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St. Louis Cardinals: Five story lines for the Cardinals in the weeks ahead
By Shane Sturtz
5) Can the St. Louis Cardinals continue to thrive on the road?
These last two seasons have been anomalies for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans. Over the last five years (and beyond), Busch Stadium has become a haven for winning; series sweeps or series wins were almost guaranteed. No more guarantees anymore and a dramatic shift in 2016 showed the St. Louis Cardinals have struggled to play consistent baseball at home.
Here is a look at the St. Louis Cardinals home/away records in previous years:
- 2012 — Home: 50-31, Away: 38-43
- 2013 — Home: 54-27, Away: 43-38
- 2014 — Home: 51-30, Away: 39-42
- 2015 — Home: 55-26, Away: 45-36
- 2016 — Home: 38-43, Away: 48-33
- 2017 — Home: 12-13, Away: 11-9
In all sports it’s important to defend home court, and the St. Louis Cardinals took pride in that, until the last two seasons. Dominance has turned into lackadaisical play. It’s hard to pinpoint the cause of this downturn, but fans have become accustomed to the trend that is already apparent this year.
The bright spot is that the St. Louis Cardinals have picked up the slack on the road. For some reason playing on the road hasn’t phased the Redbirds, which is a good thing.
If the St. Louis Cardinals want to be playing playoff baseball in October they must win more games at home. Busch Stadium is packed more times than not, so why not put on a show?
Next: A Plan From Within To Save the Bullpen
The St. Louis Cardinals have no doubt been frustrating to watch since 2016 with small flashes of hope. Yet the Cardinals were still a game away from making the playoffs last year. The frustration and complaints are understandable and ongoing because fans know the potential is there.