Oli Marmol, who has been a popular punching bag among the fan base because the St. Louis Cardinals have missed the postseason in consecutive years, has been given some justified criticism, but not all of it. Now, he is beginning to demonstrate to Cardinals fans that patience is a virtue and that he may be more effective in his role than most of the fan base had been willing to acknowledge.
With Sunday’s victory, the Cardinals improved to 22-19 on the season. They have now won eight straight games, including a road sweep of the Washington Nationals. This run has transformed them from a squad with low expectations to one that may be good enough to stay in the NL Wild Card battle.
The offense has benefited from the recent hot play of Willson Contreras and Victor Scott II, as well as the excellent pitching the Cardinals have received, but Marmol has managed well. Sunday was a clear demonstration of that.
Cardinals fans are learning Oli Marmol might not be so bad after all
A right-hander who came into Sunday’s action with a 2.77 ERA in his previous five starts, Miles Mikolas, another popular figure that Cardinals fans have complained about over the years, was apparently in the middle of another gem before Marmol pulled him. He had thrown only 69 pitches, allowed just one run through 5.1 innings of work with five strikeouts against the Nationals, and left the game in favor of Steven Matz. Marmol’s plan worked, and the Cardinals won the game.
Marmol took this action for a few reasons. First, despite his strong pitching, Mikolas has had trouble facing batters for the third time this season. Marmol wanted to avoid facing the experienced right-hander for the third time, especially against a top left-handed hitter like James Wood, who started the day hitting.350 with a.809 OPS.
Second, the bullpen was extremely well-rested due to previous excellent beginning pitching. The bullpen was immaculate, and Marmol took advantage of it.
Pulling a veteran like Mikolas, who had been pitching effectively lately, after just 69 pitches in his Sunday performance requires guts. Like many previous moves, this one aged well. Although Marmol’s hit rate is increasing, not every button he presses will be successful. Although things may have been difficult for a while, Marmol is improving as he gains more experience. Patience may be a virtue at times.
