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.