The St. Louis Cardinals Turn Around their Season, Have Chance at Playoffs

The St. Louis Cardinals have been on a tear over the past month and a half, winning 24 of their last 37 games. The Cardinals are coming off a sweep of the Giants to bring their record to 39-37 this season with the All-Star Break coming up in just a few weeks.

Since May 12, the Redbirds have claimed the best record in the National League and have clawed their way back near the top of the NL Central. St. Louis currently resides in second place, five games behind the Brewers. To cap it off, the Cardinals are in possession of the second wild card spot in the NL.

So, what has contributed most to St. Louis’ recent success? Well, for starters, the offense has started to figure things out, beginning with star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The 2022 NL MVP has raised his batting average from .197 to .231 since May 12 while slugging 10 home runs on the year, including his 350th career homer on Saturday.

Goldschmidt’s success has helped rally Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson, as all three players have raked over the past month and a half. Donovan and Burleson have combined for seven home runs and 19 runs batted in over the last 15 days, with both outfielders hitting at least .333 in that span (Donovan - .362, Burleson - .333).

The outfielders and corner infielders aren’t the only ones who have seen individual success recently. Star rookie shortstop Masyn Winn has been phenomenal for the Redbirds this year, leading the team with a .299 batting average and second only behind Willson Contreras with a .342 on-base percentage. Winn is exceptionally smooth in the field, with a .965 fielding percentage and has helped turn 48 double plays on the year.

Even with the NL’s best record since Mother’s Day, the Cardinals’ pitching has been inconsistent at best. Ryan Helsley set a Cardinals record with his 26th consecutive save against the Giants on Sunday and Sonny Gray has been lights out since returning from a stint on the Injured List early in the year.

However, the rest of the Redbirds’ pitching staff has struggled to find success lately. Lance Lynn has struggled after a solid start to the year, and the bullpen nearly gave their last game against the Giants away after Sonny Gray was perfect entering the seventh inning.

Giovanny Gallegos is expected to return from the Injured List soon and should give the rest of the Cardinals’ bullpen some relief. Gallegos hasn’t pitched since May 5, where he gave up three earned runs in a 5-1 loss to the White Sox. The reliever has a 12.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts this season, and will hopefully drastically improve those numbers upon his return.

The Cardinals will look to keep their three game win streak alive in a series against the Braves this week. First pitch is set for Monday at 6:45 pm CDT. Lance Lynn (2-3, 4.08 ERA) is expected to get the nod for St. Louis, while Spencer Schwellenbach (1-2, 4.99 ERA) is expected to take the mound for Atlanta.