
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.