How Ping Pong Helped Cardinals Shutout Phillies In Dominant 7-0 Series Finale Win

The St. Louis Cardinals clinched a crucial series victory on Sunday after shutting out the Philadelphia Phillies 7-0, increasing their record to 7-8.

Despite the Phillies having one of the league's most well-rounded lineups and the Cardinals' pitching staff struggling to begin the season, St. Louis got the job done, winning the series two games to one.

Although the Cardinals won Sunday's series finale by a long shot, they might not have emerged victorious without their starting pitcher relying on a different game to prepare him for facing Philadelphia's stacked offense.

"Whereas most pitchers don’t like anyone looking at them -- much less talking to them -- on days when they are scheduled to start, the affable (Matthew) Liberatore prefers to keep his routine the same whether he’s pitching or not," MLB.com's John Denton reported Sunday. "That almost always means a ping-pong showdown against (Ryan) Fernandez, and their rallies often hit double-digits, with their patient styles of play that include plenty of spin and deception. So, 90 minutes before Liberatore would face off against (Bryce) Harper, (Kyle) Schwarber and (Trea) Turner, he was facing Fernandez in an epic five-game showdown that he won, 3-2."

Liberatore sacrificed zero earned runs on three hits, seven strikeouts, one walk and 88 pitches thrown in six innings pitched for the Cardinals on Sunday, earning his first win of 2025 as a starter.

"'I think [ping-pong] is a big part of where the routines and processes have come up big for me, because something I struggled with in my first two years was how I should act on start day,' said Liberatore, whose six innings of scoreless work helped the Cardinals beat the Phillies,7-0,“ as transcribed by Denton. "'That whole notion of treating it like ‘start day’ made me more nervous than I needed to be. There are things you do on start day, but when I’ve checked all the boxes on what I need to get done and I still have free time, I don’t have to spend it trying to do something serious.'"

The Cardinals mostly used Liberatore out of the bullpen last season but after showing that he can hold his own as a starter, the 25-year-old will be used in the club's six-man rotation, which will soon include veteran left-handed pitcher Steven Matz, who has been a dominant reliever for St. Louis this year.

The young southpaw has logged a 1-1 record with a 3.93 ERA, 18-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .243 batting average against and a 0.98 WHIP in 18 1/3 innings pitched for the Cardinals this season. Hopefully, Liberatore will keep up the solid work and remain healthy.

More MLB: Pair Of Ex-Cardinals Fan Favorites To Coach Team USA In 2026 World Baseball Classic