St. Louis, Missouri:

To say it’s been an unusual season for the Cardinals is an understatement this team has battled two weeks of postponed games due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the clubhouse. Not only was overcoming a sixty game schedule a daunting task already but when you add the challenge of making up two weeks’ worth of games into the back half of the season, it seems impossible. Not for this team, they kept fighting and, on Sunday, clinched a second straight birth in the playoffs. Large in part from the leadership of the Cardinals manager, Mike Shildt.

It might have come down to the wire for this team, but in typical St. Louis fashion, they put the stamp on the Brewers by a score of 5-2. With the win, the Cardinals finished the season in second place in the NL Central and will travel to PetCo Park to take on the San Diego Padres in a best of three NL Wild Card series.

When you look at this season as a whole, sure, a playoff series win would be nice, but, given the circumstances that the Cardinals found themselves in, a successful season has already taken place. Making the playoff and finishing second in the NL Central is enough for the fan base to celebrate. However, given the playoff setup and the Cardinals’ potent lineup, the possibility of a deep run is not only possible, but it could be the sleeper pick of the playoffs.

This team has had to overcome just about everything a baseball team could overcome, sickness, injuries, a hectic schedule, and the odds stacked against them. The Cardinals had no choice but to keep fighting and to keep pushing forward. It wasn’t pretty, and it took this team until the last day of the regular season to clinch a postseason bid, but in typical Cardinals fashion, they did it, and, now, it’s all business. It’s time for this team to do what they do best, go out, and play baseball, the Cardinals way.

If the rumors out of St. Louis are accurate, then this playoff run for the Cardinals could very well be the last for the legendary catcher, Yadier Molina. What a better way to honor the legend, by sending him out with a bang and a third World Series ring? That alone is enough motivation for this team to rally around together for one last ride.

The Cardinals will begin their postseason journey on Wednesday afternoon against the Padres the time, and television details are to be determined, on Monday.