St. Louis Cardinals Late Rally Comes Up Painfully Short vs Diamondbacks

Jun 23, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Busch Stadium.

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The good news for the St. Louis Cardinals was the fact that Kyle Leahy shut down the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first half of Tuesday night’s game at Busch Stadium. The bad news is Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez also shut down the Cardinals for the first half of the game.

It would be crucial misplays at the end of the game that would ultimately cost St. Louis Tuesday night. The Diamondbacks had the most opportunities early as Ketel Marte doubled on the first pitch of the game.

He was moved over to third on a productive groundout by Perdomo, but Kyle Leahy got out of the jam by striking out Carroll and getting Moreno to fly out to center. Arizona would also threaten in the top of the 3rd inning with an almost identical opportunity as Groover hit a ground rule double to lead off the Diamondbacks 3rd, was moved over to third on a groundout by Troy. However, Leahy then struck out Marte and Perdomo lined out to keep Arizona from grabbing a lead.

The St. Louis Cardinals wouldn’t have a baserunner until the bottom of the 3rd inning when Pedro Pagés drew a two-out walk, but he was stranded when JJ Wetherholt grounded out to end the Cardinals 3rd. Jordan Walker collected the first Cardinals hit with one out in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Lars Nootbaar followed that with his own single giving St. Louis their first scoring threat of the game, but it would be all for naught as Nelson Velázquez struck out and Jose Fermin lined out to center. After Kyle Leahy pitched around a Gurriel Jr.

double in the top of the 5th and a one-out walk in the top of the 6th, the Cardinals would threaten again in the bottom of the 6th inning when Iván Herrera drew a one-out walk. Jordan Walker followed Herrera’s walk with a sharp single t