The Cardinals missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season, but they actually fared quite well against the six teams that reached the postseason in the American League. Here is a look back at how St. Louis fared against the Rays, Guardians, Astros, Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox.
The playoff brackets are all set and MLB’s postseason – the best season of them all – is set to begin on Tuesday with three games. The Dodgers, who have a first-round bye, will eventually be going for a third straight World Series win, the Brewers and Rays will be trying to prove that small-market teams can do damage in the playoffs and the Yankees will be attempting to end their 17-year drought without a title.
With the playoff teams all set, let’s look back at how the Cardinals fared against the six American League clubs still alive in postseason action. Tomorrow, we will look at how St. Louis did against the six playoff teams from the National League.
Despite the Cards being fully entrenched in the franchise’s first full-on rebuild in more than three decades, they actually held their own against the best of the best in baseball, save for the National League Central Division champion Brewers. Here is a look back at how the Cards fared against the six playoff teams from the American League in 2026:
No. 1 seed Rays
St. Louis and Tampa opened the season at Busch Stadium, and the Cardinals pulled off one of the best wins of the season in the opener by rallying from six day and winning 9-7 on Opening Day. Result: Cardinals 2, Rays 1
JJ Wetherholt delivered his first walk-off hit on March 28 to beat the Rays. -- Jeff Curry-Imagn ImagesNo. 2 seed Guardians
When the Cardinals lost 9-3 to the Guardians on April 13, it was their first three-game losing streak of the season. They responded by winning the next two, including Game 2 in comeback fashion after standout rookie JJ Wetherholt authored the first multi-homer game of his career. Result: Cardinals 2, Guardians 1
No. 3 seed Astros
Riding a strong series from suburban Houston native Masyn Winn, the Cardinals swept Houston to stretch their winning streak to five games. With some 20 family and friends looking on, Winn went 5 for 15 with a homer, double and seven RBI. Result: Cardinals 3, Astros 0
Shortstop Masyn Winn, a native of suburban Houston, hit a two-run home run on April 18 to lift the Cardinals past the Astros. -- Erik Williams-Imagn ImagesNo. 4 seed Yankees
The Cardinals hit New York on Aug. 3 having lost six series in a row to start the second half of the season. They pushed that aside and won 13-7 in Game 1 behind three homers and six RBI from eventual MLB RBI king Alec Burleson. After the Cards got shut out and lost 2-0 in Game 2, Andre Pallante won his 12th game to lift St. Louis to the series win. Result: Cardinals 2, Yankees 1
Alec Burleson crushed three homers and drove in six runs at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 3. -- Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesNo. 5 seed Red Sox
The Cardinals jump-started their rebuild last winter by trading Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to the Red Sox. Gray didn’t pitch in the series, but they did have to face off against Contreras, who went 6 for 13 with a home run and six RBI. Result: Red Sox 2, Cardinals 1
No. 6 seed White Sox
The Cards thumped the White Sox 7-3 in the first game of the series, and they were potentially a strike away from winning Game 2 before Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer off Riley O’Brien to give Chicago a victory. The Cards won the series when Burleson came through in the clutch with a three-run double to wipe out a 1-0 deficit. Result: Cardinals 2, White Sox 1
