Cardinals Resiliency In Comeback Victories Is An Identifying Trait

The St. Louis Cardinals' offense has shown no quit this season so far, and that was showcased in their ninth-inning comeback victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. The Pirates' pitching staff combined for 6.2 perfect innings before Alec Burleson hit an infield single to end the bid.

Seven of the Cardinals' regulars have 13 RBIs or more, showing that it is not just a few parts getting it done, but rather the identity of the entire team. “It speaks to how we have talked about our offense needing to be in order to have success,” manager Oliver Marmol said before Sunday’s game against the Seattle Mariners. “It has to be a pretty dialed-in pesky group that just different guys putting in their piece.” 

That is certainly the case over the last couple of games. Pedro Pages got the ninth-inning rally started Monday night, and Jose Fermin came up with a momentum-swinging two RBI double to give the Cardinals the winning margin.

It is an identity, dubbed the “Cardiac Cards” by fans across the internet, and they live up to that name. The team has not folded when the game seems out of reach; in fact, they have clawed, scratched, and fought their way back into games with 10 come-from-behind victories this season.

Resiliency is the word for it, a trait that the young group in St. Louis has shown time and time again. With the opportunity to steal wins from the Pirates and another NL Central division opponent, the Milwaukee Brewers are on the horizon; that gritty nature is right in the heart of what will make the division race so encapsulating this season.

After the dominant win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Marmol spoke about the team creating opportunities for the middle of the order to make their presence felt. “The middle there did a really nice job, and the other guys created opportunities for them, so overall: good approach,” the Cardinals Manager said.

You expect the middle of the lineup to be the bats leading the charge, and for the Cardinals, that is the case with Burleson and his team leading 20 RBIs. Right behind the Cardinal first baseman is Jordan Walker, who has cooled off since he got red hot during the second and third weeks of the season, with 19 RBIs. Nolan Gorman, who provides a lot of thump in the lineup, is third on the team with 18, after his three RBI day on Tuesday, which included a towering 413-foot homerun.

The Cardinals are giving it everything they have day in and day out, and entering Wednesday, they are 3.0 games out of the division lead. It shall be seen if the Cardinals can sustain their early success, but when you count them out and think the door is closed, they storm back in and take the win right from their opponents' grasp.