The Cardinals lost 3-2 Sunday afternoon.
It’s another example of why the 2015 should be favored to win the 2015 World Series.
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The Cardinals missed their chance to complete the sweep and push to 30 games over .500 for the first time in 2015 with a frustrating loss.
2 for 9 with RISP and 9 juicy LOBsters. Peter Kozma dragging his average down under .150 and ‘contributing’ 1 of the 2 Cardinals errors. Mike Wacha looking pedestrian against the scuffling Braves lineup.
Cardinals could have, probably should have, grabbed that W.
Here’s the thing with the 2015 team, though – even when the other team clearly should be the winner… the Cardinals still find themselves right there with chances to steal W’s.
I couldn’t remember the last time this team was blown out (beaten by 5+ runs), so I went to the game log:
- WED JUL 1 vs White Sox (7-1)
On a very rudimentary level the Cardinals have only played 1 game in July where they didn’t have a realistic shot of winning.
It’s July 27th.
You go entire months of the season with only 1 blowout, you’re going to have a really, really good record. By my count, the Cardinals have only been beaten by more than 5 runs just 6 times through 98 games (2 of those times by 5 runs exactly).
They’re always in games.
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The Cardinals are going to be facing one of the following teams in the NL postseason: LA Dodgers, PIT Pirates, SF Giants, WAS Nationals or possibly the CHI Cubs.
All (sans the Cubs) have recent postseason history with the Cardinals. All know what the Cardinals are bringing to the party in October and have spent the past few off-seasons trying to construct the best roster to beat them (to varying degrees of success).
The 2015 NL playoffs aren’t going to be as much a craps roll as they are going to be a continuation of a saga. They’re going to feature dramatic games with hard fought results. From the Wild Card game on nothing will be easy.
The Cardinals? They’re going to be ready. And nearing the 100 game played mark, even the losses are proving it out.
This team refuses to give up a single inch.
Right now, the margin for error is large. They’ve got a big lead in the division and probably could play sub .500 ball from now to September and still get in the playoffs. They also know their legacy won’t be judged until the postseason no matter what they accomplish the next 2 months.
They have no incentive to already be grinding out every pitch.
But they do. Game after game. Week after week. Month after month.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been playing playoff games the entire 2015 season and when the playoffs actually start, other teams might have been ‘battling hard to get that final spot’ or ‘riding a wave of momentum into October’…
But only one team has been turning a whole season into a tune-up for a championship run.
Photo: Scripps
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