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ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 5: Iván Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds third base after hitting a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the eighth inning during game one of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium on June 5, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

St. Louis’ Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera blasted a walk-off three-run bomb to beat the Pirates in Tuesday’s affair. Tarps remained off throughout the game. 

In game one of a three-game set, the Cardinals rallied early with a home run from JJ Wetherholt. The rookie sensation has owned Pittsburgh all season. In his young career, Wetherholt has a 1.411 OPS through his first four games against the Buccos. And that’s before another bomb today. 

After the two-run Wetherbolt, St. Louis added another run via a Nolan Gorman GIDP. Although that wasn’t the last the Pirates would hear of Gorman. 

Starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore set a new career high with 9 Ks but failed to make it through five innings. In the fifth, the Pirates knocked him out with three runs to take the lead. 

Gorman responded to the lead change with a no doubt two-run homer, over 430 feet into right center field. St. Louis then led 5-4. 

All’s well that ends well, right? Not for the Cardiac Cards. It never ends well. It ends like a roller coaster that’s structurally questionable but as fun as anything you’ve ever ridden. Does your back hurt after? Sure. But that’s not the point. 

Alec Burleson padded the one-run lead with a home run of his own in the eighth. A fastball above the zone that ‘Burly’ Tomehakwed into the bullpen, just ahead of the ‘Tarps Off’ movement. As one could imagine, the right field bleachers were pandemonium. 

Ivan Herrera Righted Riley O’Brien’s Wrongs

Unfortunately, closer Riley O’Brien, who’s been nails all season, didn’t have it tonight. The right-hander gave up a tough-luck single to Nick Gonzales to lead off the ninth. After that, he hit two straight batters, one on an 0-2 pitch, to load the bases. 

Marcell Ozuna, a former Cardinal himself and feared slugger, stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out. Fortunately, O’Brien ripped off a sinker that induced the perfect double play ball. The Redbirds turned two and left top prospect Konnor Griffin at third base with two outs. 

O’Brien then faced the monstrous Oneil Cruz with a chance to tie the game. The Cardinals were obviously careful with the statcast slugger, eventually walking him. 

Pirates manager Don Kelly decided to go all in, pinch-hitting Spencer Horwitz for rookie outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, aka ‘The Password.’ 

Horwitz delivered and served a single to left field, knotting the game at six apiece. 

A hush fell over Busch Stadium. Tarps were still off, but the good times stopped rolling. 

Only for a brief second, though. 

The Cardinals went 1-2-3 in their half of the ninth as former All-Star Gregory Soto had it all working. 

St. Louis responded with their own shutdown inning from George Soriano, who has continued to work his way up the Cardinals’ bullpen trust rankings.

Then, in the tenth, shirts were waved, ball games were won, and the Cardinals remained undefeated against the Pirates in 2026. 

Wetherholt led off the tenth by roping a single to right. Unfortunately, the speedy Victor Scott II had to hold at second to make sure the ball wasn’t caught. No hero ball for the rookie tonight. 

The title of ‘hero’ was saved for Herrera, who had been quiet all night. In a 0-2 count, the sweet-swinging backstop unloaded on a hanging slider for a three-run nuke. Cardinals win: 9-6. 

Ivan Herrera’s First Walk Off Was a Remarkable Moment 

Herrera showed a bit of emotion after the game. 

“Something you dream of as a kid. I didn’t think I’d make it to the big leagues, but I trusted,” he said in a postgame interview with Matrix Midwest’s Tamar Sher. 

Although Herrera may have doubted his big league future, he’s morphed into one of the best-hitting catchers in baseball.

This walk-off was the second in what became a 3/3 performance from the SFA Baseball Club and their shirtless phenomenon. 

When Herrera blasted his monumentous moon shot, tarps flew in the air like graduation caps. 

St. Louis baseball has been about as fun as it gets in 2026. Whether this is a rebuild, retool, or reset, fans couldn’t ask for much better. 

Tarps: off. Baseballs: crushed. Game one: secured.