Major League Baseball isn’t just about pitching duels and walk-off homers-it’s also about the subtle art of the troll.
After Tuesday night’s intense matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, it wasn’t just the on-field performance turning heads. A postgame social media dig from the Cardinals sparked just as much chatter as the game itself-and it had a surprising target: LSU gymnast and internet celebrity Olivia Dunne.
Following a clutch 2-1 win at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals posted a photo of pitcher Matthew Liberatore with a caption that read simply, “Libby Done.”
On the surface, it praised Liberatore’s standout performance. But fans quickly caught the double meaning. The phrase phonetically echoed “Livvy Dunne,” a not-so-subtle nod to Paul Skenes’ girlfriend.
Skenes, the Pirates’ rookie phenom and Dunne’s boyfriend, was expected to steal the show. Instead, the Cardinals’ lefty outshined him on the mound-and the Cardinals had fun rubbing it in.
Liberatore dominates as Cardinals complete statement win
Though the post stirred up laughs online, it was Matthew Liberatore’s performance that set the stage. The 24-year-old tossed seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits and striking out eight. It was the kind of dominant outing that turns heads-and silences hype.
Skenes, meanwhile, struggled to maintain control in the late innings. After holding the Cardinals scoreless through five, things unraveled in the sixth. Nolan Arenado led off with a single, Willson Contreras drew a walk, and Alex Burleson came through with a two-run double-all off Skenes. With that, the Cardinals took a lead they wouldn’t surrender.
Skenes’ stat line-five strikeouts in six innings with two earned runs-was respectable, but not enough. He remains winless in five career starts against St. Louis, sitting at 0-4.
The Cardinals weren’t done there. On Wednesday, they wrapped up a clean sweep with a convincing 5-0 victory, further cementing their dominance over Pittsburgh and keeping the upper hand in a rivalry that dates back to 1882.
While it’s not typically counted among baseball’s fiercest rivalries, the Pirates-Cardinals matchup has had flashes of intensity, especially during the 2010s when both teams were playoff contenders.
Since 2000, the two teams have clashed over 300 times-with the Cardinals winning 177 of those meetings to the Pirates’ 123. The disparity in recent years has only widened as the Pirates rebuild while the Cardinals remain perennial threats.
But even in lopsided rivalries, there’s room for tension-and humor. With “Libby Done,” the Cardinals took a playful swing at a rising star and a cultural icon in Dunne. The message? They’re not just winning games-they’re owning the moment.
Read the full article here
