Cardinals Reliever Riley O’Brien Finds Redemption at Dodger Stadium
Opening day 2024 at Dodger Stadium was a memorable one for Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien. The atmosphere was electric, with the crowd roaring and the pressure on. But for O’Brien, it was a different story. He admitted to feeling “a little rattled” as he stepped onto the mound.
Fast forward to this week, and O’Brien found himself back at the same spot where he made his rocky debut for the Cardinals. But this time, things were different. O’Brien not only collected his first win in the major leagues on Monday, but also earned his first big-league save on Wednesday.
Instead of carrying the baggage of his previous experience, O’Brien left Dodger Stadium with a sense of redemption. Packed up with his gear for the flight back to St. Louis were four game-used baseballs from his win and the final out of his save.
For O’Brien, this week at Dodger Stadium was a turning point in his career. From feeling rattled and overwhelmed to securing a win and a save, he proved that he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
Cardinals Reliever Riley O’Brien Finds Redemption at Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES – It was a week of redemption for Cardinals reliever Riley O’Brien at Dodger Stadium. The last time he stepped off that mound, it was opening day in 2024 against the Dodgers and he described it as “one of the loudest environments you can possibly have.” O’Brien admitted to feeling “a little rattled out there” and left the ballpark with a dented ERA, a bruised confidence, and concerns about an arm injury that would sideline him for most of the season.
But this year, O’Brien left Dodger Stadium with much better souvenirs – the first win of his major-league career on Monday and his first big-league save on Wednesday. Instead of carrying the baggage of his rocky debut, he packed up four game-used baseballs from the win and the final out of the save to take back to St. Louis.
“I think about when we opened up the year here,” O’Brien said. “And how different I felt. Way more nerves. A little rattled out there. This year I feel comfortable.”
The series finale on Wednesday was expected to be another showcase for Shohei Ohtani, with the giveaway being a replica World Series championship ring with his name on it. The reigning National League MVP started the game on the mound and struck out eight, and even hit a two-run homer to give his team the lead. But once Ohtani reached his pitch count and left the game, the Cardinals’ offense came alive and scored three late runs for a 5-3 victory. It was their 27th come-from-behind win of the year and they also won the three-game series in LA and the season series against the Dodgers, 4 games to 2.
It was rookie Jordan Walker’s third hit of the game – a two-out RBI single in the eighth – that sealed the win for the Cardinals. But it was the bullpen that made it all possible, and O’Brien played a crucial role in their success.
“Hopefully it does a lot for his confidence,” said manager Oliver Marmol. “Especially able to do it here. You want to test it out somewhere, this is not a bad spot to do it.”
After trading away veteran relievers Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton, the Cardinals are now relying on O’Brien as their right-handed option to close games when their lone lefty, JoJo Romero, is needed earlier in the game. And O’Brien proved himself in two outings this week, earning two milestones in the process.
“Hopefully it does a lot for his confidence,” said manager Oliver Marmol. “Especially able to do it here. You want to test it out somewhere, this is not a bad spot to do it.”
With the trade deadline behind them, the Cardinals are now focused on utilizing and challenging their bullpen, and O’Brien is a key part of that plan. And he couldn’t have asked for a better stage to prove himself than at Dodger Stadium.
