Cardinals’ top 10 moments of 2026, No. 6: Tarps-Off begins and fuels Yohel Pozo's walk-off

While the moment comes in at just number six on our countdown of the 10 best moments of the St. Louis Cardinals 2026 season, Tarps Off could be a movement that goes well beyond just this season for Busch Stadium.

Following along with the Dealin' the Cards podcast's countdown of the top 10 moments of the 2026 season for the Cardinals, the evening Tarps Off began, which also featured Yohel Pozo's walk-off single, will likely live in the memories of Cardinals fans for a long time, and perhaps even continue in the new Tarps Off section in 2027 and beyond.

Pozo, who was later designated for assignment and latched on with the Baltimore Orioles, had a knack for coming up with big hits during his Cardinals tenure, and you could argue this may have been the biggest of the bunch considering how it helped reenergize Busch Stadium and a Cardinals fan base that had grown apathetic.

Yohel Pozo's walk-off ensured Tarps Off became a movement for Cardinals

It all started with the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team, who showed up to the game that evening and decided to take their shirts off to fire up the stadium. What began as a fun moment with college friends and teammates soon began to take over Busch Stadium, and it captivated everyone watching and led to other fan bases around the game following suit.

The Cardinals were able to then come back and force extra innings, which was where Pozo's game-winning hit came in the bottom of the 11th inning.

I spoke to manager Oliver Marmol about the Tarps Off crew on our Dealin' the Cards podcast in the days following, and spoke about how much Tarps Off was helping breathe life back into Busch Stadium and propel their young team.

Marmol put his money where his mouth was after that special Friday night, buying tickets and giving them away free to fans who would come support the team with that same level of excitement in their Saturday and Sunday contests. It was a really fun gesture by the Cardinals skipper and something you just do not see in today's game.

But Marmol and the Cardinals both knew they had something really cool on their hands, and they did everything they could to help incentivize fans to show up and show out for the team in 2026. The Cardinals added an official section for Tarps Off soon after, which allowed fans to come have fun at the game while respecting other fans who did not wish to participate.

I'll be very interested to see if this continues into the 2027 season and beyond. Honestly, it would be really cool to see Busch Stadium rocking once again with Tarps Off being the engine for that. Imagine postseason baseball with that kind of fan engagement and buy-in? It's possible the Cardinals could get there in 2027.

Let's hope the Tarps Off crew isn't done after this season, and that it grows as the Cardinals look to rebuild a "home field advantage" moving forward.

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