Why Oli Marmol made Right Choice Sticking with Riley O'Brien Despite Implosion

Riley O'Brien had a meltdown on Sunday, but the Cardinals' skipper was right to stick with him.

Aug 11, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) celebrates with catcher Pedro Pages (43) after the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals were dealt possibly their worst loss of the year on Sunday. Up 4-0 over the Philadelphia Phillies and one strike away from salvaging the series finale, the Cardinals snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory as closer Riley O'Brien allowed six runs, punctuated by Kyle Schwarber's walk-off home run.

The loss dropped the Cardinals back to .500. After the game, there was a lot of criticism among the fanbase for manager Oli Marmol over keeping O'Brien in the game. While the Cardinals had other options in the bullpen, Brenden Schaeffer of MLB.com explained why sticking with O'Brien was the right call, and potentially the only choice.

People demanding Graceffo or Caleb Ferguson come into that hot and loaded situation are absolutely disingenuous operators, I'm sorry. Just hindsight clairvoyants to the nth degree.

In no universe are you changing pitchers in that 9th. People should get a grip. Alas, they won't. https://t.co/O5LmQoEaAB

— Brenden Schaeffer🎳 (@bschaeffer12) August 24, 2026

Why Cardinals stuck with O'Brien

Aug 20, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) shakes hands with catcher Pedro Pages (43) after the victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The simple truth is that the Cardinals didn't have anyone better to use in that spot. Caleb Ferguson has not performed well since being traded over to St. Louis, and Gordon Graceffo isn't a closer-type pitcher. The Cardinals' bullpen has also been taxed over the past several days, and they had to go to it early on Sunday after Kyle Leahy gave them four shutouts innings.

A lot of the team's high-leverage arms had already been used at that point, so it was essentially either O'Brien or bust in that situation. That was simply the reality of where things stood with the pitching staff after several days of struggles.

It's also important to remember that the Cardinals really aren't playing for anything this year. It's a rebuilding year, and growing pains were to be expected. Sunday was a case of those growing pains, and it certainly won't be the last time the Cardinals experience them this year, or even over the next few years.

It's going to take a while for this team to be a true contender again. They haven't reached the postseason since 2022 and likely will be out for a fourth straight year, so it's not like they have much to lose anyway.

They're now 5 1/2 games back in the National League wild card race and 15 1/2 in the NL Central. Both races are essentially a wash at this point for St. Louis, so the best thing they can do is keep giving young players chances to prove themselves and establish themselves as pieces of their core for the future.

O'Brien didn't pitch well, but the Cardinals didn't have any better options, and they also are not a contending team.