Cardinals fall to Rockies 7-4 on July 23 despite Nolan Arenado's big night. With Tommy Edman injured, can St. Louis stay in the race before the deadline?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a night that perfectly encapsulated the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals experience: moments of offensive brilliance overshadowed by frustrating pitching and a costly defeat. The Cardinals fell 7-4 to the Rockies at Coors Field, losing the series and dropping to 52-51 on the season. The loss stings, pushing them 8.5 games back in the division and amplifying manager Oliver Marmol's postgame plea for his team to 'play cleaner baseball' as the clock ticks towards the trade deadline.
We have to play cleaner baseball if we want to stay in this race. The division is tight, and every mistake is magnified.
The thin air of Denver was unkind to starter Erick Fedde, who battled through 4.2 innings but surrendered five runs (four earned) on eight hits. Despite the shaky start, the offense fought to keep it close. Nolan Arenado, in his old stomping grounds, collected three hits, including a key two-run double. Willson Contreras continued his torrid July by launching his 14th home run of the season. But after tying the game at 4-4, the bullpen faltered. JoJo Romero took the loss after giving up a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth, a gut punch that the Cardinals' offense couldn't answer.
Adding injury to insult, the Cardinals officially placed infielder Tommy Edman on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain sustained in Tuesday's game. A key utility piece and defensive stalwart, Edman's absence will be felt immediately. He's expected to miss at least two weeks. In a corresponding move, José Fermín was recalled from Triple-A Memphis and saw action as a defensive replacement, but filling Edman's versatile role will be a tall task for the club.
The timing of the bullpen's struggles couldn't be more poignant. With the trade deadline approaching, reports are heating up linking the Cardinals to White Sox closer Michael Kopech. The hard-throwing right-hander would be a significant upgrade for a bullpen that has shown cracks. The rumored asking price, centered around top outfield prospect Victor Scott II, is steep. It's a classic 'win now' dilemma for the front office: do they part with a piece of the future to fix a glaring weakness for the stretch run?
It wasn't all bad news. Willson Contreras's solo shot was his 6th homer in July, a month where he's also driven in 18 runs. 'Willson's been a spark for us all month,' Marmol said postgame. Meanwhile, shortstop Masyn Winn continues his breakout campaign, collecting his 20th double of the season. And down on the farm, the future looks bright. Outfielder Nathan Church is tearing up Triple-A, hitting .365 in July, while the newly ranked #13 farm system boasts promising talent like shortstop J.J. Wetherholt, a potential 2026 impact bat.
The Cardinals leave Colorado with a losing record on the road trip and more questions than answers. With the team hovering just above .500 and the division lead slipping further away, the next few days are pivotal. Will management make a bold move for a player like Kopech? Can the existing roster tighten up its play and overcome the loss of Edman? The path to October baseball is getting narrower, and the front office's actions—or inaction—at the deadline will tell us everything we need to know about their belief in this team's chances.
