Writing for The Athletic, Katie Woo explains how the Cardinals were eliminated.

Their best two position players and two top National League MVP candidates in Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt combined to go 1-for-15 with six strikeouts, and the rest of the offense was just as lifeless. Their All-Star closer Ryan Helsley was asked to notch a five-out save in the same week he jammed a finger on his pitching hand and was subsequently tagged for four runs, despite giving up nine total runs all season. Their usually impermeable infield defense crumpled when three separate Gold Glovers, Arenado, Edman and Goldschmidt — were unable to make a play on three consecutive groundballs. Minus a booming two-run, pinch hit home run from Juan Yepez in the seventh inning of Game 1, the Cardinals struggled to string together any kind of offense, even when Marmol opted to sacrifice outfield defense in search of more offense in Game 2, sitting Dylan Carlson and placing Yepez and Dickerson in left and right field.

The Cardinals had their chances — plenty of them — but they rarely cashed in. Now they’ll spend the rest of October as spectators.

When your bats go silent, it isn’t hard to figure out. You simply can’t win when the two top National League MVP candidates, Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, combined go 1-for-15 with six strikeouts.

On to the offseason, where the team should look at expanding its payroll, nail down a free agent pitcher, trade some dead weight, and sign Wilson Contreas to be the new catcher.