Cardinals’ Standouts From the Nationals and Red Sox Series

Another week is in the books for the St. Louis Cardinals. The team ended their first road trip of the season by taking two of three from the Washington Nationals. They returned home and dropped two of three to the Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals finish the week 3-3 and currently sit at 8-7 this season.

After a little bit of a break since our first installment, we are excited to bring you our second “Cardinals’ Standouts of the Week” article.

Cardinals’ Standouts of the Week

Standout #3- Thomas Saggese

The Cardinals’ backup infielder/outfielder played in all but one game this week. The 24-year-old started the week on a strong note with back-to-back two-hit performances against the Nationals. Furthermore, he hit a go-ahead double for the lead in the team’s comeback win on Tuesday. On Friday, on his birthday, Saggese entered the game following an injury to Masyn Winn. He recorded another big hit, driving in a run in a 3-2 victory.

Saggese’s ability to play infield and the outfield increases his opportunities to play. However, coming through with multiple clutch hits is yet another way the 24-year-old can find himself getting into the lineup more. Being a right-handed bat, Saggese could be a weapon off the bench against a lefty, especially late in the game. His durability on the field, combined with his recent bat, should make Oli Marmol feel safe to put him in any spot in a game. He may not be a true utility player, but he can play multiple positions.

Winn’s current calf injury keeps the door open for Saggese to get more playing time moving forward. Winn’s return is currently unknown, but since he has not been placed on the injured list (he was injured on Friday), he may just be day-to-day.

Standout #2- The Bullpen

The Cardinals’ bullpen has looked like a baseball version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde early on. Sometimes, it looks good. Other times, it gives fans flashbacks to the 2008 season.

Monday was a bad game for the bullpen. The Cardinals took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but Ryan Stanek and Matt Svanson combined to give up six runs. On Saturday night, the bullpen gave up five runs in the ninth as a 2-1 deficit suddenly turned into 7-1.

However, the bullpen did have some positive moments. On Tuesday, Gordon Graceffo, George Soriano, and Riley O’Brien combined for five shutout innings in the extra-innings win. On Friday, Stanek, JoJo Romero, and O’Brien finished off the final three innings for the win.

The good news is, Stanek, Romero, and O’Brien appear to be reliable arms for close games. The bad news is, there are holes in the bullpen. If the Cardinals want to exceed expectations this season, they need their bullpen to be strong. Pitching will be their strong asset, but it can also be their worst enemy.

Standout #1- Jordan Walker

Did someone show Walker the article about this being a make-or-break season for him? He is certainly making it so far this season. He ended the weekend leading the league in home runs after hitting five of them this past week, including one in each game in Washington. Furthermore, he reached at least once in each game.