Cardinals Take Series Finale in Slugfest, Claim Three-Game Set From Rockies
Three games, one series, and neither team could pull away for long. St. Louis closed out its opening week set in Colorado with a 10-8 win on Sunday, taking two of three from the Rockies in the finale of a series that saw the road team come out on top. For a Cardinals club looking to establish early-season momentum, taking two out of three from a divisional-style dogfight with the Rockies is exactly the kind of start a young roster can build on.
This one had the shape of the whole series: back-and-forth, no lead safe, bullpens stretched thin. Colorado dropped two of three to St. Louis this week, opening with a 6-7 loss, then taking the first game of Sunday's doubleheader 10-7, before falling 8-10 in the nightcap. The Rockies did sandwich in two wins over Baltimore earlier in the week, so this isn't a team in freefall — but St. Louis clearly has their number in this set.
The story on the mound belonged to Cooper Hjerpe, who turned in the best start of the weekend for either side. The right-hander posted 45.0 fantasy points, anchoring a Cardinals pitching staff that needed length after burning through arms earlier in the series. In an 18-run affair, a starter who can give his team quality innings and keep the bullpen fresh is worth more than the box score alone suggests, and Hjerpe did just that.
But this game had a runaway MVP, and it wasn't wearing a Cardinals uniform. Jake McCarthy was the best player on either roster, finishing with 56.5 fantasy points in a losing effort for Colorado. The 29-year-old out of Virginia was a one-man wrecking crew in left field, producing at a level that kept the Rockies within striking distance the entire game. It's the kind of performance that stings more in defeat — McCarthy did everything he could, and Colorado still came up two runs short.
He wasn't alone. Mickey Moniak chipped in 43.5 fantasy points of his own, giving the Rockies a dangerous one-two punch that combined for exactly 100 fantasy points between them. That's the type of production that wins most games. It just wasn't enough against a Cardinals lineup that spread its damage around.
St. Louis got its offensive punch from Iván Herrera and Nolan Gorman, who posted 31.5 and 30.5 fantasy points, respectively. Herrera's day at DH gave the Cardinals a middle-of-the-order presence, while Gorman continued to show why he's become a name St. Louis fans watch closely at third base. Alec Burleson added 25.0 fantasy points, and with Joshua Baez (20.0) and Thomas Saggese (19.5) also contributing, this was a lineup that hit from top to bottom rather than leaning on one or two bats.
For Colorado, T.J. Rumfield's 28.0 fantasy points at first base gave the Rockies a third consistent source of production, but the pitching staff couldn't hold up its end. Tanner Gordon's start yielded just 6.2 fantasy points, and with 18 total runs crossing the plate, it's clear both bullpens were taxed by the end of a series that turned into a track meet.
Going forward, the read here is simple. St. Louis leaves Colorado with a series win and real momentum heading into the rest of the week, powered by a lineup that can manufacture runs even when the starting pitching isn't dominant. Hjerpe looked sharp, and if he can build on this outing, the Cardinals have a rotation piece to lean on. The offense, led by Herrera, Gorman and Burleson, showed enough balance to suggest this isn't a one-week mirage.
For the Rockies, the concern isn't talent — McCarthy and Moniak proved that Sunday — it's depth on the mound. Giving up 10 runs in the finale after already dropping a game earlier in the series against the same opponent is a pattern worth watching. Colorado has the bats to hang with anybody early in the year. Whether the pitching staff can catch up will determine if this early series loss becomes a footnote or a warning sign.
Fantasy managers who rostered McCarthy on JockBroker got everything they hoped for Sunday, even in a losing cause — a reminder that in this game, individual production and team results don't always move in the same direction.
