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3 takeaways from the Cardinals series against the Orioles

The Cardinals swept one of the best teams in baseball this week. What can we glean from this series?

By Thomas Gauvain |
Boston Red Sox v St. Louis Cardinals
Boston Red Sox v St. Louis Cardinals / Dilip Vishwanat/GettyImages
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After winning back-to-back series against the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox, the St. Louis Cardinals appeared to be entering a realm they haven't been in for a long time. Despite still being 6 games under .500, the vibes around the team were improving thanks to a more inspired offense.

The Cardinals were able to do the near impossible and sweep one of the best teams in baseball. Heading into the series, the Orioles were 29-15 and were just two games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the formidable American League East. Meanwhile, the Cardinals were in 4th place in the National League Central with a 20-26 record.

It seemed a daunting task to take down the beasts of the East. All facets of the Cardinals would have to be on for them to win the series let alone sweep. That was indeed the case. The offense continued to pour it on while the pitching kept the team in the game.

This was a statement series for the Birds on the Bat. They put together an admirable series, and there are plenty of takeaways from it.

Here are 3 takeaways from the Cardinals series against the Orioles.

1. The bullpen is a serious strength.

We had a good idea about this one before the series began, but it came to full fruition after playing the Orioles.

Cardinal relievers allowed one singular earned run in 11.1 innings. Every single reliever made an appearance at one point in this series thanks to a suspended game and another rain delay. While it was clear that the big 3 of Andrew Kittredge, JoJo Romero, and Ryan Helsley were all superb, the second tier of relievers like Kyle Leahy and John King helped shorten these long games.

The Cardinals' offense has been erratic thus far, and the rotation has felt shaky all year sans Sonny Gray. If the bullpen can continue to be reliable, then fans won't have to worry about losing games. Additionally, Oli Marmol can now rest a bit easier knowing he has multiple reliable arms in relief. With Keynan Middleton returning soon and Giovanny Gallegos nearing completion in his rehab buildup, reinforcements are on the way.

2. Umpiring is as bad as ever.

We can all thank Laz Diaz for the victory in game 1 of the series. Diaz missed two calls in the bottom of the 4th inning on Monday night that led to a total of 4 runs.

Dean Kremer was pitching well up to that point, but Diaz missed a called strike to Nolan Gorman with runners on first and second base. While Gorman would eventually strike out, this missed call made Kremer work that much harder.

The true travesty in game 1 came two batters later with Michael Siani. Siani was granted an extra life when a pitch that was very clearly a strike was called a ball. Siani then homered on the subsequent pitch to give the Cards a 5-0 lead. The Cardinals never looked back at this point, and they would go on to win the game 6-3.

Lars Nootbaar was a victim of bad umpiring in game two when three pitches at least a ball's length outside the zone were called strikes, leading to Noot's strikeout and eventual ejection. Not one of the called strikes on Nootbaar were even close to the zone, and he was ejected as a result of his disagreement.

The new Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) has been in practice for two years in the minor leagues for refinement. Its arrival in the majors is imminent, and the hope is that this automatic system helps cut back on the effect umpires have on the game. This umpiring staff was miserable for both teams in this series, and their effect was clear.

3. Masyn Winn can be a cornerstone player for the organization.

While this may be a silly statement for the organization's top prospect and a top 50 prospect in all of baseball, Winn's tools were on full display in this series.

Masyn Winn's glove has always been advanced for the level. He has a cannon for an arm, and it's likely he sets plenty of Statcast records in his time. Winn made a diving snag to his right on Tuesday night and then threw a missile across the field to get Colton Cowser out at first. Cowser has an average sprint speed in the 73rd percentile of the league, so he's no slouch on the basepaths.

Where Winn has truly surprised most of his critics has been on the offensive side of the game. He has a .291/.347/.403 slash line for a 115 wRC+ this year. Each of those figures has been better than what was expected of him.

During the series against Baltimore, Winn went 5-11 with 3 RBIs, 3 runs scored, and a home run. He didn't walk once, but he also didn't strike out. His offensive abilities were on full display throughout the series.

Masyn Winn isn't on national radars for Rookie of the Year voting. He absolutely needs to be after this week's series against the Baltimore Orioles. He has been the most consistent player for the Cardinals on both sides of the ball, and he's done nothing but improve his game each series. While the errors are starting to pile up for the young ballplayer, most fans and coaches would take the highlight-reel throws he has with the occasional error or two.

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