Cardinals' Oli Marmol Blunt After Rangers Loss: 'Didn't Deserve to Win'

It wasn't the St. Louis Cardinals' night on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.

St. Louis got the board first, thanks to a Jimmy Crooks RBI single in the second inning, but that certainly wouldn't be enough. The Cardinals and Rangers went back and forth throughout the contest and then St. Louis knotted the score at four runs apiece in the seventh inning.

Then, the Cardinals turned to closer Riley O'Brien in the ninth inning and his recent cold stretch continued. O'Brien allowed three earned runs in the ninth.

Joc comes up clutch #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/muUuSZLwC5
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 3, 2026

The Cardinals Are Cold Right Now

May 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

After the game, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol had a clear message for the club. Marmol said that the club didn't execute at a high enough level to win a big league game on Tuesday, as transcribed by Brandon Kiley of "BK & Ferrario" on 101 ESPN St. Louis.

"You have to execute at a really high level to win a big league game, and we didn't do that [tonight]," Marmol said. "We didn't deserve to win that game. If you snatch it at the end there, that's fine. But you're not proud of the way the game unfolds. You have to execute at a much higher rate to be consistent at this level. That's the bottom line."

It just wasn't the Cardinals' night. On the bright side, the Cardinals fought back multiple times throughout the contest, but just couldn't get over the hump. That has been the overall story of the Cardinals lately, outside of the Chicago Cubs series. St. Louis finally looked like momentum was swinging back in its favor after taking two of three from the Cubs, but now has already lost the Rangers series with losses on Monday and Tuesday.

Now, the Cardinals have lost seven of their last eight games and find themselves just three games above .500 at 31-28. It's obviously better to be above .500. rather than below it. But the Cardinals are in the middle of their most trying stretch of baseball this season so far. It's not about to get easier either. After the Cardinals wrap up the Rangers series on Wednesday, St. Louis will begin a three-game series at home against the Cincinnati Reds beginning on Friday. Fortunately, there's a day off on Thursday, but something needs to change for the young Cardinals. This is their first real taste of adversity this season. Can they turn things around and right the ship?

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