Hello, and welcome to my new feature here at STL Sports Central: Breakfast with Bernie, which I’ll write early in the morning on most weekdays. And if I’m a little late it’ll be “Brunch with Bernie.” I’ll serve up observations, opinions, notes, facts, stats, praise, cheap shots, randomness, analysis and some weirdness as I have my first cuppa or two or three of the day. At times we’ll go “buffet” style for morning grazing, and later in the day I’ll author a new column. On most days, I’ll lead off with a Cards recap. There will be plenty of baseball info served here, with emphasis on the Cardinals.
After going on the road to generate an extremely damaging brand of offense that had thunder, lightning, high winds, rotating wall clouds, more than a few sonic booms, your St. Louis Cardinals’ hitters were calm and quiet and barely conscious in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to the Braves.
Slugging? No, sluggish.
On the attack? No, on the couch.
This gives me a chance to use a cool word that I haul out every now and then to make myself look like one of them fancy writers: somnambulant. If I may translate – and from what I can tell – the word means “strike three, go sit down.”
Here’s how the Cardinals went into Truist Park and turned the place into a giant Tempur-Pedic mattress …
1. The Big Sleep. And no, I’m not talking about the famous Raymond Chandler noir novel. The first inning was fine; the Redbirds sent five men to the plate, got a double by Ivan Herrera and an RBI single from Jordan Walker, and grabbed a 1-0 lead. Walker swiped second base, but was left there. Stranded.
OK. Well. After that steal, starting with the final out of the first inning, the Cardinals went 0 for 25 with 10 strikeouts. In 26 plate appearances they reached base one time, on a third-inning walk by JJ Wetherholt. Their extensive trance produced many routine fly balls, several pop-ups, some ground balls, and more soft contact than you’d find at a frozen custard stand.
In their previous 10 road games, the Cardinals averaged 6.9 runs, stroked 103 hits, smacked 20 homers and 21 other extra-base hits, and got on base 41 other times on walks or hit-by-pitches. Exhausting. So in the 11th road game, they rested. Not literally … but sleepily.
2. The Braves used five pitchers. And the Cardinals made the five pitchers look like the finest versions of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Tim Hudson and Steve Avery. The Cardinals had only three at-bats with runners in scoring position, all game – and did not get one runner in scoring position over the final eight innings. In those eight innings, on two-strike counts, the Birds went 0 for 17 with 10 strikeouts and a hard-hit rate of 14 percent.
3. Remarkably, the Cards trailed only 2-1 until the bottom of the eighth. Starter Michael McGreevy limited the Braves to two runs in his six innings, and rookie Max Rajcic pitched around two walks to work a scoreless 7th. But in the eighth inning the Braves got to relievers Justin Bruihl and Gordon Graceffo for three hits and a walk and scored three times. Atlanta was helped along on an error by Cards third baseman Blaze Jordan that led to an unearned run. It was Jordan’s second error of the game.
McGreevy has gone six full innings in five of his last six starts. In those five six-inning starts he gave up eight runs in 30 innings for a 2.40 ERA.
4. The burning bullpen: Since the beginning of June Cardinals’ relievers have collectively pitched to a 4.83 ERA. But over the last 17 games, the STL bullpen has been set ablaze for a 6.07 ERA in 59 and ⅓ innings. The damage report includes a 12.6 percent walk rate (bad!) and 23 extra-base hits including 10 home runs.
5. Praise for Jordan Walker: Playing before an audience that included family and friends, the Decatur, GA native had a good game for the Cardinals. Walker drove in the team’s only run, stole his 11th base of the season, and threw out two Braves who tried to run on his powerful right arm. He nailed Ozzie Albies at third base and eliminated Michael Harris II at home plate in a bid to score a run.
Walker ranks third among National League hitters with 59 RBIs, and he’s one of only four NL hitters that have hit at least 18 home runs and stolen 10+ bases. The other three are James Wood, Pete Crow-Armstrong and CJ Abrams.
The Buffet …
— In defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in a round of 32 World Cup elimination match the USA showed, once again, that this is not the USMNT that Europe-based opponents can push around, intimidate and flatten the confidence and belief of the U.S. side.
— Credit coach Mauricio Pochettino for much of that. The 2026 USMNT is instilled with a bolder, more assertive mindset than previous iterations. While past U.S. World Cup teams were respected for their grit, fitness and “never say die” attitude, the identity had all of the psychological markers of the scrappy but breakable underdog. They would tap into deep reservoirs of energy to stand up to superior opponents and hope to disrupt and stun the global forces. Under Pochettino, the mindset – and the narrative – has shifted from hope to expectation.
— Pochettino recognized the obvious cognitive dissonance in the U.S. Soccer program and would not stand for it. and immediately sought to correct it. As Pochettino has asked in interviews: Americans expect to be No. 1, and have an attitude of strength. And yet, in soccer, the Americans were frequently deferential. The coach has transferred the belief system.
— Pochettino has drilled the point home with a question – and a challenge – that he repeats to his U.S. squad: “Why Not Us?” He has sand-blasted the inferiority complex. He has the players viewing themselves as peers to soccer’s traditional powers … a team that shouldn’t settle for the role of plucky underdog.
— When recently asked about the locker-room culture cultivated by their Argentinian manager, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter had a concise and blunt answer: “We're American. We don't take shit.”
— The attitude transplant has directly impacted how the U.S. competes. Physical. Tough. Relentless. On the attack. Previous USA teams ran themselves into the ground by chasing the game, defending deep, and hoping for counter attacks. This 2026 squad has speed and athleticism and experience of players shaped by competing in high-level, physical leagues: Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1. Their bodies are conditioned for a much faster, more aggressive style of soccer. They use their physicality proactively. They dictate tempo. They’re tenacious in winning balls. They refuse to sit back and absorb pressure – those days are gone. These players? They apply pressure and make the other side deal with it.
— Bosnia and Herzegovina had an obvious strategy in Wednesday’s match in Northern California: come out hard, turn up the physicality, push the U.S. around, and eventually break them. American soccer players are soft, right? Go right at them, play rough, and they’ll back down. And Bosnia and Herzegovina had the perfect official for their chosen game plan. The Brazilian in charge of the conduct on the field was extremely tolerant. He looked the other way. The Bosnia and Herzegovina players could have gone out onto the pitch with sledgehammers to pound the USMNT opponents upside the head, and the incompetent official would have simply given the “play on” signal.
— The U.S. didn’t back down. Not one freaking inch. They went back at Bosnia and Herzegovina with intense force, and stood up to the aggression, and added some extra pop. The Bosnia and Herzegovina tactic failed. You could see it on the faces of their players as the U.S. swarmed … and swarmed and swarmed. The U.S. just wore them down, wore them out.
— After the U.S. went up 1-0 on a goal from Folarin Balogun, the referee Raphael Clause, who had lost control of the match, decided to flex authority and become the sheriff. But he overcompensated to make a point, and to show that he was boss.
— A long ball was played into the Bosnian half and Balogun wrangled with Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic in a bid for possession. Balogun took his right leg toward the ball and ended up swiping his cleat down Muharemovic’s calf, lost balance, and landed awkwardly on his opponent’s ankle.
— There wasn’t any intent to injure. Both spirited, determined men were going for the ball. Balogun was not hellbent on making an overly aggressive play to harm Muharemovic. But when Claus looked at it on replay – when slowed down it looked much worse than it was in reality – he pulled the red card on Balogun.
— It was a disgraceful misjudgment. And an irresponsible, intrusive one at that. Because the egregious red card could have changed this match, could have changed the USA’s fate in this World Cup. The Americans had to play a man down for the final 35 minutes of match time.
— Instead of slumping and cowering against an inspired opponent that had the advantage to attack in waves, the USA stood up, didn’t flinch, and possessed the ball enough to press the action into the Bosnian half. The U.S. kept probing for opportunities instead of sitting in a shell.
— And this beautiful audacity paid off when Malik Tillman delivered a perfect strike on a direct kick to bury a goal, and terminate the threat. It was epic. Just epic. The U.S. survived Bosnia and Herzegovina, survived the fool with the whistle, and proved they weren’t the same old USMNT that would play hard but succumb to adversity and failure.
— Going down a man while clinging to a 1-0 lead in a knockout match is usually a cause for panic, desperation, and retreat. Past U.S. teams would have parked the bus, held the rail tightly, and frantically pleaded for the final whistle. This squad? They stayed composed, kept their defensive shape, and had the unwavering gall to push for the kill. Extending the lead with 10 men is a big-time flex and display of uncompromising confidence. This game belonged to the U.S. and the boys would dictate the terms of the engagement. Welcome to the new days, the new way, of U.S. soccer.
— Because of “Red Card” Claus, the U.S. won’t have the red-hot Balogun for the round of 16 clash against Belgium. This is a blow. This is a problem. But will it send the U.S. over the edge to elimination? Of course not. Not this team and its new coach, new competitive wiring and the physical and mental toughness to fight back when threatened. The U.S. may lose, yes. But the U.S. will not obey and go back to its old way.
Finally …
— State of the Cardinals: record of 44-39 for a .530 winning percentage that ranks 8th overall and 6th among National League teams … the Cards are parked in the third NL wild-card spot, 3 games behind the Cubs and Phillies … the Cards and Marlins are essentially tied for the third wild-card but STL’s winning percentage is two points higher … the Cardinals and Marlins are 1 and ½ games ahead of the Nationals, 2 and ½ ahead of Arizona, and 3 games above Pittsburgh in the wild-card pursuit … the Cards have won two of their last three games, but are 16-20 since May 20, 7-11 since June 11, and have lost eight of their last 12 … should the Cards lose the series finale Thursday night at Atlanta, they’ll be 1-5 in their last six series. A win would give STL a 2-3 mark in the last five series.
— The Athletic put together “tiers” to assess the trade deadline approach of all 30 teams. The Cardinals were placed in the “Trending to the Buy Side” group that also includes the White Sox, Rangers, Astros, A’s, Marlins and Pirates.
The reasoning? “The American League is a mess, and the White Sox might win the Central. The National League is confusing, and the rebuilding Cardinals have stayed relevant,” The Athletic opined. “The Pirates’ offseason additions are (mostly) helping. The Marlins are above .500 (with a shockingly good middle infield). The Rangers and Astros are shaky (but that might be enough in the AL West). The Athletics are probably not “trending” toward the buy side, but they could be interesting if they get healthy (and get some pitching).”
— That’s all well and good, but I have a question: how does The Athletic understand what the Cardinals will do? That media organization doesn’t cover the Cardinals.
— Don’t ask me to explain why the Boston Celtics would trade the excellent Jaylen Brown to the Eastern Conference rival 76ers in exchange for 73-year old Paul George and two first-round draft choices when other NBA teams are dealing scrubs for a similar return. And last season Brown led the Celtics to 56 wins and the No. 3 seed in the east despite not having Jayson for much of the campaign as he rehabbed from a torn Achilles’ tendon. Is it the Celtics’ new owner? Does the owner have a kid who thinks he’s a GM who invented a new analytical formula for success? Has Brad Stevens flipped out? Is it a money thing?
Thanks for reading …
—Bernie
Bernie was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. During a St. Louis sports-media career that goes back to 1985, he’s won multiple national awards for column writing and sports-talk hosting – and was the lead sports columnist at the Post-Dispatch from 1989 through 2015. Before that Bernie spent a year at the Dallas Morning News, covering the Dallas Cowboys during Tom Landry’s final season (1988) plus the sale of the team to Jerry Jones and the hiring of Jimmy Johnson as coach. Bernie has covered several Baseball Hall of Fame managers during his media career including Tony La Russa, Whitey Herzog, Earl Weaver, Joe Torre and (as an interim) Red Schoendienst. In his career as a beatwriter and columnist, Bernie covered Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches Joe Gibbs, Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Dick Vermeil on a daily basis.
Bernie has covered and written about many great St. Louis sports team athletes including Albert Pujols, Kurt Warner, Brett Hull, Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, Jim Edmonds, Marshall Faulk, Scott Rolen, Mark McGwire, Orlando Pace, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Al MacInnis, Brian Sutter, Bernie Federko, Chris Pronger, Dan Dierdorf, Keith Tkachuk, Jackie Smith and Aeneas Williams. Bernie covered every baseball Cardinals’ postseason game from 1996 through 2014 and was there to chronicle teams that won four NL pennants and two World Series. He provided extensive coverage on the “Greatest Show” St. Louis Rams and has written extensively on the St. Louis Blues, Saint Louis U, and Mizzou football and basketball. Bernie was/is a longtime voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Heisman Trophy and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
You can access his columns, videos and the podcast version of the videos here on STL Sports Central, catch him regularly on KMOX (AM or FM) as part of the Gashouse Gang, Sports Rush Hour, Sports Open Line or Sports On a Sunday Morning shows. And you can catch weekly “reunion” segments here at STL Sports Central featuring Bernie and his longtime friend Randy Karraker.