Oct 7, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Giovanny Gallegos (65) pitches during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in game one of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals desperately needed a series win against the Pittsburgh Pirates to turn around their season. Instead, they suffered a three-game sweep.
What could have been a phenomenal turnaround story instead became the latest chapter in a wasted season, as far as the St. Louis Cardinals are concerned. The Cards entered the season with World Series aspirations, and as the clear favorites in the NL Central.
After Sunday’s game — which resulted in a sweep to the Pittsburgh Pirates — the Cards are firmly entrenched at the bottom of the division. Frankly, the way they’ve been playing through 60 games, this team does not deserve much more.
Rather than writing about who St. Louis could trade for at the deadline, I’m instead greeted with trade rumors regarding who they should sell. Is Paul Goldschmidt for sale? What about Jack Flaherty, or even Jordan Montgomery?
Something has to change for the Cards, but at least for a day, fans can aim their rage in the right direction.
Cardinals to blame: Giovanny Gallegos
There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Cards, but the bullpen deserves a decent portion. St. Louis should have won Friday night’s game in Pittsburgh, but instead a late rally set PNC Park ablaze. That was all thanks to the work of primarily Gallegos who, despite being steady for most of the season, gave up four runs. The Bucs scored six runs in the decisive seventh inning and never looked back.
Gallegos gave up three hits, two home runs and four runs in what was his second BS of the season. The Cardinals need every win they can get, and they were robbed of that opportunity thanks to Gallegos, as well as Andre Pallante, who gave up two runs of his own.