CHICAGO — A few hours before the unforgiving challenge facing the Cardinals and their pitching staff gripped them on the field, Paul Goldschmidt explained why reinforced habits off the field hid his opinion on how well positioned the team was to prosper.
Asked about the pitching depth, Goldschmidt motioned to his light-blue mask.
“Yeah, you can’t see — you asked me that question, but behind this mask I have a big smile,” Goldschmidt said. “I played against it for so long — just these guys coming up from the minor leagues and just so talented, but also polished.