Wild Card standing outpacing stalled Cardinals down the stretch

At the start of the second half, the St. Louis Cardinals looked like they had an outside shot at playoff baseball. 

The last time the Redbirds flew in October was in 2022. It was short-lived in a devastating Wild Card series against the Phillies. 

As it stands, St. Louis is 6.5 GB of a Wild Card and is stockpiled behind five teams, including the Pirates, D-Backs, Padres, Phillies, and Cubs. 

The National League Wild Card race has been a bloodbath since the second month of the season. Unfortunately, it seems like the Cardinals picked the worst time to slip up–hope is dimming. 

If it’s not already a wash, the Redbirds are clinging for dear life. According to playoffstatus.com, the Cardinals have a 99% probability of not making the postseason. Yikes. 

It was all right in front of St. Louis to make a run. So where did it all go wrong?

The Phillies ended the Cardinals’ season; the Giants doubled down

Not too long ago, the Cardinals were in the midst of a great road trip. 

It was smooth sailing until the city of brotherly love rang the Redbird bell and sent St. Louis packing with three straight losses. 

Granted, the Phillies are a postseason threat and legitimate World Series contender. Still, the Cardinals had a chance in every game, and it was a painful watch. 

Then, fans could’ve sworn they were seeing double. On the West Coast road trip, St. Louis played well against the Dodgers, and well enough against the lowly Rockies. They positioned themselves to make a run perfectly against a so-so Giants roster. 

San Francisco’s season has been full of drama, unrealized potential, and front office jargon. New manager Tony Vitello hasn’t quite managed to harness his own clubhouse, and at times, the team has been near unwatchable. 

That same jumbled mess that is the Giants smacked the Cardinals upside the head (figuratively speaking) and rattled off three straight wins. 

St. Louis entered that series with wisps of hope, and left it with nothing but the shackles of the season's end being clasped on. 

Lots of the recent cold stretches have been characterized by inexperience. At their best, the Cardinals play a dynamic brand of baseball. Conversely, when the losses start trickling like raindrops, the game seems to speed up on the young birds. 

It’s a good thing they lasted this long, not only for the fans, but also for the future of the organization. 

Even if time may have run out, the Redbirds have garnered invaluable experience down the stretch and positioned themselves to take flight in the coming seasons. 

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