Riley O'Brien can't let horrible All-Star Game accident define Cardinals' second half

Despite a fatigue-driven slowdown at the end of the first half, Riley O'Brien was a deserving first-time All-Star this year. The St. Louis Cardinals closer contributed a 3.43 ERA and 3.30 FIP out of the bullpen before the break, picking up 24 saves for the National League's most surprising team.

When the All-Star Game itself came around, it was a pleasant surprise to see O'Brien get some action in the third inning. His outing started off shaky when Shea Langeliers singled right away, but it was the next hitter, Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero, where things got scary. O'Brien nailed Caminero in the hand with a 97.6 mile per hour sinker, and the Rays star ran off the field immediately afterward.

The good news is that Caminero was okay (he played in both legs of a doubleheader on Friday) and that O'Brien settled down from the year to record a scoreless frame in his Midsummer Classic debut. Still, it's the kind of moment that can cause a pitcher to doubt themselves moving forward, which the Cardinals absolutely cannot afford in the second half.

Riley O'Brien soothes mentality concerns with strong save to open up the second half

O'Brien did close out the Cardinals' win over the Diamondbacks to kick off the second half, pitching mostly like his usual self in the process. His command was a bit shaky (he walked Nolan Arenado on five pitches right after coming into the game), but thanks to a pick-off, he locked down the save for the 25th time this year.

He also didn't show a ton of fear on the mound, going up-and-in on Ketel Marte for the game-sealing strikeout.

It was a promising outing after the Caminero scare and a downturn in his performance in May and June, but it's also a reminder that O'Brien isn't a picture-perfect closer. Walks have been his kryptonite in the past, and he can sometimes get vulnerable over the middle of the plate when he's trying to force an early strike in an at-bat. He needs to stay on the attack to have success, which is as much a mental battle as it is a physical one.

The rest he got during the All-Star Break will hopefully help with the latter, but he needs to remain confident in his game plan to succeed with the former. It surely didn't help that he was the subject of a ton of online backlash after accidentally hitting Caminero (even after profusely apologizing), but the noise hasn't gotten to him yet.

The Cardinals' bullpen is in a tenuous position as is, coming into the second half ranked 17th in ERA (4.22). O'Brien has to hold down the fort at the end of games to keep that unit afloat, no matter what an exhibition accident has to say about his game.

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