Cardinals Bullpen Collapse Wastes Late Surge in Washington

The Cardinal Chronicle
Bullpen Collapse Wastes Late Surge in Washington
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

 
For seven innings Monday night, it looked like the Cardinals were doing what good clubs do—hang around, take control late, and finish.

Then the eighth inning happened.

The Cardinals carried a 6–3 lead into the bottom of the eighth, only to watch it disappear in a matter of minutes. Three home runs—one each from James Wood, Brady House, and CJ Abrams—turned a comfortable lead into a 9–6 loss.

That’s not a leak.

That’s a break.

 
What Went Wrong
The story is simple—and troubling.

The bullpen couldn’t hold it.

Ryne Stanek allowed traffic, then Wood tied the game with a three-run shot. Matt Svanson entered and quickly made things worse, surrendering a two-run homer to House and a solo blast to Abrams.

Game over.

Just like that.

 
Lost in the Collapse
What makes this one sting is what came before it.

The Cardinals had just taken control in the top of the eighth.

Jordan Walker led off with his third home run of the season
Ramón Urías followed with a big night (HR, double, 3 RBI)
Victor Scott II added a run with a bunt that forced a mistake
It was textbook baseball.

Until it wasn’t.

 
A Quiet Positive
Andre Pallante deserves better than this box score will show.

After allowing two early runs, he settled in and gave the club five innings of controlled, effective pitching, keeping the Cardinals in position to win.

He did his job.

 
The Bigger Picture
At 5–5, the Cardinals are still finding their footing—but one issue is becoming clear: the bullpen is very unstable and over a long season, that’s not something you can ignore.

 
The Bottom Line

Good teams close games, last night the Cardinals didn't and until they do, nights like this won’t be the exception—they’ll be the concern.

 
Up Next
The series continues Tuesday night in Washington, with Matthew Liberatore set to take the ball. Maybe he can go nine.