Cardinals' next stretch of games will show how they measure up to NL Central rivals

The St. Louis Cardinals went from grabbing national headlines because of their place in the standings to now fighting for the spotlight with shirtless college baseball teams. The old saying is there's no bad thing as bad publicity and the way this team is playing, there is a palpable energy buzzing around St. Louis. The momentum could not come at a better time, either. After a travel schedule that had fans staying up late for West Coast games and national broadcasts, the Cardinals will finally be taking on their division foes for 15 of their next 18 games.

The Cardinals have played their division opponents just six times so far this season, one game fewer than the Brewers, while the Pirates have already played them 16 times and the Reds have played another 10 division games. The balanced schedule approach from the MLB makes for some interesting road trips and home stands, but this stretch of games will go far into telling us how this Cardinals team compares to the rest of the NL Central, who all had plans of contending for the playoffs this year. While Chaim Bloom was constructing the perfect rebuild, the rest of the division was adding to their roster with hopes of October baseball, and while all five teams still sit above .500 on the season, there have been plenty of ups and downs for each organization.

The Cardinals' next 18 games could put them at the top... or the bottom... of the NL Central

After Monday's off day, the Cardinals will begin a stretch of 12 straight games against the Central before a quick three-game break against the Texas Rangers, then finish their 18-game stretch with three games against the Reds. Over that span, they will be in the energetic environment at Busch Stadium for 12 games, hopefully giving the Cardinals an advantage over their opponents during this extended division stretch.

The next few weeks will be difficult, with every team in the division sitting at least one game over .500 and all but the Reds have winning records against teams sitting above that mark. The Cubs currently lead the division but the Wild Card picture, yes I know it is May, currently has the Brewers and Cardinals in postseason position, while the Reds and Pirates both sit 3.5 games behind. The stretch will begin on Tuesday with a midweek three-game home stand against Pittsburgh and one of the bigger storylines will be checking to see how the attendance figures look. The weekend series against the Royals brought plenty of new energy to the ballpark, but with people back at work and school, it is tough to see the crowds reach the same level they did against Kansas City.

The Cardinals will then travel to Cincinnati before spending the Memorial Day holiday in Milwaukee, which has two afternoon games on the slate. After another Thursday off day, the Cardinals will return home and welcome the division-leading Cubs to town for the first time this season. The Cubs' spot in the standings has been aided by the team having two different 10-game winning streaks this year, so the Cardinals will hope to get Chicago when they are on a downturn. After an interleague break against the Rangers, the Cardinals will stay as hosts, finishing off this division run with the Reds one more time before saying goodbye to the division again until July.

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