ST. LOUIS -- Though Opening Weekend presented intrigue surrounding manager Oliver Marmol’s platonic ideal for how the back end of the Cardinals’ bullpen might function, the mid-week series against the Mets at Busch Stadium has probably reflected a more anticipated version of the blueprint.
With the score tied for the late-inning drama, Marmol deployed Ryne Stanek and JoJo Romero to set up Riley O’Brien in the ninth, establishing a formidable trio that positions the Cards to thrive in those late-and-close scenarios from a pitching standpoint.
In Wednesday afternoon’s bottom of the 11th inning, they weren’t half bad from the clutch hitting perspective, either.
After taking his time to find his footing in the clean-up role during the season’s first week, Masyn Winn blooped a game-winning hit into the Bermuda triangle of shallow right field to send the Cardinals to a 2-1 walk-off win in 11 innings over the Mets in the rubber game.
Justin Bruihl handled a high-pressure spot in the top of the 10th, getting Juan Soto to pop out to strand New York’s automatic runner, but St. Louis couldn’t squeeze another walk-off hit out of rookie JJ Wetherholt in the bottom half of the inning.
The 11th saw Marmol turn to Chris Roycroft, whose misadventures with balls in play finding exasperating ways to bite him manifested again, in a way -- Roycroft took a comebacker off the body before Winn reacted to secure the out.
One day after Gordon Graceffo’s return to the Major Leagues, he ended up back in a key spot on the mound following Roycroft loading the bases.
Like his Houdini routine from Tuesday, Graceffo pulled off another vanishing act, escaping the jam to set up Winn’s heroics in the bottom of the 11th.