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If you turned off the TV early, I can’t say I blame you. It was one of those nights where the momentum shifted like a lead weight, and the St. Louis Cardinals just couldn't claw their way back. The final score is in, and the Arizona Diamondbacks took this one, edging out a 6-4 victory that felt a lot heavier than a two-run margin.
Baseball is weird. You can out-hit a team, have better discipline at the plate, and still walk into the clubhouse with a loss because of one hanging slider or a single bobble in the gap. That’s basically the story of who won the Cardinals game last night. It wasn't a blowout, but it was a clinical example of how the Diamondbacks are using their speed and aggressive baserunning to dismantle traditional pitching rotations.
The Turning Point Everyone is Talking About
Let's look at the fifth inning. That’s where the wheels really started to wobble. The Cardinals had a slim 2-1 lead, and the energy at Busch Stadium was actually pretty electric. Then, Corbin Carroll happened. He’s been a thorn in everyone’s side lately, but his triple into the right-field corner changed the entire complexion of the evening.
It wasn't just the hit. It was the way the Cardinals responded—or didn't.
When you ask who won the Cardinals game, you’re really asking about the bullpen. Sonny Gray went five innings, and honestly, he looked sharp for four of them. His sweeper was biting. He was hitting the low-and-away corner with a precision that makes you remember why he’s the ace of this staff. But pitch counts matter. By the time the sixth rolled around, the velocity dipped just a hair, and the Diamondbacks smelled blood in the water.
A Breakdown of the Scoring
- St. Louis Early Lead: Nolan Gorman absolutely crushed a solo shot in the second. It traveled 415 feet and looked like it might never land.
- The Arizona Surge: A three-run sixth inning for the D-backs. Ketel Marte stayed hot, driving in two with a double that skipped past a diving Lars Nootbaar.
- The Late Rally: The Cardinals loaded the bases in the eighth. The crowd was on its feet. Paul Goldschmidt worked a full count, but ultimately swung through a high fastball that just had too much life on it.
The final out was a fly ball to center that hung in the air for what felt like an eternity. When it landed in the glove, the scoreboard confirmed what the fans feared: another notch in the loss column during a stretch where every game feels like a playoff must-win.
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Why the Cardinals Struggled to Close the Gap
It’s easy to point at the scoreboard and walk away, but the "why" is more interesting. The Cardinals left nine runners on base. Nine. In a two-run game, that is a statistic that keeps managers awake until 3:00 AM.
Execution in high-leverage situations has been the Achilles' heel for this roster all season. You see it in the data. According to Baseball-Reference and Statcast metrics, the Cardinals are currently sitting in the bottom third of the league for batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP). It’s not that they aren't getting guys on; it's that they can't bring them home.
The Diamondbacks, conversely, played "small ball" to perfection. They utilized the bunt, stole two bases, and forced the Cardinals' defense to make fast, pressured decisions. Most of the time, St. Louis made the play. But in the seventh, an errant throw to second allowed an extra runner to move up, and that runner eventually scored.
The Pitching Matchup Reality
Zac Gallen was on the mound for Arizona. He’s a monster. Even when he doesn't have his best "stuff," he finds a way to navigate through a lineup. He threw 98 pitches, 65 for strikes. He didn't overpower the Cardinals with 100 mph heat, but he changed speeds so effectively that the hitters were consistently out in front or jammed.
Looking at the National League Standings
So, who won the Cardinals game and why does it matter for the rest of the week?
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The NL Central is a meat grinder right now. Every loss moves the Cardinals further away from that Wild Card cushion they’ve been trying to inflate. With the Brewers winning their matchup against the Cubs, the gap at the top of the division widened to 4.5 games. That’s not an insurmountable lead in June or July, but as we move deeper into the season, those gaps start to feel like canyons.
- Milwaukee Brewers: Holding steady at the top.
- St. Louis Cardinals: Hovering around .500, struggling for consistency.
- Chicago Cubs: Sliding lately, but still a threat.
If the Cardinals want to stay relevant, they have to figure out the back end of the rotation. When the starter leaves the game, there’s a collective "hold your breath" moment from the fans. Last night showed why. The middle relief struggled to find the zone, walking two batters in the seventh that essentially gifted Arizona the insurance runs they needed.
Misconceptions About the Cardinals' Current Form
A lot of people think the Cardinals are "done" or that the front office needs to blow it up. That's a bit reactionary. Honestly, the core is talented. You have a mix of veteran leadership in Arenado and Goldschmidt combined with the raw, unpolished power of the younger guys.
The problem isn't talent; it's timing.
Hitting is contagious. Unfortunately, so is striking out. When one guy in the lineup starts pressing, everyone starts pressing. You could see it in the late innings—swings at pitches well outside the zone, trying to hit a five-run home run with nobody on base. It’s a mental hurdle as much as a physical one.
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What's Next for the Birds on the Bat?
They can't dwell on this one. There’s another game today. That’s the beauty and the curse of baseball—you don't have time to mourn a loss because you're back on the dirt in less than 24 hours.
The pitching matchup for the next game looks promising for St. Louis, but names on a scorecard don't win games. They need to find a way to capitalize on the early innings. If they can get to the opposing starter early and force the Diamondbacks to use their high-leverage arms for multiple innings, they might be able to salvage the series.
Key Action Steps for the Cardinals to Rebound:
- Shorten the Swings: Stop hunting for the highlight-reel homer and start focusing on line drives to the opposite field.
- Bullpen Management: Manager Marmol needs to be quicker with the hook if the middle relief shows signs of command issues.
- Aggressive Baserunning: The Cardinals have speed on the bench; they need to use it to put pressure on the Arizona infield.
The Diamondbacks showed exactly why they were in the World Series recently. They play a clean, fast, and irritating brand of baseball that forces you to be perfect. The Cardinals weren't perfect last night, and that’s why they lost.
If you’re tracking the race for the postseason, keep a close eye on the injury report. There were a few moments where Willson Contreras looked like he was favoring his hand after a foul tip, though he stayed in the game. Losing his bat would be a catastrophic blow to a lineup that is already searching for its identity.
Ultimately, the answer to who won the Cardinals game is a reminder that in the big leagues, the small things are actually the big things. A missed cutoff man, a ball that should have been caught, or a 2-2 pitch that caught too much of the plate—those are the margins between winning and losing.
Actionable Insight for Fans: If you're betting or following the spread for the next matchup, look closely at the "Runs plus Hits plus Errors" (RHE) totals. The Cardinals are consistently out-hitting opponents but losing on errors and left-on-base stats. Until those two categories stabilize, the money line remains a risky play for St. Louis. Watch the first three innings closely; if the Cardinals don't score by the third, their win probability drops by nearly 40% based on this month's trends.