"Huge implications:" Cardinals insider notes team is at critical juncture

The St. Louis Cardinals got off to a 15-24 start but had seemingly turned their season around. However, they've fallen on hard times again and find themselves just one game above the .500 mark heading into Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.

St. Louis lost their series opener 6-1 and they have now dropped 17 of their last 29 games.

On Tuesday, Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted that the Cardinals have a very important task ahead of them.

"Gosh, I feel like tonight's Cardinals game has huge implications. If they lose, they've thus lost a series to Cincinnati," Hochman wrote. "And after last night's latest lackluster loss, they need to do something to show they still have some offensive oomph."

Hochman proceeded to list the Cardinals upcoming schedule, which features matchups against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees.

With the Reds under .500, this series should have given the Cardinals a little bit of a break in the schedule and a chance to get back on track. Unfortunately, the margin for error is thin and the Cardinals have to capitalize on their opportunity to beat a sub-.500 team. It doesn't get any easier for St. Louis after this series.

They'll start September playing the Brewers and Seattle Mariners and will also face playoff hopefuls in the Cleveland Guardians and San Francisco Giants. The time is now for the team to get themselves back on track. As Hochman notes, Tuesday's game has major implications on the playoff race, as well as St. Louis' postseason aspirations.

This may be the point in time where the team discovers its true identity. We'll see if they can get going again.

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