PITTSBURGH — If the Cardinals’ goals during their victory lap along the Allegheny River at the end of their National League Central schedule included keeping several pitchers sharp, getting several regulars rest, sorting through several options in the bullpen, and, most of all, staying healthy as they did so, they were successful.
They just didn’t win a whole bunch while doing so.
With six games against the Pirates to close the regular season – not one of them able to change the Cardinals’ playoff seeding as the NL Central champ – the Cardinals lost three of the final four.