kelly (right hamstring strain) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to May 16,  and purchased the contract of catcher Steven Baron from Memphis (AAA).    To make room for Baron on the team’s 40-man Major League roster, the Cardinals transferred right-handed pitcher Adam Wainwright (right elbow inflammation) from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

Baron, 27, who was signed as a minor league free-agent last December, will be making his first appearance in the majors since a four-game stint with Seattle in 2015.

The right-handed hitting Baron was batting .153 (9-for-59) in 17 games (17 starts) for Memphis, throwing out four of 10 attempted base-stealers.  He has a career .233 batting mark with 29 home runs and 255 RBI in 642 minor league games.

The Cardinals have had five players go on the disabled list in the past week: Carlos Martínez (right lat strain), Tyler Lyons (mid-back strain), Adam Wainwright (right elbow inflammation), Luke Gregerson. (right shoulder impingement) and now Kelly.

Logan Morrison scored the go-ahead run when the Cardinals threw away Byron Buxton’s bunt single in the seventh and the Twins went on to win 4-1 at Target Field.  Bobby Wilson added a two-run homer in the seventh as Minnesota snapped a two-game skid.  St. Louis dropped its third straight.

Minnesota starter Jose Berrios struck out 10 over seven-and-a-third innings of two-hit, one-run ball and Fernando Rodney pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save.  Carson Kelly singled in the lone run in the third inning for the Cardinals.   Brett Cecil took the loss.

Matt Carpenter who had three days off to hit the reset button on his hitting woes, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.  His average dipped to .140.

>>Cardinals Take On Twins, Lynn Today

(Minneapolis, MN)  —  The Cardinals and Twins finish their two-game Interleague series this afternoon at Target Field.  Miles Mikolas puts his 5-and-0 mark on the line for St. Louis, while Minnesota sends former Cardinal Lance Lynn to the mound.  He’s 1-and-3.  The Cards are 22-and-17, one game out of first place in the NL Central.

>>Cardinals Put Wainwright Back On Disabled List

Adam Wainwright is back on the disabled list.  He was put on the 10-day DL yesterday with inflammation in his pitching elbow.  The 36-year-old had just come off the DL this past weekend.  Wainwright walked six batters while lasting only two-and-a-third innings in a 5-3 loss to the Padres in San Diego.

>>Cardinals’ Martinez Likely To Miss A Second Start

Carlos Martinez will likely miss a second scheduled start this weekend.  He felt soreness in his lat during his most recent outing against the Twins last week.  Jake Flaherty started in his place last night in Minnesota.  John Gant is expected to get the ball instead for Saturday’s game in Philadelphia.

Clayton Richard struck out 10 as the Padres stomped the Cardinals 5-3 in San Diego.  Richard tossed eight innings of two-run ball to pick up his second win of the season.  Freddy Galvis went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored for San Diego, which improved to 16-and-26.  Harrison Bader had two RBI including a solo-shot in the ninth inning in the losing effort.  The Cardinals dropped to 22-and-16.

Adam Wainwright was charged with the loss after he gave up two runs over two-and-one-third innings.

Wainwright, who has been battling elbow issues, lasted just 2 1/3 innings in his first start since April 16. The three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion surrendered a career-high six walks, along with three hits and two runs.

“I warmed up great and went out to pitch the first inning and on the third-to-last warmup pitch, I reaggravated it,” Wainwright said. “I was hoping I could just maintain that level where I was at, but each time I went back out there it got harder and harder to get going. I just need a little something and I can go out and pitch but [the elbow] just didn’t let me do it.”

The St. Louis Cardinals placed right-handed pitcher Carlos Martínez  (right lat strain) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to May 9, and recalled right-handed pitcher Mike Mayers from the Memphis Redbirds (AAA).

Martínez, who is currently leading the National League with his 1.62 ERA, worked 5.0 innings in his start on Tuesday vs. Minnesota, taking a 7-1 loss, his first defeat in seven starts dating back to Opening Day.  Martínez has posted a 3-2 mark in his eight starts and leads the Cardinals staff with his 50.0 IP and 47 strikeouts.