Church’s Coming-Out Party Spoiled by Bullpen Collapse

The Cardinal Chronicle
Church’s Coming-Out Party Spoiled by Bullpen Collapse
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

ST. LOUIS — On a day that should have belonged entirely to Nathan Church, the St. Louis Cardinals found another painful way to lose.

Church delivered the finest game of his young major league career Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium — launching two home runs, driving in five runs, adding a sacrifice fly, and making a spectacular leaping robbery at the wall that stole a home run from Seattle Mariners. It was the kind of all-around performance that announces a player has arrived.

But baseball can be cruel that way.

Despite blasting five home runs and building a 9-7 lead heading into the eighth inning, the Cardinals watched their bullpen surrender four late runs in an 11-9 loss to Seattle, dropping their third straight game and their second in a row in this weekend series.

For a club entering the demanding stretch of 17 games in 17 days, it was a gut punch — the kind that lingers.

The Cardinals’ five-home run outburst became only the second time in franchise history they hit five or more homers at home and still lost. The only other occurrence came nearly 86 years ago — Sept. 8, 1940 — when St. Louis hit five long balls and somehow lost a wild 16-14 slugfest to Pittsburgh.

That’s baseball history nobody wants to revisit.

Saturday’s game started like a fireworks show.

Rookie JJ Wetherholt opened the bottom of the first inning with the first leadoff homer of his major league career. Two batters later, Iván Herrera followed with a blast of his own, marking the first time the Cardinals opened a game with back-to-back home runs from their first two hitters since Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson pulled off the feat in April of 2023.

Church joined the parade in the second inning with his first homer of the day, then added a sacrifice fly during a four-run third inning. Pedro Pagés chipped in with a two-run homer, and when Church launched a towering two-run shot in the seventh to break a 7-7 tie, Busch Stadium roared as if it was witnessing the birth of its next fan favorite.

And maybe it was.

Church finished with two homers, five RBIs, and one stolen home run in center field — a loud statement from a player making his presence known.

Masyn Winn quietly extended his hitting streak to 10 games with another multi-hit performance, while Herrera continued earning first base the hard way, getting hit by pitches twice more to raise his major league-leading total to eight. Tough as old saddle leather, that one.

Jordan Walker added another encouraging sign — a 105.3 mph rocket single off a breaking ball, plus strong defense in right field — though his afternoon ended bruised after wearing a 98 mph fastball off the wrist.

Offensively, the Cardinals did more than enough.

Pitching was another story.

Starter Matthew Liberatore never found a rhythm, serving up three home runs and allowing five runs on eight hits in just 3⅓ innings. His season total now stands at seven homers allowed in 28 innings — far too many mistakes over the heart of the plate.

From there, Oli Marmol was forced into a bullpen parade.

Seven relievers were asked to cover the final 17 outs. Gordon Graceffo and George Soriano each surrendered runs, but the decisive damage came late against two of the club’s most trusted arms.

JoJo Romero couldn’t put out the eighth-inning fire.

Then came the ninth.

Riley O’Brien — who had been virtually unhittable all season — was asked to stretch beyond his usual role. Seattle jumped him for four hits, a walk, and a hit batter in just one inning of work. Two inherited runners scored in the eighth, and O’Brien then gave up a bases-loaded two-run single in the ninth — the first earned runs charged to him all season.

Just like that, a 9-7 lead became an 11-9 loss.

By day’s end, the Mariners had pounded out 19 hits, the most allowed by St. Louis at home since Opening Day 2023. The two clubs combined for 33 hits and eight home runs, tying for the most homers in any major league game this season and falling one shy of the St. Louis Cardinals home ballpark record of nine.

That’s the kind of box score you frame if you win.

If you lose, it just feels like heartbreak in black and white.

Bottom line: The offense gave everything it had. Nathan Church gave the Cardinals a star-making performance. But the bullpen gave it right back.

Two down. Fifteen games left in this 17-games-in-17-days grind.

And Sunday suddenly feels bigger than just another ballgame.

Up next: Michael McGreevy gets the ball Sunday as St. Louis tries to salvage the finale, avoid a sweep, and stop this three-game skid before it gathers more steam.

 
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports