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It literally never is easy with our beloved 2026 feisty squad. Bases bubbling over with Giants and 2 outs, with Winquest swaying back and forth on the ropes……come on kid ……now a base hit will plate 2…..ouch!
Winquest getting yanked. Hard to believe that we are one mighty swing away from this game being knotted up at 6.
Walker hits into a DP in the 9th.
Herrera grounds out.
7-6 Giants your unhappy final.
Back to three games below .500.
This loss was on Ollie and Winquest…..and add “Sorry” Soriano’s sorry performance to that mix as well.
A top rated system should be able to provide the ML roster with a couple of decent middle relief types.
On a good note……
The Cubs are losing to the Brewers again. It’s 7-1 Brewers in the 5th at Miller Park in Milwaukee.
No word on whether or not Front Row Amy is in attendance.
You know… not sure what to think after another incredible late inning collapse. I’ll do a brain dump and maybe someone else out there can help me out.
First off, I am excited by the progress the team identifying and developing young position players… it feels like the Cards are ahead of schedule with the rebuild. I’d be very happy going into 2027 with Winn, Wetherholt, Burleson, Walker, Baez, Herrera, Bernal… settle on a position for Saggesse to keep in the everyday line-up, CF or 3B… and find productive guy to fill the remaining spot.
Most of the young starters have shown solid growth and a couple may become real top-of-the-rotation types.
I don’t watch many games (living three states away from StL) but I listen to all or part of almost all of them. From a distance, can’t help but worry about the impact of so many blown leads on the mood of the guys who worked hard to make the leads happen. The radio guys try to remain positive and upbeat (for the most part), I don’t see the body language when professional pitchers can’t seem to throw a strike, back themselves into hitters’ counts and turn journeymen into “clutch” hitters. It’s hard to listen to the late innings of every game, even when it turns out well. Because I can’t see everything/everybody, I wonder and worry about the impact of losses like yesterday’s.
It’s hard not to think about the standings even though I get that the postseason was never an expectation for this season… but take those half-dozen or ten blown leads we would normally think of as comfortable… turn most of those around… the Cards are playing for October baseball.
I worry, not so much about the wins and losses, but what the “here-we-go-again” feeling might be doing to the culture of the team, to the long-term development of a winning culture.
I don’t think a losing mentality usually carries over from season to season but I do think it can have an impact during a season.
The Cardinals need 8-10 roster upgrades and they’ll be able to challenge for the division.
If all or even a good chunk of the 2027 season is lost then I think it will set the rebuild back a year – meaning it might be 2029 instead of 2028 when we would expect to have a good team instead of a +/- .500 team.
The most important aspect of developing a young player is making them into a winner and you can’t do that by losing. Its only ever the loser talking about the season is a marathon. Winners know it is 162 sprints back to back. Each game a thing to itself, an opportunity to be seized now or lost forever. Losers will look for positves to take from a loss. Winners know a loss is failure and no part of it is positive. The psychology of winning is an intangible which cannot be measured and objectively quantified. If it can’t be quanified it can’t be input for analytics, so it doesn’t count. It doesn’t even exist. But it is fundamental to success.
Bling-I think most good players hate losing. I believe in winning culture. But I also believe good coaches and good team leaders don’t over react or dramatize every loss. And more importantly lack of talent is hard to overcome for any length of time in team sports.
As an example, 29 year old Justin Bruihl last season had a 5.27 ERA in limited appearances for the Blue Jays. WHIP over 1.90. Why do we have guys like this in our bullpen? Especially in high leverage situations.
Another example. Ryan Stanek was with the Mets the last 2 years. In 2024 he had an ERA of 6.06. In 2025 it was 5.30. He’s 35 years old. What’s he doing on this team?
I hear you ccrany. Not long ago i mentioned that here we are heading into September and 40% of the rotation had an ERA over 5. Ouch. But we knew it could be a brutal year. We just have to ride it out.
Like Ratsbuddy said, “it’s pitiful”. Fully in agreement here. Losses like that demoralize a team, that’s the worst part. And you can’t convince me that the starting pitcher Pallante who pitched well, can stand in that dugout and remain stoic without thoughts of “well, so much for my good effort today–these guys just threw it away”. It’s human nature.
A bullpen blowing late inning 6 run leads to a second tier team certainly no better than we are, is what you get when you dumpster dive and take chances on the waiver wire with relievers cut loose by other teams. They’re cut loose for a reason! Not saying that maybe our new kids will get it together next season (assuming we have one) but one thing is for sure: when you keep allowing men on base–they score. I thought the whole idea of relief pitching was to put out the fire–not add fuel to it.
How many more games would we have in the win column if we had given up one good hitter for a lights out reliever? 10?
Three one run losses, with the last one a meltdown. Those are always rough to take.
I don’t think the “winning culture” type of mentality is a big part of MLB. It is such a long grind and you get another chance the next day most of the time, so big league ball players stay fairly centered emotionally.
You know that you will carry your team one day, and possibly let them down the next. It’s primarily a matter of getting good talent, and using them in their best roles.
Why Ollie didn’t save Gassy for possible late inning relief is perplexing. Instead he burned Gassy in the 7th and utilized the likes of Winquest and Soriano for the final 2 innings. Why not trot Winquest or Soriano out for the 7th and then if trouble ensued bring in our most effective reliever over the last month(Gassy)? Ollie has done a lot of good things for this club, but sometimes he makes obviously poor decisions.
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