The Colorado Rockies aren’t rewriting the history books in a good way this season – they’re on pace to finish with just 42 wins. But don’t tell that to the St. Louis Cardinals, because when these two teams get together, it’s the Rockies who’ve looked like October contenders.
Through five games in their head-to-head this year, Colorado leads the season series 3-2, with one more matchup to play. And with a total run differential of 21 to 13 in favor of the Rockies, it’s not just lucky bounces – they’ve had the Cardinals’ number.
The first meeting between these teams came during a critical juncture just ahead of the trade deadline. The Cardinals dropped that series in Denver, and it may well have been the gut-punch that switched them from cautious buyers to reluctant sellers. Momentum matters in this league, and losing to a last-place team before reshaping the roster is a tough pill, both in the standings and in the clubhouse.
This week offered a shot at redemption. Rolling into Busch Stadium, the Cardinals had strung together back-to-back series wins over the surging Dodgers and their longtime rivals, the Cubs.
Hopes were high for a sweep to keep building momentum. But once again, the Rockies played spoiler.
Tuesday night’s game wasn’t just a loss – it was a shut-you-out, take-the-bats-away kind of night. The Cardinals’ offense went ice cold, managing only six hits in 30 plate appearances.
Even worse, they went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and grounded into three double plays. St.
Louis’ four-through-seven hitters? A combined 0-for-14.
Put simply, it was a brutal night at the plate, and the final score reflected it.
This wasn’t just another tough night – it extended a trend that’s been brewing since the All-Star break. And there are a few painful stats that show just how rare and frustrating this shutout really was:
- This marks the first time since May 15, 2024 – that’s 220 games ago – that the Rockies shut out an opponent. That streak was the longest active stretch in Major League Baseball without a shutout, and it sets a record in the Modern Era.
Their last shutout prior to this? Over a year ago, an 8-0 win over the Padres.
- Since 2021, only three teams have been shut out twice in the same year by the Rockies. The 2021 Pirates – who finished with a meager 61 wins – are on that list.
So are the 2023 Phillies, who went on a deep postseason run. The current Cardinals?
They’ve now joined that inconsistent company.
- And here’s the kicker: the Rockies have thrown only two shutouts all season – both of them against the Cardinals.
- Dating back to the start of last season, the Rockies have notched four total shutouts. Three of those have come against the Cardinals (the other was that May 15th gem last year against San Diego). That’s a pattern no team wants to be on the wrong side of.
- Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals have been shut out four times. Stretch the timeline just a bit further, to June 25th, and they’ve been blanked 10 times in under two months.
Before that stretch? Just three shutouts in their first 81 games.
There’s no way to sugarcoat this – getting shut out twice by one of baseball’s worst pitching staffs in a single year is alarming. These aren’t bad-luck games – it’s become a pattern.
A few months ago, St. Louis was riding a steady offense and hovering around playoff positioning.
Now, they look like a different team entirely.
With just around 40 games left in the regular season, the postseason window is shrinking fast. If the Cardinals plan to stay in the race, this offense can’t afford too many more nights like this. The energy, execution, and clutch hitting they showed in spurts earlier this year need to resurface – and soon.
October’s not canceled yet. But nights like Tuesday lead you to wonder which direction the Cardinals are actually heading.
