Liberatore Gets the Ball as Cards Look to Regain Edge Against the D-Backs
The Cardinal Chronicle
Liberatore Gets the Ball as Cardinals Look to Regain Edge Against Diamondbacks
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
The Cardinals had Tuesday night within reach.
Then the ninth inning arrived.
After dropping a frustrating 4-3 game to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium, St. Louis returns Wednesday night for Game 3 of the four-game set looking to reclaim control of the series and make sure one late-inning stumble does not become something larger.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT at Busch Stadium, with left-hander Matthew Liberatore getting the ball for the Cardinals against Arizona left-hander Mitch Bratt.
The series is even at one game apiece. The Cardinals took Monday’s opener 3-2 behind six strong innings from Andre Pallante and enough timely offense to survive. Arizona answered Tuesday with a four-run ninth inning, turning what had been a scoreless pitchers’ duel into a one-run Diamondbacks win.
For eight innings Tuesday, the Cardinals were right where they wanted to be.
Kyle Leahy gave St. Louis one of the best outings of his season, working 6 1/3 shutout innings and allowing just three hits. Eduardo Rodriguez matched him on the other side, holding the Cardinals scoreless over 6 2/3 innings. It was not a slugfest. It was a tight, old-school game where one clean inning, one missed chance, or one defensive mistake had a chance to decide the night.
Unfortunately for St. Louis, that inning belonged to Arizona.
Nolan Arenado, back at Busch Stadium as an opponent, delivered the swing that changed the game. His two-run double in the ninth put the Diamondbacks in front, and Arizona added enough insurance to build a 4-0 lead. The Cardinals did not go quietly. Alec Burleson doubled home a run, Blaze Jordan added a sacrifice fly, and Jimmy Crooks drove in another with a single to make it 4-3. But the rally ended with JJ Wetherholt representing the potential winning run at the plate.
That is the kind of loss that leaves a mark.
Not because the Cardinals were outplayed for nine innings. They were not. It stings because they had chances, got a strong start, kept Arizona quiet most of the night, and still watched the game turn late.
Now the ball goes to Liberatore.
Liberatore enters Wednesday at 3-4 with a 5.23 ERA, and this start carries some weight. The Cardinals need him to stabilize the series, give them competitive innings and avoid pushing too much work onto a bullpen that was already part of Tuesday’s late-game frustration. He does not need to be perfect, but he does need to be cleaner than he has been in some recent outings.
The assignment is simple enough.
Throw strikes. Get ahead. Do not give Arizona free baserunners. Keep Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte from controlling the night. Make the Diamondbacks earn their way onto the board.
Arizona’s offense has enough danger to punish mistakes, even when it has been inconsistent. Carroll leads the Diamondbacks with 13 home runs and brings the kind of speed-power combination that can change a game quickly. Marte remains the club’s leading RBI threat and gives Arizona another switch-hitting presence that can hurt a pitcher who falls behind.
Liberatore has to make them hit his pitches, not theirs.
The Diamondbacks are expected to start Bratt, who gives Arizona a young left-hander in a difficult road assignment. St. Louis should not treat that casually. Young pitchers making early big-league starts can be unpredictable. Some are nervous. Some are fearless. Some are both in the same inning. The Cardinals’ job is to make him work from the first pitch.
That means patient at-bats without getting passive. It means traffic on the bases. It means putting pressure on Arizona’s defense. And it means not letting Bratt settle into an easy rhythm on a night when the Cardinals need to put Tuesday behind them quickly.
The middle of the Cardinals’ lineup remains the key.
Jordan Walker continues to carry the biggest power threat, entering the night with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. He had two hits Tuesday, and when he is driving the baseball, the Cardinals’ lineup looks much more difficult to navigate. Burleson continues to be one of the steadier bats on the roster, and his ninth-inning double Tuesday helped keep the Cardinals alive. Herrera extended his on-base streak Tuesday, continuing to show why his bat remains such an important part of this club’s offensive identity.
Blaze Jordan also remains worth watching. His sacrifice fly Tuesday did not come with the same thunder as a home run, but it mattered. Productive at-bats in late-game situations are part of learning how to help a contender. Jordan has already shown the bat belongs in the conversation. Now each start gives him another chance to prove he can keep handling big-league moments.
The Cardinals also need a little more from the top of the order Wednesday. Wetherholt has been a major spark for this club, but Arizona found a way to get him in the biggest spot Tuesday. That happens. The good ones answer. Wednesday gives him another opportunity to set the tone early instead of waiting for the ninth inning to make things interesting.
Masyn Winn’s status is another item to watch. He was listed as day to day, and the Cardinals are a better club when his glove, arm and energy are in the middle of the diamond. If he is available, it changes the defensive feel of the game. If not, St. Louis has to continue finding ways to cover shortstop without losing too much of its identity.
The bigger picture is straightforward.
The Cardinals are 42-35 and still holding second place in the National League Central. Arizona comes in at 40-39 and remains a dangerous club trying to keep itself relevant in the National League West and Wild Card picture. These are the kinds of games that matter because both teams are good enough to believe they should be in the race, but flawed enough that every missed chance shows up loudly.
That is where the Cardinals are right now.
They are contenders, but they are not a finished product. The offense has enough young firepower to win games. The rotation has enough competitive arms to keep them in games. But the late innings, the defensive details and the missed scoring chances still have to tighten up if this team wants to keep building something real.
Wednesday is not about making some grand statement.
It is about answering.
Answer the ninth inning from Tuesday. Answer Arizona’s push. Answer with a clean start from Liberatore, sharper at-bats against Bratt, and better execution when the game reaches the late innings.
The Cardinals let one get away Tuesday.
They get a chance to take it back Wednesday night at Busch.
Game Info
Matchup: Arizona Diamondbacks at St. Louis Cardinals
When: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
First pitch: 6:45 p.m. CT
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Probable Pitchers: LHP Mitch Bratt vs. LHP Matthew Liberatore
Bratt: MLB debut / early big-league start
Liberatore: 3-4, 5.23 ERA
Records: Diamondbacks 40-39; Cardinals 42-35
Broadcast: Cardinals.TV / KMOX / WIJR
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