After winning two out of three games against the Rangers, it looked as though the Cardinals had finally strung together some momentum and they even appeared to have carried it into last night’s game against the Cubs.
But a pair of hits against Ryan Helsley spelled doom at Wrigley Field on Thursday. The Cardinals had a 4-2 lead. Sonny Gray had gone seven innings and struck out nine batters. It had the makings of a win that could serve as a jumping off point. Tommy Pham’s return seems to have energized the club anyway, even after tonight.
However, once again, the Cardinals took another step back, and it was a frustrating end to what really looked like a great game. They keep having this happen, where they win some games and look like they’re finally taking off, only to lose a tough game and lose their momentum. And each time it happens, it feels like a reality check.
I’ve been saying this a lot. I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing it, and I understand that. But this team just hasn’t taken that big leap, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. This is a game they should have won. They had victory right in their grasp.
Each tough loss serves as a grim reminder of what this team really is, one that hangs around .500 and just can’t separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Now, just a week after being cemented in the second Wild Card spot, they find themselves on the outside looking in. The Diamondbacks are red-hot and have a two-game lead over the Cardinals in the race, and the Pirates are right behind St. Louis as well.
And with a tough schedule coming up, it’s fair to be concerned about the true identity of this team. I want to believe the best is yet to come, and that may still be the case. But losses like this just keep killing the Cardinals’ momentum. And their run differential is fourth worst in the National League. That isn’t sustainable, and the Cardinals need to flip the script if they want to make the playoffs and have a chance to do any damage.
We’ll see what happens, but that was just a frustrating game last night. I know this seems like a rant, but every time we keep thinking they’re back, the Cardinals get hit with yet another reality check. The fact is, as of now, this is a middling team that is only in the playoff race because the National League is sub-par.