Stellar Performance Gives Cardinals Hope for Second-Half Surge
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals showed signs of a potential second-half surge on Sunday, delivering a dominating 8-4 victory over the Washington Nationals. The starting pitching was strong, the bats were explosive, and Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Gorman launched impressive home runs. These are the moments that fuel the Cardinals’ belief in a stirring comeback.
However, reality continues to confront the Cardinals, just as the rain-filled clouds rolled in late on Sunday to put a dampener on their convincing win. Despite their stellar performance and winning the series against the Nationals, the Cardinals remain in last place in the National League Central, a daunting 11 1/2 games behind the first-place team. As the August 1 MLB Trade Deadline looms, the Cardinals are left contemplating whether they should be buyers or sellers.
Jack Flaherty delivered a superb performance, allowing only three hits over six innings. Goldschmidt and Gorman contributed with home runs of 443 feet and 423 feet, respectively, while the offense produced a total of 13 hits. For a brief moment, the Cardinals resembled the team expected to dominate the NL Central, rather than the team that has struggled to maintain a winning record throughout the season.
The Cardinals are hopeful that this performance marks the beginning of their second-half surge. They aim to chase down the four teams ahead of them in the NL Central standings.
“We’ve just got to play well every day and put a bunch of wins together,” said Goldschmidt, whose 443-foot blast nearly cleared the grassy berm in center field. “If we do that, we’ve got a chance, and if we don’t, we don’t have a chance. We’ll see what happens.”
The Cardinals’ ability to inspire hope leading up to the Trade Deadline could directly impact the future of Jack Flaherty. As a potential asset for playoff-bound teams, Flaherty’s services may be sought after if the Cardinals decide to become sellers. Despite the speculation, Flaherty remains focused on maintaining the momentum he has built over the past few weeks, rather than worrying about being traded.
An extensive history of second-half success works in favor of the Cardinals. Since 2000, they have a remarkable .580 winning percentage after the All-Star break, second only to the New York Yankees (.589) in Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have finished with a winning record after the All-Star break in 19 of the past 22 seasons. In 2021, they famously achieved a 17-game winning streak en route to the playoffs.
Last season, buoyed by Albert Pujols’ remarkable run to 703 career home runs, the Cardinals went 43-25 after the break, surpassed the Milwaukee Brewers, and clinched the NL Central title convincingly.
“I don’t know if I have the answer to why the Cardinals have been a strong second-half team, other than the fact that we don’t change anything from the first half to the second half,” said manager Oliver Marmol. “We have a lot of pride in finishing well, and we’ve been able to do that. We’ll be tested this year, and we look forward to it.”
As the Cardinals prepare to face the Miami Marlins on Monday, Marmol believes that pitching will be the key to their success in the coming games.
“We feel really good about our offense, and if we continue to get good starting pitching, we’ve got a shot,” said Marmol. “Those guys have done a much better job giving us a chance.”
With their stirring victory over the Nationals, the Cardinals have reignited hopes of a second-half surge. Whether they can maintain their momentum and mount a comeback remains to be seen, but their history suggests they are more than capable of challenging the teams ahead of them in the NL Central.