ST. LOUIS — In a little over two months, free agency begins in Major League Baseball. That's how close we are to the finish line, ladies and gentlemen.
Thankfully, the St. Louis Cardinals team that was once a fumbling mess has settled finely into place, winning eight of their last ten games after starting the penultimate month of the season with a rigid 8-7 mark.
It just took a few months for the Cardinals to embrace their social media hashtag, "time to fly," which sure has taken fans on a familiar roller coaster ride. One that has been used for the past four years. The "almost there" Cardinals are looking better than ever, perhaps even stronger than the 100-win 2015 club that ran out of steam towards the end of the season and got ousted by the Chicago Cubs.
These days, the Cardinals are calling the shots, ambushing the resting Cubs for a two-game lead that seemed impossible just a matter of weeks ago. As KMOX host Chris Hrabe noted on Wednesday's evening show, the odds for the Cardinals to make the postseason was less than 30% just three weeks ago. Today, as you stretch and sip the coffee, it's a 90% chance for St. Louis to see some sort of playoff action.
How did they do it? How did they go from 58-55 and 3.5 games out on Aug. 8 to two games ahead on Aug. 29? It's not a simple on and off switch. Just a gradual case of players executing and reaching their potential. It's been a whirlwind season, especially the last two months. The Cardinals are a combined 32-17 since July 1 but kept fans in a frustrating state of limbo for several weeks.
As they say, it takes an island. With this team, that's very true.
Let's start with Jack Flaherty. My goodness, this guy is fun to watch. The impact goes beyond game day. Sure, the guy pitches every fifth day, but having a shutdown starter just changes a team's DNA. When the team knows they have a bad, bad man in that dugout who can strike your best guy out, the game gets flipped. Expectations are rearranged, faith is restored, and swag enters the party. Since the All-Star break, Flaherty's ERA is 0.98. He's only allowing hitters to produce a .161 batting average, and the WHIP (average hits and walks per inning is 0.83. In summary, he's a mean guy out there, giving no corners or mercy to the opposition. He didn't lose Wednesday's game in Milwaukee; the team simply couldn't score enough runs.
Kolten Wong is becoming an all-around marvel. With Wong, it's like a long staircase of accomplishments. While he's not the stud many thought he'd be at the beginning, the man is making strides. The electric defense showed up last year, but somehow looks better this year. You could blindfold him, and he could flip the ball perfectly to shortstop Paul DeJong. The bat is breaking out this year. In his last 30 games, Wong is slashing .366/.443/.538. He's batting .280 on the season and getting on base at a .362 clip. Should he bat leadoff? I wouldn't be against it, but he has found his way to the No. 2 hole. He leads the team with a lovely 4.0 WAR as the team enjoys a day off.
Dexter Fowler is doing things. The embattled outfielder has taken a big step forward this year, improving his defense along with rediscovering his stroke at the plate. Now, a .244 batting average and .765 OPS won't make MLB Network block out a segment, but Fowler is doing exactly what he needs to be doing. In his last 15 games, totaling 52 at-bats, he's collected 12 hits and 13 walks. That's 25 times he's gotten on base in 52 chances. Don't sabe me, please. Let me just tell you that's very good. He's setting the tone for the team.
Marcell Ozuna is smashing baseballs. Remember when all Cardinal Nation wanted last year was for this man to slug baseballs more often? He was the king of the chopper that found the outfield. Now, he's hurting pitchers and breaking open games. Ozuna is slashing .306/.398/.529 in August but check out his slugging percent over the past few months: .663, .462, .471. He's the best hitter on the team this year and will get paid handsomely this offseason by some General Manager. He's what the team ordered last year but got now. Shoulders must be important.
Harrison Bader figured something out down in Memphis. Who knows what it was or how it happened exactly, but this Bader is drawing walks, driving pitches, and laying off that sweeping slider. He's 9 for 28 with four extra-base hits, including a home run. But here's the most impressive part: Bader has seven walks and five strikeouts. In the month leading up to his demotion, Bader was 6-45 at the plate with 16 strikeouts and just five walks. The Gold Glove-caliber defense was always there, but the bat needed work. I don't know how long it's going to last, but let's hope another six to eight weeks. Whatever he had in Memphis, feed it to all the players.
Yadier Molina had a bad thumb injury, and many were ready to sign his retirement papers. Don't get me wrong, Matt Wieters did a great job in his absence, but there is only one "Yadi" and he's not a fan of Father Time, aging in sports, or slowing down generally. After a slow start in his return, Molina has turned it up a notch, going 18-56 this month with three home runs, two doubles, and a .518 slugging percentage. He slugged .313 in June by the way. Thumb injuries are a big deal. Molina is clearly healthy and finding the stroke again. Remember what he did last year, folks.
There are other producers. Giovanny Gallegos is still unhittable. The man will close baseball games next year. Paul Goldschmidt either hits a home run or strikes out. Carlos Martinez lights fires on the mound during every save opportunity but gets the job done. Miles Mikolas has put together a very strong second half. Tommy Edman makes for a fine lineup addition when he's not in the outfield. Matt Carpenter is still struggling, but he's not hurting the team by starting every day.
It's far from over, but the Cardinals are in control for the first time in ... well ... forever. The Cubs and Brewers aren't gone but don't look as strong as they used to. The Cardinals beat Milwaukee seven times in their last nine outings and recently took a series against the Cubs. The rest of the schedule isn't a doozy. The Reds, Giants, Pirates, and Rockies should allow the Cardinals to pad their lead until the final two weeks against the likes of Washington, Chicago, and Arizona presents a true test.
After years of struggling to even stay visible into the end of August, the Cardinals are in the driver's seat at last. They've rumbled since the All-Star Break, carrying their smart fundamental baseball nature built on strong base-running and elite defense, and added some Cy Young-flavored pitching to it and some offense. Mike Shildt isn't getting in his own way, managing with brass knuckles instead of an oven mitt.
What happens next? Only the fall knows. If you try to predict this game, it'll torture you. Best to just sit back and watch it unfold. The only thing more mind-boggling would be trying to figure out the ending of The Sopranos or Inception. That's baseball, a game that gives and takes with equal measure, but an addictive one all the same.
It'll come down to how much of a lead the Cardinals can build before the final stretch against those good teams, who they have struggled against this season. How consistent can they be? Can they build another six-game winning streak? Maybe five wins in a row? They have to play badly in order to lose their current spot, while the Cubs have to find some level of consistency.
You won't find a better trace of their play than their games with Milwaukee, a division pest the past two seasons. The Cardinals lost five of their first seven games against the Brewers. In the nine games since, St. Louis has won seven of those matchups, outscoring Milwaukee 56-28.
Some things just take time. That's the Cardinals' motto in 2019.
The real question is how long can it last?
