Cardinals Fell Victim to Crucial Mistake by Oli Marmol

While Marmol has done a tremendous job with limited resources, something that can't be ignored is how Burleson sat on Tuesday night. That decision was magnified after Jordan Walker was scratched with right knee inflammation.

Burleson pinch hit for Jose Fermin in the top of the eighth inning and drew a walk, but having him in the lineup could have changed a lot for St. Louis. However, it was yet another case of Marmol giving players a scheduled day off. That is fine is certain situations, as at some point, each player is going to need a day.

But it was certainly a choice to sit him the night after he hit three home runs, especially with how badly the Cardinals' offense has been struggling. In fact, Fermin was the one hitting third on Tuesday after Walker was scratched.

While there isn't much Marmol can do about Walker needing to be scratched, the least he could have done was waited until Walker was fully recovered to give Burleson a day off. St. Louis could have used Fermin in right field, Blaze Jordan at third base and Burleson at first base.

That could have completely changed the dynamic of the game. The surprise off days for star players in something that fans have criticized Marmol for over the years.

This does not mean that Marmol isn't a good manager. He absolutely is. But just because St. Louis was facing a left-hander doesn't mean that it was a good idea to sit Burleson, especially after Walker was removed from the lineup.

In fact, one of Burleson's home runs on Monday came off of left-hander Tim Hill, so he can still hit lefty pitching.

The Silver Slugger should be back in the lineup on Wednesday barring a significant change.