A Magical Day at Busch Stadium 
Today was truly a thrilling day for us, Cardinals fans, as our boys clashed with the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. The game began with the Padres gaining an early lead in the top of the 1st, but the grit and resilience of our St. Louis Cardinals shone through. We responded quickly in our half of the 1st inning with Willson Contreras driving in Brendan Donovan to cut the deficit to one. Talk about setting the tone! 
Big Bats and Strong Arms 
The heart of the game was undoubtedly the explosive 2nd inning, where Brendan Donovan launched a three-run home run into the stands, bringing the score to 4-2, and igniting Busch Stadium with energy. Not long after, Willson Contreras added his second massive hit of the day, a sweeping three-run blast that left us all in awe! Our guys took a commanding 7-2 lead, showing the Padres exactly what Cardinal baseball is all about. 
Shutting Down the Padres 
The Padres mounted a small comeback attempt, but our pitching staff held firm. Hats off to Ryan Helsley, who closed down in the 9th with precision, striking out Gavin Sheets to end the game. They hardly stood a chance against our closer. The electric atmosphere of a 9-7 victory is something only a true Cardinals crowd can create. Didn’t we all leave the stadium on cloud nine? 
Standout Performances 
Our standout players today, without a doubt, were Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras. Brendan's clutch 385-feet home run, combined with meaningful singles throughout the game, was the spark we needed early on. Meanwhile, Willson's contribution, both in runs batted in and his stellar first base performance—barring a minor error—cemented his role as a key player in our lineup! Not to mention, who could overlook Ivan Herrera's solo homer in the 6th, which was the cherry on top for us? 
All in all, it was a fantastic outing from our St. Louis Cardinals, and we can’t wait to see more of this incredible action as the season progresses. Fly high, Redbirds!
Scoreboard for Padres @ Cardinals (July 24th, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 1 |
| 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 |