The St. Louis Cardinals have released their 2023 regular season schedule as they look to build on a solid 2022 campaign that saw them return to the postseason. The Cards will play their customary 162-game slate, opening on the road before holding their home opener at Busch Stadium on April 7th.
As usual, the bulk of St. Louis’ schedule will feature games against their National League Central rivals – the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. They’ll play each divisional opponent 18-19 times over the course of the season. Out of division, they’ll face the NL East for six games each and the NL West for four games apiece.
Interleague play will see the Cardinals take on the American League Central, facing the Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago White Sox. They’ll play each AL Central foe six times total for a 30-game interleague schedule.
Here’s a quick preview of some notable series and stretches on the 2023 Cardinals schedule:
The season gets underway on March 30th with a four-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s the first time since 2019 that St. Louis will start the year on the road due to scheduling changes caused by the 2020 pandemic-shortened season.
After opening in Pittsburgh, the Cards will play two more road series against NL Central foes, facing the Reds in Cincinnati from April 3rd to April 5th followed by the Brewers in Milwaukee from April 7th to April 9th.
The home opener at Busch Stadium is on Friday, April 7th against the Brewers. It will be the earliest home opener date in franchise history, excluding their very first home opener in 1880.
Interleague play starts early with a three-game home series against the Cleveland Guardians from April 11th-13th. This kicks off a stretch of nine straight games against AL teams.
St. Louis has a challenging road trip in late April/early May, playing three games each in San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles against the Padres, Giants, and Dodgers from April 24th to May 3rd.
One of their marquee home series is against the defending World Series champion Houston Astros from May 19th to May 21st.
The Cardinals wrap up interleague play with a home series against division rival Chicago White Sox from June 16th to June 18th.
Fourth of July week sees St. Louis host the Cincinnati Reds for three games starting on July 3rd, including an afternoon game on the 4th.
A key late season stretch has them hosting the Brewers for three games starting August 11th, then traveling to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati for three games each against the Pirates and Reds.
The final homestand of the regular season is against the Colorado Rockies for three games starting on September 29th.
St. Louis closes out the 2023 schedule with a three-game road series in Chicago against the Cubs from October 2nd to October 4th.
While the schedule always presents its challenges, the Cardinals believe their experience and talent gives them a good chance to succeed no matter who they face. Longtime stars like Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright and Albert Pujols are no longer around, but young talents like Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Dylan Carlson continue to lead the way.
New manager Oliver Marmol enters his second year hoping to guide St. Louis back to the postseason for the fourth time in six years. If they can stay healthy and get production from their pitching staff, 100 wins and a division title are realistic goals on this 2023 slate. With their rich history and passionate fan base, Busch Stadium is sure to be electric on gamedays as the Cards embark on another pennant chase.
Fans can can start planning their seasons now with the schedule release and there’s plenty to look forward to. Health, depth and clutch performances will determine St. Louis’ fortunes, but they’re primed for another competitive campaign in 2023. The Cards can’t wait to take the field and bring more winning baseball to the Gateway City next spring.
