ST. LOUIS — In one of the most confounding swings of the MLB season, the St. Louis Cardinals went from an offensive explosion to a complete collapse — all within a matter of days.
After sweeping the Cleveland Guardians and scoring 21 runs across the three-game series, the Cardinals turned around and suffered an equally stunning sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates, failing to score a single run in the entire series.
The inconsistency not only raised eyebrows across the league but also had a measurable impact on the team’s postseason hopes. According to recent projections, the Cardinals’ playoff odds plummeted from 49% to just 37% following the back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh.
Against the Guardians, St. Louis looked like a playoff-ready team — firing on all cylinders with explosive offense, solid pitching, and contagious energy in the dugout. Key contributors like Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Alec Burleson stepped up big, helping the team rack up 21 total runs and dominate all three matchups.
But that momentum vanished almost overnight.
Against the Pirates, the Cardinals’ bats went ice cold. Over three games, St. Louis failed to cross the plate even once — a rare and shocking stat line for a team that had just demonstrated its offensive firepower.
Photos from the series show slumped shoulders, frustrated expressions, and a dugout searching for answers. Paul Goldschmidt and Willson Contreras, two of the team’s veteran leaders, were visibly dejected during the series finale.
The whiplash week didn’t just affect morale — it impacted the numbers. As per FanGraphs playoff odds, the Cardinals dropped from a 49% chance to make the postseason down to just 37% after being swept in Pittsburgh.
With the National League wild-card race tightening and divisional rivals gaining ground, every series — and every run — matters.
This streak of extremes underscores what has been a frustratingly inconsistent season for the Cardinals. Just when the team seems to be turning a corner, it takes a hard step back. The sweep over the Guardians showed what this roster is capable of when it clicks. But the silence in Pittsburgh highlighted the issues — especially with offensive rhythm and clutch hitting — that have haunted the Cardinals all season long.
The Cardinals now face a pivotal stretch in their schedule, and manager Oliver Marmol will need to find answers fast. Can this team stabilize and find its groove again before the playoff picture becomes too crowded to recover?
One thing is clear: The margin for error is shrinking fast in St. Louis — and the time to play consistent baseball is now.