Bullpen Troubles Mounting
Written by Mike on July 21, 2008 – 9:21 pm -The Cardinals ended their five game winnings streak with a loss to Milwaukee Brewers tonight in the opener of a four game series with the Friars. Even though the loss brings the Brew Crew even with the Redbirds in the standings, the part that stings is the lack of effectiveness from the St. Louis bullpen.
After yesterday’s heroics from Aaron Miles, it’s easy to forget that the Cards wouldn’t have even been in that position if it wasn’t for another faltering relief performance. With the game on the line, former closer Jason Isringhausen blew yet another save opportunity, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth.
In game one of the Milwaukee series, the Cards found themselves in a similar situation. Following an impressive come from behind ninth inning, it was again the late inning relief that allowed the Brewers to take the lead, and ultimately, win the game.
The Cardinals bullpen ranks worst in the National League, but the team somehow still remains in contention, just two games behind the division leading Chicago Cubs. After looking more closely at the numbers, it’s easy to conclude that with a better pen, the Cards would easily be leading the pack.
I’ll try to crunch some numbers to back up my disgust, but in the meantime, look for the Cards to try to even the series tomorrow night when current ace Kyle Lohse takes on former Cardinal Jeff Suppan.
Get the Brooms Ready
Written by Mike on July 20, 2008 – 9:48 am -
A dramatic come from behind win yesterday has put the Cardinals in position to sweep the Padres in today’s fourth and final game of the series.
Todd Wellemeyer got off to a rocky start, allowing five runs in the first two frames, but settled in and lasted 6.1 innings, earning him the win. He’s now 8-4, with a 4.22 ERA. Both Randy Flores and Russ Springer failed to record an out, but Ron Villone came in to put out the fire in the sixth. Ryan Franklin earned his fourteenth save, pitching the final two innings.
The Cards were trailing 5-0 into the fifth, where they plated four. They added the tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth. Albert Pujols stole the show with his four RBI. Rick Ankiel and Skip Schumaker each drove in a run as well. 6-5 was the final. Here’s the complete box score.
Rookie left-hander Jaime Garcia will get his first Major League start today, hoping to help the Cardinals earn the sweep. He’s made only one other appearance so far, pitching two innings in relief on July 11 in Pittsburgh, three days after his 22nd birthday. He allowed one hit, one walk, and struck out two. Larry at Viva El Birdos has a nice piece on Garcia and the Cardinals lack of success with left-handers up today. Find it here. I’m rooting for the kid. If he can impress down the stretch, or at least until Adam Wainwright’s return, he may find himself auditioning for a larger role with the club next spring.
We’re about an hour and a half from game time. Here’s the Cards’ lineup, per Derrick Goold:
- Skip Schumaker LF
- Aaron Miles SS
- Ryan Ludwick RF
- Rick Ankiel CF
- Troy Glaus 3B
- Chris Duncan 1B
- Jason LaRue C
- Jaime Garcia P
- Adam Kennedy 2B
So, looks like Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Cesar Izturis all get the day off. No big deal. Should still be a winner!
Cards on a Roll
Written by Mike on July 18, 2008 – 9:19 pm -The St. Louis Cardinals are a fun team to watch. No one could have predicted the club to be in the position they’re in. After winning the first two games of the second half, the Cards are 12 games over .500, at 55-43, trailing the division leading Chicago Cubs by only 3 games. The Small Bears are the only team in the National League with a better record than the Cardinals.
The San Diego series started with another gem from starter Kyle Lohse. He’s now 12-2, with a 3.35 ERA, and as close to automatic as you can get. Rick Ankiel and Joe Mather each hit a home run, while Troy Glaus hit a pair. The Cards won last night 4-3.
Game two was back and forth. Braden Looper was knocked around for six runs in three-plus innings, but the Cards were able to get to Maddux as well. Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick each hit their 22nd home runs and collected three RBI a piece. The Cards practiced what Tony La Russa preaches, played a hard nine, and scored 11 runs on 17 hits, winning it by 4. Here’s the full recap and box score.
Poised to win the series tomorrow afternoon, the Redbirds will send Todd Wellemeyer to the mound to face lefty Randy Wolf. Jaime Garcia is scheduled to make his first Major League start on Sunday.
The Cards made a couple of roster moves prior to tonight’s game. Randy Flores was activated from the disabled list and Joe Mather was sent back to Memphis. Also, Kelvin Jimenez traded places with Chris Perez. Lee Hurwitz has more on the story.
Leftovers
Written by Mike on July 17, 2008 – 11:14 am -The break is over. Back to baseball. Before we get to the upcoming series against the Padres, I thought I’d throw out some random thoughts that I didn’t get posted earlier in the week.
First, how about that home run derby? Josh Hamilton put on a show, and it was fun to watch. If you weren’t rooting for the guy by the end of the night, then you don’t have a heart. It’s a shame he couldn’t take home the trophy.
The All-Star parade was really cool, but the on-field pre-game festivities stole the show. It was an amazing celebration of baseball’s best, in perhaps the most famous cathedral in sports, in it’s last year. Great stuff. I know that when St. Louis hosts the event next year, they won’t have all that hoopla, but I hope they do something to make Cardinal fans proud.
The actual game was entertaining. I really thought the National League had a chance to win this one. At least our guys did well. Albert Pujols was 2 for 3, and Ludwick drew a walk and made a nice diving catch. We’ll get ‘em next year!
There’s been some buzz about the pair of aces missing from the Cards. According to Derrick Goold, both Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter are making strides in their rehabs, and could rejoin the staff in August. Here’s the full story.
The outlook for the other disabled starter doesn’t look as bright. Mark Mulder is meeting with doctors this week to try to figure out how to plan his next move. Back in January, before Spring Training even began, I wrote about the fans’ expectations for the lefty. I posed the question, “How many starts will Mark Mulder make for the Cardinals in 2008?” 72 people responded to the poll. Here’s the breakdown:
- More than 25: 0 votes
- 20-25: 8 votes
- 15-20: 17 votes
- 10-15: 17 votes
- Less than 10: 30 votes
Mulder has made one start, that lasted just 16 pitches. Who could have predicted that? It’s a risk that didn’t pan out. Time to cut ties. Here’s the archived post.
Baseball and beer are my two favorite things, and by now, you’ve heard that Anheuser Busch is being bought by the Belgian brew maker InBev. I’m still not sure how I feel about this. Aside from ordering a good beer at a bar or restaurant occasionally, I usually go out of my way to drink AB products. My loyalty is to the point where I feel guilty drinking something else, and I wouldn’t dare buy anything from the competitors, Miller and Coors. All this beer talk is making me thirsty. What are your thoughts?
Finally, the shameless plugs. If you’re a regular visitor, you’ve surely noticed the ad in the sidebar for the Mizzou event. On July 26, the Roaring Reunion will be held at the Busch Stadium Redbird Club. They have a slew of auction items, and the proceeds will support scholarships for St. Louis area high school seniors planning to attend the University of Missouri. For more information, click here.
A while back, I was sent a copy of the St. Louis Cardinals Baby DVD, from Team Baby Entertainment. Now I don’t have kids, and that’s a good thing, because I’m not sure how often you’re supposed to feed and walk them or whatever. But I’m a big time Cardinals fan, and this video is narrated by Ozzie Smith, so of course I had to check it out. Here’s what they say about it:
Providing a fun-filled, colorful and visually stimulating experience to the St. Louis Cardinals and its sports pagentry, St. Louis Cardinals Baby DVD gives parents, grandparents, family and friends a uniquely entertaining way to share their love, loyalty and passion for their favorite team and the Fredbird with the children in their lives.
Ozzie and Fredbird? I’m sold. They’re a hell of a lot better than Barney or Dora, or whoever your kid is learning to count from. Raise your kid right. Buy this video.
That’s it for now. Game one of the San Diego series is later tonight. Hopefully the Cards can start the second half strong.
UCB Roundtable - Midseason
Written by Mike on July 16, 2008 – 7:06 pm -Back in March, just before the start of the season, the United Cardinal Bloggers had a pre-season roundtable discussion on the state of the ball club, and what we expected from the Cardinals in ‘08. Now at the All-Star break, the Cards find themselves right in the thick of a pennant race, and the UCB had our second round of discussion. Each of the participating blogs tossed out a question. Here’s the question I posted, the responses, and the links to the other blogs:
There is an obvious need for an upgrade in the middle infield for next season. There are some pretty good options that should still be available this winter. Should the Cardinals go after one? Who do you see as the everyday middle infielders in ‘09?
C70 at the Bat: The Cards probably at least should make inquiries on some of the free agents, but I’d expect that they would be too expensive for what they bring. Sentimentally, I’d like to see Renteria back if his option isn’t picked up, but not for a whole lot. Furcal is the only “star” in the group, in my mind, but he’ll be way too expensive for the Cardinals to consider, I’d expect. We’ll probably see Kennedy and Ryan in the middle of the diamond next year, with perhaps Hoffpaiur as the backup.
The Cardinal Virtue: I’m tired of the weak infield. Furcal. Furcal. Furcal. We’re freeing up some major cash next year — I don’t believe he’ll be out of our price range. That said, I see Ryan and Kennedy as being the guys next year — show’s you how much faith I have in the brass pulling the trigger on an expensive free-agent.
Fungoes: A solid free-agent option is second baseman Orlando Hudson, who still figures to provide some ROI, even with a three-year deal. The team could do worse than a Barden (.371 OBP in AAA) - Hoffpaiur (.381) keystone combo, though.
Redbird Ramblings, Cardinals GM, and Bird Land also submitted questions. Find my answers to all six of the other questions at each of the above links (Note: some may not yet be posted).
As far as the middle infield dilemma, I don’t think the combination of Ryan and Kennedy is going to cut it. I think if the outfield is already pretty stacked, some of the freed up payroll should be allocated to an upgrade at either short or second. I’d be fine with either of the above suggested free agents, with Ryan or Kennedy on the bench.
66 more games to go. Hopefully the Cards can hang in there.
Cards Blank Bucs
Written by Mike on July 11, 2008 – 7:31 pm -
Kyle Lohse is at it again. In game one of the final series before the All-Star break, Lohse shutout the Pirates for seven innings, allowing six hits and striking out three, before handing it over to the bullpen. Lohse now sports an 11-2 record, and lowered his ERA to 3.39, putting him neck and neck with the best pitchers in the National League. If he keeps this up, the Cardinals should look very seriously at a long-term extension for him.
Following Lohse was left-handed rookie Jamie Garcia, making his Major League debut. Garcia just turned 22 three days ago, and the kid made a nice first impression. He allowed just one hit and a walk in the final two innings. He also struck out a pair. The Cards have now had 10 players make their big league debut with them this season. As George Von Benko points out, that’s a staggering number for a team in contention.
Thanks to the stellar pitching, the Cardinals could have won with just a single run. Instead, they plated six, including home runs from Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick. Both Ankiel and Troy Glaus had three hits a piece, while Yadier Molina chipped in with a pair of RBI. The Redbirds had 13 hits in all.
So a well played game on both sides of the ball ends in a Cardinal victory. Here’s the complete box score. The win puts the Cards back at 10 games over .500, but still trailing the Cubs by 4.5 games. If Milwaukee can hang on to win tonight, they’ll remain a half game ahead of St. Louis.
In game two tomorrow night, the Cardinals will face yet another left-handed starter. Phil Dumatrait will start for the Bucs, making it the seventh consecutive game the opposing team started a lefty. The last right-hander the Cards faced was Carlos Zambrano, back on July 4. Todd Wellemeyer will start for the Redbirds tomorrow.
An interesting trade rumor popped up today. According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, both the Cardinals and Diamondbacks are looking at Pittsburgh outfielder Jason Bay. Apparently, top prospect Colby Rasmus is the target for the Pirates. Hat tip to Tim Dierkes from MLB Trade Rumors. I think Rasmus for Bay would be an asinine move, but luckily, I’m sure John Mozeliak does too.
Third Place
Written by Mike on July 10, 2008 – 4:41 pm -Crap. Well, maybe it was bound to happen sooner or later, or maybe it’s only temporary, but after today’s loss in Philadelphia, the Cardinals now find themselves trailing two teams instead of one.
It’s never too early to scoreboard watch, and today we saw Milwaukee pummel Colorado 11-1, and leapfrog St. Louis for second place in the Central. The Cards haven’t been playing all that well as of late, losing both of their last two series. First the Brewers improved their team, then the Cubs countered. Now seeing third place today is like a kick in the nuts. It hurts for a while, then you want to puke.
I didn’t get to see any of today’s game, so I’ll point you toward Matthew Leach’s recap, along with the complete box score.
There’s only one more series before the All-Star break, a three game set in Pittsburgh. Game one is tomorrow night, where Zach Duke will face Kyle Lohse. For all you other scoreboard watchers, the Cubs will be at home against the Giants, while the Brewers host the Reds. I’m still optimistic about second place by the break.
Mulder Removed After Just 16 Pitches
Written by Mike on July 9, 2008 – 8:48 pm -
I’m back! My trip to St. Louis over the holiday weekend was awesome. I got to watch some Cards/Cubs baseball, drink lots of beer, and hang out with some family and friends. I’ll talk more about the trip later.
For now, after a very impressive start from Joel Pineiro in last night’s win over the Phillies, the Cardinals dropped game two of the series 4-2. The buzz about tonight’s game, however, isn’t really about the loss. Instead, as the title reads, Mark Mulder, getting his first start since September of 2007, lasted just a third of an inning before experiencing some discomfort in his twice repaired left shoulder. After striking out Jimmy Rollins to lead off the game, Mulder walked the next two, and was hitting the showers after only 16 pitches. He’ll be reevaluated tomorrow. Is this the end for Mark? I guess we’ll find out soon.
Tony La Russa opted for Brad Thompson out the pen to fill in with two on and one out in the first. Thompson got Phillies’ slugger Ryan Howard to ground into an inning ending double play, and continued his effective pitching into the fourth. The Phillies hit two solo home runs in the eight to take the lead, one off of each of Kyle McClellan and Chris Perez. Brad Lidge continued his dominance with the save for Philadelphia in the ninth.
The Cardinals’ offense had their chances throughout the night, but couldn’t come through. They scored two in the fifth, courtesy of an Albert Pujols sac fly and an RBI single from Troy Glaus. The Cardinals left 12 men on base. Here’s the complete box score.
There’s plenty more news floating around Cardinal Nation, including the recent trades made by the other two NL Central contenders. The Brewers acquired the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia, and the Cubs traded for Rich Harden. Each of the moves makes the teams much stronger, while making the Cards look inferior, especially after the situation with Mulder tonight. La Russa is hopeful that John Mozeliak and the front office won’t sit back and let Cardinals fall from the race without help. Matthew Leach has the full story.
By now you’ve heard that a pair of Cardinals are headed to New York later this month for the All Star game. Ryan Ludwick will be making his first appearance, while this is the seventh time for Albert Pujols.
That’s it for tonight. I’ll discuss more tomorrow. Game three from Philly features Jamie Moyer and Braden Looper. The Cards need a win, as they now trail Chicago by 4.5, and lead Milwaukee by only a half-game.
I’m Off to St. Louis!
Written by Mike on July 3, 2008 – 7:49 pm -As I write this, the Mets are crushing the Cardinals 11-1 in the seventh. It’s actually kind of a relief that it’s not a nail biter, because I’ve got to be at the airport at six o’clock in the morning. So if the lead holds (ha!), the Cards will have split the series. The three game set with the Cubs could be huge. I can’t wait!
Funny thing about my flight. It leaves here and connects in Chicago, before finally arriving in St. Louis at one. It’s not really my idea of a good time, so I’ll have to make the best of it. I figure maybe if I deck myself out in Cards gear, I’ll have a decent chance of getting into it with some Cubs fans during my layover. Whether I end up in a bar brawl or just do a little smack talking with the Cubbie faithful, I should have a nice story to share when I get back on Tuesday.
I’ll be sure to take a ton of pictures from the games, and will share them with everyone next week, assuming I don’t die of alcohol poisoning. Wish me luck!
In the meantime, you can still get your Cardinals fix from some of the other blogs listed in my blogroll.
Cubs suck!
