51ºÚÁÏ

The Cardinals' begin their final three-series home stand of the season with a reunion. Yadier Molina returns to 51ºÚÁÏ for the first time since 2023 and will be in uniform for the first time since 2022 as he joins Oliver Marmol's staff for two games against the Cubs at the invitation of the manaer. Molina is the first of seven things to watch during the home stand that welcomes the Cubs, Rockies, and Yankees for nine games in 10 days. 51ºÚÁÏ sports columnist Jeff Gordon and baseball writer Derrick Goold list the other three things each they are looking for in the next week at Busch Stadium. Attendance is on the list, especially with two brand-name opponnents. But so is the bullpen, Jordan Walker's swing, Nolan Gorman's playing time, and in the coming weeks what appetite the Cardinals have to discuss contract extensions with any of the young players.

In its 13th season as one of the first and most popular Cardinals-related podcasts, the Best Podcast in Baseball in sponsored by Closets by Design of 51ºÚÁÏ. BPIB is a production of the 51ºÚÁÏ, , and Derrick Goold.

Molina, a two-time World Series winner and 10-time All-Star with the Cardinals, returned to Busch Stadium Friday for the Cardinals’ series opener against the Cubs as a guest coach following the invite from Marmol. The opportunity put Molina back in a Cardinals uniform and in the dugout at Busch Stadium for the first time since playing in his final game in 2022.

“I feel happy right now to be back home,� Molina said. “This is great. To go out to the field and spend time with the players, the coaches. And obviously at night with the fans, it's going to be a good experience.�

While a guest coach for Friday and Saturday, Molina said he looked to work with Cardinals catchers, along with the rest of the players in the Cardinals' clubhouse. Marmol noted Molina hoped to “lay low� and have one-on-one conversations with players over the next two days.

During Friday’s pregame, Molina could be seen in the outfield observing practice and shared a conversation with Yohel Pozo as the two walked off the field after Pozo caught a bullpen.

“Everybody talks about Yadi, right? He was one of the greatest players here on this team,� Pozo said before heading out to the field for pregame workouts. “Catching on this team means a lot. ... It's great to be here and help the pitchers, help the team and all that. Having him here and hearing from him, everything that he is about to say is going to be great.�

Back at Busch Stadium for just the second time since his retirement, Molina said he doesn’t miss playing but does miss being around the field. He expressed appreciation for the city of 51ºÚÁÏ. The franchise icon exchanged lineup cards with Cubs manager Craig Counsell before Friday's first pitch and received an ovation from the Busch Stadium crowd.

“They care about me. They care about my family. It's going to be a great night for me. ... I'm looking forward to that,� said Molina, who spent 19 seasons with the Cardinals.

Molina, who managed Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic and managed in the Dominican Winter League, has his sights set on a career in coaching in the future. Molina said he is currently concentrating on spending time with his family.

The nine-time Gold Glove award winner and four-time Platinum Glove winner said he may likely pursue coaching after his son, Yanuell, who is a high school senior, finishes school after the 2025-2026 academic school year.

Molina, 43, said guest coaching experiences like this weekend are ones he would be open to in the near future, including later this season. But for this weekend, his presence gives the young Cardinals players an added presence in the clubhouse and in the dugout.

“He (Molina) just has a really unique way of communicating what it takes to be a winning player, not just a good player,� Marmol said. “I've said that a couple different times today, but there's a difference between a good player and a winning player. It's great when you're a good winning player, but I'll take the winning player all day long.

“He has a unique way of expressing what it takes to really devote yourself to the game, and what it takes to be that good in a way that I think could be pretty influential and impactful to some of our young guys.�

Arenado reports to Jupiter

Third baseman Nolan Arenado arrived in Jupiter, Florida, on Thursday and reported to the Cardinals’ complex Friday, where he will go through a program to rebuild strength in his right shoulder and get "his body right" before returning to baseball activity, Marmol said. Arenado’s program could last from seven to 10 days, Marmol noted.

Arenado, 34, was placed on the injured list on Aug. 1. At the time, a timeline for when he could return to the Cardinals’ lineup was not available.

King nears rehab assignment

Left-handed reliever John King (left oblique strain) said he plans to throw a higher intensity bullpen on Saturday as he nears a rehab assignment, which could begin as early as Tuesday.

King said he took four days off after straining his left oblique on July 29. King, who is on the 15-day IL, took four days off from throwing after the injury but has since been able to return to full baseball activity. The lefty said he threw a bullpen on Thursday at around “50-60%� intensity.

Extra bases

Although Jorge Alcala had a locker inside the Cardinals' clubhouse on Friday, the recently acquired right-handed reliever is expected to report to the Cardinals by Sunday, Marmol said. The Cardinals were awarded the waiver claim of Alcala, 30, on Thursday.

Willson Contreras returned to the Cardinals lineup with a start at first base in the series opener against the Cubs after a stomach illness kept him unavailable from Wednesday’s road series finale against the Dodgers.

Cardinals prospect Quinn Mathews struck out nine batters and completed a season-high seven scoreless innings on Thursday in a start for Class AAA Memphis. Mathews, the Cardinals' top pitching prospect entering this season, matched a season-high in strikeouts with his Thursday outing.

51ºÚÁÏ entered that series last month tied for the third and final-wild card spot, but that weekend in Chicago helped further entrench the Redbirds into an 8-17 stretch, ensuring the team would sell at the trade deadline.

For Chicago, riding high with a four-game division lead after pummeling the Cardinals on national television in the finale, they've gone 12-12 since and have watched their four-game lead flip to a four-game deficit thanks chiefly to the scorching Brewers winning 21 of 25.

Given all that has transpired since, the Cardinals are in the rare position of playing spoiler to the Cubs. Since 1999, 51ºÚÁÏ has finished with the better record more than twice as many times as the Cubs have: 17-8.

Since the All-Star break, Chicago's high-scoring offense ranks 23rd in runs scored, a big factor in the team losing three of five series.

Three of the team's best hitters, Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki, are combining to hit .169 since the break.ÌýBusch and Suzuki are below the Mendoza line.

The right-hander Michael McGreevy (3-2, 5.08 ERA) will start Friday for the Cardinals. He gave up five earned runs to the Cubs in late June at Busch and, more recently, has struggled in two starts since earning a rotation spot, giving up 11 total runs.

Left-hander and All-Star Matthew Boyd (11-4, 2.34 ERA) will start for the Cubs. The team's most dependable starter, he has permitted more than two runs just once in his last 12 starts, putting up a 1.55 ERA in that time.

In two starts vs. the Cardinals this season, he has permitted six total hits and no runs.

The Cardinals have won seven of the last 10 games facing a left-handed opposing starter.

51ºÚÁÏ, fresh off a series win against the Dodgers, is 58-58 and 5 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot.

The Cubs are 66-48. They trail Milwaukee by four games for the National League Central lead.

Yadier Molina, in town for an event, will be back in the Cardinals' dugout Friday and Saturday and sitting beside manager Oliver Marmol.

Game also airs on KMOV (Channel 4) and Matrix (Channel 32)

Friday's game, in addition to the usual airing on FanDuel Sports Midwest, also is simulcast on local broadcast television on KMOV (Channel 4) and Matrix Midwest (Channel 32). throughout the Cardinals footprint in six nearby states will also carry the game.

It's one of numerous games this seasonÌýthat are set for local broadcast TV on KMOV and/or Matrix.

How to watch Cardinals vs. Cubs

When:Ìý7:15 p.m. Friday

Where:ÌýBusch Stadium in 51ºÚÁÏ

TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (), KMOV (Channel 4), Matrix Midwest (Channel 32) as well as ; KMOX (1120 AM and 104.1 FM), other stations in the as well as .

Your options to watch: Input your ZIP code and see your choices for watching Cardinals games.

Lineups

CARDINALS

1. Brendan Donovan, 2B

2. Iván Herrera, DH

3. Willson Contreras, 1B

4. Alec Burleson, LF

5. Masyn Winn, SS

6. Jordan Walker, RF

7. Thomas Saggese, 3B

8. Pedro Pagés, C

9. Garrett Hampson, CF

P:ÌýMichael McGreevy, RHP

CUBS

1. Michael Busch, 1B

2. Seiya Suzuki, DH

3. Kyle Tucker, RF

4. Ian Happ, LF

5. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF

6. Carson Kelly, C

7. Willi Castro, 3B

8. Nico Hoerner, 2B

9. Dansby Swanson, SS

P:ÌýMatthew Boyd, LHP

Injury report

John King, LHP (left oblique strain): King said he plans to throw a higher intensity bullpen on Saturday as he nears a rehab assignment, which could begin as early as Tuesday. King took four days off from throwing after the injury but has since been able to return to full baseball activity. The lefty said he threw a bullpen on Thursday at around “50-60%â€� intensity.ÌýHe was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 30 after he left the previous night's game in the middle of an at-bat withÌýleft side tightness. Updated Aug. 8

Nolan Arenado, 3B (right shoulder strain): Arenado arrived in Jupiter, Florida, at the Cardinals' complex Friday and began a stretch of seven to 10 days strengthening his shoulder. Being at the spring training complex will allow him access to backfield games, if he wishes and is cleared to do so. Arenado went on the 10-day injured list Aug. 1 with a shoulder injury he’s spent the past month trying to play through. There is no timetable for his return. Updated Aug. 8

Zack Thompson, LHP (shoulder, lat strain):ÌýLefty starter remains on a throwing program in Jupiter, trying to overcome some setbacks as he increased the intensity of his throws through the course of the season. He's visited 51ºÚÁÏ for evaluation to monitor if the injury worsens. Thompson has been sidelined since the start of March and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in early April. There is no timetable for his return to the mound.ÌýUpdated Aug. 6

"It's the right thing to do for our players, our staff, and for our fan base," Marmol told the Post-Dispatch on Friday morning. "I want to have him around. I love the fact that he'll be in the dugout for two days. I think it will be awesome for players and for fans, for all of it, to have him here."

This is not the first time Marmol has approached Molina about taking a spot in the dugout.

During Molina's most recent visit to Busch Stadium for Adam Wainwright's career celebration in 2023, Marmol met in his office with Molina and brought up the idea of having the longtime catcher join the coaching staff. Molina declined at the time because of the time commitment.

Molina is in 51ºÚÁÏ for an appearance and signing this weekend, and over the past few months he and the Cardinals discussed what he could do at the ballpark during his visit.

Marmol and Molina talked about having him in the dugout, right beside the manager.

"I enjoyed my time with Yadi a ton, both as a coach and also when I got a chance to manage him," said Marmol, whose first year as manager was the last season for retiring greats Molina and Albert Pujols. "There's a deep respect there for how he sees the game, of course, but also how he went about his career. Even if it's two days, it can leave a real impact on our young players.

"It would be dumb not to have him in the dugout whenever possible," Marmol continued. "Inviting him to sit next to me in the dugout is just the right thing to do for our players and for our fan base."Ìý

The conversation with Marmol at the end of the 2023 season about joining the staff became a talk with the Cardinals about a role, and the club eventually hired him for 2024 as a special assistant to the president of baseball operations.ÌýThe plan was to have spend some time with the field staff, the minor-league system, the catchers in that system, the clubhouse, and the front office. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak sought to give Molina a chance to look at every corner of baseball operations.

The Cardinals had a standing invite for Molina to attend spring training and other events, including games, but the timing didn't work out as Molina would later explain he had family commitments.

In the past year, Molina has moved to Texas and been ever-present for his son's rise as a high school catcher there. Yanuell Molina committed to play college ball at University of Texas-Arlington.

Molina, now 43, has expressed an interest in managing in the major leagues at some point. He has managed winter ball teams in Puerto Rico and Venezuela since his retirement, and this spring he will lead Team Puerto Rico as its manager for the second time into a World Baseball Classic tournament. Molina has talked about the timing of when he'd pursue a full-time role with a major-league club and how his recent focus has been on his family.Ìý

During his 19 big-league seasons with the Cardinals, Molina won two World Series trophies and four National League pennants. A 10-time All-Star, Molina also won nine Gold Glove awards, the first four National League Platinum Glove awards given out by Rawlings, and the Roberto Clemente Award. He finished third in NL MVP voting in 2013 as the Cardinals won the National League.

Molina will be eligible next summer for fans to vote him into the Cardinals Hall of Fame. He will first appear on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in December 2027 for Cooperstown's Class of 2028.Ìý

“There’s a lot of failure, some success but it’s definitely growth, and how do I learn from those failures?� Scott said earlier this week from Dodger Stadium. “I feel like in the present time, when you fail, it sucks, because you work so hard to be able to do something and it may not work out for you that time. Definitely the growth aspect, and looking from where I was last year to where I am now, I feel like it’s in a totally different place.�

After a strong spring positioned Scott as the Cardinals’ opening day center fielder for a second consecutive season, the 24-year-old has batted .223 and posted a .309 on-base percentage in 108 games as a regular in 2025.

Scott leads the Cardinals with 29 steals on 31 attempts and began Thursday tied with National League Central counterpart and Cubs All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong for eighth in the majors in that category. Scott also began Thursday tied seventh in the majors in outs above average (OAA) with plus-15, per Statcast. He ranked third among all qualified center fielders across MLB in OAA with plus-14 at that spot behind Crow-Armstrong (plus-18) and Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela (plus-16).

“I think there has been some really good growth in his overall two things: mindset and process, which sometimes you just don’t have a timeline for when it will carry into performance,� Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of Scott earlier this week. “But if you were to ask me where he’s at today in comparison to even three, four months ago, it’s night and day of having the actual process for the work he’s going to do that day. ... That’s not even close.

“He’s in a really good spot when it comes to that. Now it’s just a matter of continuing to work physically for some of the skill set to come into play.�

A Rawlings minor league Gold Glove winner in 2023, Scott appeared in 53 major league games a season ago while also spending time in Class AAA working through offensive adjustments. He accumulated plus-three OAA in the limited time in the majors but had a minus-one in defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs.

His sights on where he hoped to take his defense became clear with one of the newest Cardinals coaches this past winter.

“I think going into the offseason, he took it personal that he wanted to get better out there. That was something, for me, that was refreshing,� Cardinals assistant coach Jon Jay said.

Scott and Jay worked together across November and December following Jay’s hire in October. Scott looked to become more efficient in his jump and improve on his routes.

This year, Scott’s jumps are 2 feet better than average after he was 0.7 feet better than average in 2024, per Statcast. The speedster ranks seventh in feet covered (36.9) among qualified outfielders. He’s totaled nine defensive runs saved, ranking him fourth in the majors among qualified MLB center fielders, per FanGraphs.

“He’s bought in. It shows out there, right? He’s embraced it,� Jay said of Scott. “Like I said, his preparation is really good. ... He’s still young in his career. He’s going to continue to get better with the experience, right? He’s going to start learning hitters more, learning ballparks, learning his own pitchers. It’s been really nice to see his growth out there.�

Coming off a rookie season in which he hit .179 in 53 games, Scott opened this season with a .283 batting average and a .355 in 47 games. An increased amount of breaking pitches he’s been offered since the start of May, and issues with swing-and-miss on those pitch types, has left Scott with a .184 batting average and a .282 on-base percentage in his previous 70 games.

Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown, who worked with Scott over the winter after being hired in October, described Scott as a hitter with a “gap-to-gap profile.� Brown said the two have worked to allow the “athlete� in Scott to “come out and play,� but a “sequencing issue� in the 24-year-old’s swing must be corrected for him to do so.

“For right now, he’s a hit collector who can steal bases,� Brown said of Scott. “... He’s doing a really good job right now trying to really stay inside the strike zone and be more stubborn.�

As he looks to produce a more consistent average, Scott has cut his chase rate from 29.3% a year ago to 24.1%, the latter of which is in the top 73rd percentile of qualified major league hitters. Scott has a 9% walk rate, which ranks only behind Lars Nootbaar’s 11.9% walk rate for qualified Cardinals hitters, after walking in 3.9% of his plate appearances in 2024.

Earlier this season, Scott said walks could allow him to impact a game with his speed once he’s on base and noted his improvement to do so is a part of his growth in the majors, which has come with asking “hard questions� of himself.

“It’s not easy to be able to say that you failed at something, because no one in the history of anyone wants to hear you did bad at this. Nobody,� Scott said. “Everybody wants that positive self-satisfaction to say, hey, you did this good, and that’s why this worked today.

“But I try to dig into the failures without being too hard on myself. Look at the failures, write about them and then how can I correct that is normally what’s next.�

Alcala claimed off waivers

The Cardinals continued to add depth to their big league bullpen Thursday when they were awarded the waiver claim for right-handed reliever Jorge Alcala after he was designated for assignment by the Red Sox.

Alcala, 30, has a 6.64 ERA in 41 appearances this year. He posted an 8.88 ERA in 24 1/3 innings with the Twins to begin the season and sported a 3.31 ERA in 16 1/3 innings with the Red Sox after being traded from Minnesota to Boston. The righty owns a 4.24 ERA over 185 big league appearances and has struck out 211 batters in 204 innings since debuting in the majors in 2019 with Minnesota.

Alcala is the second reliever the Cardinals claimed off waivers this week. On Monday, they claimed lefty Anthony Veneziano off waivers from the Marlins.

When he left the ballpark, all he took with him was a dented ERA, a welt on his confidence and concerns about an arm injury that would cost him most of the season.

The souvenirs were far better this year.

Back at the spot of his rocky debut for the Cardinals, O’Brien collected the first win of his major league career Monday and the first big league save of his career Wednesday. Instead of the baggage of a year ago, packed up with his gear for the flight back to 51ºÚÁÏ were four game-used baseballs from the win and the baseball from the final out of the save.

“I think about when we opened up the year here,� O’Brien said, “and how different I felt. Way more nerves. A little rattled out there. This year, I feel comfortable.�

All signs pointed toward another Shohei Ohtani show at the start of the series finale Wednesday. The giveaway was a replica World Series championship ring with his name on it. The reigning National League MVP started the game on the mound and struck out eight, and he pitched half of his four innings with a lead he claimed with a two-run homer. Ohtani drove in more runs as a hitter than he allowed as a pitcher, and he earned more walks in the game than he issued.

But once Ohtani exhausted his limited pitch count and yielded the stage, a steady drumbeat of offense started for the Cardinals and built into the percussion of three late runs for a 5-3 victory and their 27th come-from-behind win of the year. The Cardinals won the three-game series in LA and the season series from LA, four games to two. Jordan Walker’s third hit of Wednesday’s game — a two-out RBI single in the eighth — made it all happen.

The bullpen made it at all possible.

And there to capture how the Cardinals are using and challenging and auditioning and exploring their relievers in the wake of the trade deadline was O’Brien with two outings and two milestones.

“Hopefully it does a lot for his confidence,� manager Oliver Marmol said. “Especially able to do it here. You want to test it out somewhere, this is not a bad spot to do it.�

After trading veterans Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton from the back end of the bullpen, the Cardinals see O’Brien as the right-handed option to close games when the lone lefty, JoJo Romero, is required earlier in the game. Romero entered Wednesday’s game with the Cardinals trailing by a run and Ohtani at the plate. Romero struck out Ohtani and froze the game there ahead of the Cardinals’ eighth-inning rally for the lead. That left the final four outs for O’Brien.

All week at Dodger Stadium, Marmol discussed the bullpen in every pregame conversation with the media. He detailed why he did not use Kyle Leahy in the middle of Tuesday’s game to try and hold a two-run deficit because he wanted Leahy available for Wednesday if they had a lead. (They did not, but Leahy’s 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief Wednesday bought time for the lead to surface later.) He explained why he might use some relievers in unexpected spots to see how they react, and he stressed the importance of seeing young relievers in overheated and loud crucibles like Dodger Stadium.

A day after using O’Brien in the eighth, Marmol gave a succinct reason why.

“He has to be able to pitch there,� the manager said.

O’Brien’s appearance Monday began with an at-bat against outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. The former Home Run Derby champion pounced on a pitch for a leadoff double, and he eventually scored despite O’Brien getting ground outs from the next three batters. On Wednesday, O’Brien entered with two outs in the eighth inning and a familiar batter at the plate: Hernandez. This time, the right-hander got a ground out.

“You let him do it again and see what happens,� Marmol said.

“I learned to stick to my plan,� O’Brien said when asked to compare the two at-bats against Hernandez to start each appearance. “It was a misexecuted pitch (on Monday). I don’t need to panic and change everything up. I need to execute.�

In the ninth, O’Brien retired the first two Dodgers before facing pinch hitter Max Muncy, who had two homers Tuesday. O’Brien walked him to bring up the No. 9 hitter.

O’Brien fell behind Alex Freeland 3-1.

The right-hander then challenged him with a 99.1 mph sinker.

O’Brien’s sinker touched 100.1 mph in the game and averaged 98.6 mph. He played that off a slider that veers consistently at 90 mph and a curveball that bends in the low 80s to give him three pitches at three different octaves of speed. Freeland fouled off the 99.1 mph sinker and then chopped a 98.8 mph sinker for the game-ending ground out. Ohtani was left on deck.

“I like that he was on the attack,� Marmol said. “He’ll learn from the walk to Muncy and going 3-1 on the nine hole. That’s something. As good as he did to just stay on the attack there and make him beat you so that their leadoff guy doesn’t sniff the plate. Glad it ended right there.�

O’Brien blew a lead Monday and then snagged the win. Perhaps because of that and the last-inning rally drawing all the attention, his first big league win went relatively unnoticed. He wondered if maybe due to his age — 30 — and he’d been around that his teammates “presumed� he had a win. He was able to get four game-used baseball from that night to give to his mother, father, and brother. He’ll keep one for his display.

If he only gets one baseball from the save, it will go beside the win ball.

His first save did not go unrecognized by teammates — who celebrated in the soggy, sticky, yucky spin cycle while stuffed in a laundry basket that’s become tradition. O’Brien said he got doused with beer and chocolate milk and also tasted some baby powder dumped on him. Leahy went for the ice-cold water because he said the shock is what really gets someone, not the mess.

“Every first is cool,� Leahy said. “And then the second you do it once, you’re like, ‘I need to do this again and again and again and again.’ Now he’s going to want his second, and he’s going to want to show he can do it every single time. First is awesome, but you quickly change your goal to want more.�

O’Brien said his previous visit to Dodger Stadium was on his mind during this one.

He entered that game in the seventh inning, sandwiched between appearances by two pitchers who are now starters, Andre Pallante and Matthew Liberatore. He walked two of the first three batters he faced and allowed an RBI single to Muncy before striking out Hernandez. That strikeout was the last pitch he threw in the majors for five months. When he got the final ground out Monday of what became his win, he thought immediately about how soon he could throw his next pitch.

“After I got the win, I was thinking it would be pretty cool if I got a save here in this series, too,� O’Brien said. “It’s cool to come full circle, especially with how it feels different — a night-and-day difference.�

In every inning after Ohtani’s fourth and final inning on the mound, the Cardinals got at least one runner into scoring position. The breakthrough came in the eighth when Jordan Walker lined a two-out RBI single for his third hit of the game and put in motion a play that would bring home the go-ahead run on an error. Lars Nootbaar added an RBI double in the ninth to give the bullpen cushion it never had in the first eight innings.

What Kyle Leahy started with 2 2/3 innings of stellar relief and JoJo Romero continued with a key strikeout, Riley O’Brien finished for his first big league save. He got the final out of the game with Ohtani on deck.

O’Brien earned his first major league win Monday, his first save Wednesday, and all in the series the Cardinals took from LA.

The Cardinals turned a fly ball lost in the sun, a stolen base and Brendan Donovan’s infield single into an early lead in the third on Ohtani the pitcher. Ohtani the designated hitter seized the lead back with a two-run homer in the bottom of the same inning.

Those two runs were the only earned runs allowed by Cardinals lefty Matthew Liberatore. He held the Dodgers to three runs total on six hits through his four innings. The bullpen, specifically the right-left combo of Leahy and Romero, limited the Dodgers from there and bought time for the Cardinals offense to turn their repeated threats into their eighth-inning runs.

Leahy pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out the side in order in the sixth. He yielded to Romero in the seventh when Ohtani came up with the bases emptied by the double play Leahy just coaxed.

Romero struck out Ohtani to end the inning ahead of the Cardinals rally.

Pesky Cards break through in 8th

A persistent and pesky stretch of offense fell shy of tying the game inning after inning for the Cardinals until the eighth inning and a pair of relentless at-bats set up the go-ahead event.

The Cardinals were 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position when Walker came to the plate with two outs in the eighth inning and two teammates on base. But the two batters ahead of him had tenderized Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia with prolonged at-bats. Masyn Winn saw 10 pitches from Vesia, and he roped the 10th — a change-up — for a single that put the tying run in scoring position.

Against the lefty Vesia, the Cardinals turned to pinch hitter Yohel Pozo, and he worked the reliever for eight pitches before flying out to center.

Vesia had two outs but also an inning stressed with pitches.

Walker took advantage and lifted the third pitch he saw — a slider — toward center field to score the tying run and get Winn to third. When Walker forced the issue by advancing to second on the throw, Dodgers third baseman Alex Freeland complicated the inning and effectively tossed the tie game into the outfield. Winn scored on Freeland’s error for the 4-3 lead.

Ohtani’s 1K hit, 8-K start

On the same day the Dodgers passed out thousands of replica World Series championship rings with his name on them, the fortuitous turn of LA’s rotation and timing of a career milestone converged for Ohtani.

At the same time he made the 94th start of his career, Ohtani delivered the 1,000th hit of his career — a home run. He launched a two-run homer off Liberatore to overtake the Cardinals’ 1-0 lead in the third inning. The bolt was Ohtani’s 39th homer of the season, and it came in time for him to pitch one inning with the lead.

The game’s two-way star made his eighth start of the season and eighth since returning to the mound from elbow surgery. He established his grip on the game quickly by dotting a 100 mph fastball for a strikeout of Alec Burleson in the first inning. Ohtani struck out the side in his fourth and final inning.

Burleson fouled off a 100.6 mph fastball as the leadoff hitter.

He struck out when he tipped the next pitch — an 88.6 mph slider.

Ohtani struck out Nootbaar with the same slider and then finished the inning and his outing by bending an 83.6 mph sweeping slider by Winn.

Ohtani, who has yet to win a game this season as he eases into more innings, had started only once previous against the Cardinals. In 2023 with the Angels, Ohtani struck out 13 Cardinals in five innings at Busch Stadium but took a no decision. Nolan Gorman and Dylan Carlson hit home runs off of Ohtani, who allowed two four runs on five hits.

Cards cannot capitalize on gift

The choice made at shortstop gave the Cardinals their first chance at tying the game.

With Ohtani off the mound and staying in the game at designated hitter, the Cardinals mustered a potential game-tying rally in the sixth inning. Ivan Herrera sparked it with a leadoff walk, and Burleson followed with a single. The pivot of the inning, however, came when shortstop Mookie Betts elected not to go to second on a ground ball and threw for the sure out at first.

That allowed Herrera to score but also put Burleson at second with one out.

The Cardinals would have at least one chance to bring home the tying run from scoring position and likely two. Masyn Winn singled to keep the inning going and put the tying run at third with two outs. A ball in play had the chance to tie the game. The Cardinals didn’t capitalize. Gorman struck out while Winn stole second, and Walker nudged a grounder back to pitcher Justin Wrobleski for the inning’s final out.

Through seven innings, the Cardinals were 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Unusual play produces Dodgers’ 3rd run

The Dodgers had a two-run lead thanks to Ohtani’s homer when center fielder Andy Pages led off the fourth inning with a single and began an adventurous trip around the bases.

What brought him home wasn’t a hit off a bat, but a throw off of one.

And all of it happened with the next batter, Miguel Rojas, at the plate.

Pages took second on a wild pitch from Liberatore.

He attempted to steal third base on the lefty, and when catcher Pedro Pages jumped from his crouch to make the throw, Rojas remained still in the box, his bat up from his shoulder like an antenna. Pedro Pages’ throw smacked off Rojas’ bat, and the catcher quickly lost where the baseball went on the ricochet. That allowed Andy Pages to scramble to his feet at third and score easily before the Cardinals’ Pages could even spot where the ball went, let alone retrieve it.

Pedro Pages received an error for the throw and the run was unearned for Liberatore, but it provided the difference on the scoreboard until the top of the eighth.

“He threw a cutter at 95 mph, for goodness sake.�

The only time Ohtani, Betts and Freeman came to the plate and did not participate in a rally during Los Angeles’ 12-6 victory Tuesday night was during Svanson’s innings. He pitched two scoreless, and the manager continued Wednesday morning to rave about the right-hander’s bulldozer attitude as he struck out four and held the Cardinals at a three-run deficit.

It’s the kind of assignment Marmol hopes to find for several of the young relievers in the bullpen. With no designated closer and only one lefty, there could be some unusual looks. During individual meetings this past week, Marmol and his staff told the young relievers they’ll get late-inning opportunities and could emerge from the remaining 46 games as a candidate for closer or setup relief in 2026. The schedule will help, Marmol said.

Following visits into the contending crucibles of San Diego and Dodger Stadium this past week, the Cardinals host the archrival Cubs and New York Yankees on the next homestand.

“This is the way I would draw it up, if possible,� Marmol said. “To be able to play San Diego, come here (to LA) and play. The teams that we’re about to go up against (at home). That’s what you want to see them play against. And then you add the overall atmosphere and environment to it — it gives you a different layer to evaluate as well. That part I really enjoy.�

Within the series against the Dodgers, there were examples of these assignments.

The Cardinals intend to use right-hander Riley O’Brien and lefty JoJo Romero in most save situations. O’Brien got the eighth inning of a close game Monday. He allowed a run and got three ground outs and then earned the win when the Cardinals rallied in the ninth. Romero closed out the game for his second save of the road trip.

On Tuesday, Svanson entered in the fourth inning to give him a look against the superstars. That “goodness sake� cutter buzzed past Ohtani for a strikeout.

Right-hander Ryan Fernandez drew the assignment when the top of the Dodgers lineup came back around in the seventh. The inning sped up on Fernandez as he walked Ohtani and Betts before eventually allowing them to score. Having one lefty in the bullpen meant the Cardinals did not have a counter for Max Muncy in that inning — and Fernandez allowed an RBI single.

By trading closer Ryan Helsley and setup man Phil Maton a week ago, the Cardinals took an eraser to established roles in the bullpen. John King’s absence as he recovers from a torso injury leaves them with one lefty to add more complexity to bullpen use.

The preference remains to use Kyle Leahy for extended outings — like he did Wednesday afternoon — as he readies to come to spring training as a starter. The Cardinals are intrigued by O’Brien’s stuff and strikeout potential just as Svanson has impressed with his recent results and fastball. The Cardinals don’t have to wait until spring to start sorting through late-game options.

“You have a great opportunity for that,� Marmol said.

And the opponents to present a challenge.

“It’s just a teaching moment when you see someone glitch out because of the environment,� Marmol explained. “It’s a great opportunity to understand why and then see if you can get them on the other side of it by forcing them into that situation again, if possible. You’re looking for the opportunity to see Svanson step into it and not care and maybe somebody else take a step back and get sped up. You want to understand why and see if you can help with that.�

Arenado heads to Jupiter

Nolan Arenado will travel Friday to Jupiter, Florida, and relocate his recovery from a shoulder injury to the Cardinals’ player development and spring training complex.

Arenado went on the injured list at the start of the month after playing through July with a bruised finger on his throwing hand and soreness in his right shoulder and arm, perhaps caused by compensating for the pain in his finger. He saw his production at the plate dip to a .175 average and a .211 slugging percentage in July.

The Cardinals’ facility at Roger Dean Stadium is undergoing construction ahead of next spring training, but being there will give Arenado access to the performance department and games on the back fields, if he wants to accumulate at-bats in controlled settings.

Going to Jupiter also puts Arenado in Florida ahead of the Cardinals visiting Miami to face the Marlins. That is their next road series, starting on Aug. 18.

Drafted pitcher plans

Liam Doyle and Tanner Franklin, the two University of Tennessee pitchers the Cardinals drafted at No. 5 and No. 72, respectively, are among the group of newly signed picks in Jupiter. The two highly rated pitchers have yet to appear in games but are part of a throwing program that could eventually put them into competition with either of the two affiliates housed at the Roger Dean complex.

Each newly drafted pitcher has a schedule that’s based upon his spring workload at college or high school and how ready he was to resume pitching at the draft. Rob Cerfolio, the Cardinals’ assistant general manager in charge of player development and performance, described the plans as “conservative ramp-ups.�

Left-handed starter Doyle, the Cardinals’ first-round pick and highest pick since 1998, has been assigned to the Florida Complex League roster. So has Franklin, a reliever for the Vols who the Cardinals see as a potential starter during his first full professional season. They will spend the remainder of the minor league season in Jupiter, and whether they get into a game with an affiliate will be decided based on their mound work in the coming weeks.

Extra bases

Willson Contreras was not in the lineup for the finale of the road trip due to a stomach bug, Marmol said. The first baseman is expected back when the Cardinals open their homestand Friday against his former team, the Cubs.

• The Cardinals will use the off-day to give the entire rotation a break and remain on turn headed into the weekend against their rivals. The club’s current plan is to remain with a five-man rotation through the upcoming nine-game homestand.
• Lefty Mason Molina, one of the pitchers acquired from the Rangers at the trade deadline, made his Cardinals organization debut Tuesday night with four innings and five strikeouts for High-A Peoria. He allowed two runs on two hits and four walks.

Mikolas paused.

“On my worst day, I stink right now,� he said. “Today wasn’t a good day. I’ve had some other bad ones. And a lot of it comes down to that one pitch, missing a spot with guys on base or throwing the wrong pitch, maybe reading a swing wrong. It’s tough. Durability is one of the five great abilities, but that doesn’t mean much if it’s not conducive to winning.�

Before Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers got worse for them in a 12-6 loss, the Cardinals moved quickly to stay in it by removing Mikolas from it.

The right-hander allowed three homers and five runs total to the first 14 batters he faced. He threw his 50th pitch before collecting his seventh out, so he had innings where he was inefficient and at-bats when his pitches were ineffective. Max Muncy saw three pitches total from Mikolas, took two swings and hit two home runs to give LA three of its five early runs.

Mikolas retired the final two batters of the third inning to escape with the Cardinals trailing by the three runs he allowed in that inning — and that was it. That was his evening. Mikolas’ start ended after three innings and 67 pitches as the Cardinals rushed to their bullpen to keep the score close enough for a rally that arrived too late.

For the sixth time in 22 starts, Mikolas allowed at least five runs, but only for the second time this season did he pitch fewer than four innings. After shaving his ERA down from 5.20 with consecutive solid starts, it bloated back to 5.11 after Tuesday’s.

“It’s frustrating taking one step forward,� Mikolas said, “and two steps back.�

The only established Cardinal with an expiring contract who is still on the roster after the trade deadline, Mikolas finds himself the seasoned starter for a team turning more and more toward youth.

The Cardinals are making decisions like they’re moving on and into 2026.

Mikolas, a pending free agent, is eager for starts to generate interest in him for 2026.

“I want to finish strong,� Mikolas said. “And I want to do my best to be a good example for the young guys. There are some young guys in here who I’ve seen from their rookie years, seen them mature and get better. Hopefully, I’ve left a little bit of an imprint on them. Show the younger guys what it’s like to go about your work — day in, day out, rain or shine. I’ll be in here tomorrow working out, busting my tail in the gym, getting my work done with the trainers, watching video, trying to get better. Bottom line: I want to finish strong and show teams that I’ve still got a lot of good baseball left in me.�

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was asked late Tuesday night in his office at Dodger Stadium what the team sought from veterans like Willson Contreras, who homered and reached base three times Tuesday, and Mikolas.

“Serve as a little bit of a sounding board and leadership for when things don’t go well,� Marmol said. “Those guys have been in situations where they’ve been really good and when things don’t go their way they can speak to it. Sometimes when you’re young and you’re going through a little bit of it – even today, Fern (Ryan Fernandez) or (Andre) Granillo – having someone come up and be like, ‘Been there. Wake up tomorrow and it will be OK.’ That’s helpful. Sometimes it’s encouraging more than anything.�

The only time the Cardinals kept the MVPs at the top of the Dodgers’ lineup from scoring was in the fourth and fifth innings when rookie Matt Svanson was on the mound.

Otherwise, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts each doubled and scored off Mikolas. They each walked and scored off Fernandez in the seventh. They both singled and scored off Granillo in the eighth. Ohtani and Betts combined to score six of the Dodgers’ dozen runs, and No. 3 hitter Freddie Freeman had two sacrifice flies. Fernandez and Granillo combined to allow seven runs in their two innings of work. As Marmol described, they had a veteran nearby who could empathize.

Mikolas had been there.

A few innings earlier.

“That is a lineup you can’t make a lot of mistakes to, and I made a few too many mistakes there and got into some trouble early,� Mikolas said. “And a lineup like that, if you’re in trouble, it’s hard to get out of it.�

Coming out of the All-Star break, Mikolas adjusted his delivery to make it more compact and direct, and the result was an increase in pitch velocity. During the Cardinals’ recent home stand, the zip helped Mikolas pitch five scoreless innings against the Padres and follow that outing with a quality start against Miami. The velocity was there Tuesday as well. The average on his pitches was up at least 1 mph, and his fastball cooked at an average of 94.1 mph, up 1.5 mph from his season average.

He touched 95.3 mph with his four-seam fastball and 95.1 mph with sinker — speeds that are throwbacks for the right-hander who turns 37 this month.

“There’s a big difference between 91-92 mph and being 94-96 mph,� Mikolas said. “Helps all of the breaking stuff. Didn’t make much of a difference today. Some of it may come down to the pitch selection, reading the swings or just what I do to get to two strikes.�

The trouble Tuesday came in twos for Mikolas. Freeman’s sacrifice fly and Muncy’s first home run came on consecutive pitches for LA’s 2-0 lead in the first inning. In the third, Muncy and Teoscar Hernandez hit home runs in consecutive at-bats to shatter a 2-2 tie and seize a 5-2 lead. The runs off back-to-back pitches in the first and runs off back-to-back homers in the third were all the production against Mikolas in his three innings.

The pitches that caused the noise were too much over the plate.

“They were,� Marmol said, “and they didn’t miss.�

In the final season of a three-year, $56 million extension with the Cardinals, Mikolas is 6-9 with reduced innings due to a change in how he’s been used. An All-Star in two seasons and an innings-eating workhorse in all of his healthy seasons, Mikolas has been used in shorter starts this season to avoid a third time through the opponent’s lineup or runaway games like Tuesday’s. In the past three seasons, Mikolas has made 89 starts, and while 35 of them have been quality starts, he has an overall ERA of 5.06. This season the runs seem to come in gulps.

He’s had five starts without allowing a run, and he’s had seven starts of one or fewer runs. He’s also had four when he allows six or more.

Mikolas said he and the coaches have been scouring those starts to identify the differences. It could be the nature of being a contact pitcher in the modern game, or it could be something they’ve yet to identify — and maybe another team, his next team will.

“I know teams look beyond that,� he said of the ERA and roller-coaster results. “They’ll look at everything. Teams are going to sign you after they go back and look at all of your starts and go, ‘What was the difference? Can we fix him? Can we help him? Can we do this? Can we do that?’ If my stuff is good — and the ball is coming out of my hand good — and I’m available wire to wire, that’s something. That’s something I take a lot of pride in.�

And that is why he said late Tuesday he wants to continue pitching.

Mikolas will finish this season one year shy of a full 10 seasons in the majors. He’ll have spent the past eight with the Cardinals. He twice signed an extension to stay with the club that brought him back to the majors from Japan’s highest league and allowed him to spend spring training in his hometown of Jupiter, Florida. The loss Tuesday night moved him to 66-67 as a Cardinal.

“I’ll play as long as I can,� Mikolas said. “The ball is still coming out of my hand pretty good for being almost 37. I’ll play as long as they let me.�