Breaking Down the Schedule: The St. Louis Cardinals’ Path to October

ST LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 14: Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after giving up a two-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium on September 14, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 14: Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after giving up a two-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium on September 14, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – AUGUST 13: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats during the 2nd inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on August 13, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – AUGUST 13: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats during the 2nd inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on August 13, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

THE MIDDLE TWENTY-TWO

This is by far the most difficult stretch on the Cardinals’ schedule. There is a lot of travel and tough matchups from mid-July to early August, and I wouldn’t be too surprised to see a slight stumble. Here’s a look at this section of games:

HOME- four games vs Cincinnati, three games vs Kansas City, three games vs Cleveland

AWAY- seven games vs Cubs, three games vs Cincinnati, two games vs White Sox

The first thing that stands out is a whopping SEVEN games at Wrigley. Also, of this group, only Kansas City is projected to be under .500 this season. The dangerous pitching staff of the Indians means that even with those three games coming at home, a series win will be a battle.

My evaluation of this stretch is that the Cardinals will go 10-12. It’ll be tough to win more than three out of the seven against each of the Cubs and the Reds, and asking the Cardinals to go 4-4 against the Royals, Indians, and White Sox will also be a challenge.

This is the time when many Cardinal fans might lose faith. However, if they have built up a lead in the first section, the Cardinals will still be over .500 and right in the thick of the playoff race. No team makes it through a season without a rough patch. The real test will be if the Cardinals can rebound over the last few weeks.