The St. Louis Cardinals have already dug themselves into a hole in the standings that is seemingly too big to climb out of.
Their first half was nothing short of a letdown, as they posted a record of 38-52.
Their defense also was performing quite poorly, even star third baseman and 10-time Gold Glover Nolan Arenado.
However, the defense has been much improved in the second half for both Arenado and the Cardinals as a whole.
After Tuesday night’s 6-2 win over the Oakland Athletics, Arenado discussed his improved defensive play and stated that the first half was not a reflection of who he truly was, but that the second half has been more like it, via Derrick Goold.
“First half was not me. Second half — I feel like I’m back to who I am.”
— Nolan Arenado, #stlcards 3B on his defensive play https://t.co/knqiAEhowN
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) August 16, 2023
Arenado was blunt in his assessment of his defense, understanding that the first half was a disappointment for both him and the entire Cardinals team.
However, his defense has looked much better as of late.
On Saturday, he turned an impressive double play to help the Cardinals secure a 5-4 win over their cross-state rivals in the Kansas City Royals.
He also made some solid plays on Tuesday against the Athletics.
Arenado has won 10 Gold Gloves and is also a six-time Platinum Glove Award winner.
And so, it was only a matter of time before he got going again on the defensive side.
Now, the 10-time Gold Glover is back in full force at third base, and his defense helped the Cardinals secure their third straight win on Tuesday night, improving the record to 54-66.
Arenado was also the lone Cardinals representative in the All-Star Game.
NEXT: The Cardinals Welcomed Back A Friendly Face On Monday