St Louis Cardinals Standings Wild Card Magic Number
With the MLB season coming to a close, the St Louis Cardinals find themselves in a tight race for the National League Wild Card spot. Their magic number is currently at 4, meaning they need 4 wins or any combination of wins and losses by their opponents to secure their spot in the playoffs. Let's take a closer look at where the Cardinals stand in the Wild Card race.
Current Standings
As of September 21st, the Cardinals are tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the second Wild Card spot in the National League. Both teams have a record of 80-72 and are half a game behind the San Diego Padres. The Cardinals have won 5 of their last 7 games, including a crucial 2-1 win against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers on September 20th. The Reds, on the other hand, have lost 7 of their last 10 games.
Remaining Schedule
The Cardinals have 10 games remaining on their schedule. They will play a 3-game series against both the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs before finishing the season with a 4-game series against the division rival Chicago Cubs. The Brewers and Cubs are both out of playoff contention, but they will still be looking to play spoiler against the Cardinals. The Cardinals will need to take care of business and win as many games as possible to secure their spot in the Wild Card game.
Key Players
The Cardinals have a talented team with several key players that will need to step up in order to secure their spot in the playoffs. One of those players is first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt leads the team in home runs (28) and RBIs (89) and has been a consistent bat in the middle of the lineup. Another key player is starting pitcher Adam Wainwright. Wainwright has a record of 16-7 with a 2.89 ERA and has been the ace of the Cardinals' staff this season.
Conclusion
The St Louis Cardinals are in the midst of a tight race for the National League Wild Card spot. With a magic number of 4 and 10 games remaining on their schedule, the Cardinals will need to play their best baseball in order to secure their spot in the playoffs. They have a talented team with several key players, but they will need everyone to step up and contribute if they want to make a deep playoff run.