How the St. Louis Cardinals are making history – Red Bird Rants

The St. Louis Cardinals have won 14 consecutive games. They have a 99.6 percent chance of making the postseason, a feat that seemed impossible on Aug. 10 when those chances were just 1.4 percent, and have positioned them for a winner-take-all wild-card matchup.

It is tied for the longest winning streak in franchise history, tying a mark that was set in 1935. Earlier on Friday afternoon, when that streak was extended to 13 games, it was tied for the second longest streak in team history since at least 1901.

Such an improbable run possible required the Cardinals to get otherworldly performances from their key players. Tyler ONeill, 26, is the youngest team player with 19+ RBI in an 11-game span since Albert Pujols in 2006. Paul Goldschmidt secured his sixth 30+ homer season since 2013, the most among first basemen. ONeill, Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado have all hit at least 30 homers this season.

Arenado, of course, provided a scare when he left a game against the Milwaukee Brewers with back tightness, but he is OK and back to being an elite presence both offensively and defensively. Goldschmidt, however, has been the hottest hitter on the planet, hitting .407/.476/.870 six home runs and 15 RBI in his last 14 games, and has emerged as a sneaky candidate in the National League MVP discussion.

The three hitters have led the Cardinals to this 14 game winning streak, becoming the third team in the last 100 years to win 14+ consecutive games in September (1935 Chicago Cubs, 1965 San Francisco Giants).

With Arenado, Goldschmidt and ONeill, as well as Adam Wainwright and a healthy Jack Flaherty, the Cardinals are a matchup nightmare in a wild card game. They will face either the Giants or Los Angeles Dodgers, who will both end the season with 100+ wins, but are capable of beating any team given how they are playing right now. Especially at the rate they continue to make history.

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How the St. Louis Cardinals are making history - Red Bird Rants