Cardinals Face Padres in Crucial Series Amid Postseason Push

ST. LOUIS, MO — The St. Louis Cardinals will host the San Diego Padres for a four-game series starting Thursday, July 24, as both teams look to remain in playoff contention. The Cardinals have struggled recently, losing five of their last six games, while the Padres are coming off a disappointing series against the Miami Marlins.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol expressed frustration after his team was outscored 36-11 in their recent games. “Our approaches weren’t very good,” Marmol said after the Cardinals lost 6-0 to the Rockies on Wednesday. St. Louis is facing a must-win situation against the Padres, who currently hold a wild-card spot.

In contrast, the San Diego Padres are sitting 25th in the majors in runs scored, a concern for manager Mike Shildt. “We’re playing a lot of games where we don’t have a lot of margin for error,” Shildt said. He noted that the team’s defensive errors have cost them in critical moments.

Yu Darvish will start for the Padres, holding a 6.08 ERA while seeking his first win of the season after returning from an elbow injury. Despite his struggles, Darvish has historically performed well against the Cardinals, posting a 3.20 ERA in nine career starts against them.

The Cardinals will counter with Sonny Gray, who aims to bounce back from a poor outing against the Diamondbacks. Gray is 3-0 with a 1.58 ERA lifetime against the Padres, making him a key component in the opener of this crucial series.

With both teams needing improvements in their offenses and looking to stabilize their pitching, this series could prove pivotal in their pursuit of playoff positions. “This is a game we really want to win,” said Gray, indicating the importance of the matchup.