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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.
JULY: RIGHT INTO THE FIRE
Right out of the gate, a challenge awaits the Cardinals. The MLB-leading San Francisco Giants come to St. Louis for a three-game set. All-star starter Kevin Gausman, resurgent Anthony Desclafani, and long-time Cardinal nemesis Johnny Cueto will be on the mound for San Fran, too. If the Cardinals want to make a statement, they are going to be tested right away.
After the Giants, the Cubs come to town for a set of four games. Although trade rumors are swirling in the windy city, you can never take this rivalry lightly. Whether Craig Kimbrel, Kris Bryant, or any of the other Chicago superstars make the trip, doesn’t matter– you know every member of both rosters has this series circled as a turning point in the season.
The division battle continues when the Cards travel to Cincinnati for three games over the weekend. As the team directly ahead of the Cardinals in the standings, you cannot undersell these three games. The Cardinals are 4-6 against the Reds this season, and with only two more series against them this year, I think this set might be one of the most important ones of the entire season.
July finishes with interleague play against Cleveland and the Minnesota Twins. Really, the Cardinals need all the wins they can get, so if they can avoid Shane Bieber when they play Cleveland and beat up on the struggling Twins, they can finish the month real strong.
We’ll know right away if this Cardinal team is for real. With 14 challenging games this month, and the trade deadline fast approaching, July could make or break the Cardinals’ season.
AUGUST: TIME TO MAKE A MOVE
The schedule in August is full of highs and lows. With six games against the Royals, two games against the Tigers, and ten games against the Pirates, the Cardinals can expect to be favored in the majority of their contests. On the other side, however, are three games against the under-performing but uber-talented Atlanta Braves, two more games against the Reds, and a key home series against the Brewers.
Ideally, the Cardinals can come into the Brewers series hot. After a difficult stretch to end July, they need to beat up on the bad teams. August gives them a chance to do that. Of the 27 games they play, 15 are at home and only five are against teams currently over .500.
August is also when reinforcements are scheduled to come in. Between the trade deadline on July 30 (yes, it’s on the 30 this year) and the expected returns of Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas, August is looking like the month where moves will be made.
Where will the Brewers be when they come to St. Louis in mid-August? Outside of the Reds, and a visit from the Giants, their end of July and beginning of August isn’t too challenging. However, after playing the Cardinals, Milwaukee starts a challenging stretch of games against the Nationals, Reds, and then the Giants again. The Cardinals might be eight games back, but there are plenty of chances in August to make up ground.
SEPTEMBER: HAVE TO FINISH STRONG
First of all, we have no idea what the standings will be like in September. With a high amount of injuries this season and a whole bunch of teams riding surprising breakout seasons, any number of things could happen between now and then. With that being said, this month is where things get a little complicated for the Cardinals’ playoff push.
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September begins with the Reds and Brewers on the road. All matchups between these opponents will be must-win games, as the division race begins tightening up down the stretch. The Cardinals come home to St. Louis next, but it’s to welcome the Dodgers (Albert will be back!) and the Reds again. Nothing will be easy in early September, that is for sure.
After a quick trip to New York to play the division-leading Mets, the Cardinals come back home to face the Padres. Jet-lag, talented teams fighting for playoff position, and plenty of other challenges will be facing the Cardinals the week of September 13. There’s not much else to say except that you hope the team is healthy and ready to go to battle.
The end of the year has the potential to be quite thrilling– seven games against the Brewers and four in Chicago against the Cubs. Talk about an electric finish! Again, we have no idea where these three teams will be two months from now, but you have to imagine there will be something important on the line here. The last three games of the year, when the Cardinals host Milwaukee, look especially enticing.
SUMMARY
No one said it would be easy, that’s for sure. But the Cardinals remain in the hunt for October baseball, and their schedule gives them a chance to make it there.
The end of July is important because of its impact on the trade deadline. August is crucial because the Cardinals will need to beat the bad teams to pad their record. And September is setting up to have a playoff atmosphere every single day.
To recap, here’s the remaining games for the St. Louis Cardinals (sorted by division standings):
Milwaukee Brewers: six home, seven road
Cincinnati Reds: six road
Chicago Cubs: four home, four road
Pittsburgh Pirates: three home, seven road
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San Francisco Giants: three home
Los Angeles Dodgers: four home
San Diego Padres: three home
New York Mets: three road
Atlanta Braves: three home
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Cleveland Indians: two road
Detroit Tigers: two home
Minnesota Twins: three home
Kansas City Royals: three home, three road
That’s 37 games against the NL Central and 35 against the rest of baseball. It’s 34 home games and 38 on the road. It’s 34 games against teams currently over .500, and 38 against teams that are not. And to get to that magic number of 90 wins, the Cardinals need to go 46-26. This is the road that the St. Louis Cardinals face in 2021. The all-star break is over– time to see what this team is really made of.
Next. The prospects the St. Louis Cardinals should not trade. dark
A strong start against the Giants this weekend might be the best thing you can ask for this team. Not only would it show President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak that he should pull the trigger on acquiring some outside talent, but it would give the Cardinals some important confidence as they begin this difficult journey.