St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray displayed peak form Friday night, authoring a spectacular complete-game, one-hit shutout against the Cleveland Guardians, striking out a season-high 11 batters in an emphatic 5–0 victory at Progressive Field .
Gray, 34, needed only 89 pitches—66 of them for strikes—to cruise through nine innings, allowing just a single to Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias in the fifth inning. It was the first nine-inning shutout of Gray’s career since 2015, and his first complete game since 2017. With his ERA now sitting at an impressive 2.81, Gray reminded the baseball world why he remains one of the most consistent arms in the league.
“I didn’t realize it was a one-hitter until afterward,” Gray said postgame. “I just stayed in rhythm, trusted my stuff, and let the defense work behind me.”
Gray’s brilliance was matched by an awakening St. Louis offense. In the top of the third inning, Pedro Pagés crushed his first MLB home run, snapping a team-wide 24-inning scoreless drought and opening the floodgates. Just minutes later, Alec Burleson launched a towering two-run homer to deep right-center field, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 3–0.
Burleson wasn’t done. In the sixth inning, he roped an RBI double down the line, driving in his third run of the game. Nolan Arenado added another insurance run in the eighth with a sharp RBI single.
The Cardinals finished with nine hits, five runs, and—perhaps most impressively—zero errors.
What Sonny Gray accomplished Friday night wasn’t just dominant—it was historic.
According to MLB.com and Stathead, Gray became the first pitcher in MLB history to record 11+ strikeouts, allow one hit or fewer, and complete a game in under 90 pitches. That efficiency and effectiveness is rarely seen in the modern era of baseball, where complete games have become nearly extinct.
“He was locked in,” Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said. “Every pitch had purpose, every inning felt like a statement.”
Gray’s pinpoint control and unpredictable pitch sequencing kept Cleveland hitters off balance all night, generating 15 swing-and-misses and weak contact throughout.
The 5–0 win marks the Cardinals’ third shutout of the season and gives them momentum as they try to make up ground in the National League Central. With the win, St. Louis improved to 41–38 and has now taken 8 of their last 11 games.
Friday’s performance also signals a strong return to form for a pitching staff that has struggled with inconsistency earlier in the year.
The Cardinals will look to clinch the series on Saturday when Miles Mikolas takes the mound. The Guardians, meanwhile, will try to bounce back behind Slade Cecconi.
If Gray’s outing is any indication, the Cardinals may have found the elite anchor they need heading into the second half of the season.