Strap in and buckle up! The Cardinals’ clubhouse just flipped the script on a narrative that has been stale now for a few weeks. Not long ago, the whispers were growing louder: Time to dump Oli Marmol (and John Mozeliak) and begin anew with anyone but Marmol? I know, I was one of them. The story in that link is from April 22nd. Not that it wasn’t justified, albeit a tad impatient. A team underperforming, a fanbase grumbling, and a manager looking like he might not see the All-Star break. Fast forward to their 2-1 win over the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers, and suddenly, Marmol isn’t just surviving—he’s thriving.
How it Went Down for the Cardinals and Oli Marmol
Top of the sixth, a scoreless deadlock. Erick Fedde’s on the bump, not exactly faltering but wobbling a bit—he walks Will Smith, gives up a single to Max Muncy, and suddenly there’s heat. Runners on first and second, Dodgers licking their chops. And just when fans might be gripping their armrests tighter, Marmol pulls Fedde.
Now that takes guts. Enter Steven Matz, a lefty with something to prove. The assignment? Get the Cardinals out of a jam against one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. Boom—strikeout. Hernández goes down swinging. One more out, a flyball, and the Cards escape unscathed. That’s a game-altering decision that could’ve gone sideways, but instead, it flipped the whole script.
But hold onto your peanuts and cracker jacks, because it didn’t stop there.
Cue Alec Burleson, a guy who seems to play every position not nailed to the dirt. He taps an infield single to score Masyn Winn—1-0, Cards. Dodgers answer back. 1-1. Bottom of the ninth. Runners on the corners. And Marmol looks down the bench and says, “Hey Nolan, we need you.” That’s Nolan Arenado, a future Hall of Famer who was supposed to be getting some rest. Spoiler alert: he didn’t rest. He walked it off. RBI single. Game. Set. Statement.
Oli Marmol goes from Embattled to Empowered
The numbers said the Cardinals were supposed to win 76.5 games this year. Vegas wasn’t exactly bullish. But you beat the defending champs, you make moves that work, and suddenly that seat Marmol was sweating in? It’s looking more like a throne.
Now look, baseball’s a long season. Nobody’s ordering playoff champagne just yet. But if this keeps up, you won’t just remember where you were when Oli Marmol silenced the critics—you’ll remember where the turnaround began.
Stay tuned. This ride’s getting good.
