Cardinals Had Crucial Moment in Sunday's Loss That Can't Be Overlooked

The bullpen was the main problem, but there was something else.

Jun 14, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (26) hits a two run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off of a tough series loss to the struggling Minnesota Twins. The main culprit was the bullpen. The Cardinals had a 7-4 lead on Friday night before Minnesota came back and won 9-8.

On Sunday, the Cardinals led 4-2 in the seventh inning before Minnesota pulled off another comeback to win 5-4. However, there was one moment that is being overlooked in the wake of their bullpen struggles.

After adding their fourth run on a hit by JJ Wetherholt, they loaded the bases with two outs and had Alec Burleson at the plate, who had previously homered. Unfortunately, he flied out and the Cardinals stranded the bases loaded.

Cardinals Missed Opportunity Masked By Bullpen Struggles

Jun 12, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) hits a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The offense scored 21 runs in the series. On the surface, it's clear that the bullpen was the main reason they lost the series. But you have to look closer.

It may have only been one moment in a three-game series, but it was a key moment in the seventh inning. If the Cardinals were to have added two more runs and made it a 6-2 game, perhaps they could have kept Michael McGreevy in the game for one more inning and been able to save their higher-leverage arms for another day.

Ultimately, the loss shouldn't be placed on Burleson's shoulders, but the Cardinals did have a chance to put the game out of reach and ended up missing that opportunity, so it is something that shouldn't be completely ignored.

The offense still produced quite well in the series, but in that one crucial moment, an opportunity was missed to truly put the game out of reach. That, coupled with the struggles of the bullpen, ultimately cost the Cardinals the series in Minnesota.

The Cardinals return home for a brief three-game series against the San Diego Padres before another road trip. They'll have a chance to set things right this week, as the Padres have been struggling.

The bullpen needs the most work, especially since the offense was overwhelmingly successful over the weekend, but the Cardinals can't afford to let opportunities like that slip away in the future.

It's been an interesting season for St. Louis, and they have played a lot better than expected. They could very easily turn it around, but they'll have to make sure they don't let opportunities to put games away go in the future.