How Cardinals Narrowly Escaped Disaster in Friday's Win vs. D-Backs

The Cardinals may have gotten away with one.

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The St. Louis Cardinals started off the second half of the 2026 season on the right foot, pulling off a 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks and rising back to six games above the .500 mark. They are also now back in the third National League wild card spot.

However, they barely averted disaster several times, especially in the later innings. Masyn Winn had a crucial play at shortstop in the seventh inning that allowed the Cardinals to preserve their lead. But things got a little dicey in the eighth inning when Corbin Carroll tied the game with a two-run homer.

After the Cardinals retook the lead, Riley O'Brien ran into trouble, but wiggled his way out of it, though he had a little help from the Diamondbacks themselves.

Cardinals may have gotten away with one vs. D-Backs

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O'Brien walked former Cardinal Nolan Arenado, who was pinch-run for, but O'Brien managed to pick off Jorge Barrosa, which proved crucial after Tim Tawa had a two-out double. Had Barrosa still been on first with his speed, that hit could have tied the game.

But Ketel Marte was ultimately the one who decided things. Twice, he did not challenge called strikes that were out of the zone, yet Arizona still had both of its ABS challenges. The final pitch of the game was also high.

Yet Marte simply walked back to the dugout, leaving the fans and even the Cardinals in shock. Had Marte challenged the last pitch, Arizona likely would have brought the winning run to the plate next in Geraldo Perdomo.

Needless to say, the Cardinals might have gotten away with one on Friday. That's not to say they didn't earn the win, because they did what they have been doing all season long, punching back after being knocked down.

But Arizona had every chance to challenge the final strike. Marte didn't, but had he done that, it could have spelled disaster for O'Brien and the Cardinals.

For now, the Cardinals will look to win the series outright on Saturday against the Diamondbacks and continue their march towards potentially securing a wild card spot by the end of the season.

The Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise in 2026 despite entering a rebuild and trading away all of their marquee players this past offseason. They'll look to stay in the playoff race for the rest of the year, but they certainly got a little bit of help from their opponents in the series opener.