Cardinals Hurler Faces Arguably Biggest Test Of Career In Critical Upcoming Outing

St. Louis has high expectations for the veteran pitcher

Aug 5, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the first inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals season could be on the line with the upcoming series against the National League Central first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brewers hold a commanding 11-game lead over the second-place Cardinals in their division and this upcoming three-game series at home against Milwaukee will surely impact the standings.

The Cardinals will need to play their best to defeat the tough Brewers team and they've chosen a recently acquired veteran to take the mound in Tuesday's series opener.

Cardinals right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde will square off against former Cincinnati Reds RHP Frankie Montas in what should hopefully be an intense divisional battle.

It hasn't been a smooth ride for Fedde since being dealt to the Cardinals at this summer's trade deadline in a deal that sent utility man Tommy Edman to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for the former Chicago White Sox pitcher and Tommy Pham.

Fedde has posted a 1-2 record with a 5.63 ERA, 12-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .258 batting average against and a 1.25 WHIP in 16 innings pitched across three starts for the Cardinals.

Before joining the Cardinals, Fedde was seen as one of the most-coveted rental options for clubs looking to add another mid-to-front-end pitcher to their arsenal. At the time, he owned a 7-4 record with a 3.11 ERA, 108-to-34 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .227 batting average against and a 1.14 WHIP in 121 2/3 innings pitched for the White Sox this season.

The veteran pitcher has come a long way since rejuvenating his career in the Korean Baseball Organization last season but now Fedde must prove to the Cardinals that he was worth trading rising star Edman for. What better way to do it than shutting down the NL Central's best team?

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