All summer, there was ignominy in the enigma — just how were these Cardinals still in the wild-card race? They didn’t play like a team that deserved a 163rd game. It was as if they were in this race by default.
And then came August 12. Seems like an eternity, but it was just 10 days ago when the Cardinals lost 13-2 at Wrigley, and back in St. Louis, Mike Matheny was cemented upon some Mount Rushmore of villains, alongside Stan Kroenke, Don Denkinger and that guy you once met who said Imo’s tastes like fake cheese on cardboard.