It's more of the same for Oli Marmol and the St. Louis Cardinals, who just got swept on Wednesday in their series against the Giants.
The St. Louis Cardinals ran out of excuses a long time ago. Their latest loss to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday cements their loser status, and it's loser with a capital L.
After a frenzied Tuesday matchup that saw Cards pitcher Jack Flaherty get into it with Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., Flaherty reminded the Cardinals fanbase that the team was all bark and no bite.
St. Louis lost Tuesday's game 11-3 and failed to bounce back on Wednesday, falling 8-5. For a brief span, things were looking okay for the Cardinals: they compiled a four-run second inning and appeared on track to clinch the victory until the Giants' offense came blazing through in the ninth and tenth innings. San Francisco scored three runs in the top of the 10th and stole the win.
What does Cardinals manager Oli Marmol have to say about that?
Just more of the same.
Manager Oli Marmol has most obvious statement of the Cardinals year
It sucks. It's unacceptable. The fans have heard this all before.
The Cardinals' tailspin of a season has the team sitting in last place with a 27-42 record and a sub-.400 winning percentage. The last time St. Louis was under .400 was back in 1978 when the team finished with an abysmal 69-93 record.
To go from one of the favorites in the NL Central to the doormats of the division is one heck of a depressing downturn, and Marmol can't say anything about it other than that "it sucks."
Could change be a-coming? There are plenty of trades to consider ahead of the deadline, and Marmol's own skin isn't safe either.
Marmol has continued to preach patience for catcher Willson Contreras, one of the biggest signings of the offseason who has been slogging through a batting slump. Reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt and superstar Nolan Arenado aren't producing at the level they need to be. And the team's pitching, to borrow one of Marmol's words, sucks.
Despite their young talent and once-reliable stars, the Cardinals are winning one race, alright: the race to become the top underachiever of the MLB season.