The Cardinals’ latest loss was another rough one, a 10-6 defeat to the Diamondbacks that kept the club stuck in the same frustrating loop it has been living in for much of the past month. The bullpen pieced together a mixed bag, the offense stayed quiet until the ninth inning when the game was already in garbage time, and another opportunity to climb in the Wild Card race slipped away.
That race is crowded, too. The third Wild Card spot remains there for the taking, with the Marlins, Padres, D-Backs, Nationals and Pirates all in the mix.
For St. Louis, the path to October is starting to look awfully narrow.
Still, Cardinals assistant general manager Randy Flores wants fans to zoom out a little.
In a recent appearance on KMOX, Flores was asked about the big club’s play and how he handles the swings of a season. Speaking during the middle of a wild Angels series, he pushed back on the panic.
“The crazy thing is, what are we now, a half game out of the Wild Card?” Flores posed.
“I think sometimes you just have to take a breath, go back to Spring Training. If you could say, in the middle of July, that we were a half game out of the Wild Card, what would you think about this team?
I have a feeling everyone would be ecstatic. …
“So, it is a long season. There are obviously ups and downs.
Just look across baseball, look at those teams who have been on insane losing streaks, and then rebounded with some pretty insane winning streaks. There’s plenty of time in the season for us to get hot again.”
Flores’ point is hard to dismiss. The Cardinals were not viewed as a team that would cruise through the season, and being this close to the Wild Card picture in mid-July is not nothing. Fans can get caught up in the day-to-day chaos and lose sight of the bigger picture.
At the same time, there’s a reason the mood around the club is sour. The Cardinals are not playing like a playoff team, and the roster could get thinner before it gets better.
With the trade deadline approaching, there’s a strong chance St. Louis moves on from pieces it can afford to lose.
Chaim Bloom has made the direction clear: the future won’t be sacrificed for a short-term gamble.
Even so, this season has already answered a few questions. Jordan Walker has shown he belongs as a big leaguer, and the Cardinals have at least checked off that box.
The pitching staff, though, still doesn’t look like it has the kind of foundation the organization wants long term. And as for whether this team can bring fans back to the ballpark, the answer from the source is blunt enough: Tarps off, baby.
So while the losses keep piling up, Flores’ message is simple. Take a breath.
The season is long. And for better or worse, this is only the beginning.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Took Another Hit Where They Could Least Afford It
While the major league club keeps searching for steadier footing, the Cardinals are also sorting through a busy stretch of roster maintenance down on the farm. Ramon Urias has started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis after being sidelined since May 5, giving St. Louis at least one injured piece a path back, while the organization continues to juggle depth as the trade deadline approaches.
Memphis has already seen some turnover this week, with Scott Blewett and Ian Bedell both moving on from the system. Blewetts brief stop provided a day of bullpen help before his release, and Bedell was granted his release while working his way back from injury, leaving the Cardinals with more questions than answers as they try to keep the pipeline intact. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Still Waiting On Answers From Two Once-Critical Young Bats
Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II were supposed to be part of the Cardinals next wave, the kind of young bats that could help steady the lineup while the club sorted out its long-term picture. Instead, both were pushed out of the majors during the 2026 season after underperforming at the plate, and each has spent time trying to reset in Triple-A with the hope of forcing his way back into the conversation.
Gormans path has been especially uneven, with a brief stop in the Florida Complex League before he moved up to Triple-A to work on his swing. Scott, meanwhile, still brings the defensive value that once made him so intriguing, but his bat has not taken the step forward St. Louis needs to see. The Cardinals are still waiting for both players to show enough progress to make the next decision obvious, and for now that answer remains just out of reach. [Read more 🡒]