The Cardinals are back to where they have been for most of the season. On Wednesday, they lost the series to the Reds 9-2, and now they return home to face the Dodgers after falling one game below the .500 mark.
As I said last week, this was the period that would make or break the Cardinals’ season. Unfortunately, it looks like they’re already on hiatus. I had predicted that the series with the Reds would be a small break in the schedule, but it turns out I was wrong.
Just five games into the most important stretch of the season, the Cardinals have shown us what kind of team they really are. They have officially found their identity, and it is not a good one.
I think it’s safe to say that there have been signs over the last few weeks that the Cardinals are slipping. Their run differential was one of them. It’s the worst run differential in the NL Central. It’s -63 and suggests the Cardinals should have a record of 54-67.
For some reason, however, the Cardinals are still tied for second place in the NL Central. But make no mistake, this is not a good team. That’s exactly why I was mad at them even when they won. I don’t want to sound too negative, but I had a feeling the win wasn’t going to last.
This team simply has too many weaknesses to be considered a candidate. The pitching was not great and the offense was absolutely terrible. The Cardinals scored four runs in the series against the Reds but allowed 19.
No, this is not the official nail in the coffin because they are still 4.5 games behind and still have time to catch up. But either way, time is running out and we now know exactly what this team is. I think it’s obvious at this point that they are not going to make the playoffs. It’s just not their year.
If they lost three of four games to the Cubs and got swept by the Reds, what hope do they have of beating teams like the Dodgers, Brewers, Twins, Padres, Yankees and Mariners? The Dodgers series begins tomorrow, and this team is falling apart at the seams.
Unfortunately, I think we as fans need to prepare for the worst. The schedule is not getting any easier. The only interruptions in the schedule are their games against the Blue Jays, Pirates and Rockies in September. It seems inevitable that the situation will only continue to worsen until the Cardinals are several games under .500 and out of postseason contention.
Things aren’t looking good for the Cardinals, folks. The rest of the road home is probably going to be bumpy.
