St. Louis Cardinals: Looking back at our 2021 bold predictions

Harrison Bader #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with Dylan Carlson #3 and Tyler ONeill #41 after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 during the game at PNC Park on September 20, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Harrison Bader #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with Dylan Carlson #3 and Tyler ONeill #41 after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 during the game at PNC Park on September 20, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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St. Louis Cardinals
Sep 22, 2018; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty (32) talks with starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (50) during the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

A Cardinals starting pitcher will throw a no-hitter

It was deemed the year of the no-hitter, but the Cardinals missed out. Three times this season the Cardinals were close, but no one was able to match Bud Smith’s historical day in 2001.

The closest the Cardinals came this season? On Aug. 10 against the Pirates, J.A. Happ, Ryan Helsley, Genesis Cabrera and Alex Reyes combined for a one-hitter. Happ gave up a solo home run in the fourth, and that was it from the Pirates.

On Aug. 11, Adam Wainwright spun a two-hit complete game shutout against the Pirates in what was maybe his game of the season, and the turning point of the summer, giving up just two singles to Colin Moran.

On Aug. 30 against the Reds, Jon Lester, T.J. McFarland, Luis Garcia and Giovanny Gallegos combined for a two-hitter. Kyle Farmer hit a solo home run in the 2nd off Lester and a double off McFarland in the seventh, but that was all from the Reds.

But hey, the season isn’t over! Maybe the Cardinals can sneak one last piece of history into this week as we prepare for the wild card game.

Prediction Score: The win streak is still alive! Who knows?

We didn’t get too many predictions right. But isn’t that the magic of baseball? Every day you go to the ballpark, you get to see something new. I’m just happy we get to watch the the Cardinals keep playing in October.

Trivia answers:

Arenado (34 home runs), O’Neil (32) Goldschmidt (31), DeJong (19), Carlson (16), Bader (15), Molina (11), Edman (10); Sosa (6), Nootbaar (5), Justin Williams (4), Matt Carpenter (3), Jose Rondon (3), Andrew Knizner (1), Austin Dean (1), and Jack Flaherty (1).