The Cardinals clubhouse is not giving up, though. Shortstop Masyn Winn<\/a> said after the deadline that the players who remain intend to play for a postseason spot regardless of what the front office did, and manager Oliver Marmol<\/a> has backed that stance publicly. Cardinals just took two of three from Colorado at Busch Stadium, their first series win since mid-July.<\/p>\n The roster still has real pieces. Jordan Walker<\/a> has grown into a star for the Cardinals; his stardom has only grown after his performance at the Home Run Derby, but his play is telling the story with 23 home runs and an .833 OPS. Rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt<\/a> has been one of the bigger surprises for the Cards, hitting .246 with 16 home runs and a team-best 4.4 WAR. Alec Burleson<\/a> has 18 homers of his own, and Andre Pallante<\/a> leads the pitching staff with 12 wins and a 3.63 ERA. The Phillies aren\u2019t walking into Busch Stadium against a team waving the white flag.<\/p>\n The bullpen is the part of this roster that can actually hurt the Phillies late. Closer Riley O\u2019Brien<\/a> has 28 saves and a 3.28 ERA, an All-Star nod in a year most of St. Louis has spent selling. Gordon Graceffo<\/a> has been just as steady setting up, with a 3.04 ERA and a 7-1 record out of the seventh and eighth innings.<\/p>\n Signs of Life from Schwarber<\/p>\n Two weeks ago, Kyle Schwarber<\/a> was in the middle of a slump that had him hitting below .215 over his previous 30 games with only four home runs to show for it. In the series finale against Toronto, Schwarber looked more like himself, with two home runs off Shane Bieber<\/a>. This is the kind of production this lineup needs on a nightly basis, not once a month.<\/p>\n One good game doesn\u2019t erase a 30-game stretch, but we all know that Schwarber is streaky, and this is a very good sign for the Phils. Schwarber has 33 home runs on the season and an .882 OPS, both numbers that show who he really is, past the dry spell he has been in. The middle of this order needs him locked in, not just for one Sunday, if the offense is to play to its ability and get back to winning series.<\/p>\n The lineup around him has carried him, with Bryce Harper<\/a> hitting .257 with 25 home runs and an .868 OPS; Trea Turner<\/a> has been hitting much better as of late, and Luis Arraez<\/a> has ignited the offense to make up for the lack of potency from Schwarber at the plate. If Schwarber\u2019s bat comes with them to St. Louis, this offense will look a lot more like the team they were in June.<\/p>\n Can Painter Get Back on Track in St. Louis?<\/p>\n Andrew Painter<\/a> takes the ball in the series opener, and his season line is not at all what was expected of him coming into the season: 1-8 with a 6.48 ERA across 14 starts. Even though he has shown improvement recently, his season has been disappointing to this point. The stuff that made him a top prospect hasn\u2019t translated to results this year, and a Cardinals lineup that hits the ball very well, and hits mistake pitching very well, isn\u2019t going to be an easy opponent for Painter.<\/p>\n He went to Lehigh Valley to work on simplifying his delivery from an intricate windup sequence into a smoother motion. The result was that his fastball velocity was noticeably higher, averaging just over 97 mph and touching 99 mph frequently. Since coming back to the Phillies, he has pitched better, but he will need to use his last couple of solid starts for footing to improve down the stretch.<\/p>\n Past Painter, the Phillies starters in St. Louis look solid. Cristopher Sanchez<\/a> pitches in Game 2, and there\u2019s no real concern there. Sanchez is 15-4 with a 2.65 ERA and leads the National League in wins, an All-Star performance from top to bottom. Zack Wheeler<\/a> closes the series after his own rough outing Friday against Toronto, when he walked five and needed 116 pitches to get through 5 1\/3 innings. Wheeler has a 2.69 ERA and a 10-3 record into the finale, numbers that make his Friday start look like the outlier it probably was. The Phils need Painter to pitch to his billing if they have any hope of catching Atlanta before the season ends.<\/p>\n Game Times and Broadcasts<\/p>\n Monday, August 10, 7:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, FS1, 94.1 WIP<\/p>\n Tuesday, August 11, 7:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP<\/p>\n Wednesday, August 12, 2:15 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP<\/p>\n Pitching Matchups<\/p>\n Game 1: Andrew Painter (RHP, 1-8, 6.48 ERA) vs. Hunter Dobbins<\/a> (RHP, 2-2, 3.60 ERA)<\/p>\n Game 2: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 15-4, 2.65 ERA) vs. Andre Pallante (RHP, 12-6, 3.63 ERA)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786366277_455_SeatGeekFinal.png\")
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