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The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Waste Leahy’s Gem, Fall to Diamondbacks in Another One-Run Loss St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals had this one lined up.They had the starting pitching. They had a scoreless game late. They had Kyle Leahy delivering one of the best starts of his young career. They had a chance to take the first two games of a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium.Then the ninth inning happened.Arizona scored four runs in the top of the ninth, and the Cardinals’ rally in the bottom half came up one run short in a 4-3 loss Tuesday night. It was another one-run game, another late-game gut punch, and another reminder that clean baseball has to be played all the way through the final out.This one hurt because it was there.Leahy gave the Cardinals everything they could have asked for. The right-hander worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings, setting a career high for length, and kept Arizona off the board despite early traffic. He pitched out of jams, made pitches with runners in scoring position, and gave St. Louis a chance to win a game that looked like it might come down to one swing.For most of the night, both starters controlled the tempo.Eduardo Rodriguez was just as difficult on the other side. The Cardinals had very little going early, and when they did finally create chances, they could not cash them in. That became the difference long before the scoreboard changed.Arizona threatened in the first when Ketel Marte opened the game with a double and moved to third with one out. Leahy did not blink. He struck out Corbin Carroll and got Gabriel Moreno to fly out, keeping the game scoreless.The Diamondbacks threatened again in the third after a leadoff ground-rule double put another runner in scoring position. Again, Leahy made the pitches he needed. Arizona left the runner stranded, and the game remained scoreless.The Cardinals’ offense took longer to wake up.St. Louis did not record its first hit until the fourth, when Jordan Walker singled with one out. Lars Nootbaar followed with a single of his own, giving the Cardinals their first real scoring chance. But Nelson Velázquez struck out, and José Fermín lined out to center to end the inning.That was the first missed opportunity.The biggest came in the sixth.Iván Herrera drew a one-out walk, Walker singled to right for his second hit of the night, and Nootbaar walked to load the bases. The Cardinals had the moment they wanted. Busch Stadium had a chance to finally break open.Instead, the inning collapsed.Velázquez popped the ball into short left field. Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo made the catch while colliding with outfielder Tommy Troy. Herrera tagged from third and tried to score on the confusion, but he was thrown out at the plate. The Cardinals had loaded the bases with one out and came away with nothing.That was the kind of inning that comes back to haunt a team.It did.Leahy returned for the seventh and recorded one more out before Max Rajcic entered to face Nolan Arenado. Rajcic did his job. He got Arenado to ground out and then escaped the inning, preserving the scoreless tie. He worked through the eighth as well, and the Cardinals still had a chance to win it late.But the offense remained quiet.St. Louis stranded Blaze Jordan at second in the seventh. The Cardinals did nothing in the eighth. A game that had been there for the taking stayed 0-0 into the ninth.Then everything came apart.Matt Svanson entered in the top of the ninth and struck out Carroll to open the inning. But Gabriel Moreno reached when a fly ball to right became trouble, and suddenly Arizona had life. Moreno moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Pavin Smith walked, and Arenado stepped in with a chance to damage his former club.He did.Arenado turned on a 3-2 fastball and drove it into the corner, scoring Moreno and giving Arizona a 1-0 lead. It was the swing that finally broke the scoreless tie, and it came from the player Cardinals fans had welcomed back to Busch Stadium just one night earlier.The inning got worse from there.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. followed with a single to center, scoring two more runs and making it 3-0. Gordon Graceffo entered and could not completely stop the slide. Arizona loaded the bases, and a passed ball allowed another run to score, stretching the lead to 4-0.In a game where runs had been nearly impossible to find for eight innings, the Diamondbacks suddenly had four.The Cardinals, to their credit, did not disappear.Nootbaar opened the bottom of the ninth with a double. Fermín followed with a single, and Alec Burleson delivered a double to bring home St. Louis’ first run. That cut the deficit to 4-1 and finally gave the Cardinals life.Blaze Jordan then lifted a sacrifice fly to score Fermín and make it 4-2. Jimmy Crooks followed with a single to right, scoring Burleson and cutting Arizona’s lead to 4-3.Suddenly, the tying run was on base. The potential winning run was at the plate. Busch Stadium had gone from quiet frustration to full attention in a matter of minutes.JJ Wetherholt came up with a chance to extend the rally, but Arizona went to left-hander Brandyn Garcia, and Wetherholt struck out to end the game.The rally was real.It was not enough.That is the hard part about this loss. The Cardinals showed fight in the ninth, but the game was not lost only in the ninth. It was lost in the missed chances before that. It was lost when the bases-loaded opportunity in the sixth turned into a zero. It was lost when Leahy’s strong start received no support. It was lost when the Cardinals could not turn traffic into runs until they were already down four.Leahy deserved better.He gave St. Louis 6 1/3 scoreless innings and left the game with the Cardinals still very much in position to win. He did what a starter is supposed to do. He gave length, kept the opponent quiet, and handed the game to the bullpen.The bullpen could not finish it.Svanson took the loss after the ninth inning unraveled. Graceffo was asked to limit the damage but could not keep the fourth run from crossing. In a one-run loss, that extra run mattered.Everything mattered.Walker was one of the offensive bright spots, finishing with two hits. Nootbaar reached multiple times and helped start the ninth-inning rally. Burleson drove in a run with his ninth-inning double. Jordan added a sacrifice fly. Crooks delivered the RBI single that pulled the Cardinals within one.But for eight innings, the Cardinals could not score.That is not a small detail.St. Louis finished with three runs, all in the ninth. Arizona finished with four runs, all in the ninth. The difference was the Diamondbacks landed the bigger blow first, and the Cardinals ran out of outs trying to answer.The loss dropped the Cardinals to 42-35 and evened the series at one game apiece. After Monday night’s 3-2 win behind Andre Pallante, Tuesday gave St. Louis a chance to put Arizona on its heels. Instead, the Diamondbacks stole back momentum and turned what looked like a Cardinals pitching win into another painful one-run loss.There are no moral victories in the standings.But there are lessons.Leahy’s outing was a major positive. He looked composed, efficient, and more than capable of handling a quality lineup. That matters for a Cardinals rotation still searching for stability behind the more established arms.But the rest of the night showed the same old warning signs.Missed chances. Late-inning execution. Bullpen stress. One extra run allowed. One rally left unfinished.Those are the margins in one-run baseball.Tuesday night, the Cardinals ended up on the wrong side of them. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Kyle Leahy, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Cardinals Waste Leahy’s Gem, Fall to the D-Backs in Another One-Run Loss

The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurCardinals Schedule Wednesday Press Conference on Ownership and Leadership ChangesThe St. Louis Cardinals have scheduled a Wednesday press conference at Busch Stadium, and this one carries more weight than the usual midseason update.The club is expected to address important news involving ownership and organizational leadership at 1 p.m. Central Time, with chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., team president Bill DeWitt III, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, and senior vice president Anuk Karunaratne among the key figures expected to attend.That combination of names tells the story before a microphone is even turned on.This is not simply a baseball operations update. If it were, Bloom could handle it. This is not simply a business-side announcement. If it were, DeWitt III and Karunaratne could carry the room. And it does not appear to be the kind of routine club statement that gets buried in the middle of a homestand.When ownership, baseball operations and business leadership all stand together, it usually means the Cardinals are preparing to define the next phase of the franchise.The most logical focus is succession.Bill DeWitt Jr. has been the central ownership figure of the Cardinals since leading the purchase of the franchise from Anheuser-Busch in 1996. Under his watch, the Cardinals became one of baseball’s model organizations for much of the 2000s and early 2010s, winning two World Series championships, building a strong fan base, developing Busch Stadium, and helping reshape downtown St. Louis through Ballpark Village.That legacy is real.So is the timing.DeWitt Jr. has been gradually positioning the organization for a new era. His son, Bill DeWitt III, has already served as team president since 2008 and has been deeply involved in the business, branding, stadium, media and development side of the franchise. If Wednesday’s announcement formalizes more authority for DeWitt III, it would not come out of nowhere. It would be the natural next step in a transition that has been visible for years.The Cardinals are not just changing baseball leadership. They are changing generational leadership.That matters.The organization has already gone through a major baseball operations transition, with Chaim Bloom taking the reins after the John Mozeliak era. Bloom’s arrival marked a philosophical shift toward player development, roster flexibility, younger talent, and a more modern front-office structure. That transition was already significant on the baseball side.Now the broader club structure may be catching up to it.Karunaratne’s presence is also notable. Since joining the Cardinals before the 2024 season, he has been part of the club’s business-side modernization, overseeing areas such as ticketing, marketing, corporate partnerships, broadcasting, business analytics and technology. His role reflects a reality the Cardinals can no longer ignore: the future of the franchise is not just about what happens between the lines.It is also about fan experience, media delivery, attendance, revenue, ballpark development and how the club reconnects with a fan base that has grown more skeptical in recent years.The Cardinals have heard those fans.They may not always admit it in the same language fans use, but they have heard it.Recent years brought declining attendance, missed playoff opportunities, roster frustration, questions about spending, and growing criticism of the organization’s direction. For a franchise that long prided itself on stability, consistency and a deep connection with its fan base, the disconnect became impossible to overlook.That is why Wednesday’s press conference could be more than a title change.It could be a message.The Cardinals may be trying to show that the next era has a defined leadership structure, with DeWitt III positioned more prominently on the ownership and business side, Bloom driving baseball operations, and Karunaratne helping reshape how the franchise operates commercially and publicly.That would represent a clearer chain of command.It would also give Bloom more room to build the baseball operation without the organization appearing stuck between eras.The Cardinals have already made difficult baseball decisions. Veterans have moved. Payroll has been restructured. Younger players have been given larger roles. The farm system is being asked to matter again. The major league club has surprised many by staying competitive in 2026, which has made Bloom’s first season in full control more complicated and more interesting.Now ownership has to match that clarity.If the Cardinals are going to sell fans on a new direction, they need to explain who is leading it.That is why Wednesday matters.There will be speculation about a sale, especially after outside interest in the franchise has surfaced publicly in recent months. But unless the Cardinals say otherwise, a full sale of the club still appears unlikely. The more reasonable expectation is a formal succession or leadership restructuring within the DeWitt family’s existing ownership framework.In plain English: this looks less like the Cardinals changing hands and more like the Cardinals changing lanes.That distinction is important.A sale would be franchise-altering in a completely different way. A succession plan would still be significant, but it would preserve family control while giving the next generation a clearer public role in shaping the future.For Cardinals fans, the question is not simply who holds which title.The question is what it means.Will this change how the club spends?Will it change how quickly Bloom can act?Will it affect the direction of Ballpark Village, Busch Stadium upgrades, media rights, ticket pricing, or the way the organization communicates with fans?Will it give the Cardinals a sharper identity after several years of drifting between contention, transition and reset?Those are the real questions.The Cardinals do not need another polished press conference full of safe language and soft edges. They need clarity. Fans can handle a plan, even a difficult one, if they believe the organization is being straight with them. What they do not handle well is corporate fog.This is a proud franchise. It is also a franchise at a crossroads.The DeWitt era has delivered a great deal to St. Louis. No fair accounting of Cardinals history can ignore that. But the last several seasons have tested the relationship between ownership and the fan base. Winning covers a lot. Losing exposes everything.Now, as the Cardinals try to build a new baseball model under Bloom, the ownership and leadership structure appears ready for its own next step.Wednesday’s announcement may not change the product on the field overnight.But it could tell us who will be responsible for shaping the next decade of Cardinals baseball.And for a franchise built on tradition, stability and expectation, that is no small thing.The Cardinals are expected to speak Wednesday afternoon.Cardinals Nation will be listening. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>

Cardinals Schedule Wednesday Press Conference on Ownership and Leadership Changes

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Announce Leadership Transition as Bill DeWitt III Takes Over as CEO St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals made official Wednesday what had long felt like the next natural step in the organization’s leadership structure.Bill DeWitt III has been named Chief Executive Officer, expanding his role at the top of the franchise and placing him over the broader direction of both the baseball and business sides of the organization.Bill DeWitt Jr., who has led the ownership group since purchasing the Cardinals in 1996, will remain Chairman and Principal Owner. Anuk Karunaratne has been promoted to President of Business Operations. Chaim Bloom will continue as President of Baseball Operations.This is not an ownership change.It is a succession move.And for a franchise rooted in continuity, it is a significant one.The Cardinals framed the move as an organizational leadership transition, with DeWitt Jr. calling it a natural progression of responsibilities for the next generation of Cardinals baseball, both on and off the field.That is the key phrase.Next generation.For nearly three decades, DeWitt Jr. has been the defining ownership voice of the modern Cardinals era. Since his group purchased the club from Anheuser-Busch, the Cardinals have built a new Busch Stadium, developed Ballpark Village, won two World Series championships, reached multiple postseasons and remained one of the National League’s signature franchises.That success is part of the story.So is the challenge of where the organization stands now.The Cardinals are in a different era than the one that produced annual October expectations, packed summer nights at Busch Stadium and a roster pipeline that seemed to constantly keep the club in contention. The baseball operation has been in the middle of a major transition, with Bloom now leading the front office and placing a heavy emphasis on player development, organizational alignment and long-term sustainability.Wednesday’s announcement does not remove DeWitt Jr. from the room.It does, however, make clear that DeWitt III now stands at the front of the organization’s next chapter.DeWitt III has served as team president since 2008 and has long been closely tied to the club’s business operation, including the development of Ballpark Village and the broader growth of the Cardinals’ footprint around Busch Stadium. His new CEO title formalizes a larger role and puts him in position to oversee the organization at a time when both baseball and business decisions are increasingly connected.That matters.In today’s game, front offices are not just judged by free-agent signings and trade deadlines. They are judged by player development systems, revenue strategy, media rights, ballpark experience, fan trust, payroll direction, scouting infrastructure and the ability to modernize without losing identity.The Cardinals have been trying to do all of that at once.Karunaratne’s promotion also fits that structure. As President of Business Operations, he is expected to take a larger role in the club’s off-field initiatives, reporting to DeWitt III while leading the business side of the organization.That gives the Cardinals a cleaner leadership lane.DeWitt III takes on the CEO role.Karunaratne runs business operations.Bloom leads baseball operations.DeWitt Jr. remains Chairman and Principal Owner.On paper, the chain of command is clearer.Now the question becomes what that clarity produces.For fans, titles will not be enough.The Cardinals’ fan base has grown restless in recent years, not simply because of losing seasons or missed expectations, but because the club’s identity has felt less defined. For a long time, St. Louis sold stability as a strength. The Cardinals were not always the flashiest organization, but they were steady, disciplined and usually competitive.The past few seasons have tested that image.That is why this transition matters beyond the boardroom.A new title for DeWitt III does not automatically fix the roster, restore attendance, strengthen the farm system or quiet fan frustration. But it does place responsibility more directly on the next layer of leadership.That can be healthy.The Cardinals have spent much of the past year talking about alignment. Bloom has spoken often about building a modern baseball operation. The organization has invested in development, staffing, technology and structure. The club has also tried to balance the difficult line between competing now and building something more sustainable for later.That is not an easy line to walk.But it is the line the Cardinals have chosen.Wednesday’s announcement makes that direction more formal.The DeWitt family is not stepping away. The Cardinals are not being sold. The organization is not tearing up its ownership model.Instead, the club is handing more direct leadership responsibility to DeWitt III while keeping DeWitt Jr. in place as Chairman and Principal Owner.There is continuity.There is also change.That is the real headline.The Cardinals are trying to turn the page without closing the book on the era that came before it.Old School TakeLeadership titles matter only if they lead to better decisions.Bill DeWitt III becoming CEO is a major moment for the Cardinals because it formally moves the next generation of ownership leadership to the front of the organization.But fans will judge this transition the old-fashioned way.By wins.By direction.By accountability.By whether the Cardinals look like the Cardinals again.This is not an ownership change.It is a responsibility change.Now the next era has to prove what it is going to be. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Bill DeWitt III, St. Louis Cardinals CEO | MLB

Bill DeWitt III Takes Over as CEO of the Cardinals

The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day: Brayden Smith St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBrayden Smith helped turn a bad first inning into a Palm Beach runaway.Smith is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Player of the Day after going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs in the Cardinals’ 16-6 win over the Bradenton Marauders on Tuesday night.Palm Beach fell behind 5-0 in the top of the first inning.Smith started the answer almost immediately.In the bottom of the first, he hit a two-run home run to cut the deficit to 5-2 and give the Cardinals some life before the game had a chance to get away. That swing mattered. When a club falls behind by five runs early, the next few innings usually decide whether the night becomes a fight or a loss that gets written off quickly.Smith made it a fight.Then he kept going.In the fourth inning, Smith led off with his second home run of the game, his sixth of the season. That swing helped start the inning that fully changed the game. Matthew Miura walked, Ian Petrutz followed with a two-run homer to tie it, Yordalin Peña tripled, and Alex Birge doubled him home to give Palm Beach the lead.By then, the Cardinals had erased the entire five-run hole.In the fifth, Palm Beach blew the game open with an eight-run inning, and Smith added another RBI with a sacrifice fly. That gave him five RBIs on the night and capped one of his best games of the season.That is run production.That is timing.That is a player helping change the direction of a game.The final line says plenty by itself: three hits, two home runs and five RBIs. But the situation gives it more weight. Smith did not do his damage in a game Palm Beach controlled from the beginning. He helped the Cardinals climb out of an early mess and then helped turn the game into a blowout.That is the difference between a good box score and an impact game.Matt Koperniak deserves strong mention after driving in three runs for Memphis, including a two-run single in the 10th inning of the Redbirds’ 8-3 win over Jacksonville. Leo Bernal and Ramón Mendoza each had three hits for Memphis, and Jesús Báez deserves mention after going 2-for-4 in his Double-A debut for Springfield.But Smith had the biggest offensive line of the day.Two home runs.Five RBIs.A comeback win.That earns the honor.Old School TakeThere are nights when one swing changes the mood.Brayden Smith gave Palm Beach two of them.The Cardinals were down 5-0 in the first inning, and Smith helped drag them right back into the game. Then he homered again, drove in five runs total, and helped turn a rough start into a 16-6 win.That is impact.That is why Brayden Smith is The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Brayden Smith, Palm Beach Cardinals | &nbsp;MLB

Minor League Player of the Day: Brayden Smith

The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Cade Crossland St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurCade Crossland entered a game that could have gotten away from Palm Beach in a hurry.He made sure it did not.Crossland is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day after throwing 4.1 hitless innings in Palm Beach’s 16-6 win over the Bradenton Marauders on Tuesday night.The Cardinals were in trouble early.Bradenton jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, and Cooper Hjerpe’s rehab start ended after just two outs. Palm Beach needed someone from the bullpen to stop the damage, settle the game down and give the offense a chance to get back into it.Crossland did exactly that.The left-hander came out of the bullpen and gave Palm Beach 4.1 hitless innings. No hits. No further damage. No letting the game drift into a runaway.That changed everything.Palm Beach’s offense answered with a huge night, led by Brayden Smith’s two home runs and five RBIs. But that comeback does not happen without Crossland giving the Cardinals time to breathe. When a club falls behind by five runs in the first inning, the next pitcher has to make sure the hole does not get deeper.Crossland held the line.That is the value of long relief.It is not always glamorous. It does not always come with the clean headline of a starter working deep into a game. But when a reliever comes in early, absorbs innings and shuts down the other side, he can flip the entire night.Crossland did that Tuesday.Bradenton had the early momentum. Crossland took it away. Palm Beach’s bats then took over, turning a 5-0 deficit into a 16-6 win.That is a team response, but Crossland’s outing was the bridge.Blake Aita deserves strong mention after giving Peoria 5.2 innings of one-run baseball in a 2-1 extra-inning loss at Beloit. Jurrangelo Cijntje also deserves mention after allowing one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts over six innings for Springfield. Bruce Zimmermann gave Memphis five innings of one-run ball, and Hancel Rincón added two scoreless innings in the Redbirds’ extra-inning win.But Crossland had the outing that changed the game.4.1 hitless innings.A five-run deficit stabilized.A comeback made possible.That earns the honor.Old School TakeA bullpen can lose a game early.It can also save one.Cade Crossland saved Palm Beach’s night Tuesday.The Cardinals were down 5-0 in the first inning and needed someone to stop the bleeding. Crossland gave them 4.1 hitless innings and gave the offense time to go to work.That is not just relief work.That is changing the direction of a ballgame.That is why Cade Crossland is The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Day. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Cade Crossland, Palm Beach Cardinals |&nbsp; MLB

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Cade Crossland

The Cardinal Chronicle Liberatore Gets the Ball as Cardinals Look to Regain Edge Against Diamondbacks St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe 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 The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>

Liberatore Gets the Ball as Cards Look to Regain Edge Against the D-Backs

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle 

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle, Ray Mileur

The Cardinal Notebook

Cardinals Waste Leahy’s Gem, Fall to the D-Backs in Anoth...

Cardinals Schedule Wednesday Press Conference on Ownershi...

Bill DeWitt III Takes Over as CEO of the Cardinals

Minor League Player of the Day: Brayden Smith

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Cade Crossland

Liberatore Gets the Ball as Cards Look to Regain Edge Aga...