The St. Louis Cardinals missed an opportunity over the weekend.
The team (46-43) began the weekend in third place in the National League Central Division. It could have closed the gap on Pittsburgh and moved past the Cincinnati Reds in the standings.
Instead, the Redbirds were swept by the Reds, who moved into first place by a game after the Milwaukee Brewers took two of three from the Pirates at Miller Park. That is where the Cardinals will begin a three-game series that starts tonight. It will be Lance Lynn on the mound for St. Louis, with Mike Fiers on the bump for the Brewers.
The Cardinals were hoping for a quick start following the All-Star break. A sweep at Cincinnati was not part of the plan; the Cards are currently four-and-a-half games back of the now-first-place Reds.
The Brewers were nearly unbeatable at home last year on the way to winning the NL Central, but this season has been different. Milwaukee is a pedestrian 24-22 inside Miller Park. The Cardinals have won four of the six matchups with the Brewers so far, including two of three at Miller Park in April. The Cardinals also held a 4-2 mark against the Reds this season before last weekend.
What the Redbirds cannot afford is a July slump. The Cardinals begin the second half of the season with 12 of 16 games against Central Division opponents. That stretch contains last weekend’s series at Cincinnati and six games against the rival Chicago Cubs. The other four games are against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which are in second place in the NL West.
A collapse in July could mean an early winter vacation come October for the reigning world champions. Considering the Cardinals began July as winners of six of eight, the hope in St. Louis is that the three-game sweep in Cincinnati is just a blip on the radar. What happens in Milwaukee will go a long way in deciding whether the Redbirds return to the postseason to defend their World Series title.
