Central STL News

Any time Cardinals relief pitcher Kyle Leahy participates in batting practice, he seeks out shy children in the crowd to give them a baseball. This gesture reminds him of his own childhood experiences when his grandparents had season tickets near the Rockies' dugout. Despite being too quiet to receive a ball from Hall of Famer Todd Helton back then, Leahy now ensures that quieter fans don't leave empty-handed.

On Tuesday night, Leahy pitched for the Cardinals against the Rockies while mourning his grandmother Ruth's death earlier that day. Ruth had been unresponsive and hadn't eaten for nearly two weeks before passing away at 8 a.m. However, Leahy managed to strike out seven batters over 3 2/3 innings during the game.

Leahy had visited Ruth on Monday night and spoke with her via FaceTime during the MLB All-Star break. He believes she held on until he returned to Colorado: “She hadn’t eaten for, I think, 11 or 12 days, so I think it was pretty obvious that she was waiting for us to get here,” said Leahy.

Despite this personal loss, Leahy's performance stood out amid an otherwise challenging game for veteran right-hander Erick Fedde who struggled with confidence after giving up multiple runs early in three innings. “The truth is I’ve been awful and I’m putting the team in terrible spots," admitted Fedde.

Leahy has become one of the Cardinals’ most effective relievers since finding his footing last year—recording impressive statistics such as being second-highest among big league relievers regarding four-or-more outs achieved per appearance this season alone—and becoming more confident than ever before thanks largely due not only personal growth but also support from manager Oliver Marmol who noted: “Even when he had a bit of downturn where wasn’t getting swing miss...we’re seeing it now.”

On Tuesday evening dedicated memory late grandmother fondly remembered fiery personality cheering both games Coors Field yelling referees youth basketball matches alike nurturing caring spirit all times: "I have lots memories them coming games...my grandparents always Rockies games their house throughout season."