Cardinals relief pitcher Kyle Leahy, left, holds a fielded ground ball, allowing a single hit by the Rangers’ Sam Haggerty as runners Jonah Heim and Marcus Semien to advance and load the bases during the eighth inning of a game Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero, Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas — When describing how he saw his club’s loss to the Rangers unravel in late innings on Sunday at Globe Life Field, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol described the defensive moments not as being “good enough to win.”
After pinch-hit spots from Nolan Gorman and Ryan Vilade ended the top half of the seventh inning with Alec Burleson stuck on first base, the Cardinals gave up a run in the bottom half of the frame on a sacrifice fly from Wyatt Langford with the bases loaded and saw the Rangers pile on with five runs in the eighth, leading to an 8-1 loss.
The Rangers loaded the bases in the seventh inning when Kyle Leahy fielded a comeback grounder from Sam Haggerty with runners on first and second base and no outs. Leahy was left with nowhere to make a throw to as Haggerty’s brief display of a bunt pulled the Cardinals’ corner infielders in toward home plate and their middle infielders to the bases at first and third.
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An inning later, a throwing error from Yohel Pozo on a sacrifice bunt attempt with no outs was followed by two RBIs on Jake Burger’s double off Steven Matz. Roddery Munoz allowed runs to score on Jonah Heim’s sacrifice fly, Haggerty’s sacrifice bunt and Josh Smith’s two-run homer.
“Just some non-plays is what it came down to,” said Marmol, whose club entered Sunday leading all major league teams in outs above average. “The fake bunt swing. No coverage at second there. The middle is going to the corners to secure the bunt, and then just some non-plays that led to some runs. But at the end of the day, I just felt like we weren’t good enough to win.”
It was after Matz allowed a single to Josh Jung to begin the eighth inning when the Cardinals began to see the eighth inning slip away in their series loss.
On a bunt attempt from Alejandro Ozuna that bounced just in front of home plate and began to spin backward, Pozo tried to nab Jung at second base. Pozo’s throw one-hopped shortstop Masyn Winn and could not be picked.
The throwing error was followed by Burger’s double, and after Matz was replaced by Munoz, a sacrifice fly by Heim that did not end with a play at the plate as Nootbaar’s throw from center field tailed up the third base line, allowing the Rangers to tack on another run.
The Rangers’ Jake Burger, a St. Louis native, hits a double that scored teammate Josh Jung during the eighth inning of a game against the Cardinals on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero, Associated Press
A wild pitch from Munoz advanced Burger to third base, and Haggerty’s sacrifice bunt that dribbled in between the mound and first base pushed across an additional run before Smith’s homer capped the five-run frame.
How the Sunday loss unfolded leaves the Cardinals with an opportunity to learn.
“You just don’t pass over and keep moving,” Marmol said. “You dissect it. You make sure that people understand what it’s supposed to be and then why. You don’t want to repeat those type of mistakes.”
The Cardinals (33-26) held a 1-0 lead on the Rangers and their ace Jacob deGrom in the first inning. A single from Willson Contreras scored Nootbaar, who led off the game with a walk. That lead, however, was wiped away in the second inning on a two-out double starter Erick Fedde allowed to Smith.
Smith’s double capitalized on Marcus Semien’s two-out single and a walk to Haggerty, the Rangers’ No. 9 hitter, that prolonged Fedde’s second inning.
“When you get two outs, two quick outs, and then you go 2-0 to Semien, give up a hit and walk the nine-hole, it’s putting yourself in a chance for not having success,” Fedde said.
Although Fedde kept the Rangers to two runs through six innings, the Cardinals were held to two hits and two walks through the final five of deGrom’s six innings.
Beyond the first inning, the Cardinals had one runner reach scoring position against deGrom. That came in the fourth, when Ivan Herrera and Burleson worked walks. The scoring threat was quieted on a strikeout by catcher Pedro Pages that ended the inning.
“He’s obviously one of the greats of all time,” Nootbaar said of deGrom, a two-time National League Cy Young Award winner. “I think his fastball isn’t 100 (mph), 102 mph (mph) but he can still get it up to 100 mph, and the shape of that fastball is remarkable. He has a slider off that that he can throw. He’s throwing more change-ups to lefties. I just think his mix, and then obviously his demeanor, there are not a lot of flaws when it comes to his game.”
Following deGrom’s exit, Cardinals hitters combined for one hit against a trio of Rangers relievers including Shawn Armstong, Hoby Milner and Luke Jackson.
Burleson’s single in the seventh inning off Armstrong put the potential game-tying run on base as Cardinals trailed 2-1. Armstrong’s struggles against lefties this season, evidenced by a .894 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) allowed to them, led Marmol to pinch-hit Gorman for Pages in hopes the left-hander could provide a jolt from the bench. The pinch-hit spot ended with Gorman flying out on the first pitch he saw.
Marmol went back to his bench to pinch-hit Vilade for center fielder Victor Scott II when Rangers manager Bruce Bochy lifted Armstrong in favor of lefty Milner. In his first at-bat in the majors this season, Vilade grounded out to second base on a ball that had a 100.5 mph exit velocity, per Statcast.
“Offensively, we took our shot there,” Marmol said. “Armstrong is not very good against lefties. He’s had really good years against just right-on-right, so we took our shot with Gorman there, seeing if he can pop one and get us ahead. Unfortunately, it didn’t.”
Photos: Cardinals drop series finale in Texas
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde heads to the dugout after the the third out was called during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien is picked off at second base on a throw to St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, right, from catcher Pedro Pagés during the forth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar (21) is tagged out trying to steal second base against Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien during the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar (21) reacts to being tagged out trying to steal second base against Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien during the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith watches his double that scored teammates Marcus Semien and Sam Haggerty during the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom reaches for the throw back to the mound during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith, left, hits a double that scored teammates Marcus Semien and Sam Haggerty in front of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
St. Louis Cardinals’s Willson Contreras (40) celebrates a single with first base coach Stubby Clapp (82) that scored teammate Lars Nootbaar during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tommy Edman follows through on a swing during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025.
Tony Gutierrez – AP
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tommy Edman jogs in from the outfield during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025.
Tony Gutierrez – AP
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom reaches for the throw back to the mound during a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith celebrates his home run during the 8th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
The Rangers’ Jake Burger, a St. Louis native, hits a double that scored teammate Josh Jung during the eighth inning of a game against the Cardinals on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero, Associated Press
Texas Rangers’ Alejandro Osuna, right, slides scoring on a sacrifice fly by teammate Jonah Heim against St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés during the 8th inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, center left, pulls pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) from the game as Willson Contreras (40) and Pedro Pagés look on during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Roddery Muñoz reacts after giving up a home run to Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Josh Jung stops between second base and third base while looking at a throwing error by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo on a fielder’s choice play during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Cardinals relief pitcher Kyle Leahy, left, holds a fielded ground ball, allowing a single hit by the Rangers’ Sam Haggerty as runners Jonah Heim and Marcus Semien to advance and load the bases during the eighth inning of a game Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero, Associated Press
Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith celebrates after his home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Wyatt Langford, right, is brushed back by an inside pitch from St. Louis Cardinals’ Kyle Leahy as Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, left, waits for the ball during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom during a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Corey Seager stands on the field after grounding out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde works during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith watches his double that scored teammates Marcus Semien and Sam Haggerty during the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Corey Seager stands on the field after grounding out during the 8th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien during a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.
LM Otero – AP
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