Cardinals pull off unlikeliest feat of the season with impressive sweep

The St. Louis Cardinals have been the talk of MLB in the early portions of the 2024 season. That's due in part to the slow start they had after spending money to improve their starting rotation. It certainly doesn't help that the team's starting rotation besides Sonny Gray hasn't pitched up to par, and the bats have been relatively lifeless. But it appears the Cardinals are catching on.

Entering their series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Cardinals had won five of their previous seven games. The Orioles were a tough test for the Cardinals, considering they were just two games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East division. So, the Cardinals had their work cut out for them.

As it turns out, it was the Orioles who had their work cut out for them. After Wednesday's 5-4 win, the Cardinals completed their three-game sweep over the Orioles. To understand how incredible of a feat this is, the Cardinals have become the first team to sweep the Orioles since May 13-15, 2022, against the Detroit Tigers.

Cardinals become first team to sweep Orioles since 2022

This is quite the feat for the Cardinals, a team that many have selling their top players at the July 30 trade deadline. Perhaps that can still happen, but they do hold some bragging rights.

As Talkin' Baseball mentions in their tweet above, Baltimore's sweep-less streak had gone for 106 series. That is the longest since St. Louis went 125 series without getting swept from 1942-44, per Talkin' Baseball.

The Cardinals trailed 3-0 entering the rain delay in the fourth inning. But they were able to take the lead, thanks in part to an unprecedented little league home run by Brendan Donovan that scored Colton Cowser, Nolan Arenado, and Dylan Carlson. Donovan would score on a throwing error by James McCann.

Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn would provide a cushion to their lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Despite Austin Hays scoring on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Stowers, Cedric Mullens was tagged out at first on a throw by Lars Nootbaar.

The Cardinals clinched the win after Gunnar Henderson grounded out.

Despite the three losses at the hands of the Cardinals, the Orioles remain in striking distance of the Yankees, who lost their first two games of their series against the Seattle Mariners. After this loss, the Orioles are 2.5 games back of the Yankees for first in the AL East.

All streaks must come to an end sometime. But the Orioles' sweep-less streak ending by the Cardinals? No one could have seen that coming.