Ivan Herrera turned a night that looked headed for Chicago into a Cardinals escape act.
Herrera ripped a two-run walk-off double Wednesday at Busch Stadium, pushing St. Louis past the Cubs 3-2 in 10 innings. The finish wiped out the damage from Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-run homer in the top of the 10th and snapped a three-game Cardinals losing streak.
For nine innings, neither club could break through. Then Crow-Armstrong finally cracked the deadlock against Cardinals reliever Luis Gastelum, sending a two-run shot out in the top of the 10th and putting the Cubs three outs from another win in the series.
St. Louis answered against Trent Thornton.
Pinch-hitter Lars Nootbaar started the rally with a single, JJ Wetherholt worked a walk, and Jordan Walker brought home a run with an RBI forceout at third base to make it 2-1. That left runners at first and second, and Herrera finished the job by lining a double into left-center field that scored Wetherholt and Walker for the tying and winning runs.
Iván Herrera WINS IT for the Cardinals with this 2-run hit 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ikEcQwQD9F
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 30, 2026
The hit came right after Crow-Armstrong seemed to have delivered the decisive blow for Chicago.
The Cardinals needed it. They came in having dropped nine of their previous 11 games, and the win moved them to 54-54. It also kept them within a half-game of Pittsburgh for third place in the NL Central and gave them a chance to split the four-game series with the Cubs.
In Other News...
Cardinals Clubhouse Quote Just Made A Selloff Feel Inevitable
Masyn Winns comments on the Cardinals deadline outlook offered a blunt reminder of where things stand in St. Louis. Even with the season still playing out, the shortstop made clear he expects the front office to move players before the trade deadline, a sign that the clubs recent struggles have already shifted the conversation from chasing wins to sorting out what comes next.
For a team that has spent much of the summer trying to steady itself, that kind of clubhouse read only adds to the uncertainty. Chaim Bloom now sits at the center of it, with the Cardinals direction still murky and the list of possible trade candidates wide enough to make almost any roster spot feel vulnerable. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Made A Move That Signals Bigger Deadline Changes
The Cardinals roster shuffle on the eve of the deadline was less about the two names on the transaction wire than the direction it points. Hunter Dobbins was optioned to Memphis and Peter Strzelecki was added to the major league roster, a move that fits the clubs effort to keep some flexibility while it sorts through what the next few days will bring.
Oliver Marmol said Dobbins can be recalled immediately if trades create an opening, which is the kind of timing detail that matters when a front office expects more than one deal to land. St. Louis has already lined up a path for younger arms to step into the picture, and the current setup suggests the Cardinals are preparing to reshape the bullpen and perhaps more before the deadline dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals May Have A Rare Long Term Answer At Third Base
The Cardinals have spent much of the winter trying to sort out their long-term infield picture, and the search for a real answer at third base has naturally pushed the conversation beyond stopgaps. With the club expected to keep pursuing trades that bring back prospects, there is also a growing sense that St. Louis could be open to a more established major league fit if the right player lines up with its timeline.
Jackson Holliday is the name that has surfaced in that broader discussion, with the idea being less about where he plays today and more about how he might solve a future problem for St. Louis. He is still young enough to fit the Cardinals planning window, and any serious pursuit would likely hinge on how far the front office is willing to go without touching the very top of its prospect group, which is where the real tension in this kind of deal begins. [Read more 🡒]
