The Cardinals have great opportunity to take control of NL Central

After a dominant win on Opening Day, the St. Louis Cardinals are flying high. They have an opportunity to take advantage of a soft part in the schedule.

The St. Louis Cardinals kicked off the season as only they can. Their home opener festivities are rivaled by none. Seeing the Hall of Famers return in their red jackets, the majestic Clydesdales, and the introduction of the 2022 team sparked the excitement of fans in St. Louis.

The activities before the game were exciting and the fun kept going once the game started. The Cardinals convincingly beat the Pittsburgh Pirates by a score of 9-0. After the emotions and positive energy from the pregame rituals, a win over the Pirates was a likely scenario.

The Cardinals have a great opportunity to keep the momentum rolling. They play a four-game series with the Pirates, who seem poised to again be one of the worst teams in major league baseball. After that, they have two games with the Kansas City Royals, who might be a more compelling challenge than the Pirates but should still be an opponent the team can handle.

A series with the Milwaukee Brewers follows, which will be the first real test of the season. After the Brewers, they will play the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds.

It’s not hard to envision a possibility where the Cardinals cruise through the first month of the season. The schedule is relatively soft for a little while and the Cardinals can make a statement early.

Taking at minimum three of four from the Pirates should be the goal and the expectation. Winning the first series of the season could set them up for continued momentum.

For a Cardinals team that has questions to answer, the home opening win was an impressive display. The pieces are in place for them to have a prolonged stretch of success this month and take advantage of a weak schedule.