St. Louis Cardinals: Analyzing the second-half schedule

The second half of the 2021 season is about to begin– who will the St. Louis Cardinals face as they fight their way back into the playoff race?

The St. Louis Cardinals are just about set to start the second half of the season. Coming out of the all-star break, the Cards are 44-46. They sit in third place in the NL Central, four games behind the Cincinnati Reds and eight games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. In the wildcard race, the Cardinals are five teams and seven and a half games behind the San Diego Padres.

As the Cardinals celebrate the tenth anniversary of their incredible 2011 World Series run, they look like they need to channel some of that magic to chase down the teams ahead of them in the standings. No one is questioning the talent on this squad, but results matter, too.

With only 60 games last season, we were able to break down the entire schedule and show what it would take for the Cardinals to make the playoffs. While no one was able to predict the twists and turns that the St. Louis Cardinals took last year, they ended up with a record quite comparable to what we had outlined.

Now, with 72 games remaining in the 2021 season, we can take that approach once again. Who do the Cardinals play the rest of the year? Are there any key stretches that will make or break their postseason fate? Let’s dive in.