All season long, the St. Louis Cardinals have been lauded for their execution and style of play, but on Tuesday night, the former was their downfall.
After coming back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals appeared to have all of the momentum. George Soriano shut down the Rangers' offense in the top of the eighth, putting the game in the Cardinals' offense's hands to secure the win.
That's where mistake number one occurred. After a lead-off double by Jimmy Crooks, Victor Scott II popped up a bunt attempt on the second pitch he saw, and then both JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera failed to drive in the runner.
Then, in the top of the ninth inning, after Riley O'Brien walked the lead-off hitter, Evan Carter, Pedro Pages had a terrible passed ball behind the plate after entering as a defensive substitute, which has been a recurring issue all year long. This ended any double play possibility, and the inning fell apart for three runs as the Cardinals lost 7-4.
After the game, Oli Marmol sent a pointed message regarding his club's play, one that I am sure the clubhouse heard loud and clear.
Oli Marmol with a clear message to begin his postgame presser (via #STLCards TV):
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) June 3, 2026
"You have to execute at a really high level to win a big league game, and we didn't do that (tonight). We didn't deserve to win that game. If you snatch it at the end there, that's fine. But you're…
Oli Marmol continues to be honest about the Cardinals, and this time, it wasn't pretty
All year long, Marmol has been extremely consistent in his public messaging with the club. He's not afraid to call out the players when they need it, and he's quick to praise them when they are doing things the right way.
For Marmol to be that blunt about their performance last night, especially when it shines a light on guys like Pages and Scott, is important for staying true to holding the clubhouse accountable and making sure their strong execution does not slip during this critical stretch of the season. It cost them the game on Tuesday, and that is unacceptable.
As Marmol said, it's one thing for the opposing team to snatch a victory away; it's another thing to hand it to them. The Cardinals did that on Tuesday, and it was embarrassing. They'll look to try and salvage a game from the series and avoid the sweep on Wednesday.
