Three things to look forward to as the Cardinals take on the Brewers
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After a disappointing series loss to the Phillies, the Cardinals face off against the Brewers, who come to town looking to put a dagger in their rivals' hearts.
Just a loss tonight and a Marlins win will ensure that the Cardinals' only destination this October will be a seat on the couch. The team hasn't missed the postseason since 2018, but that will soon change.
But the Brewers have command in the NL Central, while the Cardinals remain in the cellar. Still, it should be a fun matchup between two NL Central rivals with the rest of the season on the line.
The series opener will feature an exciting matchup between Freddy Peralta and Adam Wainwright. Wainwright has had a poor final season to date, as he owns a record of 4-11 with an ERA of 7.95. However, he is on the verge of history. More on that later.
But even with the Cardinals out of contention, a series with the Brewers should be very exciting. Milwaukee boasts an elite pitching staff, while the Cardinals have a solid offense. We'll see what gives in this upcoming four-game series.
It certainly has been a season to forget for the Cardinals, who won 93 games last year and earned their 12th NL Central title. There will be no champagne celebrations this October.
But that doesn't mean we can't get excited for this week's matchup.
In this piece, we will discuss three things to look forward to as the Cardinals face off against their division rivals.
Waino goes for 200
The history in question that Adam Wainwright is chasing is the 200-win milestone. He came back this season hoping to reach that mark and forever etch his name in the history books.
Even without 200 wins, Wainwright would still be a Cardinals legend, but tonight, he has a chance to enhance his legacy as he takes on the Brewers. After winning his third game on June 17, he lost 10 of his next 11 starts and was stuck on 198 for his career.
A win in Baltimore on Tuesday last week changed all of that, however. Now, the 42-year-old will take his first shot at 200 wins for his career.
It's one of the few saving graces from what has been a dreadful season, but Wainwright can make all of Cardinal Nation forget about that with just one more victory.
A chance to play spoiler
The Brewers are already well ahead of the rest of the pack in the NL Central. They're 6.5 games up on the Cubs and seven up on the Reds. Their magic number to clinch the division is seven.
But if the Cardinals bring their best this week, they'll have a chance to delay that celebration. More than likely, the Brewers won't clinch the division title at Busch Stadium, but the Cardinals will still have a shot to make the road more difficult for their division rivals.
The Brewers are already essentially a lock for the postseason, but it could be a confidence builder for the Cardinals to beat them and continue their trend of playing the role of spoiler on contending teams.
The return of Juan Yepez
Juan Yepez has been in the minor leagues since the beginning of June. He was optioned to Memphis to make room for Dylan Carlson.
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With Tyler O'Neill out, the Cardinals will get a chance to see Yepez in action for the first time in a while. He's been hitting well at Triple-A and may get a chance against a left-handed pitcher. We don't know for certain how they'll use him, but he'll have a chance to shine and make a case for being on the 2024 roster.