MLB is no stranger to playful jabs, whether they come from fans in the stands or the teams themselves on social media. And after the Tuesday showdown between the Cardinals and the Pirates, the Cardinals delivered a cheeky postgame moment that had everyone talking. Well, this time, the target wasn’t just a player. It was a lighthearted nod to Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes’ high-profile girlfriend, Olivia Dunne.

The LSU Tigers’ gymnast, Olivia Dunne, and Paul Skenes are always the fan and media favorite. Skenes, the one-in-a-generation talent, is on fire this year. The guy with a 2.77 ERA and 47 SOs was expected to be the showstopper on Tuesday, but someone had a different plan! Matthew Liberatore.

“Libby Done.” A small yet impactful post by the Cardinals with Liberatore. Well, if you are still not getting the dig here, pronounce the caption again. Libby, aka Libretore; that should ring a bell with Olivia Livvy Dunne? Yes, the team just tried to hype their pitcher regarding what he had done (another similarity with Dunne!) in the game.

Well, the night saw the Cardinals secure a 2–1 win over the Pirates at Busch Stadium. Liberatore got the better of Skenes in a pitching duel, outshining the Pirates’ ace in a game filled with playoff-like tension. And while the victory was hard-earned on the field, the Cardinals decided to have a little extra fun off it.

Honestly, you would have also expected Skenes to shine in the game. But instead, the Cardinals’ pitcher got 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 8 K as his stat line! In contrast, Skenes stayed low-key throughout the game. He remains 0-4 in five starts versus the Cardinals. In Tuesday’s game, Skenes cruised through five innings in a tense pitching duel with Liberatore, but ran into trouble in the sixth.

Nolan Arenado led off with a single, Willson Contreras followed with a walk, and Alex Burleson delivered a two-run double. Guess what, all these came against Skenes. And when the supposed engine is not working, the Pirates expectedly fell behind. Just an addition to the already asymmetric scoreline between the two teams.

The Pirates-Cardinals rivalry is historic yet asymmetric

While the dig towards Dunne looks like a momentary truth, it sums up the historic rivalries between the Cardinals and Pirates.

While not always considered among MLB’s fiercest rivalries, it has had periods of high tension and significance, especially in the 2010s, when both teams were playoff contenders. Their rivalries are asymmetric because the Cardinals have historically been more successful, with 12 World Series titles, while the Pirates have 5.

Both franchises are among the oldest in baseball. For starters, both were founded in 1882. Now that is what we call a historic rivalry. Talking about the most intense moments between the two teams, it was in the 2013 National League Division Series. The Pirates made the playoffs for the first time in 21 years and faced the division-winning Cardinals. The series went to five games, with the Cardinals ultimately advancing.

Since 2000, the two teams have played a total of 300 games against each other. The Cardinals got away with 177 wins and the Pirates with 123. Again asymmetric. The rivalry has further simmered as the Pirates have struggled in recent seasons, while the Cardinals have remained perennial contenders. But it’s still a divisional rivalry, and the series between them can have wildcard or divisional implications.

For now, the Pirates just faced a clean sweep against the Cardinals. And now, if they want to respond to this troll, they better perform on the field. But that didn’t happen even in Wednesday’s matchup, where the Cardinals had a clean 5-0 win over the Pirates. So, if Pittsburgh doesn’t act fast, the trolls might get even deeper!