With a 5-1 loss at home to the Cleveland Guardians last night, the St. Louis Cardinals were officially eliminated from playoff contention. After making the MLB playoffs for four consecutive years (2019-2022), the Cardinals will spend their second straight postseason watching from home. This season, St. Louis has struggled and never managed to establish themselves in the competitive National League playoff race.
The Cardinals got off to a rough start, winning just 16 of their first 40 games, making it difficult to regain momentum in the regular season. The question remains: can the Cardinals finish the regular season strong?
The St. Louis Cardinals (77-77) currently sit in third place in the National League Central, trailing the third and final Wild Card spot by eight games. Their offense has struggled this season, ranking 13th in batting average, 23rd in home runs, and 25th in runs scored. Left Fielder Brendan Donovan leads the team in batting average, while Right Fielder Alec Burleson tops the squad in home runs and RBIs.
The Cardinals’ pitching staff has also been underwhelming, placing 16th in ERA, 26th in strikeouts, and 23rd in opposing batting average. Starting Pitcher Sonny Gray has been a standout, ranking 14th in the league in wins, seventh in strikeouts, and 14th in WHIP. Closer Ryan Helsley ranks second in the league with 45 saves, and Relief Pitcher Andrew Kittredge is second with 34 holds. As these stats show, the St. Louis bullpen has been a relative strength, ranking sixth in the league with a 3.61 bullpen ERA.
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The St. Louis Cardinals are set to play the second game of their three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians tonight. After this series, they will finish their 2024 regular season with two road series against the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants.
While 2024 has not unfolded as the team or its fans had hoped, this storied franchise will regroup and work towards a more successful 2025 season. The team faces an offseason filled with uncertainties as they assess the factors that contributed to their disappointing performance this year.
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