The reeling Redbirds are nearing the end of the line for appearing on national networks.
Fox is set to televise the Cardinals-Dodgers game in 91% of the nation Saturday night, a contest that has been locked onto its schedule since last spring (Cleveland-Milwaukee goes to the rest of the country).
Former Cards pitcher Adam Wainwright will be the analyst, working with play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and reporter Ken Rosenthal for the game at Busch Stadium that’s to begin at 6:15 p.m., shown locally on KTVI (Channel 2). It’s their final scheduled appearance of the season on Fox’s Saturday night package.Â
ºüÀêÊÓƵ has been a ratings success for that network. Through last weekend, the Gateway City has had the nation's best rating for Fox's telecasts. An average of 2.6% of the market has been tuning in, according to viewership-tracking company Nielsen, a figure that includes non-Cardinals games. Philadelphia and Hartford, Conn., are tied for the runner-up slot (1.9 rating each).
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But while Fox is back Saturday with the Cardinals, other networks that are picking up games on the fly are shying away from the free-falling Redbirds as the season winds down.
ESPN had them on its showcase “Sunday Night Baseball†game two weekends ago for their third appearance this year, and Rick Mace, the network’s director of programming and acquisitions, was talking about there being a good chance of them returning this season.
But the Cards have tanked since then, losing that night to start a stretch in which they have gone 3-7 with their playoff hopes sinking by the day. Since that night, ESPN has filled all but two of its remaining Sunday night slots without picking the Cardinals. And given their slide, ESPN would seem to have little reason to be likely to add them, although there is an outside chance when they face American League postseason contenders Seattle (Sept. 8) and Cleveland (Sept. 22).
Meanwhile, Apple TV+ streams MLB doubleheaders on Fridays throughout the season, but the Cards are not on its recently released September schedule. So their final appearance on that package will be next Friday night, when they play the Twins in Minneapolis.
Coming attractions
“Media Views†is off the next couple weeks, and there are a couple things of interest to some readers that will be airing in that span.
At 10 p.m. Aug. 24, a week from Saturday, KPLR (Channel 11) will show the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Derby — the season’s showcase race at FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing, what most people still call Fairmount Park, in Collinsville.
The next day, Channel 11 is set to show “American Underdog†at 8 p.m. That’s the film that chronicles the rags-to-riches story of former ºüÀêÊÓƵ Rams quarterback Kurt Warner.
City SC makes its final appearance of the MLS season on a “conventional†TV channel on Sept. 1, a Sunday, for its 1:45 p.m. match at home with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Most MLS games are exclusively streamed by Apple, but this one also will be on Fox (Channel 2 locally).