The Cardinals’ season is over in the standings, but the last week still has some juice to it.
St. Louis, eliminated from postseason contention over the weekend, opens its penultimate series on Tuesday night at PNC Park against the Pirates before heading to American Family Field to try to play spoiler against the Brewers.
The Cardinals already handled Pittsburgh in April, sweeping the Pirates in that same ballpark, though they dropped each of the three series that followed in St. Louis.
Now they get one more shot to close the book on Pittsburgh with a strong finish, and the rotation lines up with three familiar names.
Andre Pallante is first up. His most recent outing was a rough one against the San Francisco Giants, when he gave up eight runs, six earned, across five innings in what became a loss in his final home start of 2026.
Even so, Pallante’s season numbers still stack up well: he’s 12-7 with a 3.70 ERA. He’ll try to get the Cardinals back in the win column after Sunday’s comeback, and if the rotation stays put, he’s also on track to start the season finale in Milwaukee.
Pallante’s game is built around getting ground balls and leaning on the defense behind him.
Matthew Liberatore is next. He was the Cardinals’ Opening Day starter, but his season has been uneven from start to start.
He did turn in one of his better outings last week against the Giants, working six innings and allowing one run in a 6-5 loss. Before that, he held the Chicago White Sox to two runs over 4 2/3 innings.
Still, the big picture hasn’t been kind to him. Liberatore enters his final start at 5-14 with a 5.36 ERA, and his grip on a rotation spot for 2027 looks shaky.
He’ll be looking for one last clean finish.
Then comes Kyle Leahy, and his situation is a little different. For much of the season, he’s been the Cardinals’ steadiest starter, but he’s been under an innings cap since the end of August.
His last start was a tough one, too, with seven runs allowed over three innings against the Washington Nationals. The Cardinals, though, have Cooper Hjerpe lined up to follow him after three innings, giving them a planned bridge for the rest of the game.
Leahy still has a chance to close the year on a strong note, and he looks like a safe bet to be part of the 2027 rotation.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Lost A Bullpen Option At A Telling Time
The Cardinals bullpen depth took a small hit at a particularly awkward time when veteran reliever Peter Strzelecki was designated for assignment after being activated from the injured list. St. Louis had brought him back into the mix, but the move quickly turned into a roster squeeze, and Strzelecki ended up clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A Memphis.
Peter Strzelecki chose not to head to Memphis, electing free agency instead as the postseason draws closer. For a team still sorting out every last bullpen option, losing an experienced arm at this stage leaves one fewer piece available if the Cardinals need to navigate a late-season stretch or patch together innings in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals 2027 Core Is Emerging With One Big Roster Question Left
The Cardinals are starting to get a clearer picture of what their 2027 lineup could look like, and it begins with two young players who have already worked their way into the conversation. Manager Oli Marmol said Nathan Church looks like the likely answer in center field, while Leo Bernal appears to be the favorite to handle catching duties, giving St. Louis a better sense of the next wave of its core.
Bernal has impressed in limited major league action with both his defense and his bat, while Church has been a steady presence throughout the 2026 season. Even with those pieces coming into focus, the roster still has some unfinished business, especially at third base and in the bullpen, where the Cardinals know they need more help before the picture is complete. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Rebuild Suddenly Looks Smarter After That Deadline Deal
At the trade deadline, the Cardinals made one of those moves that looked more like a long-term reset than a quick fix, shipping right-hander Dustin May to Milwaukee in a deal that brought back outfield prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale, along with JoJo Romero. For a St. Louis club in rebuild mode, the return was about adding depth to the system and betting on younger talent that could matter down the line.
Since then, the deal has only seemed to age better for St. Louis. May has not been as effective with the Brewers as many expected, while the Cardinals have been able to point to the prospect haul as another reason their farm system looks stronger. It is the kind of deadline trade that does not always pay off immediately, but for a rebuilding club, the early signs suggest the Cardinals may have come out ahead. [Read more 🡒]