Has St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol gone from hot seat to savior? It certainly feels like the tide has turned. Especially after his latest tactical approach translated to a defining moment in their 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Marmol pulled starting pitcher Erick Fedde in the top of the sixth inning despite a scoreless outing. The result? Cardinals reliever Steven Matz struck out Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández before Tommy Edman flew out to retire the side (h/t Katie Woo of The Athletic). This made all the difference in a low-scoring defensive battle.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
Cardinals fans are burning their anti-Oli Marmol receipts after a difference-making managerial decision vs. Dodgers
There were runners on first and second base when Matz came in to replace Fedde. The latter walked Dodgers standout catcher Will Smith, then allowed a single to Max Muncy. With someone in scoring position, Marmol chose to turn to Matz, which proved to be the right move.
Matz held down the fort. He surrendered only two hits and recorded the mentioned Hernandez punch out across 1.2 innings of work. His efforts bought the Cardinals time, and they capitalized on the opportunity.
St. Louis jack-of-all-trades Alec Burleson broke the seal in the club's victory over the Dodgers. He drove in shortstop Masyn Winn on an RBI infield single for the contest's first run. L.A. evened the score in the following frame, though the Cardinals had the last laugh, thanks to another smart decision from Marmol.
With runners on the corners in the bottom of the ninth, Marmol turned to his bench once again. This time, he brought in Nolan Arenado, who was supposed to have the day off. Nonetheless, the veteran third baseman came in when it mattered most and won the Cards the ballgame with a walk-off RBI hit.
Like him or not, Marmol is pulling the right levers for the Cards. St. Louis entered the 2025 MLB campaign with an expected win total of 76.5, according to bet365. Yet, they're pacing to exceed that number considerably and taking down the reigning World Series champions in the process.