Cardinals lose late again as O'Brien collapses in ninth inning
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 21, 2026, 5:00 AM
Last updated Jul 21, 2026
In a game on July 20, 2026, the St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Los Angeles Angels, 3-2, due to a ninth-inning collapse by All-Star closer Riley O'Brien. O'Brien entered the final frame with a strong save record but managed to retire only one batter while allowing two runs. After a double by Vaughn Grissom brought in one run, O'Brien hit Jo Adell with a pitch, resulting in a walk-off run. This loss marked another disappointment for the Cardinals, who had recently blown a seven-run lead against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Prior to the game, ex-Cardinals executive John Mozeliak connected with friends from his former team during his visit.
- •Riley O'Brien allowed two runs in the ninth inning.
- •Cardinals led early with a 2-0 score after two innings.
- •O'Brien entered the game with a strong save percentage.
- •Kyle Leahy pitched six strong innings, allowing one run.
- •The loss follows a previous game where Cardinals blew a seven-run lead.
- 5:00 AMYahoo Sports — All-Star Closer Suffers Epic Ninth Inning Collapse as Cardinals Lose Late Again
"All-Star closer Riley O'Brien came into Monday having notched saves in 25 of his 29 opportunities, but he melted down by retiring just one hitter in the ninth inning as the Angels rallied for a 3-2 win over the Cardinals. O'Brien hit two batters in the final frame to lead to the loss.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days- MLB•Jul 22, 2026, 6:23 AMArte Moreno Breaks Silence On Selling Zach Neto
- Baseball•Jul 22, 2026, 5:59 AMDiamondbacks fans can’t believe the pitch Ildemaro Vargas turned into a walk-off
- MLB•Jul 22, 2026, 5:14 AMFive-run first and six scorching innings from Ureña lifts Angels over Cardinals
- MLB•Jul 22, 2026, 5:14 AMVargas hits winning single in 10th as Diamondbacks rally to beat A's 6-5 after blowing lead in 9th
- MLB•Jul 22, 2026, 5:06 AMA’sa fall in extra innings 6-5 to Arizona
- MLB•Jul 22, 2026, 4:32 AMUreña, Soler and Adell lead the Angels to a 5-1 victory over the Cardinals
