Cardinals fall to Cubs 5-2 on June 24, 2025, as Seiya Suzuki homers. Prospect Michael McGreevy shows promise in his start, but is it enough for the future?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a tough Tuesday night at Busch Stadium as the St. Louis Cardinals fell to the division-leading Chicago Cubs, 5-2, in a game that felt bigger than just one late-June contest. While the loss widened the gap in the NL Central standings, the day's narrative was split between the present struggle on the field and the future hope bubbling up from the minor leagues, personified by the man who took the mound for the Redbirds: Michael McGreevy.
Thirteen of the team's top 30 prospects have 2025 ETAs, signaling a potential youth movement is on the horizon.
The atmosphere was electric for the rivalry showdown, but the Cubs' bats proved too potent. Chicago right-hander Jameson Taillon kept the Cardinals' offense mostly in check over six solid innings, earning his eighth win of the season. The big blows for the Cubs came via the long ball, with Seiya Suzuki launching a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Pete Crow-Armstrong adding a solo shot. The Cardinals' offense, led by Brendan Donovan at the top of the order, could only muster two runs, not nearly enough to keep pace. The loss drops St. Louis to 43-37, a critical step back in a tight divisional race.
Summoned from Triple-A Memphis to make the spot start, Michael McGreevy was thrown right into the fire. The right-hander, who carried an impressive 2.70 ERA from his previous MLB stints, battled through 5.2 innings. He showed flashes of promise, striking out five, but ultimately surrendered four runs on seven hits, including the costly Suzuki homer. While not the dominant performance fans had hoped for, his recall was a necessary move to bolster a taxed rotation, and it served as a real-time audition against a top-tier lineup.
McGreevy's return to the majors is a reminder of the wealth of talent waiting in the wings. With a staggering thirteen of the organization's top 30 prospects projected to arrive by 2025, help could be on the way. Eyes are on names like left-hander Quinn Mathews, hard-throwing Tink Hence, and catcher Jimmy Crooks. Perhaps most exciting is 2024 first-round pick JJ Wetherholt, whose bat is making so much noise in the minors that a late-summer debut isn't out of the question. While the Cardinals lost the battle tonight, the war for the division may yet be won with these future reinforcements.
Tonight's loss stings, no doubt. Dropping a divisional game at home is never the recipe for a pennant race. But as the dust settles on this 5-2 defeat, the bigger picture for the Cardinals is coming into focus. With a farm system loaded with potential impact players, the question isn't if reinforcements are coming, but when. As St. Louis looks to rebound against the Cubs tomorrow, the performance of today's call-up and the promise of tomorrow's stars will be what fans cling to.
