Cardinals fall 6-3 to the Padres on July 25 despite an early Arenado HR. Sonny Gray struggles as the team's slump deepens with the trade deadline looming.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
A promising start quickly soured at Busch Stadium on Friday as the Cardinals fell 6-3 to the San Diego Padres, sliding back to a .500 record. The loss itself was frustrating, but it served as a microcosm of a larger issue: a team at a crossroads, battling a slump with the trade deadline clock ticking louder by the minute.
We have to execute in big moments. The talent is here, but we need to play cleaner baseball.
Nolan Arenado gave the home crowd a jolt with a two-run homer in the first inning, but the early lead was all the Cardinals could muster for much of the night. Padres starter Dylan Cease buckled down, striking out eight over six strong innings. St. Louis starter Sonny Gray couldn't hold the line, surrendering a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth and finishing with four runs allowed (three earned) over 5.2 innings. Paul Goldschmidt's RBI single in the eighth provided a glimmer of hope, but the rally fell short, marking another night of missed opportunities.
The loss underscored manager Oliver Marmol's pregame message. Addressing the team's recent 3-7 stretch, he emphasized the need for better execution and 'cleaner baseball.' That message rings especially true as the club's needs become more apparent. On the same day, top pitching prospect Tink Hence was placed on the 15-day IL with shoulder fatigue, further straining the pitching depth. In response, the team is reportedly pursuing White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer, a lefty with a 2.98 ERA who could provide an immediate boost to a bullpen that allowed two more runs Friday night.
Amidst the tough loss, the Cardinals celebrated a significant achievement for their veteran first baseman. With his eighth-inning single, Paul Goldschmidt recorded his 1,900th career hit. He becomes just the 12th active player to reach the milestone. The club honored Goldy with a video tribute on the scoreboard, a well-deserved moment of recognition for the seven-time All-Star.
While the big-league club struggled, the future continued to shine brightly down in Triple-A. Top prospect JJ Wetherholt, the team's 2024 first-round pick, had a monster night for the Memphis Redbirds, launching two home runs and driving in four. His dominance at the plate, where he's now slashing .312/.389/.547, is fueling intense speculation about a potential MLB debut later this summer, offering a beacon of hope for fans.
With the team now sitting at 52-52 and in the midst of a 3-7 skid, the pressure is on both the front office and the clubhouse. Will the rumored bullpen help arrive? Can the offense find the consistency Manager Marmol is demanding? As the series against the Padres continues, every game feels magnified, not just for the standings, but for the direction the Cardinals will take in the final days before the trade deadline.
