10 best moments from St. Louis Cardinals’ historic winning streak

There have been some amazing moments for the St. Louis Cardinals in their 17-game winning streak.

St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin refers to it as the Cardinals Run In 21. The organization will tell you they are Not Done Yet. That’s a lot of catchphrases for the amazing 17-game winning streak they found themselves in.

Their run has caught the attention of an adoring fanbase that has been primed for months to see this type of run from this team.

When the Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado, it became clear the organization was serious about winning. Things happen, unfortunately, and the team struggled with injuries and a string of bad luck on the diamond.

Somehow, the Cardinals managed to linger in the mix of things the entire time.

Things weren’t going so well at the end of August and early September, losing two Sunday games in a row to walk-off grand slam home runs. September started slow, but then came the series with the Cincinnati Reds that seem to start it all on Sept. 10. They took two out of three from the team, whom they battled fiercely most of the season.

Since then, the team has swept the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Chicago Cubs. Earlier this season, if you saw these games on the schedule, it was a cause for concern. But not with this bunch.

The Cardinals have seemingly kicked it into another gear. Each player has stepped up in their own way to contribute to the team as a whole to win. No matter what. If one player is down, the other players lift them up.

This has become the team we have envisioned since acquiring Nolan Arenado. And it has been so fun to see. I just hope this unbelievable ride continues well into October.

Let’s discuss some of our favorite moments from this streak.

Paul DeJong steps up as Eduardo Sosa goes down

Eduardo Sosa and Paul DeJong have because quite the duo at shortstop this season.

DeJong was the starting shortstop this season but suffered a rib injury that took several weeks to heal. In that period of time, Sosa stepped up and dazzled with his defensive skills and was even able to get some timely hits.

As the weeks passed, Sosa was getting more time starting at shortstop and DeJong was merely a bench option. Until Friday in Chicago.

In the sixth inning of the afternoon portion of the doubleheader Sept. 24, Sosa was hit in the hand on a pitch from Tommy Nance. Sosa appeared in terrible pain, heading straight to the dugout and down the tunnel. DeJong took the field to replace Sosa on the base path.

In September, DeJong is hitting .189/.244/.459 with a .703 OPS. He has one stolen base, one double, three homers, and five RBI.

Here’s DeJong going back to back with Nootbaar on Friday evening in Chicago:

It’s unclear when we will see Sosa again, but in the meantime, DeJong has stepped back into his role with the club seamlessly.

The Double Play

It’s the wildest play you will ever see.

Take a look:

With T.J. McFarland pitching the eighth inning, Rafael Ortega hit into a fielder’s choice double play as he hit to Paul Goldschmidt who threw to catcher Yadier Molina who threw to Nolan Arenado who threw to Tommy Edman who threw to Molina who threw to Harrison Bader who threw to Paul DeJong. David Bote was out at third and Trayce Thompson was out at second.

Unbelievable play, indeed. It was incredible to see this transpire and how in sync everyone on the field was with each other. Great team moment.

Sweeping the Mets, Padres, Brewers, and Cubs

When you saw this stretch of games on the calendar in July, it was pretty cringeworthy filled with the knowledge it might get ugly. In the end, it wasn’t the Cardinals this stretch of games was ugly for as it turned out.

The Cardinals handled the Mets in New York 7-0, 7-6, and 11-4. They stunned the San Diego Padres at Busch 8-2, 3-3, and 8-7. They swept a four-game series from the Brewers in Milwaukee 5-2, 2-1, 10-2, and 8-5. They swept a doubleheader and a four-game set from the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field 8-5, 12-4, 8-5, and 4-2.

An improbable run from the Cardinals came with an improbable collapse from the Mets and Padres, a bad series from the NL Central winning Brewers and. a continued poor stretch from the Chicago Cubs.

The Lars Nootbaar energy shot

The amount of energy Lars Nootbaar brings on the field is awesome. The amount of energy he brings to the clubhouse, though, is infectious.

Take a look at him dancing during the celebration Monday after the team clinched the second NL Wild Card slot:

Since joining the club this summer, Nootbaar has been just what was needed. Whether pinch-hitting or running, taking over an outfield position to give a regular some rest, or being a pick me up to the guys in the clubhouse who may need to loosen up, Lars is the guy you want.

During the month of September, he has hit .167/.242/367 with a .609 OPS. He has two stolen bases, three walks, five hits, two homers, and four RBI

Here’s hoping for more goodness from Nootbaar throughout October!

Paul Goldschmidt hitting all cylinders

We have been waiting for it to happen. You’ll get glimpses of it starting. But finally, in the month of September, Cardinals fans are seeing Paul Goldschmidt putting it together and getting some amazing hits.

In September, Goldschmidt is hitting .347/.438/.716 with a 1.153 OPS. He has 14 walks, two stolen bases, eight doubles, nine home runs, and 19 RBI. Just in September!

Goldschmidt quietly goes about his business and comes up with some great defensive gems and tremendous presence at the plate. He has 31 home runs on the season. Hopefully, we will see some more of that beautiful home run swing in October.

Tyler O’Neill has September to remember

Tyler O’Neill has had an unbelievable 2021 season. He’s on pace to get another Golden Glove for his stellar play in left field for the Cardinals. This season has has the added benefit of being an amazing hitter.

And then there was this bomb during the Padres series that was just a beautiful shot. Take a look here:

In September, O’Neill is hitting .314/.365/.686 with a 1.051 OPS. Unreal! He has four stolen bases, eight walks, six doubles, 11 home runs, and 27 RBI. It will be great to see this pace extend to October, and more importantly, for seasons to come.

Harrison Bader is a needed spark plug

There really is no telling where the Cardinals would be without Harrison Bader. With his defense and recent offensive explosion, Bader has been an important piece to this historic run.

Bader was named the NL Player of the Week for his outstanding play during the streak.

He’s been a force on the base path as well. Check out this unreal moment:

In September, Bader has hit .340/.371/.620 with a .991 OPS. Bader has two stolen bases, 10 doubles, four walks, six home runs and 18 RBI.

He’s been another bolt of energy this team has needed. With his speed, his hitting, and his defense, he is an unbelievable force of nature for the Cardinals. It will be great to see him keep this up through October. He is another one you hope to see this continued productivity for years to come.

Nolan Arenado reaching the playoffs

From the moment the trade was announced, Cardinals fans were aware of Nolan Arenado’s goal. He wanted to play for a winner and believed he would finally have that opportunity when he joined the St. Louis Cardinals.

Arenado has had his ups and downs this season but has maintained excellent defense at third base. As we move into September and throughout the 17 game winning streak, Arenado has played his defense and has had some moments at the plate that have been epic.

Through the month of September, Arenado is hitting .258/.314/.559 with a .873 OPS.  Arenado has nine walks, two doubles, one triple, eight homers, and 21 RBI.

Arenado let Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch know he will not be opting out of his contract once this season is over, ending months of speculation this could happen if he wasn’t happy after his first season with the Cardinals. He told the media he has a lot he still wants to accomplish and he wants to do so with St. Louis.

Here’s what Nolan had to say during the festivities after the Cardinals clinched the second NL Wild Card.

This is excellent news, Cardinals!

Clinching second NL wild card slot on Sept. 28

Its pretty appropriate that the Cardinals’ historic 17-game winning streak would end with the club clinching the second NL Wild Card spot.

After being given a less than 3 percent chance at making the playoffs early in September, the Cardinals pulled off a miracle and earned that spot.

It took an unbelievable ride through the dramatics of 17 major league baseball games. The team came together with epic pitching performances, unreal hits, jaw-dropping baserunning, and defensive gems that would make you smack your neighbor.

It’s been an unreal ride. Here’s hoping for another unreal ride through October!