Leahy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Go for Sweep Against the Padres

The Cardinal Chronicle
Leahy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Go for Sweep 
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The Cardinals have already won the series.

Now they have a chance to finish it.

St. Louis closes its three-game set against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium, looking for a sweep after taking the first two games behind outstanding starting pitching and just enough timely offense.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. CT, with right-hander Kyle Leahy getting the ball for the Cardinals. San Diego had not announced its starter as of the latest game listing, leaving the Padres with the possibility of a bullpen-heavy afternoon.

The Cardinals enter the finale at 40-31, while the Padres come in at 37-35. St. Louis has already taken the first two games of the series, winning 3-0 on Monday behind Dustin May’s one-hit complete-game shutout and then grinding out a 3-2 win Tuesday night behind seven strong innings from Andre Pallante.

That is the kind of series-opening pitching this club needed.

May gave the Cardinals the reset Monday night, doing the work himself and giving the bullpen a full night of rest. Pallante followed Tuesday by carrying the game into the late innings, allowing only two runs over seven innings while keeping San Diego from ever fully taking control. After a difficult weekend in Minnesota, where late-inning execution became a problem, the Cardinals’ rotation has answered loudly.

Now it is Leahy’s turn to keep the line moving.

Leahy enters at 5-3 with a 4.64 ERA. His season has had some rough spots, and there has been discussion around whether his long-term fit might eventually be in the bullpen, but Wednesday gives him a valuable opportunity. A strong start in a sweep game against a talented Padres lineup would not only help the Cardinals finish the series, it would also help Leahy steady his own place in the rotation conversation.

The assignment is straightforward.

Throw strikes. Work ahead. Keep the ball in the yard. Make San Diego earn everything.

The Padres have not done much offensively in this series, but that does not make them harmless. Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts and the rest of that lineup are still capable of changing a game quickly. The Cardinals have held San Diego down for two straight nights, but sweep games have a way of waking up clubs that have been quiet.

That is why Leahy cannot give the Padres free baserunners.

San Diego has been searching for offense at Busch Stadium, and St. Louis should do everything possible to keep it that way. Walks ahead of the Padres’ impact bats are the quickest way to turn a controlled afternoon into a mess. Leahy does not need to be perfect, but he does need to stay aggressive and avoid the big inning.

Offensively, the Cardinals have not exactly buried San Diego with crooked numbers, but they have made the right swings count.

On Monday, Jimmy Crooks delivered the key two-run double to support May’s masterpiece. On Tuesday, Blaze Jordan drove in the first run with a double, Nathan Church followed with an RBI single, and Lars Nootbaar added a sacrifice fly that turned out to be the difference. Those are not always the kind of highlights that lead the national shows, but they are the kind of at-bats that win close games.

That has been the story of the series so far.

The Cardinals have pitched well, defended well enough, and found enough offense to win both games. Not flashy. Not excessive. Just winning baseball.

JJ Wetherholt also continues to look comfortable in the flow of big-league games. His three-hit night Tuesday, along with a walk and stolen base, gave the Cardinals another reminder that his value is not limited to prospect hype. He is contributing now. When Wetherholt is getting on base and creating pressure, the lineup looks much more difficult to navigate.

Blaze Jordan is another player worth watching closely in the finale. Since his arrival, he has brought real energy to the roster, and Tuesday’s RBI double was another example of the bat speed and strength that made him worth the call. The Cardinals do not need to turn every young player into a savior story, but Jordan has already shown he can help a big-league lineup.

That matters for a club trying to win while still developing.

The Cardinals are in that interesting place where the future is no longer just sitting in Memphis, Springfield or Peoria. It is standing in the batter’s box at Busch Stadium and being asked to help win games right now. Wetherholt, Jordan, Walker, Herrera, Crooks and others are not just names for tomorrow’s conversation. They are part of today’s lineup card.

Wednesday is another chance for that group to keep building.

The Cardinals should expect San Diego to push back. The Padres have dropped the first two games of the series and have been held to two runs total. A club with that much talent and that many expectations will not want to leave St. Louis quietly. The Cardinals cannot assume the sweep will happen because the first two games went their way.

They have to go take it.

That means Leahy giving them a competitive start. It means the offense making San Diego’s pitching plan work from the first inning. It means the defense taking care of the routine plays. It means the bullpen, when called upon, finishing the job cleaner than it did in Minnesota.

A sweep would do more than polish off a brief homestand.

It would give the Cardinals three straight wins over a talented National League opponent, strengthen their footing in the playoff race, and send them into the next stretch with momentum. It would also turn the Minnesota frustration into exactly what it should be — a rough weekend, not a bad turn.

The Cardinals have spent the first two games of this series reminding everyone what clean baseball looks like.

Now they get one more afternoon at Busch Stadium to finish the job.

Game Info
Matchup: San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals
When: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
First pitch: 1:15 p.m. CT
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Probable Pitchers: TBA vs. RHP Kyle Leahy
Leahy: 5-3, 4.64 ERA
Weather: Partly sunny and hot, upper-80s around first pitch
Broadcast: Cardinals.TV / KMOX / WIJR

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