The St. Louis Cardinals failed to score a single run over a three-game sweep in Pittsburgh — a performance that left their famously loyal and fiery fanbase outraged. Yet manager Oli Marmol didn’t even seem to grasp the moment. A simple, “We have to be better,” would’ve sufficed, but even that didn’t come. Marmol, who has previously been quick to call out his players (sometimes drawing criticism for it), was oddly silent this time when accountability was needed. It’s as if he couldn’t read the room.
The Cardinals’ struggles were especially glaring with runners on base or in scoring position. This team isn’t built to rely on home runs; their offense is supposed to be about consistent pressure — veteran hitters grinding out at-bats and younger ones attacking early in the count. But in Pittsburgh, none of that clicked when it mattered most.
“We were missing three key pieces in our lineup and that made it hard to score,” Marmol said. “I thought we made solid contact, but the ball just kept finding gloves. Without those guys, it was even tougher.”
While it’s true the Cardinals were without Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado at times, using that as a shield against fair criticism doesn’t hold up — especially considering the quality of opposition. Facing Paul Skenes and failing to score is understandable. Knocking him out in the fifth and still coming up empty? That’s different. And struggling against Andrew Heaney and Mitch Keller — competent but not dominant pitchers — only makes matters worse.
After this series, the Pirates bullpen ERA now ranks ninth in the majors, but their overall team ERA sits at 4.15, just 20th. Pittsburgh remains last in the NL Central — hardly an unstoppable force. Yet the Cardinals dropped five of their last ten and now trail the division-leading Cubs by five games, erasing the momentum they had built.
If Marmol won’t call it out, someone has to — and Brendan Donovan stepped up.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating. No doubt about it,” Donovan said. “But it’s just one small stretch in a long season. They outplayed us. They’re hot right now. We were playing good ball, but they shut us down. Time to move on to Chicago.”
Great managers know when to take the heat and when to move forward. Sure, the Cardinals still have time to turn things around and chase the Cubs. But getting blanked in Pittsburgh was a missed opportunity — one that could’ve made the upcoming Wrigley showdown even more meaningful.