The struggling Washington Nationals (17-21) are at home for a three-game series against the mediocre St. Louis Cardinals (19-19)
The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most historic franchises in all of baseball; however have faltered the past few seasons, resulting in mediocrity. However, as of late, St. Louis has played great baseball, resulting in five consecutive wins, including series wins against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Here is a deep dive into the St. Louis Cardinals as the Washington Nationals will try and get back on track with a series win.
TEAM STATS
Pitching: This pitching staff, led by Sonny Gray (3.50 ERA) and Matthew Liberatore (3.07 ERA), has been solid this season. St. Louis has a team ERA of 4.08 (19th), allowed 29 home runs (3rd), and a WHIP of 1.26 (12th).
Hitting: Surprisingly, Brendan Donovan’s offense has been quite solid this season. The team is currently hitting .260 (1st), has scored 174 runs (12th), has a .334 OBP (6th), and has a slugging percentage of .401 (11th).
GAME ONE– Friday, 6:45 EDT
WASHINGTON: Mitchell Parker (3-2) – 7 GS, 3.48 ERA, 21 SO, 1.21 WHIP
Mitchell Parker started the 2025 season looking like one of the most improved pitchers in all of baseball. As of late, Parker has struggled to prevent runs. In his last two starts, Parker has combined for eleven earned runs and hits. The past two starts have also shown Parker’s trouble with his command, having nine walks to only one strikeout.
ST. LOUIS: Erick Fedde (2-3) – 7 GS, 4.78 ERA, 21 SO, 1.46 WHIP
Longtime National Erick Fedde has an incredible story of patience and perseverance. After playing in Korea in 2023, Fedde finished 2024 with a career-best 3.30 ERA. He hasn’t been able to replicate those numbers this season, unfortunately, but it’s hard not to root for Fedde. In his last start, Fedde provided a quality start, pitching five innings of three-run baseball.
GAME TWO– Saturday, 4:05 EDT
WASHINGTON: Trevor Williams (2-3) – 7 GS, 5.86 ERA, 30 SO, 1.61 WHIP
Williams has struggled to provide consistently good innings for Washington in 2025. His last two starts have been brutal, allowing a total of nine runs and fourteen hits. However, his last performance against the Cincinnati Reds resulted in a much-needed Washington victory.
ST. LOUIS: Andre Pallante (2-2) – 7 GS, 4.75 ERA, 21 SO, 1.53 WHIP
In 2024, Pallante made the move from a key bullpen arm to a rotation arm for St. Louis. Last season, Pallante showed how valuable he is, posting a 3.78 ERA in twenty starts. However, his production has dropped off in 2025. In his last start, he struggled, finishing with 3.1 innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs, but St. Louis came out of this hiccup with the win.
GAME THREE– Sunday, 1:35 EDT
WASHINGTON: MacKenzie Gore (2-3) – 8 GS, 3.33 ERA, 68 SO, 1.15 WHIP
MacKenzie Gore has broken onto the scene in 2025, performing at the highest level of his career. The southpaw strikeout rate is among the best in all of baseball, proving to be the future ace for Washington. In his last start, Gore provided a stellar start, going five innings and only allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out nine, resulting in a Washington victory.
ST. LOUIS: Miles Mikolas (1-2) – 7 GS, 4.76 ERA, 18 SO, 1.35 WHIP
2022 All-Star Miles Mikolas has been in St. Louis since 2018 and has been a consistent starter for St. Louis. Mikolas has been solid in his last three starts, allowing a total of three runs during that span. In his previous start, he prevailed over St. Louis to a victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing three earned runs through five innings.
Washington has shown the ability to play up to their competition, proving this with series wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. However, Washington has shown to play down to weaker teams as well, placing Washington in a mediocre position. Every series seems huge for fans, and we are reaching a point in the season where if struggles continue, moves are going to be made.