St. Louis Cardinals clinch playoff berth
By Hayden Kane
The St. Louis Cardinals will be in the postseason once again. Without playing a game on Sunday, the Cardinals clinched a spot in the 2014 playoffs after the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Milwaukee Brewers.
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Whether they appear as a division winner or a wild card team remains to be seen, but like they have time after time, the Cardinals will play in the postseason. Given the pedigree of their roster and the overall quality of their pitching staff, they will pose a serious threat in the National League once again.
As far as the scenarios that are in play in the NL playoff picture and in the NL Central, Jennifer Langosch lays those out for MLB.com:
"The Cardinals’ cushion over the Pirates in the NL Central now sits at three games, with both teams having seven games left on their respective schedules. Pittsburgh, like St. Louis, will end the season with a pair of road series. The Cardinals’ magic number to clinch a division title is five, making Tuesday the earliest possible day for a champagne celebration."
It will be sort of an odd feeling for the Cardinals, as they still have a game to play on Sunday night against the Cincinnati Reds after receiving this news earlier in the day. Not that they will complain, as they will get another shot at a championship after losing to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series last season.
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