Cardinals Keep Rolling with 9th Straight Win

The St. Louis Cardinals are on fire. On Monday, they won their ninth straight game after shortstop Masyn Winn hit a solo home run in the 7th inning to break a 2–2 tie against the Philadelphia Phillies. His clutch swing off Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm gave the Cardinals the lead, and they held on for another big victory.

The Winning Streak Takes Shape

The streak started with two hard-fought wins to finish a series against the NL East-leading New York Mets. After that, the Cardinals took advantage of struggling teams, sweeping both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals in back-to-back three-game series. That gave them eight wins in a row heading into their matchup with the Phillies. Monday’s win made it nine straight.

Offensive Firepower

During this streak, the Cardinals’ offense has been rolling. They’ve scored 47 runs in nine games, averaging more than five runs per game. The team has a .261 batting average, which is the fourth highest in Major League Baseball.

Catcher Wilson Contreras is leading the team in home runs with six this season. Brendan Donovan has been a spark at the top of the lineup, batting .312 and getting on base for the hitters behind him.

A New Energy in the Clubhouse

The players are feeling the difference. “We’re excited to come to the ballpark,” said third baseman Nolan Arenado after the team’s eighth win in a row. “First time in a couple years where it feels like we’re coming to the ballpark ready to win a ballgame instead of coming to the ballpark hoping for something good to happen. It’s a different vibe, for sure.” (The Athletic)

That new energy is showing up in the way the team plays and how they’ve climbed in the standings.

Climbing the NL Central

After Monday’s win, the Cardinals improved to 23–19. That puts them in second place in the NL Central behind the first-place Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have been playing solid baseball, so catching them won’t be easy. But if the Cardinals keep playing with this much confidence, the race for the top spot could get very exciting.

Looking to Make It 10

The Cardinals will try to stretch their streak to 10 wins on Tuesday when they face the Phillies again. St. Louis will send veteran right-hander Sonny Gray to the mound. He has a 4–1 record with a 3.50 ERA. The Phillies will counter with lefty Jesús Luzardo, who is 3–0 with a 2.11 ERA.

The Cardinals are rolling, and the next game could be another big step forward in a season that is starting to turn around.