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A crowd of shirtless fans took over in St. Louis.
Ivan Herrera hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 9-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday night at Busch Stadium. As he circled the bases, Herrera greeted shirtless fans by pretending to wave his shirt.
Shirtless fans went viral Friday and quickly became an integral part of the Cardinals’ exciting start to the season.
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Ivan Herrera of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after hitting a three-run home run to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 10th inning in St. Louis on May 19, 2026. (Jeff Roberson/AP)
During the Cardinals’ 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday, a group of fans headed toward an empty section. About 100 fans initially got the ball rolling, and as the game continued into extra innings, the entire section was filled with shirtless fans.
When the Cardinals knocked out the Royals in the 11th inning, the section went crazy. Caleb Cummings, a 20-year-old on the Stephen F. Austin Club baseball team, came up with the idea, and it has since taken on a life of its own.
Cardinals manager Olli Marmol was full of praise for the kids, saying they created a great environment.
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Shirtless fans celebrate after the St. Louis Cardinals’ loss to the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri on May 16, 2026. (Jeff Curry/Imagn Images)
“Whoever started in right field, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he’s there every game,” Marmol said. “Because it was great. Not just them, but everyone who came today. It was a fun environment.”
Marmol stayed true to his word and purchased tickets for them to stay for the team’s game this weekend. He even brought them to the clubhouse after the team’s victory Saturday.
“What you did for them was actually pretty damn special. Because they fed off it, they loved every second of last night. And then when you all got there around third grade, the place went crazy,” Marmol told the kids in his office Saturday.
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Ivan Herrera of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a three-run home run to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 10th inning in St. Louis on May 19, 2026. (Jeff Roberson/AP)
The shirtless team returned for Tuesday’s game and brought the same energy. After Herrera stepped onto home plate, his teammates immediately began removing his uniform.
For the Cardinals, it was their fifth victory of the season. The Cardinals (28-19) will look to keep the good vibes going (and their jerseys retired) when they take on the Pirates (24-24) in the second game of a three-game series on Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. ET.
