Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled mightily to start the 2024 season. They will be looking to get back on track versus the cellar dwelling Chicago White Sox.
The team’s offensive problems have been holding them back more than the pitching so far. Entering the 2024 season, the pitching was a bigger concern for most fans and experts alike. However, the starting pitchers have been serviceable, especially after the return of Sonny Gray. Additionally, the bullpen has performed well at the back end of games. However, the offense has been another story entirely.
Cardinals Ace Sonny Gray to Make Start in Game One
The Cardinals will host the White Sox at Busch Stadium on Friday night. Gray will be making the start for St. Louis, while Brad Keller will be making his first start of the year for Chicago. Gray is three and one with a stellar 1.16 ERA. Keller has made three starts in Triple-A Charlotte, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA. The Cardinals have had success in the past against Keller. He has made eight appearances and six starts versus St. Louis. The righty is 2-4 with a 4.14 ERA against the Cardinals. That combined with having Gray on the mound make the Cardinals the favorite in this one.
St. Louis hasn’t had the luxury of having an ace like Gray in the rotation for several years. Undoubtedly, it’s a nice feeling knowing they have a true ace at the top of their rotation. He’s capable of putting an end to any losing streaks. Having a guy like that going every fifth day is essential to have any chance at a winning record.
Cardinals Offensive Woes Continue
The Cardinals rank last in the majors, with 21 homeruns heading into the series against the White Sox. Furthermore, they also rank near the bottom in several important offensive categories. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt’s extremely slow start to the season is probably the biggest factor where the offensive struggles are concerned. However, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol still seems to believe they can turn things around.
“I really like our club,” Marmol told reporters after the team’s loss to the Tigers on Wednesday. “They’re a tough team. They’re not going to give in at all. “Look at the games we’ve been dropping. We’re in every game. Just not enough runs across the board. We just have to score. It’s simple. If you look at our game, it’s a good game. We’re creating opportunities. We’re not getting the next big hit. It’s happened often. So we have to figure out a way to get on the other side of it.”
The only players that have been a consistent source of offense have been catcher Willson Contreras and rookie shortstop Masyn Winn. Contreras leads the team with five homers and an .878 OPS. Winn is sporting a .293/.368/.390 slash line with four stolen bases. The Cardinals desperately need the rest of the line-up to wake up, or it’s going to be a long season
Familiar Faces in Chicago
The White Sox had a rough start to the season, only winning three of their first twenty-five games. Surprisingly, they won their next three games after promoting former Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham from Charlotte before being swept by the Twins.
“Tommy is a gamer,” White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong , a fellow former Cardinal, said, according to MLB.com. “We’re happy to have him. I think he’s a spark plug for our offense. He plays the game the right way, and he’s a great competitor. So, we’re really lucky to have him.”
Must Win Series
If the Cardinals don’t win the series, it doesn’t mean the season is over, but it definitely doesn’t bode well. These are the games that they have to win if they’re going to have even a small bit of success this year. They need to beat the bad teams and try to split with the good ones. Unfortunately for fans, they have been trending towards being one of the bad teams the past couple of seasons. Undoubtedly, Cardinals fans everywhere are hoping the team can finally get the offense rolling. The series against the White Sox is a perfect opportunity to get back on track and start trending back in the right direction.
