St. Louis Cardinals secure four All-Star spots as MLB midseason race heats up

The St. Louis Cardinals will send four representatives to the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia: outfielder Jordan Walker, catcher/Designated Hitter Iván Herrera, closer Riley O’Brien, and manager Oliver Marmol’s staff. Walker is hitting .294 with 22 homers and leads the league with 74 RBIs, while O’Brien tops the National League with 24 saves and a 3.43 ERA. Herrera joins as a replacement for Shohei Ohtani after being named to the All-Star roster.

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol was ejected in the ninth inning of a 4‑3 loss to the Atlanta Braves after disputing a hit‑by‑pitch call on Michael Harris II. The Braves scored the winning run on a subsequent throwing error, underscoring St. Louis’s narrow chase for a playoff berth, now just one game behind the Miami Marlins for a NL Wild Card spot.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers finished the first half of the season atop the NL Central, holding a 50‑45 record. Key contributions came from Jordan Walker’s Cardinals teammate Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, Sal Frelick and Joey Ortiz, while the bullpen logged 14⅓ scoreless innings. The Brewers head into a nine‑game homestand after the break.

In the NL Wild Card race, the Miami Marlins have surged with a 26‑8 run from June 1 to July 9, climbing into the final Wild Card slot. Front office president Peter Bendix now faces a decisive trade‑deadline choice, with the team looking to retain ace Sandy Alcantara and address roster needs before the August 3 deadline.