Lohse Brilliant Against Mets
Written by Mike on June 30, 2008 – 8:56 pm -
In the first home game in eleven days, a series opener with the New York Mets, Kyle Lohse led the Cardinals to a decisive win. Recall Lohse’s last start, in Detroit, when he lasted only 4 innings, and allowed 5 runs on 11 hits. It was his only poor outing in five June starts. Tonight, against the potent Mets’ lineup, Lohse turned in a very impressive 7 innings in his sixth and final start of the month. He earned his team leading tenth win on the season. His only run allowed was unearned. He struck out four and gave up only five hits, and now sports a 3.67 ERA on the year.
The Cardinal offense was able to plate seven runs, two of which were unearned gifts. Aaron Miles continued to impress with another three hit night, and Chris Duncan hit his fifth home run of the season.
The other big story of the night was the long awaited return of Cardinal pitcher Mark Mulder. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning, despite giving up a pair of singles. To his credit, one of the hits, a blooper to left, should have been caught. I really want to point out Tony La Russa’s decision on when to give Mulder his ‘08 debut. He played his Card perfectly, putting Mulder in a position to succeed, and boost his confidence. I think pitching the ninth inning to close out a game, especially for a guy looking to gain some traction, is far more beneficial than pitching some other inning. Besides the normal ovation from the crowd at Busch, when a guy closes out a game, he gets to line up for high fives and pats on the ass from his teammates. Sounds trivial, but for a guy that hasn’t been successful for as long as Mulder, it’s important to get the support of your comrades. Bravo Tony.
The win put the Cardinals at 48-36, and closed the book on June. 7-1 was the final. Here’s the full recap and box score. As I speculated yesterday, the Cardinals did in fact make a roster move today, swapping Nick Stavinoha for Brad Thompson to add a fresh arm in the bullpen. Todd Wellemeyer will get the start for the Birds tomorrow. A win will ensure a series split, and a possible stride toward the division leading Chicago Cubs.
What a Game!
Written by Mike on June 22, 2008 – 9:28 pm -After rolling Dice K in yesterday’s romping of the Red Sox, the Cardinals were going for the sweep today at Fenway. With Joel Pineiro and Jon Lester as the scheduled starters, and Albert Pujols and David Ortiz on the DL, who’d have guessed we were in for such an entertaining game.
The two starting pitchers matched each other frame after frame, shutting out the offenses for five innings a piece, before Brian Barton and Ryan Ludwick each drove in a run for the Cardinals in the sixth. The Sox took the lead in the eighth after a lead-off triple, a sac fly, a base hit, and three walks. Chris Perez was charged with the blown save. I remember feeling bad for Pineiro, and thinking that was the end. Surely, the Cards wouldn’t stand a chance in the ninth against Jonathan Papelbon.
A pinch hitting Chris Duncan drew the first walk of the season issued by Papelbon at home. Then perhaps the most unlikely candidate for heroism, Adam Kennedy, drove in Duncan with a pinch hit double. Game tied!
The relief team of Russ Springer, Kyle McClellan, Jason Isringhausen, and Ron Villone each pitched a scoreless inning despite giving the Red Sox plenty of opportunities for a walk-off win. The ninth through twelfth innings had a desperate, playoff feel. I was on the edge of my seat for each of the bottom halves.
Kevin Youkilis hit a two run homer off of Mike Parisi in the bottom of the thirteenth to win it for Boston. It was his second home run of the day. 5-3 was the final. Here’s the complete box score.
Sure, it would have been much nicer if the Cardinals would have won it, but I enjoyed the loss more than any other loss in recent memory. The game was intense. Very intense. Here we are still a few weeks away from the All-Star break, and an interleague game feels like game seven of the World Series.
This one had everything. From great pitching, too poor pitching. From spectacular defense, to some routine misplays. From small ball to long ball. All day, both managers tried to outwit one another. It had that October excitement throughout.
Up next, the Cardinals head to Detroit to start a three game series with the Tigers. I don’t know what’s in store, but it’s going to be damn near impossible to top this one.
Pujols Placed on DL
Written by Mike on June 11, 2008 – 4:05 pm -
After seeing Albert Pujols being helped off the field in last night’s win, we knew a roster move was inevitable. Today, the Cardinals added Pujols to the disabled list, and recalled Chris Duncan from AAA Memphis to take his roster spot.
The Cardinals’ slugger is expected to miss at least three weeks with a strained left calf. An MRI revealed the strain to be between a Grade I and II. A Grade III indicates a complete tear. Brandon Harris has more on the story.
The news on Pujols comes just days after the Adam Wainwright injury. With two of their most important players sidelined, the Cardinals really have their work cut out for them. Although they’re currently only 2.5 games out, the schedule doesn’t get any easier between now and the All-Star break. It includes six games against the Phillies, four against the Mets, and the much anticipated series in Boston. It’s a tough task, but if the Cards can hold up during this stretch, the reloaded club can still have a good chance to compete in the second half.
Bullpen Better; Offense Not
Written by Mike on May 16, 2008 – 9:10 pm -In the first interleague game of the season, Rays’ starter Andy Sonnanstine kept the Cardinal offense in check, keeping St. Louis off the scoreboard through seven. Tampa held their lead, and won it 3-1. Here’s the box score.
It wasn’t a pretty performance from Braden Looper, but he kept his team in the game. He couldn’t keep the ball down and was getting hit hard. He labored through six innings on 117 pitches, but allowed just 3 runs on 10 hits and a pair of walks, earning him another quality start.
Chris Perez made his Major League debut, pitching a scoreless seventh. He brought the heat, and recorded his first strikeout getting Evan Longoria to swing through a high fastball.
Mike Parisi was also impressive, striking out three in the eighth, and pitching around a lead off double in the ninth. His curveball was solid.
The offense was not. They scattered eight hits (two from Looper) but didn’t get on the board until Chris Duncan’s solo homer in the bottom of the eighth. Skip Schumaker, Rick Ankiel, Albert Pujols, and Adam Kennedy went a combined 0 for 16. Pujols’ streak of reaching base in every game of the season is finally over. Sonnanstine wasn’t afraid to pitch to him, and kept most of the Cardinal hitters off balance.
Don’t look now, but a couple of Redbirds have quietly increased their batting averages. Troy Glaus is now hitting .271, and Molina is up to .300.
After the loss, the Cards are now just four games over .500, and have won only two of their last ten. They’re now three games behind the first place Cubs, and a half game behind the Astros. Adam Wainwright will try to be the stopper tomorrow. Matt Garza will get take the mound for Tampa Bay.
Happy Mother’s Day
Written by Mike on May 11, 2008 – 9:07 am -
To all the moms in Cardinal Nation, Happy Mother’s Day! My mom loves the Cards just as much as I do. I gave her one of my extra tickets to Opening Day this year, and as usual, she was the first one downtown, dressed in Cardinal red with a beer in her hand. Cheers to you, Mom!
The pink bats will be out today. Chris Duncan, Rick Ankiel, Cesar Izturis, Adam Kennedy, Jason Larue, Aaron Miles, and Skip Schumaker are all expected to use them in this afternoon’s game against Milwaukee. Braden Looper and Jeff Suppan are scheduled to pitch.
After the win yesterday, the Cardinals are 23-15, with a one game lead on second place Chicago. A win today would keep the them above .500 in road games. Looking ahead, after two more in Milwaukee, the Cards head back home to play three against Pittsburgh before hosting Tampa Bay in their first interleague series. While the Pirates are five games behind the Cardinals, the Rays are a surprising four games over .500, and in second place in the AL East.
Another Blown Save
Written by Mike on May 9, 2008 – 10:03 pm -
In the first of four games against Milwaukee, the Cardinals lose on a blown save by closer Jason Isringhausen. With a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, Izzy was able to retire the first two batters on just two pitches. Two singles, a walk, and a walk-off hit later, the Cards lost 4-3.
Overall, it was a sloppy game for the Cardinals. Brendan Ryan, Todd Wellemeyer, and Yadier Molina each had an error. Wellemeyer also balked and threw a wild pitch, although Molina probably should have blocked it. Both runs allowed by Wellemeyer were unearned.
Aside from Albert Pujols solo blast in the first, the offense was just as sluggish as the defense. The two runs in the second were the result of a hit batsman and a pair of walks.
The relief work from Kyle McClellan and Ryan Franklin was good, but you knew when Isringhausen was warming up it was time to buckle your seatbelt. Izzy started the year converting his first 5 save opportunities, and 8 of his first 9. Since then, he’s only been able to close out 3 of 7. Of course there have been a couple of those that Isringhausen isn’t entirely responsible for, most notably Wednesday’s game in Colorado. Although tonight’s was a team loss, the Brewers’ ninth inning comeback is only on Isringhausen.
All the pitches that were hit off Izzy were right down the middle, with very little movement. Major League hitters will certainly be able to get the barrel of the bat on pitches like that, even slumping, soft hitting second baseman like Rickie Weeks. His walk-off hit ended the Brewers six game losing streak, and builds confidence and momentum for Milwaukee with three more games to play in this series.
The Cardinals now have their jocks wrapped in a three game losing streak of their own, their first of the season. It’s a shame that it comes on a game that the Brew Crew didn’t show up to play until two out in the ninth.
Lost in Isringhausen’s mess is a nice performance from Wellemeyer. He lasted 6 innings, and was able to pitch around a couple of errors and a bad call on an infield single in the first. He struck out two, and didn’t walk a batter.
Other game notes worth mentioning include Troy Glaus coming out the game after being hit by a pitch, Aaron Miles trying to lay down a bunt with two out, one on, and Albert Pujols on deck, and the continued funk that Chris Duncan can’t seem to get out of. Here’s the full recap and box score.
I expect a DL stint for Isringhausen in the very near future. Hopefully he’ll be able to come back after a break and rack up the 8 more saves he needs to reach 300.
In other news, former Cardinal and fan favorite Jim Edmonds was officially released by the Padres today. Joe Strauss has the full story. I’m not sure if he’ll latch on elsewhere or just retire, but either way, I wish him the best. He’d get my Hall of Fame vote.
Tomorrow’s game features Joel Pineiro and Ben Sheets. Sheets is off to an excellent start this season, and will make it tough for the Cardinals to turn things around.
Cards Take First Two
Written by Mike on May 6, 2008 – 9:37 pm -Last night, the Cardinals used their old motto, “Play a hard nine” to win the first game of the series against Colorado. Tonight, they held off a late comeback from a Rockies team that seemed to be living by the same slogan.
A few highlights from last night:
- Ron Villone continued to impress with 2 scoreless innings.
- Mike Parisi made his ML debut with 2 of his own.
- Yadier Molina had a three hit night.
- Albert Pujols scored from second on a ground out!
Some from tonight:
- Braden Looper came within 2 outs of a complete game.
- Rick Ankiel had 2 unbelievable outfield assists.
- He also hit his 6th home run of the season.
- Ryan Ludwick had 4 hits and a walk.
In my opinion, Ankiel has the best outfield arm in the league. We saw some great throws from him last season, and the two tonight were just as good or better. He’s a lot of fun to watch out there.
With the win, the Cardinals move to 22-12, ten games over .500, and keep a 2.5 game lead on the Chicago Cubs. Tonight’s win also guarantees at least a series split. Out of the twelve thus far, the Cards have only lost one series, dropping 2 of 3 at home to San Francisco last month. At some point, we’re going to have to declare this team legit.
Tomorrow night, Adam Wainwright goes against Jeff Francis in a rematch of the Opening Day rainout.
Now, a few links. If you haven’t heard, rehabbing pitcher Mark Mulder has had yet another setback. The news conveniently comes after his second poor outing for AAA Memphis. Find the full story here.
Secondly, Bernie Miklasz, of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, points out Chris Duncan’s power outage in his latest column. Duncan had an awful night at the ballpark in the series opener.
Finally, a tribute to Matthew Beaudoin, the Red Sox fan who was tragically killed last Friday. 2672243457
Cards Fall to Reds 4-3
Written by Mike on April 28, 2008 – 9:17 pm -First and foremost, welcome to the new site. This is the first post for the new dig, and although the layout has changed, you’ll still find a very opinionated writer in control of the keyboard, after all, I’m Mike, and this is Mike on the Cards. You should notice that I’m part of the MLB Hub network. For those unaware, The Hub is a new blog network dedicated to providing all the news and happenings from around the league. Without the help of Matt and the crew at MLB Hub, this new site wouldn’t exist. I hope you enjoy the new site, and continue to visit, and as always, comments are welcome.
Now, back to the action. The Cardinals opened a three game series against Cincinnati tonight in St. Louis. There were a few interesting side stories coming into this one, including Walt Jocketty’s return to St. Louis. Todd Wellemeyer and the Cardinals hoped to contain Ken Griffey Jr. and his quest for 600 career home runs. Troy Glaus was outfitted with his new specs, and Ryan Ludwick was leading off for the first time in his career.
It was clear from the start that Wellemeyer didn’t have his best stuff. His fastball was missing location and his breaking pitch wasn’t sharp. After giving up a few runs in the early innings, he managed to settle in and get through six, allowing four runs on seven hits. One run, however, scored on a ball lifted to shallow left that Chris Duncan and company lost in the lights.
For the offense, it was the same story, different day, as they once again struggled to come up with the clutch hit, leaving 10 runners stranded as a team. On the plus side, outfielder Rick Ankiel might be about to break out of his recent slump. After his two walks in yesterday’s game, he went 2 for 5 tonight, with a double and his fifth home run of the season. Matthew Leach has the full recap.
I hate to second guess the manager, and I’ll rarely do it after the fact, but the decision to put Ludwick in the leadoff spot definitely looks bad after his 0 for 5, 4 strikeout night. At least we know we’ll see Skip Schumaker back in the lineup tomorrow.
It will be Joel Pineiro taking the mound for the Cardinals tomorrow. He’s coming off his best start of the year, a seven inning gem against the Pirates last Thursday. He’ll be opposed by Johnny Cueto. No more LOB!
Tough Loss for the Cardinals
Written by Mike on April 24, 2008 – 2:02 am -It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to encounter their second string of back-to-back losses. Monday’s win against Milwaukee separates the two short losing streaks. The loss is tougher to take, not only because of the turn of events that transpired in tonight’s game, but also because it came against a Pittsburgh team was predicted to finish at the bottom of the division.
The game couldn’t have started off better for the Cards. They put up four runs in the top of the first, while sending nine men to the plate. Things were looking good when starter Todd Wellemeyer cruised through the first three innings without allowing a hit. After a couple of runs in the fourth, the Pirates tied the game on a two run home run by Jason Bay in the fifth. The ball was just out of Chris Duncan’s reach, and barely cleared the left field wall. Although it hung up longer than expected, I wonder if a more experienced outfielder would have caught it. Anthony Reyes pitched the eighth, giving up the winning runs. 7-4 was the final. View the full box score here.
Tomorrow the Cardinals hope to even the series, with Joel Pineiro going against Tom Gorzellany.
My aggravation allows me to leave you with only one link, but it’s a good one. With the ‘09 All Star Game creeping closer, and the city of St. Louis, and all it’s fans on the brink of being embarrassed by the hole in the ground in the footprint of old Busch, J Carnage has the ultimate solution.
Big Macs, Coffee, Shakes, and Tans
Written by Mike on April 19, 2008 – 12:27 pm -
Those were the words of Cardinals’ broadcaster Al Hrabosky in reference to all the giveaways a fan will receive after last night’s win over the Giants. Of course the Cardinals must have played well in order for you to qualify for all that free crap.
As I speculated yesterday, a good performance from starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer would be an essential part of a win for the Cards. He was outstanding again. Beginning the game by striking out the side, in order, Wellemeyer pitched seven solid innings, allowing one run on four hits, while striking out six. His 26 strikeouts ranks third in the league, one behind Jake Peavy, and two behind Johan Santana.
Also in yesterday’s post, I said runs may come at a premium. Well, maybe the earthquake shook up the Cardinals’ bat rack because they weren’t hard to come by for St. Louis. Albert Pujols took Matt Cain deep in the fourth. The three run shot landed up in Big Mac Land, good enough for your first freebie. The home run made the score 8-1, and anytime the Cards score six or more, fans can get 25 cent coffee from Mobil. Two for one!
I have no idea about the other two promotions, other than the shakes come from Hardee’s, and the tans are from The Tan Company. Whatever. Who cares. The Cardinals won 11-1.
Everyone got in on the action, including backup catcher Jason Larue. His first hit as a Cardinal, a single in the fourth, got the big inning started. Skip Schumaker and Chris Duncan again had very productive nights at the plate, and Troy Glaus’ RBI could get him going offensively. Here’s the full recap.
It’s a day game today, with Joel Pineiro facing Tim Lincecum. Pineiro needs a much better showing in his second outing of the season. How about another win, and maybe some more free stuff for tomorrow?
