Cardinals' Oli Marmol Explains Why Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson Sat vs. Marlins

The St. Louis Cardinals lost a tough game on Wednesday afternoon to the Miami Marlins. They fell 4-1 to Miami and ultimately lost their first series since April 10-12 against the Boston Red Sox.

Manager Oli Marmol took a different approach with Wednesday's lineup. Instead of playing his regulars, many of them got the day off, even with an off-day waiting for the team on Thursday. Players like Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn did not play in the series finale against Miami.

After the game, Marmol explained why he did this, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that St. Louis is entering a stretch of 17 games in as many days.

"It’s hard because you want to empty out and just take your shot,” Marmol said. “But this early on, you also have to be disciplined about keeping your word. Hit the reset button. Getting tomorrow off for some guys, two days off for the guys who needed it is important. It may not seem that way from a fan perspective. You look at it and go, ‘Gosh, hit Walker, Winn and Burly.’ That stuff catches up with you."

Oli Marmol Takes Different Approach

In the Cardinals' next stretch, they face teams that are expected to be contenders and a lot of teams that are over the .500 mark. The Seattle Mariners come to town for the weekend, then the Cardinals set off to play the Pittsburgh Pirates for four games.

After that, they return home for six games against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the three-time reigning National League Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. Then, they conclude their stretch with a four-game series out west against the San Diego Padres.

The Cardinals are going to need their best players active if they want to get through that stretch with their heads above water. They may be rebuilding, but they also are trying to win as many games as possible while they give younger players more opportunities.

The next stretch is going to be tough, and it's important to rest players occasionally so as not to risk any injuries, especially before having to play so many tough teams.

But two days off should help everybody get a reset and prepare them for the coming stretch. Having everybody fully rested is important, even in the middle of a rebuild.

The Cardinals start their stretch on Friday against the Mariners.

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