It wouldn’t be true redbird fashion if the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t wait until the last game to secure their spot in the playoffs. This past Sunday, the Cardinals put the postseason on their calendar with a 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. 2020 marks the second consecutive year the Cardinals have made the playoffs. After being swept by reigning World Series Champions, the Washington Nationals, in 2019 during the NCLS, the Cardinals are hopeful of a better outcome this year.
The Cardinals have already won at having the craziest season. With a 17 game hiatus in the middle of the season due to the Coronavirus, they had an intense comeback. To catch up on the games they missed, 11 doubleheaders were played out over the 44 remaining days remaining of the season. The effort displayed by the team had Redbird Nation quite optimistic about their postseason run. The 11-time World Series Champions are set to play the San Diego Padres, in San Diego. This NL Wild Card Series consists of the best out of three games.
The Adaptive Mound
The Cardinals have suffered many injuries this season. Because of this, the pitching rotation has been greatly affected. In this upcoming series, Kwang Hyun Kim, Adam Wainwright, and Jack Flaherty get the start against the Padres. This comes as no surprise, as these three guys were the constants for the Cardinals pitching this season.
It came as a bit of a surprise for Kim to start game one, but he is still a solid choice. Kim is expected to match up with San Diego well due to him being a lefty and never facing the Padres lineup before. Over the shortened 2020 season, he pitched to a 3-0 record and 1.62 ERA. Adam Wainwright had a showstopping season and looks to continue to showcase his skills going into the postseason. Jack Flaherty has been a vital asset to the Cardinals over the years. Flaherty did pose a 4.91 ERA which was much higher than previous years (2.84 in 2019) and performed a little off his game in this unprecedented season. His 2019 postseason appearances were made up of 22 strikeouts and four walks. The Cardinals need the same performance out of him to advance this postseason
Offense – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The offense has been the main struggle for the Cardinals organization this season. Despite excelling at different areas of the game, they will need to kick their offense up a notch to have a chance in the playoffs. Matt Carpenter has been used as the designated hitter for the team, which is a new role for them. Carpenter has not been the strongest hitter this year. However, the defensive skills by others on the team have knocked Carpenter to solely offense. Paul Goldschmidt, Tommy Edman, and Kolten Wong have been some of the best players at the plate this season. Although it is hard to compare players due to many being out for COVID and health reasons, these three players have pulled through when the Cardinals needed it most.
The Padres are strongly favored in this series, but the Cardinals have a stronger more experienced playoff track record. Pitcher availability is a big unknown for San Diego right now, which could work out to the Cardinals advantage. However, with it being 2020, expect the unexpected has become a new normal.
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