The Brewers’ bullpen didn’t just shut the door in Game 2 of the NLCS. It made history while doing it, and two former Cardinals were right in the middle of the whole thing.
Milwaukee rolled past the Dodgers to grab a 2-0 series lead, piling up seven runs while its relievers authored an MLB postseason record with five perfect innings. Dustin May and JoJo Romero, both acquired from St. Louis in that deadline deal, combined for two of those innings.
May was the first of the ex-Cardinals to enter, taking over for starter Logan Henderson after the Dodgers had tied the game at three in the top of the fifth. He retired all three hitters he faced, though a sacrifice fly still pushed across Los Angeles’ fourth run and gave the Dodgers the lead.
Romero followed in the sixth and was even sharper. He struck out Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith, then got Max Muncy to roll over to second base, all on just 13 pitches.
For Milwaukee, it was another sign this club is operating like a team that believes its time is now. For St.
Louis, the deal already has the look of one of those rare trades where both sides can point to something real. The Brewers get postseason innings that helped them reach this point.
The Cardinals get a pair of prospects they value as they keep building toward the future.
In the trade, St. Louis landed outfielders Josiah Ragsdale and Alexander Frias in exchange for two months of May and Romero plus this October run. Frias is rated a top-100 prospect by Baseball America, while Ragsdale is viewed by other outlets as a top-100 talent as well.
Ragsdale brings speed in center field and showed enough offensively this year to hint at real upside, even if he faded late with Springfield. Frias, meanwhile, is only 18 and offers the kind of corner-outfield power that could grow into 30-plus home run production.
That haul matters because it keeps the Cardinals’ farm system trending upward. The group has already started to deliver in 2026 with debuts from JJ Wetherholt, Leo Bernal, Joshua Baez, Quinn Mathews, Cooper Hjerpe, Luis Gastelum, Blaze Jordan, and more. And there’s more coming, with Ragsdale, Frias, Rainiel Rodriguez, Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin, and others still on the way.
In Other News...
Cardinals Face A Telling Third Base Decision This Offseason
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Bohm is hardly the only name in the mix, though, and that is where the Cardinals decision gets interesting. The front office is weighing whether to add outside help or keep exploring internal answers, including giving Rainiel Rodriguez a look at third, a sign that the club is still sorting out how aggressively it wants to address the position. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Walker Just Raised A Big Cardinals Question
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The next step for St. Louis is figuring out what Walkers production means in practical terms, especially with his growth still ongoing and his profile continuing to evolve. There is still room for improvement in key areas, but seasons like this tend to force teams to confront tougher questions about timing, value and whether a long-term deal makes sense before the price gets even higher. [Read more 🡒]
Victor Scott II Faces A Big Cardinals Test This Winter
Victor Scott IIs path with the Cardinals has taken an unexpected turn after he lost the starting center field job to Nathan Church, a reminder of how quickly young players can find themselves squeezed by performance and roster timing. Scotts defensive speed still gives him a chance to matter in St. Louis, but two straight seasons of offensive struggles have forced the organization to look elsewhere for steady production in the outfield.
This winter is his next opportunity to reset. Scott is heading to the Dominican Professional Baseball League to get more at-bats and try to sharpen the part of his game that has lagged behind his tools, while the Cardinals keep moving forward with a crowded future outfield picture. With playing time looking harder to come by, the bigger question may not be just whether Scott bounces back, but whether there will still be a clean path for him in St. Louis if he does. [Read more 🡒]