<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Nolan-Arenado-Cardinals-Yankees.jpg"></figure><h1>Nolan Arenado gets real about Cardinals’ thrashing of the Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-07T18:07:11-07:00">August 7th, 6:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-07T18:08:16-07:00">August 7th, 6:08pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals are feeling it. The Cards extended their scorching undefeated streak to seven games following a 12-9 takedown of the New York Yankees at home Sunday. That victory also capped a three-game sweep of the American League-leading Yankees.</p><p>Nolan Arenado distilled his emotions about the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-news-matt-carpenter-receives-epic-standing-ovation-in-return-to-st-louis/">sweep</a> of the Bronx Bombers in a quote that must also sound so sweet to hear for Cardinals fans, who also witnessed their team pull off a feat that’s rarely seen in the majors.</p><p>Via <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/401355845">ESPN</a>:</p><p>“Anytime you can cap off a sweep of a great team like the Yankees, it’s huge,” Arenado said. “We beat a team that’s playing great ball, too. Where we’re trying to go, you’ve got to win series. It’s just great to see us playing good baseball, playing hard.”</p><p>According to <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1556415108481523713">ESPN Stats &amp; Info</a>, the Cardinals have become just the first team from the National League in 15 years to win all games in a three-game series against the Yankees.</p><p>“The Cardinals are the first NL team to finish a 3-game sweep of the Yankees in 15 years. NL teams have swept the Yankees just 4 times since interleague play began in 1997.”</p><p>The third and final game of the series between the Cardinals and the Yankees had the feel of a World Series preview, especially with how both teams traded blows at the plate. New York raced to a 4-1 lead before Dylan Carlson, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado got down to work. Nolan Arenado was the one who put the Cardinals up 6-4 with a three-run blast in the second inning and then scored another run in the eighth inning. He finished the game 3-of-5 with a home run and four RBIs.</p><p>Nolan Arenado continues to do the heavy lifting offensively for the Cardinals, alongside Paul Goldschmidt. Since the 2022 MLB All-Star break, Arenado is hitting .341 with a .423 OBP and .795 SLG. He’s hit six homers and drove in 14 total runs in his last 12 games. Goldschmidt, on the other hand, is slashing  .356/.442/.733 in the second half of the 2022 MLB season, so far.</p><p>After going 9-1 in their last 10 games, the Cardinals are now two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers and the rest of the National League Central division.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nolan Arenado gets real about Cardinals’ thrashing of the Yankees

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Cardinals-Paul-Goldschmidt-Nolan-Arenado-Brendan-Donovan-.jpeg"></figure><h1>Cardinals fans should be fired up with this crazy stat after sweeping Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-07T16:56:47-07:00">August 7th, 4:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-07T16:56:47-07:00">August 7th, 4:56pm</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Marist College '22 | earned my stripes at TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There are a lot of reasons for the St. Louis Cardinals to be thrilled. They are now leading the NL Central, co-owning the longest winning streak in MLB and are coming off of a series sweep over the New York Yankees.</p><p>While not quite as special as their 17-game winning streak from last September, the Cardinals have won seven straight games (tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers) after beating the Yankees 12-9 at Busch Stadium. They got a rally going against their new pitching acquisition, Frankie Montas, and punctuated it with a three-run homer from Nolan Arenado in the second inning.</p><p>Although the Yankees fought back to tie it, the Cardinals retook the lead each time and won the high-scoring affair. Partnered with their 4-3 and 1-0 wins, it marked the first time an NL team swept the Yankees (in a series of three games) for the first time in 15 years. It was also the <a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1556417891364261888?s=20&amp;t=3A5qwd63-oEQxkZo_9HWYQ">first time</a> they have done so in team history.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Cardinals are the first NL team to finish a 3-game sweep of the Yankees in 15 years.</p><p>NL teams have swept the Yankees just 4 times since interleague play began in 1997. <a href="https://t.co/EICIwPKrVF">pic.twitter.com/EICIwPKrVF</a></p><p>— ESPN Stats &amp; Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1556415108481523713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Cardinals are 60-48 on the season and in the driver’s seat to make the playoffs. An MVP-caliber season from Paul Goldschmidt and a revamped pitching staff with Jose Quintana and Jordan Montgomery (a former Yankee that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/i-was-pretty-nervous-jordan-montgomery-reacts-shutting-down-yankees-first-cardinals-start/">dominated his former team</a> on Saturday) has the redbirds on a roll.</p><p>St. Louis still has to deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, who are not too far behind them in the chase for the division title. Their deep lineup and pitching staff should be able to get them back into the postseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals fans should be fired up with this crazy stat after sweeping Yankees

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cardinals-news-yadier-molina-joins-yogi-berra-with-impressive-piece-of-mlb-history.jpeg"></figure><h1>Cardinals’ Yadier Molina joins Yogi Berra with impressive piece of MLB history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-07T14:30:23-07:00">August 7th, 2:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-07T14:31:26-07:00">August 7th, 2:31pm</time><address><a>Karl Rasmussen</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Yadier Molina is in his 19th MLB season, all of which were spent with the St. Louis Cardinals. A fan favorite through and through, the 39-year-old Molina will go down as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-news-yadier-molinas-historic-feat-cements-his-hall-of-fame-legacy/">one of the greatest catchers of all time</a> when it’s all said and done. On Sunday, Molina achieved an insanely impressive feat. Molina recorded his 1,000th career base hit at Busch Stadium on Sunday, making him just the second catcher in MLB history to have 1,000+ hits at one stadium, joining Yankees legend Yogi Berra with the remarkable achievement, <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1556386233353469952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1556386233353469952%7Ctwgr%5Ec5b3c1e6725bbbd37b4228dce7bc791c40e5a85a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">according to ESPN Stats and Info. </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yadier Molina recorded his 1,000th career hit at Busch Stadium. According to <a href="https://twitter.com/EliasSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EliasSports</a>, he joins Yogi Berra as the only catchers with 1,000 career hits at a single ballpark in MLB History. <a href="https://t.co/fyJqCrAEbY">pic.twitter.com/fyJqCrAEbY</a></p><p>— ESPN Stats &amp; Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1556386233353469952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>So many of the game’s all-time great catchers failed to do what Molina has done in his career with the Cardinals. While Molina has never been elite at the plate, he’s been a consistent force in the Cardinals’ lineup throughout the past two decades, and has now seen his hit tally in front of his adoring home fans balloon past 1,000.</p><p>Guys like Ivan Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, and various other legendary backstops couldn’t achieve the incredible accomplishment that Molina notched on Sunday. Molina has recorded over 2,100 hits in his career, and almost half of those have come at Busch Stadium.</p><p>Yogi Berra is the only catcher in MLB history to have achieved such a feat. Ironically, Molina’s 1,000th hit with the Cardinals came against Berra’s Yankees.</p><p>Berra is renowned as one of the greatest catchers of all time. He logged a 59.4 WAR, 358 home runs, and 2,150 hits throughout his career. For Molina to join him with this ridiculous piece of MLB history is yet another testament to the greatness of the Cardinals’ catcher.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals’ Yadier Molina joins Yogi Berra with impressive piece of MLB history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MLB-Odds-Yankees-vs-Cardinals-prediction-odds-and-pick-2.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB Odds: Yankees vs. Cardinals prediction, odds and pick – 8/7/2022</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-07T08:09:27-07:00">August 7th, 8:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-07T08:10:40-07:00">August 7th, 8:10am</time><address><a>Brendan Smith</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees will face off with the St. Louis Cardinals for the final game of a three-game series Sunday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/">series</a>, which includes our Yankees-Cardinals prediction and pick we have laid out below.</p><p>New York has lost four games in a row, including the first two against St. Louis. Still, with a 70-38 record, the Yankees are in first place in the AL East by 10.5 games. Despite the recent struggles, New York is all but guaranteed a playoff spot when the season ends.</p><p>St. Louis is red-hot, winners of six games in a row. With a record of 59-48, St. Louis has overtaken the NL Central, leading Milwaukee by one game. St. Louis has not lost a home game since July 14, and their 34-20 home record is the third-best in the league.</p><p><b><i>Here are the Yankees-Cardinals MLB odds, </i></b><a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb"><b><i>courtesy of FanDuel.</i></b></a><b><i> </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Yankees-Cardinals Odds</b></h2><p>New York Yankees: -1.5 (+116)</p><p>St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-140)</p><p>Over: 8 (-110)</p><p>Under: 8 (-110)</p><h2><b>Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>Starting Sunday afternoon for New York is the newly acquired Frankie Montas. Montas was the prized pickup at the trade deadline, acquired with reliever Lou Trivino for a package of prospects. Montas has pitched to a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts, striking out 25.8% of the batters he has faced. Montas is a likely second starter in a playoff series.</p><p>The New York bullpen has been otherworldly, with a 2.90 ERA that ranks second in the league. Even after losing Chad Green, Miguel Castro, and Michael King for the season, the bullpen is a stable of weapons. Despite some recent hiccups, Clay Holmes is one of the better closers in baseball, with a 2.12 ERA and 17 saves. New relievers Scott Effross and Trivino have been spectacular, with a combined five scoreless innings.</p><p>Offensively, the Yankees have struggled of late. Aaron Judge has easily been the MVP of the AL so far, hitting .299 with 43 home runs and 93 RBI. Eight current Yankees have reached double-digit home run totals, and the Yankees lead the league with 185. Also impressive, the Yankees lead the league with 429 walks. In a break from their status quo, the Yankees have stolen 70 bases, third-highest in the league. Despite scoring just six runs over their last three games, this is the deepest lineup in the American League.</p><h2><b>Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>St. Louis is one of the hottest teams in baseball, going 8-2 in the last 10 games. Adam Wainwright will be Sunday afternoon’s starting pitcher. Wainwright has a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts, and even at 40 years old still possesses one of baseball’s best curveballs. The curveball has struck out 41 batters for Wainwright this season, the most of any of his offerings.</p><p>St. Louis’ bullpen is solid, ranking 10th in the league with a 3.53 ERA. Ryan Helsley, the flame-throwing reliever, has a miniscule 0.61 ERA, striking out 66 in 44.1 innings. Helsley and Jordan Hicks, who has a 3.71 ERA as a reliever, form a dominant setup duo. Closer Giovanny Gallegos, a former Yankee, has a 3.27 ERA and 11 saves on his season.</p><p>St. Louis has a superstar lineup, with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado forming one of the best one-two punches in the league. The two have combined for 47 home runs and 55 doubles. Tommy Edman has been a true threat with his speed, stealing 22 bases in 2022. As a team, St. Louis is hitting .251, the seventh-highest total in the league.</p><h2><b>Final Yankees-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>It’s hard to see a sweep here, and the Yankees are too good to continue their slump.</p><p><b>Final Yankees-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick: Yankees -1.5 (+116), under 8 (-110)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB Odds: Yankees vs. Cardinals prediction, odds and pick – 8/7/2022

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/1-MLB-trade-deadline-move-St.-Louis-should-have-made.jpg"></figure><h1>1 MLB trade deadline move the Cardinals should have made</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-07T07:27:44-07:00">August 7th, 7:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-07T07:27:44-07:00">August 7th, 7:27am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>My name is Owen Crisafulli, and I’m currently a graduate student at Nichols College pursuing my Masters in Business Administration. Previously, I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Sport Management, and for awhile I ran my own sports website. Sports are my passion, and I thoroughly enjoy writing about my thoughts and opinions that are related to them. I have been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston, and enjoy discussing topics involving those teams and the major professional sports leagues</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals have emerged from the 2022 MLB trade deadline on fire. They have won six straight, and eight of their last nine, to retake sole possesion of first place in the National League Central. Based on this current hot stretch from the Cards, they should be the favorites to pull away from the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central over the final two months of the season.</p><p>A big reason for that is because of the work they put in the at the trade deadline. St. Louis knew they needed some more pitching help, and they went out and got it. It’s already begun to pay dividends, as Jordan Montgomery, who was picked up from the New York Yankees at the deadline, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/i-was-pretty-nervous-jordan-montgomery-reacts-shutting-down-yankees-first-cardinals-start/">was fantastic in his first start</a> last night for the Cardinals.</p><p>Overall, though, it felt like St. Louis’ deadline day dealings left a bit to be desired. Their pitching staff is shored up for now, and will only get better once they get Jack Flaherty back from the injured list. But their lineup remains inconsistent at times, and the Cardinals failure to land this star outfielder could end up coming back to bite them in a big way down the line.</p><h2>The 1 move the St. Louis Cardinals should have made at the 2022 MLB trade deadline</h2><p><b>Trade for Juan Soto</b></p><p>Juan Soto trade discussions dominated the 2022 MLB trade deadline for the Cardinals. They had a need for another big bat in their lineup, and Soto would be the perfect fit considering how good he is at just 23 years old. St. Louis also had the assets to pursue a potential trade for Soto.</p><p>It wasn’t surprising to see the Cardinals be<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10043933-juan-soto-trade-rumors-dodgers-padres-cardinals-seen-as-finalists-for-nationals-of"> one of the final three teams</a> in the running for Soto. They had the assets, the need, and the desire to move for Soto. But they ultimately watched him get traded to another National League competitor in the San Diego Padres. It was a pretty disappointing result for the Cardinals and their fans.</p><p>St. Louis’ inability to land Soto was already labeled as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-st-louis-biggest-mlb-trade-deadline-surprise/">their most surprising move</a> at the deadline, and ultimately, when reviewing their work at the trade deadline, it’s the one move St. Louis should have made at the deadline as well. Anytime you have the potential to add a transcendent MLB star like Soto, you take that opportunity and run with it. The Cardinals inability to do so was a mistake.</p><p>Any team would have been glad to have the opportunity to add Soto to their roster, but not every team in the league had the assets to pull a deal off. The Cardinals are one that did, and they reportedly wouldn’t go above and beyond what the Padres were willing to offer for Soto.</p><p>In a sense, keeping their farm system in tact is logical. The Cardinals have a lot of solid prospects that have either already reached the majors, or on the verge of doing so. If they all pan out the way St. Louis intends for them to pan out, the Cardinals are going to have a very good team for many seasons to come.</p><p>But not every prospect is going to hit; it’s just the nature of the game. Taking established production over potential production is usually a guaranteed way to win. When it comes to Soto, a 23 year superstar who can hit for average, power, and get on base at a high clip, that established production wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.</p><p>There’s a chance that Cardinals could have a couple prospects that will become All-Stars, but banking on them to produce like Soto is wishful thinking. There aren’t many hitters better than Soto in the MLB right now, and again, he’s only 23 years old. He probably hasn’t even reached his peak yet, which is a scary proposition for the other 29 teams he isn’t on right now.</p><p>When it comes to winning now and in the future, there wasn’t a better move the Cardinals could have made than trading for Soto. He’s a star already, and he’s only going to continue to improve. St. Louis would have been set to contend immediately, and basically for as long as Soto was on their roster.</p><p>Instead, thet let another playoff team in the National League beat them to the punch, and it may haunt them for many seasons to come. The Cardinals made some nice upgrades at the trade deadline, but adding Soto would have put them over the top. It would have cost them a lot, but this is the move they should have made, and they are going to be left wondering whether or not they made a huge mistake for quite some time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 MLB trade deadline move the Cardinals should have made

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/i-was-pretty-nervous-jordan-montgomery-reacts-to-shutting-down-yankees-in-first-cardinals-start.jpg"></figure><h1>‘I was pretty nervous’: Jordan Montgomery reacts to shutting down Yankees in first Cardinals start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-07T06:18:03-07:00">August 7th, 6:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-07T06:18:03-07:00">August 7th, 6:18am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>My name is Owen Crisafulli, and I’m currently a graduate student at Nichols College pursuing my Masters in Business Administration. Previously, I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Sport Management, and for awhile I ran my own sports website. Sports are my passion, and I thoroughly enjoy writing about my thoughts and opinions that are related to them. I have been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston, and enjoy discussing topics involving those teams and the major professional sports leagues</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jordan Montgomery was involved in one of the more <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-trade-deadline-grading-yankees-cardinals-jordan-montgomery-harrison-bader-deal/">surprising trades</a> of the 2022 MLB trade deadline. Montgomery found himself going from the New York Yankees, a team that could have used another starting pitcher, to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals dealt from their excess of outfielders, giving New York Harrison Bader in return, resulting in a shocking deal for both sides.</p><p>Jordan Montgomery wasn’t expecting to be traded by New York, but that’s how life in the MLB works sometimes. The Cardinals made it a point of theirs to shore up their starting rotation at the deadline, and the early returns show they may have gotten a steal in Montgomery.</p><p>Jordan Montgomery ended up making his first start with the Cardinals against his old team in the Yankees. And he was spectacular, going five scoreless innings, giving up only two hits and a walk, while picking up a strikeout along the way. But it wasn’t as easy as it looked for Montgomery, as he was pretty nervous prior to the start, and ended up leaving the game as a precaution due to a hamstring cramp.</p><p>“It’s not exactly what you want to do for your first time being in a new organization. But I’m a competitor. I was pretty nervous, especially with how hot it was. The humidity is definitely different from New York. My body started cramping up. I gave the team five innings.” – Jordan Montgomery, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34360914/jordan-montgomery-dazzles-debut-st-louis-cardinals-blanks-new-york-yankees-less-week-being-dealt">ESPN</a></p><p>Jordan Montgomery powered his way through a difficult first outing with the Cardinals, against one of the most dangerous offenses in the league nonetheless. It was certainly an encouraging first outing for Montgomery with his new team, and as St. Louis continues on their recent stretch of winning, they will need more outings like Montgomery’s to make some noise in the National League this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

‘I was pretty nervous’: Jordan Montgomery reacts to shutting down Yankees in first Cardinals start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Yankees-news-The-explanation-behind-New-York-shipping-off-Jordan-Montgomery-to-Cardinals.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: The explanation behind Yankees trading Jordan Montgomery to Cardinals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-06T14:11:33-07:00">August 6th, 2:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-06T19:23:11-07:00">August 6th, 7:23pm</time><address><a>Steve Zavala</a>Steve is a freelance writer covering the world of sports for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman pulled off quite a surprise ahead of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline, as he elected to send starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Harrison Bader.</p><p>The move brought many to speculate that Cashman was planning to then complete a late deal for a starting pitcher, especially as the Yankees were linked with Miami Marlins hurler Pablo Lopez. However, Frankie Montas wound up being the lone addition to the starting rotation of the current AL East leaders.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1555980882112139264?s=20&amp;t=JjlJOT7XgeBBD_fy8ObQJQ" rel="noopener">FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal</a> provided clarity on the Yankees’ call to part ways with Montgomery. He noted that the Yankees did not necessarily believe that Montgomery, who is under team control for one more year, was going to be included in their upcoming playoff rotation.</p><p>The Yankees also pulled the trigger on the deal because they “believe” that Bader is an “elite” center fielder. They aimed to bolster their outfield defense and viewed the one-time Gold Glove Award winner, who is currently sidelined due to a right foot injury, as a solution to this matter.</p><p>On Cashman’s part, as he <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/analyzing-yankees-2022-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">noted</a> following the trade deadline, he is looking forward to seeing just what Hader can bring to the team out in the field.</p><p>“Harrison Bader is one of the elite center field defenders in the game,” Cashman said. “He provides a lot of lanes for our manager when he’s healthy. Certainly, we did a deep dive into his medicals and there’s a lot of optimism and belief that sometime in September we’ll be able to unpack that present and deploy him … whether it’s coming off the bench to steal a bag or as a starting option in the outfield.</p><p>“It’s hard to get your hands on someone of that caliber, and unfortunately it cost us one of our homegrown players in Jordan Montgomery.”</p><p>Bader featured in 523 total games over his run with the Cardinals, where he posted a .246 batting average and tallied a 5.4 dWAR, per Baseball Reference.</p><p>For now, Montgomery is set to make his Cardinals debut on Saturday against the Yankees, as the AL East <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/new-york-yankees" rel="noopener">powerhouse</a> will counter with starting pitcher Domingo German in the matchup.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rumor: The explanation behind Yankees trading Jordan Montgomery to Cardinals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MLB-Odds-Yankees-vs-Cardinals-prediction-odds-and-pick-1.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB Odds: Yankees vs. Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 8/6/2022</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-06T12:15:19-07:00">August 6th, 12:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-06T12:17:32-07:00">August 6th, 12:17pm</time><address><a>Matthew Zemek</a>Matt Zemek has written for various sports websites and publications since 2001. He was the editor of the NBA site Crossover Chronicles in the 2016 NBA season. He was a contributing editor to the now-defunct site FanRag Sports in 2017. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees take on the St. Louis Cardinals. Check out our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/" rel="noopener">MLB odds series</a> for our Yankees Cardinals prediction and pick.</p><p>Domingo German gets the start for the Yankees, while Jordan Montgomery takes the mound for the Cardinals.</p><p>Domingo German has pitched just 12 2/3 innings this year, giving up nine runs. It’s hard to draw any big, sweeping conclusions from that, or make an especially informed prediction on how he will pitch in this game. German was brought up because of the injuries to the Yankees’ starting rotation. Luis Severino got hurt, which limited the Yankees’ options. It will be fascinating to see if German finds a groove, or if he struggles as the month of August unfolds. With Gerrit Cole running into trouble and Nestor Cortes not being as strong as he was in May and June, the Yankees are facing some fresh questions about the durability and quality of their starting rotation. German could provide an important piece to the puzzle in New York.</p><p>Jordan Montgomery begins his Cardinal career against his former team. Montgomery was a reliable, dependable, back-end member of the Yankees’ starting rotation. Back-end starters aren’t expected to dominate. They are expected to minimize damage and keep their team competitive. Montgomery definitely did that for the Yankees. The trade which sent him to St. Louis in exchange for a currently injured Harrison Bader was viewed by most baseball experts as a win for the Cardinals. That’s partly a reflection of Bader’s current health, but that view also flows from an awareness that the Cardinals needed starting pitching and the Yankees needed some Severino insurance. The deal seemed to give the Cardinals more of what they required. Now we get to find out if Montgomery can prove the experts right and help the surging Cardinals win the National League Central.</p><p><a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb" rel="noopener"><b><i>Courtesy of FanDuel</i></b></a><b><i>, here are the Yankees-Cardinals</i></b><b><i> MLB odds.</i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds</b><b>: Yankees-Cardinals Odds</b></h2><p>New York Yankees: -1.5 (+140)</p><p>St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-170)</p><p>Over: 8.5 (-105)</p><p>Under: 8.5 (-115)</p><h2><b>Why The Yankees Could Cover the Spread</b></h2><p>The Yankees know Jordan Montgomery’s pitching tendencies and patterns. They are going to jump all over him and score a bunch of runs in this game. The Yankees are steaming mad after they let Friday’s game — in which they led 3-1 — slip away. They will come to the ballpark focused and motivated. The Yankees have been drifting for the past month. They want the No. 1 seed in the American League, and they realize that if they are going to beat out the Houston Astros, they need to start stacking wins again.</p><h2><b>Why The Cardinals Could Cover the Spread</b></h2><p>After he was traded from the Yankees, Jordan Montgomery knows he has a lot to prove in St. Louis. More than that, he now gets to face a bunch of hitters he has studied up close for years, given that he was a teammate on the Yankee roster. Montgomery’s inside knowledge of the Yankees’ batting order will help the Cardinals. What will also help the Cardinals is that they are playing great baseball, roaring up the standings and tying the Milwaukee Brewers for the N.L. Central lead. Crucially, role players such as Paul DeJong are helping the superstars. It’s not just Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado who are raking. DeJong is getting big hits. So is Tyler O’Neill. So is Lars Nootbaar. This is a balanced team playing quality baseball right now.</p><h2><b>Final Yankees-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>If you can predict which way Jordan Montgomery versus the Yankees will go, be my guest. This is a coin-flip situation and therefore a stay-away game. If you insist on making a pick, lean to the Yankees.</p><p><b>Final Yankees-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick: Yankees -1.5</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB Odds: Yankees vs. Cardinals prediction, odds, pick – 8/6/2022

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Matt-Carpenter-receives-epic-standing-ovation-in-return-to-St.-Louis.jpg"></figure><h1>Former Cardinals star Matt Carpenter receives epic standing ovation in return to St. Louis</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-05T18:59:10-07:00">August 5th, 6:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-05T18:59:10-07:00">August 5th, 6:59pm</time><address><a>Tristin McKinstry</a>I have experience covering sports going back to 2014. Major The Last of Us fan. #1 Jar Jar Binks propagandist. I am currently pursuing a degree in communications.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former St. Louis Cardinals star Matt Carpenter returned to the city for the first time since <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-news-matt-carpenter-pens-emotional-letter-to-st-louis-fans-as-he-prepares-to-move-on/" rel="noopener">leaving the team</a> in the offseason. And on Friday night, Cardinals fans showed their appreciation for the former MVP candidate.</p><p>Carpenter, now a member of the New York Yankees, went to the plate with one on and one out in the top of the first inning. As the three-time All-Star strode towards home plate, Cardinals fans gave him a <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1555717719239974912" rel="noopener">standing ovation</a>.</p><p>Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina walked out from behind the plate to allow the ovation to continue. Carpenter acknowledged the crowd with a tip of his batting helmet.</p><p>Prior to the game, Carpenter opened up about what he loved about his former organization. It’s similar to what’s so special about his current team.</p><p>“Just a great culture in the clubhouse, a great atmosphere on the field, a great fan base that’s passionate and an ownership and front office that’s committed to winning,” Carpenter said, via the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/04/yankees-matt-carpenter-a-new-player-in-return-to-st-louis/" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. “You combine that with the history of that organization and what it means to put on that jersey — same as a New York Yankee, it’s a special thing.”</p><p>Despite any emotion, Carpenter told reporters that he was looking forward to the series. At the end of the day, however, he was looking forward to taking care of business, as usual.</p><p>Carpenter left the Cardinals after 11 seasons in the offseason. He struggled mightily the last two seasons, but has found himself again with the Bronx Bombers. The 36-year-old has 15 home runs and 36 RBI in 43 games this year, all while hitting .322 at the plate.</p><p>The three-time All-Star made his debut in 2011. He didn’t play in any of the team’s postseason games as they won the World Series. In 2013, Carpenter finished fourth in National League MVP voting behind Molina, future Cardinal Paul Goldschmidt, and Andrew McCutchen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Former Cardinals star Matt Carpenter receives epic standing ovation in return to St. Louis

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MLB-Odds-Yankees-vS-Cardinals-prediction-odds-and-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB odds: Yankees vs. Cardinals prediction, odds and pick – 8/5/2022</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-05T12:16:06-07:00">August 5th, 12:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-05T12:16:36-07:00">August 5th, 12:16pm</time><address><a>Griffin Conant</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A highly anticipated rare inter-league matchup between two of baseball’s most storied franchises will meet face-to-face as the New York Yankees travel to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals for the start of a three-game set. It is time to take an exclusive sneak peek at our MLB odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/">series</a>, where our Yankees-Cardinals prediction and pick will be revealed.</p><p>After picking up their 70th win against the Mariners in the opening game of their last series, the Yankees have dropped back-to-back games ahead of their showdown with the Red Birds. While losing streaks haven’t occurred all too often this season with the ‘Yanks, “Nasty” Nector Cortes will be in line for the start this evening. In his 19 starts on the season, the Yankees lefty is 9-3 with a remarkably shimmering 2.53 ERA, which is the eighth-lowest in the majors.</p><p>Entering Friday, the ‘Cards are tied atop the division with a 57-48 record. In hopes to give his squad sole possession of first place will be RHP Dakota Hudson. The 27-year-old possesses an even 6-6 record to go along with a 4.10 ERA thus far in 2022.</p><p><b><i>Here are the Yankees-Cardinals MLB odds, </i></b><a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb"><b><i>courtesy of FanDuel.</i></b></a><b><i> </i></b></p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Yankees-Cardinals Odds</b></h2><p>New York Yankees: -1.5 (+106)</p><p>St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-128)</p><p>Over: 8.5 (-115)</p><p>Under: 8.5 (105)</p><h2><b>Why The Yankees Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>Wait, so the Yankees are actually human? While it doesn’t happen often, New York has slightly sputtered since the All-Star Break by going 6-8 since. Even with the second-most victories in the majors so far, New York would love nothing more to get back on track in front of a national audience when they visit the Show Me state.</p><p>Without a doubt, it is inevitable for a team to not struggle over the course of a 162-game season. The Yankees are no question in the midst of their mini-slump as we speak. Yes, almost all teams in the MLB would love to be where the Yankees are at with a 70-36 moment, but the city of New York and the expectations surrounding the Bronx are a whole different animal. Simply put, the Yankees have been uncharacteristically bad. Whether it has been their ace in Gerrit Cole getting shelled for six runs in an inning or the bats remaining streaky, New York just hasn’t been on the same page to start the second half of the regular season.</p><p>However, the Yankees are still the Yankees. The talent within this roster is utterly sickening, as most starting position players and starting pitchers would most likely be an impact player on any other team in the league. In order for the ‘Yanks to get back on track, they will need to return to their previous form of balanced play. Remember, this is a team that ranks first in runs scored and slugging percentage, and also second in on-base percentage. Not to mention, but New York has been just as dominant from the mound with the third-best ERA, WHIP, and BAA on the season. Simply put, this team will work out the kinks sooner than later.</p><h2><b>Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>How hot are the Cardinals? Well, St. Louis has reeled off six wins in their last seven games and has finally caught up with the Brewers for first place in the NL Central. Now, the Cardinals are almost ten games above .500 for the first time this season. Even more impressive, the Cardinals have won five-straight home games to move their record at Busch Stadium to a balmy 32-20 mark. After dismantling the Cubs rather easily, the Cardinals will have their hands full with the Yankees visiting town.</p><p>To cover the spread and continue their recent dominance, look for the Cardinals to be aggressive in multiple facets of the game. Whether that means swiping a few bags on the base paths and or swinging on the first pitch of an at-bat, it is hard to imagine that the Cardinals don’t want to win this one a little more than the average game.</p><p>While St. Louis numbers don’t particularly match the dominant statistics that the Yankees possess, they aren’t as far off as you would think. In fact, not many other squads around the league are as balanced from the rubber and the batter’s box. Offensively, the Cardinals will have to get after Cortez early. With the sixth-most runs in the league and a .252 batting average, this dynamic lineup is more than capable of spelling out trouble for Yankees pitchers.</p><p>While St. Louis may have a disadvantage with the pitching matchup between Cortes and Hudson at first glance, the Cardinals starter is coming off a solid start in which he only allowed two runs. Hudson will be the key in covering the spread, as a lengthy outing would do wonders in prolonging the Cardinals’ winning streak.</p><h2><b>Final Yankees-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>With two of the more passionate fanbases in all of baseball, emotions will be running high in this one ahead of first pitch. This epic matchup should have playoff-type intensity and an increased focus should be expected from both sides. Bottom line, St. Louis is too scorching hot to not put your faith in them covering the +1.5 run spread.</p><p><b>Final Yankees-Cardinals Prediction &amp; Pick: Cardinals +1.5 (-128)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB odds: Yankees vs. Cardinals prediction, odds and pick – 8/5/2022

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cardinals-final-mlb-trade-deadline-grades-for-st-louis.jpg"></figure><h1>Final MLB trade deadline grades for the Cardinals</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-05T08:06:58-07:00">August 5th, 8:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-05T08:06:58-07:00">August 5th, 8:06am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>My name is Owen Crisafulli, and I’m currently a graduate student at Nichols College pursuing my Masters in Business Administration. Previously, I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Sport Management, and for awhile I ran my own sports website. Sports are my passion, and I thoroughly enjoy writing about my thoughts and opinions that are related to them. I have been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston, and enjoy discussing topics involving those teams and the major professional sports leagues</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals were involved in pretty much every rumor that came out during the 2022 MLB trade deadline. Whoever was rumored to be available, the Cardinals were rumored to be pursuing. It wasn’t totally surprising considering that the Cardinals are battling to earn a playoff spot, and needed some reinforcements in order to make it happen.</p><p>In the end, the Cardinals didn’t make as many moves as they were initially expected to. They added a couple of pitchers to shore up a pitching staff that desperately needed help, but other than that, they ended up standing pat and not making the big moves they were rumored to be in on.</p><p>It’s worth noting that St. Louis is a better team than they were before the deadline. But given all the hype surrounding their deadline work, it’s hard to not be a bit disappointed by their failure to swing a massive move. Let’s take a closer look at the Cardinals deadline work and hand them a final grade for their work.</p><h2>St. Louis Cardinals 2022 MLB trade deadline final grade</h2><p>The Cardinals made three notable deals during their trade deadline work, and all of them brought pitchers back to St. Louis. They aren’t exactly the most exciting deals ever, but it’s clear the Cardinals are a better team as a result of making these deals.</p><p>The first move the Cards made involved picking up minor league reliever JoJo Romero from the Philadelphia Phillis in return for utility infielder Edmundo Sosa. Sosa was expendable with Paul DeJong set to get <a href="https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2022/07/30/cardinals-send-edmundo-sosa-to-phillies-call-up-paul-dejong/">promoted back to the major league squad</a>, and the Cardinals dealt him for Romero, a young reliever who has bounced all over the minors this season.</p><p>Romero has been making his way back from Tommy John surgery this season, and has only appeared in 13 games on the season as a result. He’s been solid in his stints with triple-A, which is where he’s playing for the Cardinals right now. He appeared in two innings for the Phillies this season, but holds a 13.50 ERA in those outings. Romero has some upside, and could help St. Louis’ bullpen in the future.</p><p>Romero’s acquisition certainly isn’t going to change the Cardinals fortunes, but their next two deals could. They made a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates the day before the deadline to add lefty starter Jose Quintana and reliever Chris Stratton in exchange for prospects Johan Oviedo and Malcom Nunez.</p><p>Quintana is in the middle of a bounce back campaign, which allowed the Pirates to sell him in their efforts to aid their rebuild. Quintana will slot into the back of the Cardinals rotation as they wait for Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz to return from the injured list. Quintana’s stats this season (3-5, 3.39 ERA, 96 K, 1.23 WHIP) have been solid, and he should help a Cardinals rotation that has been decimated by injuries recently.</p><p>Stratton on the other hand will become a valuable bullpen piece for St. Louis. He struggled with the Pirates after a successful 2021 campaign, but he’s already posted two scoreless outings for the Cardinals, and should continue to be an important arm out of the bullpen during this stretch run for the Cards.</p><p>Arguably the biggest move of the day came right before the deadline, as the Cardinals acquired another left handed starter in Jordan Montgomery from the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader. This move opens up playing time for Nolan Gorman in the outfield, and gave the Cardinals another starter to fill in their rotation.</p><p>Montgomery had been a solid starter for the Yanks this season (3-3, 3.69 ERA, 97 K, 1.10 WHIP), and wasn’t really expected to be available at the deadline. But he was, and the Cardinals made a great move adding him to their rotation. Of their moves, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-trade-deadline-grading-yankees-cardinals-jordan-montgomery-harrison-bader-deal/">picking up Montgomery</a> in exchange for just Bader was easily St. Louis’ best of the deadline.</p><p>Of course, we can’t mention the Cardinals trade deadline activity without mentioning their failed pursuit of Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto. The Cardinals were one of the final teams in the running for Soto, but were outbid by the San Diego Padres, which is a very disappointing development for the Cards and their fans. Soto could have been the piece that put this team over the top, but instead, they will be wondering whether or not they just missed out on a potentially franchise altering move.</p><p><b>Final Grade: B</b></p><p>This wasn’t a super flashy trade deadline from the Cardinals, but it helped them shore up their biggest area of need, which was pitching. They missed out on some of their bigger targets, which isn’t super encouraging, and ultimately takes away from their grade. But the trio of Montgomery, Quintana, and Stratton should pay dividends immediately, and St. Louis didn’t really have to give up much to get them. The Cardinals 2022 MLB trade deadline was good, but it almost certainly could have been better.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Final MLB trade deadline grades for the Cardinals

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cardinals-st-louis-biggest-mlb-trade-deadline-surprise.jpg"></figure><h1>The Cardinals biggest MLB trade deadline surprise</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-05T07:28:13-07:00">August 5th, 7:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-05T07:28:13-07:00">August 5th, 7:28am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>My name is Owen Crisafulli, and I’m currently a graduate student at Nichols College pursuing my Masters in Business Administration. Previously, I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Sport Management, and for awhile I ran my own sports website. Sports are my passion, and I thoroughly enjoy writing about my thoughts and opinions that are related to them. I have been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston, and enjoy discussing topics involving those teams and the major professional sports leagues</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals had a pretty solid 2022 MLB trade deadline. They shored up a depleted pitching staff by picking up a pair of end of the rotation starters in Jose Quintana and Jordan Montgomery, and added to their bullpen with Chris Stratton and JoJo Romero.</p><p>When all was said and done, it was pretty clear that the Cardinals had improved quite a bit as a result of the trade deadline. In a competitive National League Central race with the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis emerged from the deadline looking like the better team. Whether they can translate that into winning their division remains to be seen.</p><p>While these moves for the Cardinals were good, they weren’t necessarily surprising. Everyone knew the Cardinals were going to be looking for pitching help at the deadline. The biggest surprise for St. Louis at the deadline came in the form of a deal that they ended up not making, and it could have drastically changed the outlook of the teams future.</p><h2><b>The biggest surprise of the St. Louis Cardinals 2022 MLB trade deadline</b></h2><p><b>Not trading for Juan Soto</b></p><p>Ever since Juan Soto was reportedly made available by the Washington Nationals after he turned down a mammoth <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34253271/sources-washington-nationals-open-listening-juan-soto-trade-offers-440m-contract-rejected">15-year, $440 million extension offer</a>, the Cardinals seemed like a very reasonable landing spot for the young superstar. They needed some more help in their lineup, and their outfield was a perfect landing spot for another big bat.</p><p>The 23 year old Soto would be the perfect fit for the Cardinals teams of the present, and those of the future as well. St. Louis currently has a lineup spearheaded by star sluggers Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, and adding Soto to that core group would instantly have given them one of the best lineups in the league.</p><p>Not to mention, the Cardinals have a ton of young talent on their roster complementing Arenado and Goldschmidt already. Adding Soto could have been the piece that led them to success this season, but also for many seasons in the future.</p><p>Using Soto as a building block for the future of the team made a lot of sense. St. Louis would have admittedly had to part with some of their young talent to land Soto, but their farm system is currently deep enough to absorb a blow of that caliber.</p><p>The Cardinals emerged as one of the three true finalists for Soto as the day of the deadline crept up. Their competition was stiff in two other powerhouses in the NL, the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. But given the depth of the Cardinals farm system, it felt like they had the inside track to land Soto here.</p><p>Instead, they watched the Padres do what the Cardinals front office decided against doing, and that was parting with pretty much their entire farm system. It’s also worth noting that the Padres swung deals for Josh Hader and Brandon Drury as well, and also picked up Josh Bell in their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-san-diego-stuns-dodgers-cardinals-with-juan-soto-josh-bell-trade-coup/">trade with Washington for Soto</a>, but the brunt of their prospects were used to pick up Soto.</p><p>It’s not a fantastic look for the Cardinals front office to have largely stood pat at the deadline while a National League competitor did what they could have done, and thrown everything at the top players available at the deadline. Truth be told, St. Louis was probably in a better spot to absorb a trade for Soto than San Diego was.</p><p>Instead, the Cardinals made some under-the-radar moves that improved them, but not at the same rate that a team like San Diego improved. Even with their aforementioned deadline deals, St. Louis is still a borderline playoff team, and if they don’t beat out the Brewers in the NL Central, they could miss the playoffs entirely.</p><p>Acquiring Juan Soto would have been the move that put this team over the top, and it was quite surprising to see them not do what it took to land the transcendent superstar from Washington. Arenado and Goldschmidt aren’t getting any younger, and they are struggling to keep the Cardinals otherwise weak offense running on their own.</p><p>Unfortunately, they will have to continue to carry the brunt of the workload this season for St. Louis, and hope that some of their younger teammates can continue to develop throughout the rest of the 2022 season. Picking up Soto would have changed everything for the Cardinals, and in retrospect, it’s quite surprising that they didn’t do what it took to land him. Instead, they will be left to wonder whether they could have done more at the deadline as they continue to fight for a playoff spot down the stretch of the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dylan
Carlson

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