Cardinals playoff hopes fade after an 8-2 loss, surrendering 18 hits and dropping 6.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race. Injuries to Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado plus Willson Contreras’ suspension thin the lineup and fuel concerns about late-season run production.

Two upcoming Pallante and Gray starts pace a bid to gain ground as St. Louis faces Giants again and then Seattle. The closing stretch is brutal: six against Milwaukee and 12 versus current playoff teams in 20 games, with a .550 SOS. Fantasy managers should monitor Donovan’s status, Arenado’s health, and Contreras’ discipline as the lineup juggles for the stretch run.

The St. Louis Cardinals hit a rocky August mark at 11-14, swelling to 66-69 on the season as the deadline churned the roster toward a youth movement. Oli Marmol stays the course with Andre Pallante in the rotation, signaling a long-term bet despite 2025 struggles. The organizational shift continues as John Mozeliak nears his final chapters before passing the torch to Chaim Bloom, amid fading playoff chances and a Reds series on deck.

Pallante (26) has been a clear blemish in 2025 after a successful 2024 stretch in a full-time starting role. Through 26 starts he’s 6-12 with a 5.44 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, fanning 139 over 139 innings, with a recent nine-start span of 1-8 and an 8.27 ERA. Underlying metrics hint the stuff hasn’t changed from 2024, but hitters have adjusted. The club, and Marmol, believe he can adjust back as they push toward the future.

The Mozeliak-to-Bloom transition looms, with Bloom joining as the next voice in a rebuilding arc that reshapes fantasy upside across the roster. The Cardinals’ playoff odds are shrinking, but Pallante’s path remains a focal point for development and potential late-season value as the organization rebuilds around younger arms and regulated opportunities.

The Pirates visit the Cardinals on August 26, 2025 with Mitch Keller vs. Andre Pallante on the mound. The Cards’ walk-off win by Alec Burleson evened the season series at 5-5 as Pittsburgh’s four-game win streak ended and St. Louis snapped a two-game slide. Odds tilt toward STL (-130) with the Mets-like 1.5-run spread and an 8.0 game total. NBC Sports’ model pins a lean to the over 8 and a Pirates +1.5 cover, while the lineup pages spotlight Keller and Pallante as the key pitching duel to monitor for fantasy pivots and DFS stacks.