The St. Louis Cardinals’ Playoff Hopes Take a Hit with Five-Game Losing Streak
The St. Louis Cardinals’ chances of making it to the playoffs have been dealt a major blow as the team has suffered a five-game losing streak. Despite winning two out of three games against the Colorado Rockies, the Cardinals were unable to maintain their momentum and were swept at home by the New York Yankees in a three-game series. This has resulted in the Cardinals falling 5.5 games behind the final National League playoff spot.
Loss of Brendan Donovan Further Complicates Cardinals’ Situation
Adding to the Cardinals’ woes is the recent loss of Brendan Donovan, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left groin strain, according to MLB.com’s John Denton. Donovan, who was the sole All-Star Game representative for the Cardinals this season, has been one of the team’s top offensive players. In fact, he leads the Cardinals in hits with 118 in 110 games played.
With the Cardinals’ playoff chances already in jeopardy, the loss of Donovan only adds to the team’s struggles. The Cardinals will have to find a way to bounce back and make up for his absence if they hope to keep their playoff dreams alive.
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Playoff Hopes Take a Hit with Five-Game Losing Streak
The St. Louis Cardinals’ chances of making it to the playoffs have been dealt a major blow as the team has suffered a five-game losing streak. After losing two out of three games against the Colorado Rockies, the Cardinals were swept at home by the New York Yankees in a three-game series, pushing them 5.5 games behind the final National League playoff spot.
Cardinals’ All-Star Brendan Donovan Placed on 10-Day IL with Groin Strain
The Cardinals’ situation has become even more complicated with the loss of Brendan Donovan, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left groin strain, according to MLB.com’s John Denton. Donovan, who was the lone All-Star representative for the Cardinals this season, has been one of the team’s top offensive players, leading the team with 118 hits in 110 games played.
Donovan’s Injury Adds to Cardinals’ Struggles
The Gold Glove second baseman initially tried to play through the groin strain after sustaining it in the Cardinals’ series opener against the Chicago Cubs on August 8. However, he has been in and out of the lineup since then, hoping that rest would help him avoid a trip to the injured list. Unfortunately, after sitting out the entire series against the Yankees, the Cardinals ultimately decided to place the fourth-year veteran on the IL. This comes at a difficult time for the team, as they have also recently lost Victor Scott II to injury.
Donovan’s Struggle with Pain Affects Performance
According to Donovan, the injury has been affecting his performance on the field. “It’s really only lateral things, running was OK. But pushing off to get a ground ball, and with my rear leg and my swings, I think all of it affected that,” he said, as reported by Santos Perez of MLB.com. While playing through pain is expected in professional sports, Donovan realized that it was impacting his performance and needed to be addressed.
Donovan’s Hot Start Cools Down After All-Star Break
Donovan had a strong start to the season for the Cardinals, hitting .297 with a .801 OPS, eight home runs, 36 RBI, and 51 runs before the All-Star break. However, his performance has slowed down significantly since returning from the Midsummer Classic. In the 21 games since July 18, Donovan has a slash line of .203/.264/.278 with one home run, nine RBI, and six runs scored. During this stretch, the Cardinals have struggled, going 10-18 and falling from 6.5 games back in the division to 18.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. In the Wild Card standings, they have dropped from 1.5 games back to 5.5 games behind.
