Two numbers.
Six. Fourteen.
If you want to sum up the Cardinals 2016 thus far, you don’t have to twist yourself into knots. You don’t have to lament the potential versus the production of a highly capable pitching staff. You don’t have to try and tease out why one the best offenses in the NL has many nights where scoring a single run is a herculean chore. You don’t have to break down Coach Mike’s roster compositions or in-game moves.
All you have to do is point to six and fourteen.
That’s the record of the Cardinals versus winning teams in 2016. Six wins and fourteen losses. All the things above (and more) have contributed to the Cardinals hanging out in 3rd place in the NL Central, closer to 5th than they are to 1st.
But the bottom line?
They just haven’t played well against good teams. Until that changes the Cardinals are going to be wearing .500 like a Snuggie on a cold February night.
Good teams are good for a reason – they can take their game to another level when competing against the evenly matched.
Maybe the Cardinals are over-matched. Maybe they aren’t. As we approach the end of May, though, the opportunities to prove that they’re a contender are floating away, day by day by day.
Game 2 against the Rockies tonight. Another chance to beat a winning team.
Photo: Stamford Advocate
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