The St. Louis Cardinals looked like a team relieved to be together still as they swept the Chicago Cubs in a three-game set that culminated in a doubleheader sweep on Thursday.
How sweep it is!
The St. Louis Cardinals won Tuesday 6-0. The game was postponed on Wednesday due to inclement weather. And the Cardinals took the doubleheader Thursday 4-3 and 7-2.
Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton looked impressive in their first efforts with their new team after a trade brought the two to St. Louis from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Johan Oviedo and Malcolm Nunez went to the Pirates in the trade.
While fan favorite Harrison Bader was dealt to the New York Yankees in exchange for Jordan Montgomery, the outfield seemed set, and the rest of the team still looked relieved to be together as they took the field Tuesday evening.
The sweep will be discussed more on the next pages. After the sweep, the Cardinals will welcome the Yankees to Busch Stadium for what should be an epic series between two of Major League Baseball’s most historic franchises.
It should be a fun weekend.
The Cardinals are now tied atop the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers with records of 57-48. The Brewers are riding a four-game losing streak and host the Cincinnati Reds in Milwaukee this weekend.
Let’s take a look at the standouts from this fun series between the Cardinals and Cubs.
Dylan Carlson secure in his new role
Centerfield is Dylan Carlson’s position. With Bader getting traded to the Yankees and Carlson’s impressive play since filling in for Bader, Carlson essentially secured the position and is playing like it. The rumor mill was filled with talk of Carlson being moved in exchange for the trade deadline’s big target, Juan Soto.
In addition to some stellar defense in centerfield, Carlson looked relaxed at the plate in the lead-off position relieved to still be standing after weeks of trade deadline drama.
In the fifth inning Tuesday, Carlson knocked his seventh home run to center field, scoring Tommy Edman. The home run traveled 431 feet at 106.7 mph.