The St. Louis Cardinals may have ended their three-game losing streak with Friday night’s 7-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox, but the win did little to erase the bigger concern surrounding the club. With only a handful of games remaining, St. Louis is running out of time to turn promising stretches into a genuine postseason push.
The Cardinals entered the White Sox series at 72-75, sitting fourth in the National League Central and 6.5 games outside the final Wild Card position with just 15 games remaining. Their recent form had also become increasingly troubling, with St. Louis dropping seven of its previous 11 games.
Friday’s victory was certainly encouraging. Rookie Joshua Báez and Leo Bernal each recorded three hits and two RBIs, while Alec Burleson added two hits and two RBIs. Jordan Walker also contributed two hits and scored twice as the Cardinals finally generated the type of offensive performance they desperately needed.
The bigger issue is consistency
The concern for St. Louis is that one impressive offensive night cannot completely hide the problems that have emerged during the club’s recent slide. The Cardinals have struggled to put together sustained winning stretches, and their 14-16 record over the last 30 games illustrates how difficult it has been for the team to build momentum at the most important point of the season.
The pitching situation is particularly worth watching. Matthew Liberatore entered Friday’s game having lost six consecutive starts and carrying a 7.71 ERA over that stretch. Across his previous nine outings, he was 0-8 with a 6.75 ERA. Although he managed to keep the White Sox within reach before Gordon Graceffo earned the victory, the rotation remains one of the Cardinals’ biggest questions.
That creates a difficult challenge for manager Oliver Marmol. The Cardinals need their young players to continue developing while simultaneously asking the pitching staff to produce at a much higher level. With the postseason race becoming increasingly unforgiving, there is little room for extended struggles from key starters or late-game breakdowns.
Young players provide a reason for optimism
One of the few bright spots is the emergence of several young Cardinals. Báez and Bernal were instrumental in Friday’s win, continuing a recent trend of St. Louis giving its younger talent an opportunity to make an impact at the major-league level.
Báez, in particular, has become one of the more intriguing storylines around the organization. His power and offensive potential have given Cardinals fans something to watch even as the team’s playoff hopes have become increasingly difficult to sustain.
The same can be said for Bernal, whose offensive contribution against Chicago provided another reminder that the organization may have important pieces developing for the next phase of the rebuild.
The bullpen remains another concern
Even during Friday’s victory, the Cardinals’ pitching situation deserved attention. Liberatore exited after 4 1/3 innings, leaving the bullpen responsible for protecting the lead. Fortunately for St. Louis, the relief corps delivered this time, with Graceffo, Luis Gastelum, Justin Bruihl, Ryne Stanek and Riley O’Brien helping close out the victory.
That performance was important because the bullpen has been one of the areas that has repeatedly created uncertainty throughout the season. When the offense is producing, the Cardinals can survive some pitching imperfections, but they cannot afford to continually surrender leads if they hope to make a late run.
The problem is that St. Louis now needs almost everything to go right. At 72-75, the Cardinals are below .500 and have a negative run differential. They are also chasing several teams ahead of them in the Wild Card standings, meaning simply winning a few games may not be enough.
The clock is becoming the Cardinals’ biggest enemy
Perhaps the most significant concern is the calendar. There are no longer months available for the Cardinals to figure out their rotation, stabilize the bullpen or wait for the offense to become consistent.
Every remaining series now carries additional weight.
Friday’s win against Chicago was a step in the right direction, but St. Louis needs to turn that victory into a winning streak. Anything less could effectively end the club’s already slim postseason hopes before the final week of the regular season.
The Cardinals’ situation therefore goes beyond one losing streak or one struggling pitcher. The bigger issue is whether the organization can find enough consistency, both on the mound and at the plate, to make its final push meaningful.
For now, the young players are providing reasons for optimism, but the standings are delivering a much harsher message. The Cardinals are running out of opportunities, and their biggest problem may no longer be whether they can win, it may be whether they can win consistently enough before time runs out.
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