The St. Louis Cardinals continue their downward spiral this season and the pressure of minimizing the mistakes is getting to the team. Manager Oliver Marmol issued the perfect take after the latest series loss to the Cincinnati Reds, one that was avoidable if not for a lead-off walk in the eighth inning of Sunday's loss.

“It feels like we can’t make a mistake because the other team has found a way to capitalize on it every time,” Marmol said. “We can’t give up extra outs or a leadoff walk — we have to execute better than that.”

A team that won 93 games and had five All-Stars a year ago sits in dead last in its division with a 27-39 record. The Cardinals players are certainly feeling the pressure.

“Everybody’s feeling like they have to be perfect,” Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright said. “Pitchers feel like they can’t give up any runs. Hitters feel like they’ve got to drive in runs. And when you’re constantly focused on that, it takes the focus off of executing and performing.”

Wainwright returned for an 18th season with the Cardinals after mulling retirement. This surely wasn’t the type of final season he was hoping for, both individually and as a team. In seven starts this season the 41-year-old Wainwright has a 5.79 ERA, having allowed multiple runs in every outing.

The Cardinals were almost a consensus lock to repeat as NL Central champions in 2023. As summer approaches, the franchise finds itself fighting for its postseason lives on a daily basis. If things don’t turn around soon, drastic changes could be coming.