Cardinals fail to deliver against the Reds again.
The St. Louis Cardinals (60-60) battled hard to climb above.500 this season, but they are now on the verge of going back below it at the worst possible moment. Their bats fell silent once more as All-Star pitcher Hunter Greene dominated them in a 4-1 road loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.
Despite exhibiting considerable extra-base power, St. Louis managed only four hits. It has scored a total of five runs in its last three outings. Greene, who threw seven innings of one-run ball while striking out eight and walking one, is a Cy Young contender with a lot of skill, so offensive troubles are to be expected. However, the team must devise strategies for surviving such a circumstance.
“We just have to own it,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol stated postgame, according to Bally Sports Midwest. “We must accept responsibility for our failures in certain situations. Today’s pitching was really challenging. You must grind out at bats. Moving forward, we must improve.”
Marmol on the level of frustration as the #STLCards' offense slumps: "We just have to own it. … We have to own the fact that we haven't come through in certain situations. Today was a tough pitcher. You have grind out at-bats. Moving forward we have to be better." pic.twitter.com/S6g3mm747P
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) August 14, 2024
Missed opportunities continue to define the Cardinals’ second half and are a major reason why they are currently out of playoff contention. St. Louis has dropped five of its last six games and is three games behind the Atlanta Braves for the third and final National League Wild Card spot.
The Cardinals appeared to be on the verge of a major surge, but the San Francisco Giants have already surpassed them, with the Reds and Chicago Cubs drawing uncomfortably close in the standings. The clock is ticking. Marmol needs to find his best lineup and hope that it can propel the team into October baseball. With only 42 games remaining in the regular season, there is no room for complacency.
Cardinals are not realizing their full potential
Nolan Arenado is having an amazing August (he smacked a solo home run against the Reds), and Paul Goldschmidt is delivering more regularly than he has in the past, but the stars need to do more. Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman must also step up, having been gravely disappointed in 2024.
The organization also needs to decide what to do with former top prospect Jordan Walker. He started in Monday’s loss after being recalled to the MLB roster, but was demoted to the bench on Tuesday. Players with his offensive potential must be given consistent at-bats in one form or another.
The names mentioned all have the potential to contribute to a successful postseason run. But they need to perform now. Fans do not want to hear Oliver Marmol give any more harsh assessments about the Cardinals’ performance. They simply want the problems solved.
