After taking two of three from the Tigers, the White Sox sit at 10-9 as they welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to town.
The Cardinals were just a few games away from getting back to the World Series for the first time since 2011 last year. Led by Matt Carpenter, Paul Goldschmidt, Yadier Molina, and Miles Mikolas, St. Louis made it all the way to the NLCS, but lost in a four-game sweep to the eventual World Series Champions. They weren’t without their postseason highlights, however, as they scored 13 runs in Game 5 of the NLDS in Atlanta to clinch that series.
The Cardinals find themselves in a tough situation. Not only are they in the competitive NL Central, but they have missed almost two weeks worth of games due to a team COVID breakout. The rumor surrounding the team is that they went out to a Casino shortly before their team outbreak. While nothing is confirmed, the reality is that it is mid-August and the Cardinals have only played five games. They have a lot of work to do – especially after losing players like Marcell Ozuna and Michael Wacha this offseason – if they plan to remain competitive in the NL Central.
Cardinals Background
- 2019 Record: 91-71, Finished 1st in NL Central
- Postseason Results: Lost NLCS (4-0) to the Washington Nationals
- Last series vs. White Sox: White Sox won 1-of-4 back in 2018
- 2020 Record Entering Series: 2-3, 4th in NL Central (5.5 GB)
Inside Look
Tara Wellman of Birds on the Black (@BirdsOnTheBlack) was kind enough to take the time to participate in this series’ version of Central Intelligence. Here’s what she had to say about the Cardinals’ expectations, her definition of a “successful” season, and who the White Sox and their fans should watch out for in this series.
Note: All questions were answered before the recent COVID-19 outbreak on the team.
What are your expectations for the Cardinals as a fan as we enter the 2020 season?
My answer would, of course, have been different if COVID-19 wasn’t the dark cloud over the entirety of a possible 2020 season, but the expectations would still have been quite vague. Not much changed in the way of personnel for the Cardinals for this season, so expecting a lot of what we saw last summer seems pretty fair. Strong pitching and great defense are the closest to a sure thing, but the offense is one giant question mark. So, my expectations are to see the lineup struggle to find its identity while the other aspects of the game keep the team competitive in the NL Central.
The Cardinals had quite the accomplished season in 2019, making it all the way to the NLCS. What additions did the Cardinals make to build on their 2019 success, and which subtractions have hurt the team the most throughout this season?
Much of this is yet to be seen, although the obvious subtractions are Marcell Ozuna and Michael Wacha. Both had played major roles in the past, but neither were what I’d call critical to the team’s performance last year. Not having Jordan Hicks in the bullpen (due to recovery from Tommy John as well as opting out as a result of his high-risk status) is still a big hole, and with a couple of pitchers testing positive for COVID-19 this week, there will be a few more spots to fill. And, there weren’t many additions to speak of, either. The Cardinals took more of a “fill from within” approach and put Tyler O’Neill fulltime in left field to start the year. The idea was that Dylan Carlson would join the club at some point, but that has not happened as of August 1st. And on the pitching side, Kwang Hyun Kin looked to be in play as a starter but has instead taken hold of the closer role, which is an intriguing (and yet unproven!) choice.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this Cardinals roster in 2020? How do these match up against the rest of the teams in the NL Central?
The strengths, as I mentioned, are the same as they were last year – stellar infield defense with pitching depth to cover for many of the offensive holes. But, those offensive holes were on full display against the Minnesota Twins on the first road trip of the season. Off speed stuff still seems to stifle entirely too many Cardinals hitters, and without the heart of the order heating up, the guys at the back end are left to try to create runs with speed and finesse… which isn’t really their strong suit just yet. Whereas the Chicago Cubs seem more likely to win based on offensive prowess and more likely to lose thanks to bullpen instability, the Cardinals appear to be the inverse of that. Again.
How, if at all, will the Universal DH rule help the Cardinals this season?
The DH, interestingly enough, makes the Cardinals better defensively. Tommy Edman can play at 3rd base almost every day, leaving the corner outfield spots to actual corner outfielders (as opposed to good hitters who are infielders but not terrible in left!). That makes Matt Carpenter often the DH, and that probably suits him and the team best.
How did Cardinals fans react when it was announced that the team would get to play in the Field of Dreams game this year?
The reactions were mixed, perhaps aided by the overall concern about playing baseball in a pandemic. But I think overall, the novelty is fun, and the Cardinals’ front office loves that kind of stuff.
Who are some of the future names baseball fans should be looking out for coming out of the Cardinals minor league system?
As previously mentioned, Dylan Carlson is the superstar in the making, or so it seems. Kodi Whitley is working in relief this year in his debut season after moving quickly up the ranks last year, and he’s turned a lot of heads as of late. And another name on the horizon is Johan Ovideo, who showed off a lot of major league potential between spring and summer camps this year.
What is your prediction on where the Cardinals will finish this season?
Even in the shortened season, I think the Cardinals look like a team that can compete with the Cubs and the Brewers who both have their own flaws. The Reds are the team of intrigue in the Central this year, but they’ve stumbled out of the gate a bit. I hate trying to make predictions in more normal years, and this year is even harder! But I’ll say this: if the playoffs actually happen, I think the Cardinals get there.
Probable Starters
Saturday, Game 1: Lucas Giolito (1-1, 4.37 ERA) vs. TBA, 1:10 p.m. CT
Saturday, Game 2: TBA vs. TBA, Game Follows Immediately After Game 1
Sunday: Dallas Keuchel (2-2, 3.04 ERA) vs. TBA 1:10 p.m. CT
On behalf of everyone at Sox On 35th, I’d like to thank Tara for taking the time out to talk about the 2020 St. Louis Cardinals with us! You can find her on Twitter @TaraWellman, and you can find Birds on the Black on Twitter (@BirdsOnTheBlack) or at www.birdsontheblack.com. Make sure to check out all their fine work over there!
Featured Photo: St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) / Twitter
Jerry Hairston started the rumor about the casino, but that has been debunked. Lazy reporting to repeat incorrect stories.