Cardinals fall to Rockies 8-4 on July 23, 2025, as Erick Fedde's rough start and defensive woes sink St. Louis despite 11 hits. Read how it all went wrong.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a night of what-ifs for the St. Louis Cardinals in the thin air of Colorado. Despite matching the Rockies hit-for-hit, the Cards couldn't overcome a disastrous start and sloppy defense, ultimately falling 8-4 in a game that felt more lopsided than the final score suggests.
The Cardinals matched the Rockies with 11 hits but were outscored 8-4, a testament to costly defensive mistakes and missed opportunities.
The game was practically over before it began. Starter Erick Fedde had a night to forget, getting shelled for six runs on seven hits in just three innings. A three-run bomb from Ryan McMahon and a solo shot from Mickey Moniak in the early frames put the Cardinals in a 6-0 hole they would never climb out of. The defining moment of the early collapse came in the third, when a screaming line drive was snagged by a diving Brenton Doyle, who then easily doubled off Victor Scott II at first base to snuff out any hint of a rally. It was a perfect microcosm of the night: a great play by the opposition capitalizing on a Cardinals miscue.
The offense wasn't silent, but its efforts were too little, too late. The bats chipped away, with Nolan Arenado and Masyn Winn driving in runs in the fourth to show some fight. Brendan Donovan added a double in the seventh, and Yohel Pozo came off the bench for a pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth. Generating 11 hits should be enough to win most nights, but leaving runners stranded and failing to deliver the big, inning-changing hit proved to be the team's undoing against the Rockies' early onslaught.
While the MLB club struggled, there was brighter news down on the farm. In its post-draft update, Bleacher Report ranked the Cardinals' farm system a respectable 13th in baseball, praising its depth and high-ceiling talent like JJ Wetherholt and Tekoah Roby. That future talent was on display Tuesday, as the FCL Cardinals defeated the Marlins 7-3. Bracewell Taveras earned Player of the Day honors, going 2-for-5 with a solo home run. In a flash of excitement, Yancel Guerrero swiped three bags in a single inning, showcasing the kind of dynamic speed the organization covets. Though the FCL team has been eliminated from the playoffs, these individual performances offer a promising glimpse of what's to come.
While the big-league club looks to shake off a frustrating loss and clean up its act on the field, the season wraps up for the FCL Cardinals tomorrow. The juxtaposition of a tough night in Denver with the promise brewing in the minors is a stark reminder that in baseball, hope for the future is always just around the corner.
