ST. LOUIS -- So a Rookie of the Year candidate, the National League’s third-ranked on-base threat, a reigning Silver Slugger Award recipient and the potential NL MVP walk into the clubhouse…
That’s not the setup for a corny joke. It’s how Cardinals manager Oli Marmol starts his lineup card.
The top four hitters in the Cardinals’ lineup have been as potent as any leading quartet in the league this season, but what has come thereafter, in slots five through nine, has needed some adjustments along the way.
Recently, the bottom of the lineup has seen a revival -- one that has unlocked a cheat code for the Cardinals’ offense.
The workmanlike contributors stationed fifth through ninth in St. Louis' batting order were at it again Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, providing all three RBIs in the Cardinals’ 3-2 win over the Padres.
Lars Nootbaar, Blaze Jordan and Nathan Church each drove in a run in the win. The final five in the Cardinals’ lineup accounted for eight total times on base, four hits and four walks, to help pace the club’s production at the plate.
The new third baseman, Jordan, broke through first for the Cardinals on Tuesday. His RBI double in the second inning preceded Church’s base hit into right field, with the duo at the caboose of the starting nine powering an early 2-0 lead.
Before last week, neither player was on the active roster.
“It was a special moment,” Jordan said of his first-ever Busch Stadium RBI. “I just went up to the plate just trying to do my job. Luckily, I was able to come through and get a good pitch to hit.”
Church was activated from the injured list on June 9. Jordan’s first big league opportunity came a few days later as the Cardinals sought more offensive punch from the third base spot.
That’s what they’re getting so far from Jordan, who is 6-for-19 (.316) with a .948 OPS since his promotion.
“We’re so deep one through nine,” Jordan said. “It’s a special and fun lineup that we’ve got here.”
While the Cardinals still rank inside the bottom 10 in MLB in OPS from both the eighth and ninth positions in the lineup on the season, the tide is seemingly turning with the recent infusion of talent that has helped lengthen the lineup.
“It’s awesome when different guys contribute,” Marmol said. “We’ve seen what happens when the bottom gets on and the middle of our order goes to town. Then, today, we needed them to come through and drive in a couple runs. That was really, really good to see.”
Andre Pallante became the second Cardinal starter in as many days to enjoy at least a casual flirtation with a no-hitter. San Diego didn’t get its first baserunner until the fifth inning against Pallante, whose seven innings of two-run baseball marked a season high in outs recorded.
Ever the clubhouse guy, Pallante joked that he needed to permit the fifth-inning hit to Samad Taylor for the sake of team chemistry after Dustin May’s shutout on Monday.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to show [May] up, so I had to make sure I gave up a hit at some point,” Pallante cracked.
Taylor’s infield single was confirmed by replay review after reigning NL Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn made an eye-popping barehanded play to somehow make it close following Pallante’s initial reaction to reach out and redirect the comebacker.
“He’s so good. Even when I’m trying to sabotage him, he still can make some plays close,” Pallante joked.
Tuesday was Pallante’s first time completing seven innings since July 28, 2025, as the right-hander trimmed his ERA down to 3.76. He has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his three June starts.
“What we’re seeing out of Pallante has been awesome,” Marmol said. “You talk about growth and being diligent with your work, and seeing things through. You think about, a year or two ago, where he was at, and how the game would speed up on him. You take a game like today, there was just a different presence to him… There’s a confidence to what he’s doing.”