Cardinals Have Easiest Remaining Schedule In National League

It is taking everything the St. Louis Cardinals have to stay afloat in the jam-packed National League playoff race. 

Injury luck has not been in their favor. In August alone, they’ve had road tilts with the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, the Philadelphia Phillies, and a five-game stint in Cincinnati doing battle with the Reds. Translation: it’s been a brutal month.

However, there is a great bright silver lining. Nobody in the conference has an easier remaining schedule than St. Louis. 

On Tuesday, they will embark on a three-game series on their home turf against the 63-68 Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles will pass by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have a similar 63-69 record, on their way out of St. Louis.

After the home stand, they will have to play the Los Angeles Dodgers for the last time this season before getting to go to Coors Field for a chance to sweep the comically bad 50-81 Colorado Rockies. 

The final stop on the road trip that spans September 1st until September 9th is in San Francisco. The Giants have just 52 wins this season and just five in the month of August. Yikes. 

Back in St. Louis, the Cards will have a tough series against the Chicago White Sox before being rewarded with yet another bout against San Francisco. 

The 62-71 Washington Nationals come to town for the final home series of the year. 

St. Louis ends the season against the Pirates in Pittsburgh and the Brewers in Milwaukee, which could very well feature a first-place team resting their stars before a World Series push. 

In total, the combined winning percentage of the Cardinals' final 30 opponents is .484. They play only three series against teams with a winning record, and one of those three has a non-zero chance of being played against a team that’s already clinched the No. 1 seed. 

Things do not feel good in St. Louis. They just got swept and blew a massive ninth-inning lead; there are injuries in the pitching staff. But this is a schedule that can get anyone back into fighting spirits when it matters the most. 

At the very least, the remaining slate is an excuse for optimism.