A series win for the Cardinals could thrust the Cubs into full panic mode

The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off a frustrating sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers, but at least it was not as bad as what else was going on in the NL Central. While St. Louis was shocking baseball with their continued relevance in the standings, the Chicago Cubs were reeling further down the table. After two 10-game winning streaks, the Cubs just ended a 10-game losing streak as they prepare for their first series against the Cardinals.

Coming into the year, each team had different goals in mind. The Cardinals were looking to find some answers to roster questions as Chaim Bloom looked towards the future. The Cubs, on the other hand, were moderately aggressive in the offseason in their attempt to put the finishing touches on a playoff roster. Now one-third of the way through the season, the teams are separated by just a half-game in the standings, with the Cubs sitting in second place in the Central and the surprising Cardinals right behind them.

The Cardinals could put a damper on the Cubs season with a strong series

To prepare for the upcoming series, I invited two Cubs content creators onto the Cardinals on My Time podcast to get a glimpse into the emotions surrounding the team. Paul "Crawly" Dzien from the Fly the W podcast and Jared Wyllys from CHGO shared their thoughts on the emotional roller coster that has been going on in Chicago, but to my surprise, were not yet threatened by the Cardinals. Despite the streaky nature of the Cubs, both guys were more focused on fixing their own problems rather than worrying about the Cardinals or even the Brewers.

I rarely look forward to the Cubs-Cardinals series, despite the historical significance of one of the best rivalries in all of sports. However, with neither team being really competitive at the same time as one another, the series have lacked some heat, and I hope that changes this weekend. While we Cardinal fans may be starting to see some reality in what this season may actually be in St. Louis, watching the Chicago turmoil has reignited some of that fire on social media. If the Cardinals can take advantage of the pressing Cubs, the Friendly Confines may turn hostile through the summer.

On paper, the Cardinals are outmatched in multiple spots on the roster, and even with the injuries, the Cubs pitching matchup for this weekend should put them at a slight advantage. Crawly was specific in asking about MVP candidate Jordan Walker, but beyond that, there is little worry in Chicago as they hope the Cardinals will be a get-right series for the Northsiders. St. Louis, though, will not go quietly and have the chance to spin the division around with a series win or, getting greedy here, a sweep.

While the concern level from Cubs fans may be around a two or three, a series loss to the rebuilding Cardinals could easily bring that into the five range at least. Assuming the Brewers keep surging, there is a possibility that the Cardinals could maintain hold on second place in the division and a Wild Card spot, while the Cubs may have to hit the panic button early and hit the trade market sooner than expected. It will take a lot of work and a jolt from the Cardinals' offense that struggled in Milwaukee, but the pitching has been efficient and just needs to keep the game close.

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