Cardinals Edge Cubs 3–2 — But Fans Take Aim at ESPN’s Eduardo Pérez
- LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals walked away from Sunday night with a hard-earned 3–2 victory over their biggest rival, the Chicago Cubs — but for many fans, the real drama unfolded in the broadcast booth.
The game itself was a tense pitchers’ duel between Sonny Gray and Chicago’s Shota Imanaga. The score remained knotted at 2–2 until the seventh inning, when Jordan Walker sparked the Cardinals’ offense with a two-out single to center. Moments later, Walker stole second and raced home on Nolan Gorman’s opposite-field RBI single, giving St. Louis a lead they would never relinquish.
While the win capped off a series triumph against Chicago, Cardinals fans watching ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball had a different gripe — color commentator Eduardo Pérez.
The Call That Lit the Fuse
The flashpoint came in the top of the ninth inning. With one out, Chicago pinch-runner Jon Berti attempted to steal second. Catcher Pedro Pagés fired a strike to nail him — a call confirmed on replay after slow-motion footage appeared to show Berti’s hand briefly sliding off the bag. Pérez, however, voiced his belief that Berti remained in contact with the base.
To many fans in St. Louis, that was one questionable take too many. By the time the final out was recorded, social media was buzzing with criticism of the former Cardinal’s commentary.
Not the First ESPN Dust-Up
This wasn’t the first time Cardinals supporters have bristled at ESPN’s coverage. Just last year, analyst Kiley McDaniel omitted Sonny Gray from his preseason “ace” rankings — despite Gray finishing second in AL Cy Young voting in 2023 with Minnesota.
Nor was ESPN the only network to draw the ire of St. Louis fans this season. Earlier this month, MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger, recapping a game in Los Angeles, declared: “The Dodgers won this game, but the Cardinals won it 5 to 3” — a statement that left many scratching their heads.
End of an Era
The 2025 season marks the final year ESPN will air Sunday Night Baseball. As of now, the Cardinals have no future games on the network’s schedule — a fact that some fans may view as a small blessing if it means less Eduardo Pérez in their baseball broadcasts.
For now, the Cardinals will take the win over their archrivals, savoring the momentum as the season pushes deeper into August. The broadcast chatter? That’s just extra noise in an otherwise sweet night for St. Louis baseball.