Cardinals' 5th Inning Outburst vs. Orioles Was Sign of All Things Good in St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals' contest against the Baltimore Orioles counts as a loss in the standings, but arguably there was a positive takeaway as well.

St. Louis has had a bad week. There's no denying that fact. After scratching and clawing their way back over .500, they have taken steps back over the last five games. St Louis was swept in a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend and has now lost two straight games against the Orioles as well. St. Louis is riding a five-game losing streak and now sits at 66-68.

If you were in the faction of Cardinals fans hoping this club could pull off an improbable run to the playoffs, this week has been devastating to those chances. Right now, the Cardinals are six games out of a playoff spot with 28 games to play and two other teams on the outside looking in ahead of the Cardinals.

The Cardinals Play The Game The Right Away

St. Louis Cardinals hat — Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

If you have been following along with the Cardinals this season, you likely know all of this. With that being said, let's take a break from the negative. Again, on Wednesday there was a massive positive. St. Louis was down 7-0 in the second inning. The game should've been over. But there's fight in this Cardinals club. St. Louis got one run back in the bottom of the second inning and then exploded in the fifth inning with six runs of their own.

Alec Burleson drove in two runs with a single to center field. Jordan Walker drove in a run with a double to left field. Nathan Church drove in two runs with a double to left field. Then, José Fermín drove in a run on a fielder's choice.

SIX RUNS IN THE FIFTH AND WE ARE TIED 🤯 pic.twitter.com/SzGPmgRhJ0
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 27, 2026

Now, of course, the best-case scenario would've been St. Louis completing the comeback and coming out on top. That's obvious. But one thing that has been true about this Cardinals team all season is the fact that they have guts. This is a gritty, young roster that is easy to root for.

The fifth inning wasn't a one-off situation. This club stunned the baseball world throughout the first half of the season because most people around the league expected them to be towards the bottom of the standings but they outperformed expectations.

The club has hit a wall in the second half and things haven't been smooth. Allowing seven runs in the first two innings of Wednesday's contest is a perfect example. Especially, after allowing 13 runs the day before. But this club doesn't quit. The Cardinals have the third-youngest roster in baseball right now with an average age of 27.1 years old.

That's what you want to see out of a team, especially when things aren't great. Rather than giving up, this Cardinals team has continued to scratch and claw its way each night. When this upcoming offseason arrives, the Cardinals should invest in this club. There are core pieces in place and they play the game the right way. Right now, the Cardinals are arguably one big starter, a few relievers and potentially a third baseman away from really making noise.

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