Cardinals Show Fight, Finish the Job in Extras

The Cardinal Chronicle
Daily Report — Cardinals Show Fight, Finish the Job in Extras
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

 
After watching one slip away the night before, the Cardinals answered the only way that matters.

They didn’t talk about it.
They didn’t dwell on it.

They went out and won a ballgame.

 
A Different Kind of Response
Tuesday night in Washington wasn’t pretty—but it was necessary.

The Cardinals fell behind early, found themselves chasing again, and had every reason to let the previous night’s bullpen collapse linger.

Instead, they stayed with it.

That’s what stood out.

 
The Turning Points
Jordan Walker continues to be the constant.

His seventh-inning home run pulled the Cardinals back into striking distance and continued what has quietly been a strong road trip at the plate. The ball is coming off his bat with authority—and more importantly, confidence.

Then came the moment.

Nathan Church, hitless in his last 22 at-bats, stepped in and delivered a two-run homer in the eighth to tie the game.

That’s baseball.

Stay with it long enough, and the game gives you another chance.

 
Finishing What They Started
In the 10th, the Cardinals did what good teams have to do in extra innings.

They executed.

Thomas Saggese led off with an RBI double.
JJ Wetherholt followed with another, continuing a remarkable start to his career—now reaching base in all 10 of his big-league starts.

They didn’t leave it to chance.

They took it.

 
Holding the Line
After Monday night, the bullpen had something to answer for.

And to their credit, they did.

George Soriano delivered two scoreless innings, stabilizing the middle of the game.

Riley O’Brien closed it out, working through traffic in the 10th to secure the win.

Not perfect—but steady when it mattered.

 
The Bigger Picture
This is now five wins in six games this season where the Cardinals have come from behind. That tells you something.

This team isn’t folding when things go wrong. They’re staying in the fight.

But there’s also a cost.

The starting rotation continues to fall short of length, putting pressure on the bullpen night after night. Over time, that catches up with you.

 
The Bottom Line
Good teams don’t let one loss beat them twice.

The Cardinals proved that Tuesday night.

Now the question becomes—can they build on it?

 
Up Next
The Cardinals wrap up their road trip Wednesday night in Washington, with Michael McGreevy set to face former Cardinal Miles Mikolas.