The Cardinals continued their winning ways on Sunday with a 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals. Adam Wainwright was effective but not spectacular as he gave up 3 hits and 3 walks but only one run over 6 innings. An Albert Pujols RBI single driving in Colby Rasmus in the sixth gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead, and the bullpen kept the lead the rest of the way to give Adam Wainwright (16-7) his MLB leading win total. Ryan Franklin came in in the eighth with two outs and recorded a four-out save, his 35th of the year.
The Cardinals, who improved their record to a season best 22 games over .500 at 77-55, completed a sweep of the Washington Nationals and are currently 5-1 on this homestand. The second place Cubs, who lost to the New York Mets today 4-1, now own a record of 65-63 and are 10 full games back of the Cardinals.
the Cardinals are off tomorrow, and finished the month of August with an amazing 20-6 record. The Chicago Cubs on the other hand, who play Houston on the last day of August tomorrow, have gone 11-16 in August (so far), so the Cardinals have gained 9.5 games on the Cubs just in August. At the beginning of the month, the Cardinals were in first place but only a half game ahead of the Cubs. In an amazing month, the Cardinals have basically put the Cubs away.
the Cardinals now have September to prepare for the playoffs and hope to earn the best record in the National League in order to secure home field advantage. The Cardinals trail the LA Dodgers by 1.5 games for the best record in the NL, and with an easy schedule, the Cardinals have a good chance of catching them. Go Cardinals!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wainwright Pitches Gem to Lead Cards Past Astros 1-0, Cubs are "Toast"
Adam Wainwright (16-7) pitched 8 shutout innings and Albert Pujols' RBI double in the first inning off Wandy Rodriguez was all the Cardinals needed to make a 1-0 lead stick against the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium on Tuesday.
Wainwright, now tied with CC Sabathia of the Yankees for the major league lead in wins, went eight innings, gave up no runs on 3 hits, 0 walks and 5 strikeouts. Wainwright was just plain nasty and continues to dominate opponents on the mound.
His counterpart on the mound Wandy Rodriguez (12-8) was a hard luck loser, giving up only 1 run over 7 innings. Rodriguez also only gave up 3 hits, with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. The difference was that the Cardinals were able to tally a run on two hits in the first inning. The first was a single by Brendan Ryan, and then Albert Pujols doubled him in to make it 1-0 after one inning.
Ryan Franklin came in to pick up his 33rd save in the ninth inning. His ERA continues to be very impressive at 1.09. Wainwright's ERA improved to 2.50.
The Cardinals, who improved their record to 73-54, a season best 19 games over .500, gained a game on the hapless Chicago Cubs (62-61), and the Cardinals now lead the Cubs by 9 whole games. ESPN's Baseball Tonight crew dubbed the Cubs "toast" after last night's embarrasing 15-6 loss to the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field.
Wainwright, now tied with CC Sabathia of the Yankees for the major league lead in wins, went eight innings, gave up no runs on 3 hits, 0 walks and 5 strikeouts. Wainwright was just plain nasty and continues to dominate opponents on the mound.
His counterpart on the mound Wandy Rodriguez (12-8) was a hard luck loser, giving up only 1 run over 7 innings. Rodriguez also only gave up 3 hits, with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. The difference was that the Cardinals were able to tally a run on two hits in the first inning. The first was a single by Brendan Ryan, and then Albert Pujols doubled him in to make it 1-0 after one inning.
Ryan Franklin came in to pick up his 33rd save in the ninth inning. His ERA continues to be very impressive at 1.09. Wainwright's ERA improved to 2.50.
The Cardinals, who improved their record to 73-54, a season best 19 games over .500, gained a game on the hapless Chicago Cubs (62-61), and the Cardinals now lead the Cubs by 9 whole games. ESPN's Baseball Tonight crew dubbed the Cubs "toast" after last night's embarrasing 15-6 loss to the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Astros vs. Cardinals Series Preview
The streaking St. Louis Cardinals (72-54) begin a nine game homestand when they take on the Houston Astros (61-63) who are 10 games behind but have won 4 out of their last five games and do not fear the Cardinals. Although the Astros are 4-5 against the Cardinals this season, the Astros swept the Cardinals a little over a month ago in Houston, and are 4-2 in their last six against the Cards.
The series will feature three great pitching matchups. On Tuesday, Wandy Rodriguez (12-7) will face Adam Wainwright (14-7). On Wednesday, Roy Oswalt (7-4) will face Joel Pineiro (12-9). On Thursday in the finale, the Astros will pitch Brian Moehler (8-9) against staff ace Chris Carpenter (14-3). The Cardinals have an opportunity to give both Wainwright and Carpenter their 15th wins of the season, which will most likely continue to tie them for the league lead.
The Cardinals need to win, because the Cubs have an opportunity to gain ground as they host the Washington Nationals for a three-game series.
The series will feature three great pitching matchups. On Tuesday, Wandy Rodriguez (12-7) will face Adam Wainwright (14-7). On Wednesday, Roy Oswalt (7-4) will face Joel Pineiro (12-9). On Thursday in the finale, the Astros will pitch Brian Moehler (8-9) against staff ace Chris Carpenter (14-3). The Cardinals have an opportunity to give both Wainwright and Carpenter their 15th wins of the season, which will most likely continue to tie them for the league lead.
The Cardinals need to win, because the Cubs have an opportunity to gain ground as they host the Washington Nationals for a three-game series.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Smoltz Dominates Awful Padres, Pujols Jacks His 40th, Cards win 5-2
Do you think John Smoltz was a good pick up? Well, at least against the San Diego Padres, who have scored the least amount of runs in the majors, but Smoltz was impressive, striking out 9 batters and 7 in a row to lead the Cardinals (72-54) to a 5-2 win over the Padres. The Cards, who won three out of four against the lowly Pads, have now won their last 5 series, and 13 out of their last 16 games. The Cardinals won the season series agianst the Padres 6 to 1.
The Cardinals maintain their 8 game lead over the Chicago Cubs (62-60) who beat the LA Dodgers 3-1 at Dodger Stadium.
In his bid for a triple crown, Albert Pujols hit his 40th homer of the season to lead off the 4th inning agianst Padres reliever Edward Mujica.
Although John Smoltz only went 5 innings, the Cardinals held a 5-0 lead when Smoltz left and five relievers were able to keep the lead and the Cardinals won 5-2. Ryan Franklin picked up his 32nd save.
The Cardinals maintain their 8 game lead over the Chicago Cubs (62-60) who beat the LA Dodgers 3-1 at Dodger Stadium.
In his bid for a triple crown, Albert Pujols hit his 40th homer of the season to lead off the 4th inning agianst Padres reliever Edward Mujica.
Although John Smoltz only went 5 innings, the Cardinals held a 5-0 lead when Smoltz left and five relievers were able to keep the lead and the Cardinals won 5-2. Ryan Franklin picked up his 32nd save.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
No One is Coming to the NL Central Party
Have you ever had a party where you invited a bunch of friends and no one showed up? That situation describes the St. Louis Cardinals and the National League Central Division race.
Only a month ago, many thought that the NL Central race would go down to the very last day. After July 22nd, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and Houston were all within 2 games of each other and Pittsburgh, the last place team in the division was only 7.5 games out.
Since then, the only team to show up to the party has been the St. Louis Cardinals. Since July 22nd, the NL Central teams have the following records:
Cardinals 19-8
Chi. Cubs 13-15 (6.5 games lost)
Milwaukee 11-15 (7.5 games lost)
Houston 11-16 (8 games lost)
Cincinnati 7-20 (12 games lost)
Pittsburgh 8-18 (10.5 games lost)
The Caridnals, who own a record of 70-54, are now 7.5 games ahead of the second place Chicago Cubs ((61-60). Although the Cardinals of course have had a great run, nobody else in the division has even come close to keeping up with the Cardinals. The Cardinals don't seem to be winning it so much as the rest of the division is losing it. With one good month, the Cardinals have put themselves in a very good spot to win the division with ease.
It's a shame noone came to our party.
Only a month ago, many thought that the NL Central race would go down to the very last day. After July 22nd, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and Houston were all within 2 games of each other and Pittsburgh, the last place team in the division was only 7.5 games out.
Since then, the only team to show up to the party has been the St. Louis Cardinals. Since July 22nd, the NL Central teams have the following records:
Cardinals 19-8
Chi. Cubs 13-15 (6.5 games lost)
Milwaukee 11-15 (7.5 games lost)
Houston 11-16 (8 games lost)
Cincinnati 7-20 (12 games lost)
Pittsburgh 8-18 (10.5 games lost)
The Caridnals, who own a record of 70-54, are now 7.5 games ahead of the second place Chicago Cubs ((61-60). Although the Cardinals of course have had a great run, nobody else in the division has even come close to keeping up with the Cardinals. The Cardinals don't seem to be winning it so much as the rest of the division is losing it. With one good month, the Cardinals have put themselves in a very good spot to win the division with ease.
It's a shame noone came to our party.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
LaRussa Works His Magic
Sometimes Tony LaRussa can be a little too aggressive when it comes to moving runners, but last night, his decision to send Albert Pujols on a 3-0 count against Broxton and the Dodgers ended up to be pure brilliance. Russell Martin threw his attempt to catch Pujols stealing in the dirt, which allowed Pujols to move to third, and all it took was a Matt Holliday sac fly to bring in Pujols. In two batters, the Cardinals didn't even get a hit (Pujols walked), but still went up on the Dodgers in the ninth 3-2.
Ryan Franklin came in and saved the game for the Cardinals, his 31st and although Wainwright pitched 7 great innings, Kyle McClellan gets the win to improve his record to 4-2.
The Cardinals keep their 6 game lead over the Cubs who defeated San Diego, and the Cardinals improve their record to 69-53.
Ryan Franklin came in and saved the game for the Cardinals, his 31st and although Wainwright pitched 7 great innings, Kyle McClellan gets the win to improve his record to 4-2.
The Cardinals keep their 6 game lead over the Cubs who defeated San Diego, and the Cardinals improve their record to 69-53.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Carpenter, Pujols, Ankiel Shine as Cards Win Series Opener vs. Dodgers
Chris Carpenter (13-3) gave up only 2 runs on 5 hits over 8 innings and recorded 8 stikeouts to lead the Cardinals to a 3-2 win over the Dodgers Monday at Dodger Stadium. Carpenter outpitched Dodgers minor leaguer Charlie Haeger, who was only pitching his second career start and his first with the Dodgers. Haeger, a knuckleballer, was baffling Cardinals batters. and gave up only 5 hits and no walks in 7 quality innings. The problem for Haeger was that he was pitching against Chris Carpenter.
Carpenter had a shaky start, and quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the first with one out. Casey Blake then hit a sacrifice fly to Ryan Ludwick to score Rafael Furcal, which made it Dodgers 1, Cardinals 0. Ludwick, though, instead of trying to get Furcal out at home, threw to third, and threw out Andre Ethier, who had tagged up and was attempting to get to third base. Mark DeRosa caught Ludwick's strike and tagged out Ethier before he reached third base. Suddenly, what looked like a big inning in the making for the Dodgers was over.
Albert Pujols tied the game in the fourth with his 39th home run of the season, which leads the majors.
The Dodgers took back the lead on Carpenter however in the fifth when James Loney singled in Matt Kemp, who had doubled to open the fifth. At that point the Dodgers led 2-1.
Everything came unglued for Haeger in the seventh when with one out Haeger hit Ryan Ludwick with an errant knuckleball and then gave up a towering home run to Rick Ankiel, his ninth of the season. The Cardinals led 3-2 and would never relinguish their lead.
Carpenter continued to pitch well and looked his best in the 8th inning. Coming in to relieve Carpenter in the ninth, Trever Miller pitched only needed one pitch to get out Andre Ethier, who grounded out to Albert Pujols. Ryan Franklin then came in and forced Manny Ramirez to pop out and then Casey Blake flew out to Colby Rasmus to end the game. Blake's shot by all accounts could have left the park, but the wind was clearly blowing in and the game of course was at night. If it was a day game, the game probably would have been tied, but the ball stayed in the park and the Cardinals won 3-2.
The Cardinals, who have won 9 of 10 and 15 of 19, now boast a 68-52 record, and are now six full games in front of the second place Chicago Cubs, who blew a 1-0 lead in the ninth to lose to the San Diego Padres 4-1 in San Diego.
Carpenter had a shaky start, and quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the first with one out. Casey Blake then hit a sacrifice fly to Ryan Ludwick to score Rafael Furcal, which made it Dodgers 1, Cardinals 0. Ludwick, though, instead of trying to get Furcal out at home, threw to third, and threw out Andre Ethier, who had tagged up and was attempting to get to third base. Mark DeRosa caught Ludwick's strike and tagged out Ethier before he reached third base. Suddenly, what looked like a big inning in the making for the Dodgers was over.
Albert Pujols tied the game in the fourth with his 39th home run of the season, which leads the majors.
The Dodgers took back the lead on Carpenter however in the fifth when James Loney singled in Matt Kemp, who had doubled to open the fifth. At that point the Dodgers led 2-1.
Everything came unglued for Haeger in the seventh when with one out Haeger hit Ryan Ludwick with an errant knuckleball and then gave up a towering home run to Rick Ankiel, his ninth of the season. The Cardinals led 3-2 and would never relinguish their lead.
Carpenter continued to pitch well and looked his best in the 8th inning. Coming in to relieve Carpenter in the ninth, Trever Miller pitched only needed one pitch to get out Andre Ethier, who grounded out to Albert Pujols. Ryan Franklin then came in and forced Manny Ramirez to pop out and then Casey Blake flew out to Colby Rasmus to end the game. Blake's shot by all accounts could have left the park, but the wind was clearly blowing in and the game of course was at night. If it was a day game, the game probably would have been tied, but the ball stayed in the park and the Cardinals won 3-2.
The Cardinals, who have won 9 of 10 and 15 of 19, now boast a 68-52 record, and are now six full games in front of the second place Chicago Cubs, who blew a 1-0 lead in the ninth to lose to the San Diego Padres 4-1 in San Diego.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Getting Hot at Just the Right Time
Let's take an honest look at the Cardinals season so far.
The Cardinals started off hot as they usually do. The Cardinals were 17-7 to start the season and were 4 games up on the second place Cincinnati Reds after the games on May 1st.
From May 2nd until July 26th, the Cardinals were a mediocre 36-41, and finished the day 53-48, a half game back of the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs.
But from July 27th until today, August 16th, the Cardinals have been on a tear, winning all six of their series and going 14-4 during that span, including sweeps of the Pirates and Padres and winning 3 out of 4 at home against the Dodgers.
The Cardinals are now 67-52, 5 full games over the Chicago Cubs (whose game against the Pirates was rained out today). The only upside for the Cubs is that they hold a record of 60-55 and are only 3 games out in the loss collumn, which just so happens to be the same number of games that they have left against the Cardinals. The Cubs are definitely not out of this race, and the Cardinals need to continue this pace to assure itself of a NL Central crown.
Since the Cardinals have been on this tear, the other teams in the race, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros, are now distant memories. After July 26th, only 3 games separated the top four teams in the NL Central race. After today, the Cubs are 5 games behind the Cardinals, the Brewers are 8 games back and the Astros 9.5 games back.
Not only have the Cardinals put distance between themselves and their NL Central foes, the Cardinals are on the brink of catching the National league's best teams. The Cardinals are now only 3.5 games behind the league leading LA Dodgers (70-48) and depending on what the Phillies do tonight, the Cardinals could be tied in games behind with the Phillies, but the Phillies would still have a better winning percentage.
The Cardinals have an opportunity to catch up with the Dodgers even more this week as they travel to Los Angeles for a three game series at Dodger Stadium. The Cardinals then travel to San Diego for a four game series against the Padres.
The Cardinals have put themselves in a good position to make the playoffs, and if they keep up their winning ways, maybe even home field advantage. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Go Cardinals!
The Cardinals started off hot as they usually do. The Cardinals were 17-7 to start the season and were 4 games up on the second place Cincinnati Reds after the games on May 1st.
From May 2nd until July 26th, the Cardinals were a mediocre 36-41, and finished the day 53-48, a half game back of the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs.
But from July 27th until today, August 16th, the Cardinals have been on a tear, winning all six of their series and going 14-4 during that span, including sweeps of the Pirates and Padres and winning 3 out of 4 at home against the Dodgers.
The Cardinals are now 67-52, 5 full games over the Chicago Cubs (whose game against the Pirates was rained out today). The only upside for the Cubs is that they hold a record of 60-55 and are only 3 games out in the loss collumn, which just so happens to be the same number of games that they have left against the Cardinals. The Cubs are definitely not out of this race, and the Cardinals need to continue this pace to assure itself of a NL Central crown.
Since the Cardinals have been on this tear, the other teams in the race, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros, are now distant memories. After July 26th, only 3 games separated the top four teams in the NL Central race. After today, the Cubs are 5 games behind the Cardinals, the Brewers are 8 games back and the Astros 9.5 games back.
Not only have the Cardinals put distance between themselves and their NL Central foes, the Cardinals are on the brink of catching the National league's best teams. The Cardinals are now only 3.5 games behind the league leading LA Dodgers (70-48) and depending on what the Phillies do tonight, the Cardinals could be tied in games behind with the Phillies, but the Phillies would still have a better winning percentage.
The Cardinals have an opportunity to catch up with the Dodgers even more this week as they travel to Los Angeles for a three game series at Dodger Stadium. The Cardinals then travel to San Diego for a four game series against the Padres.
The Cardinals have put themselves in a good position to make the playoffs, and if they keep up their winning ways, maybe even home field advantage. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Go Cardinals!
Rasmus' Walk Off Homer Delivers Cardinals Sweep of Padres
Being from Columbus, Georgia, a lot of folks down here wondered how Colby would do in this, his rookie season with the Cardinals (he's from neighboring Phenix City, Alabama - yes, no "o" in Phenix by the way). Colby hasn't done half bad, has he?
More than having a .259 batting average with 12 home runs and 40 RBI's so far this season, Rasmus has delivered in big games and in big moments, and tonight was no different. The rookie outfielder came in with the game tied and one out in the ninth innning after Yadier Molina singled home Ryan Ludwick to tie the game at 5-5. Colby Rasmus then took Padres closer Heath Bell deep on a 0-1 curveball. Game over. Cards win. Cards sweep the Padres.
Rasmus is showing why the Skip Schumaker move to 2nd base was such a good idea. Even before the acquisition of Matt Holliday, the Cardinals had a good amount of outfield talent with Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, Skip Schumaker and former Cardinal Chris Duncan. The team needed room for Rasmus, so Schumaker went to 2nd base. Rasmus hasn't played every day, but he has shown why the move was a good one with home runs like he had tonight.
Cardinals fans should look forward to more of the same. Go Colby.
More than having a .259 batting average with 12 home runs and 40 RBI's so far this season, Rasmus has delivered in big games and in big moments, and tonight was no different. The rookie outfielder came in with the game tied and one out in the ninth innning after Yadier Molina singled home Ryan Ludwick to tie the game at 5-5. Colby Rasmus then took Padres closer Heath Bell deep on a 0-1 curveball. Game over. Cards win. Cards sweep the Padres.
Rasmus is showing why the Skip Schumaker move to 2nd base was such a good idea. Even before the acquisition of Matt Holliday, the Cardinals had a good amount of outfield talent with Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, Skip Schumaker and former Cardinal Chris Duncan. The team needed room for Rasmus, so Schumaker went to 2nd base. Rasmus hasn't played every day, but he has shown why the move was a good one with home runs like he had tonight.
Cardinals fans should look forward to more of the same. Go Colby.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Pineiro's Quality Start and Strong Offensive Output Leads Cardinals to 7-4 Win Over Padres
Joel Pineiro (11-9) went 6 and 2/3 innings and gave up 3 runs, while Matt Holliday hit his 16th home run of the year to lead the Cardinals (66-52) past the San Diego Padres (49-69) to remain 4.5 games over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.
Pineiro started off a little shaky, giving up a run in the first inning, but the Cardinals were able to score 3 in the bottom half of the first to give Pineiro a 3-1 lead. Colby Rasmus singled with one out, Albert Pujols doubled and Matt Holliday homered to give the Cards a quick 3-1 lead.
Adrian Gonzalez closed the gap in the third inning when he hit a lead-off solo shot to make it 3-2.
Skip Schumaker made it 4-2 when he drove in Julio Lugo from 2nd with two outs in the fourth. Schumaker did the same in the 6th to extend the Cardinals lead to 5-2. Each time, Pineiro helped his cause, first with a walk in the 4th to push Lugo to second, and then with a sac bunt in the 6th to do the same.
The Padres once again made a comeback bid when they scored 2 in the 7th, but the Cardinals answered with two of their own in the bottom of the seventh.
Ryan Ludwick doubled off reliever Luke Gregerson, who had just entered the game. Mark DeRosa then singled to drive Ludwick in, and Yadier Molina hit a ground rule double. Then Brendan Ryan grounded out to score DeRosa.
Ryan Franklin picked up his 29th save to seal the Cardinals win and keep the Cardinals 4.5 games over the Chicago Cubs, who beat the Pirates today 3-1.
The Cardinals will look to sweep the series behind Kyle Lohse tomorrow afternoon.
Pineiro started off a little shaky, giving up a run in the first inning, but the Cardinals were able to score 3 in the bottom half of the first to give Pineiro a 3-1 lead. Colby Rasmus singled with one out, Albert Pujols doubled and Matt Holliday homered to give the Cards a quick 3-1 lead.
Adrian Gonzalez closed the gap in the third inning when he hit a lead-off solo shot to make it 3-2.
Skip Schumaker made it 4-2 when he drove in Julio Lugo from 2nd with two outs in the fourth. Schumaker did the same in the 6th to extend the Cardinals lead to 5-2. Each time, Pineiro helped his cause, first with a walk in the 4th to push Lugo to second, and then with a sac bunt in the 6th to do the same.
The Padres once again made a comeback bid when they scored 2 in the 7th, but the Cardinals answered with two of their own in the bottom of the seventh.
Ryan Ludwick doubled off reliever Luke Gregerson, who had just entered the game. Mark DeRosa then singled to drive Ludwick in, and Yadier Molina hit a ground rule double. Then Brendan Ryan grounded out to score DeRosa.
Ryan Franklin picked up his 29th save to seal the Cardinals win and keep the Cardinals 4.5 games over the Chicago Cubs, who beat the Pirates today 3-1.
The Cardinals will look to sweep the series behind Kyle Lohse tomorrow afternoon.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wainwright First NL Pitcher to Reach 14 Wins, Cards Defeat Padres 9-2
Adam Wainwright, although not the ace of the Cardinals staff, is the first National League pitcher to reach 14 wins in 2009, and ties Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox as the only two pitchers to have 14 wins so far this season. The 6 foot 7 inch, 205 pounder from Brunswick, Georgia is becoming one of the most consistent starters in the National League and always gives the Cardinals a good chance of winning. In his fourth full season as a Cardinal, Wainwright is now a very impressive 41-23 in his career. Wainwright also has 1 win, 4 saves and a 0.00 ERA in 9 and 2/3 innings in the postseason, all coming in 2006 when the Cardinals won the World Series. So Wainwright can do it in the clutch as well, although those innings came as a reliever.
Tonight against the Padres, Wainwright (14-7) went 7 scoreless innings and got 3 strikeouts, while giving up 8 hits and no walks. Wainwright also got the only Cardinals home run of the evening, his second of the year, a solo shot off Padres starter Mat Latos (4-2).
The Cardinals scored early and often against Latos, who gave up 7 runs over just 4 innings. Colby Rasmus went 3 for 5 with a run scored, and Matt Holliday went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI's to lead the Cardinals offense.
The second place Chicago Cubs put a whooping on the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates 17-2, so the Cardinals (65-52) still lead the Cubs (59-55) by 4.5 games.
Tonight against the Padres, Wainwright (14-7) went 7 scoreless innings and got 3 strikeouts, while giving up 8 hits and no walks. Wainwright also got the only Cardinals home run of the evening, his second of the year, a solo shot off Padres starter Mat Latos (4-2).
The Cardinals scored early and often against Latos, who gave up 7 runs over just 4 innings. Colby Rasmus went 3 for 5 with a run scored, and Matt Holliday went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI's to lead the Cardinals offense.
The second place Chicago Cubs put a whooping on the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates 17-2, so the Cardinals (65-52) still lead the Cubs (59-55) by 4.5 games.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Cardinals vs. Padres Series Preview
The NL Central Division leading St. Louis Cardinals (64-52) host the NL West's last place team, the San Diego Padres (49-68) this weekend for a three-game set. Don't let the records fool you, however. This could be a land mine for the Cardinals. The Padres, although they have a bad record, are 15-14 against the NL Central, and are 11-5 since July 27th.
The Cardinals will need to be on top of their game to make sure they can get the series win. The Cardinals will throw out Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro and Kyle Lohse, all coming off wins in their last starts. They will be facing three young pitchers in Mat Latos, Tim Stauffer, and Clayton Richard, two of whom (Latos and Richard) won games against the Mets and Brewers in their last starts, and Stauffer was a hard luck loser against Johan Santana and the Mets in his last start. Stauffer is a former first round draft pick for the Padres, so all three starters will attempt to get wins for the Padres and this will not be a series in which the Padres will lie down.
The Chicago Cubs will face the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend, so the Cubs will be looking to gain ground on the Cardinals in the NL Central race. This weekend will be yet another interesting weekend in the race, and should shed further light on where the NL Central is going the rest of the way.
The Cardinals will need to be on top of their game to make sure they can get the series win. The Cardinals will throw out Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro and Kyle Lohse, all coming off wins in their last starts. They will be facing three young pitchers in Mat Latos, Tim Stauffer, and Clayton Richard, two of whom (Latos and Richard) won games against the Mets and Brewers in their last starts, and Stauffer was a hard luck loser against Johan Santana and the Mets in his last start. Stauffer is a former first round draft pick for the Padres, so all three starters will attempt to get wins for the Padres and this will not be a series in which the Padres will lie down.
The Chicago Cubs will face the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend, so the Cubs will be looking to gain ground on the Cardinals in the NL Central race. This weekend will be yet another interesting weekend in the race, and should shed further light on where the NL Central is going the rest of the way.
NL Central Crown Is Within Reach for the Redbirds
The Chicago Cubs, a team that many pundits had winning the NL Central with ease during the first half of the season, are now looking like a team that will struggle to catch up with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs, who lost a 6-1 decision to Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies today at Wrigley, fall to a 58-55 record, and are now 4.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals who have an off day today. On paper, the Cubs look like a team that could run away with the NL Central. With a pitching rotation of Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells, the Cubs are a tough team to face. And with proven hitters such as Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot and Giovanny Soto, the team, especially at Wrigley Field can put up some offensive numbers. But neither pitching success nor hitting success has come with any regularity for the Cubs. The Cubs have been hobbled by injuries all throughout the team - Zambrano, Lilly, Aramis Ramirez, and others have hit the DL and others have slumped badly, such as former All-Star Giovanny Soto, whose batting average is a unremarkable .220. When you add in troubles in the bullpen with Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg, the situation looks just plain bad.
What will help the Cubs the rest of the way is an easy schedule. The Cubs play 37 games against teams with a losing record and only 12 games against teams with a winning record. This is compared with 31 and 15 for the Cardinals. So the Cubs have a more favorable schedule than the Cardinals at least by a little bit.
The National League Central Division race may come down to the three game Cubs-Cards series on September 18th, 19th and 20th at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. If the Cubs can keep the race close they will have a chance to make 3 games up in this series. Of course the Cardinals will try to pull away much earlier and make this series meaningless.
If the Cardinals, who currently hold a 64-52 record, can go 26-20 in their last 46 games (very doable given the schedule), they will end the season at a 90-72 mark. The Cubs, currently 58-55, would then have to go 32-17 over their last 49 games to tie the Cardinals, a pace which seems much more unlikely for a team that is having so many injury problems.
With this 4.5 game lead, if the Cardinals play anything close to what they are capable of playing for the rest of the season, the Cardinals should win this division by 5 or 6 games.
Then comes the playoffs.
What will help the Cubs the rest of the way is an easy schedule. The Cubs play 37 games against teams with a losing record and only 12 games against teams with a winning record. This is compared with 31 and 15 for the Cardinals. So the Cubs have a more favorable schedule than the Cardinals at least by a little bit.
The National League Central Division race may come down to the three game Cubs-Cards series on September 18th, 19th and 20th at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. If the Cubs can keep the race close they will have a chance to make 3 games up in this series. Of course the Cardinals will try to pull away much earlier and make this series meaningless.
If the Cardinals, who currently hold a 64-52 record, can go 26-20 in their last 46 games (very doable given the schedule), they will end the season at a 90-72 mark. The Cubs, currently 58-55, would then have to go 32-17 over their last 49 games to tie the Cardinals, a pace which seems much more unlikely for a team that is having so many injury problems.
With this 4.5 game lead, if the Cardinals play anything close to what they are capable of playing for the rest of the season, the Cardinals should win this division by 5 or 6 games.
Then comes the playoffs.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Cardinals Go 4 Up on Cubs with Strong Performance from Carpenter
So what else is new? Chris Carpenter takes the mound and the Cardinals win. Tonight, Carpenter, who improved his record to 12-3, pitched seven innings, gave up 2 runs on 8 hits and 0 walks, and struck out 10 Reds batters. The three runs that the Cardinals got off Homer Bailey in the first inning were all they needed, as the Cardinals beat the Reds 5-2 and won the rubber match of their three game series. Albert Pujols hit his 38th homer, Matt Holliday went 3 for 4, and Ryan Franklin picked up his 28th save.
The Cubs, who entered the evening three games back of the Cardinals, got killed 12-5 by the Philadelphia Phillies. Jeff Samardzija (1-2) only was able to go 3 1/3 innings, and gave up 7 runs on 8 hits in his first start of his career. He was clearly no match for the vaunted Phillies lineup which hit him early and often. Pedro Martinez, who made his first comeback start for the Phillies, gave up 3 runs on 7 hits but struck out 5 and only walked one batter to get the win.
The Cardinals improved their record to 64-52, which ties their season high of 12 games over .500. They now hold a 4 game lead over the Chicago Cubs who with the loss fell to 58-54. The Cubs do not get a break as they go up against red-hot Cliff Lee tomorrow against the Phillies in a day game at Wrigley, while the Cardinals have Thursday off and will rest for their weekend series against the Padres at Busch Stadium.
The Cubs, who entered the evening three games back of the Cardinals, got killed 12-5 by the Philadelphia Phillies. Jeff Samardzija (1-2) only was able to go 3 1/3 innings, and gave up 7 runs on 8 hits in his first start of his career. He was clearly no match for the vaunted Phillies lineup which hit him early and often. Pedro Martinez, who made his first comeback start for the Phillies, gave up 3 runs on 7 hits but struck out 5 and only walked one batter to get the win.
The Cardinals improved their record to 64-52, which ties their season high of 12 games over .500. They now hold a 4 game lead over the Chicago Cubs who with the loss fell to 58-54. The Cubs do not get a break as they go up against red-hot Cliff Lee tomorrow against the Phillies in a day game at Wrigley, while the Cardinals have Thursday off and will rest for their weekend series against the Padres at Busch Stadium.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cards, Cubs both lose one-run games, Cards Stay 3 Up on Cubs
Mitchell Boggs (1-1) gave up 4 runs on nine hits over 6 innings and the Cardinals were never able to come back as they lost to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday 5-4. Down 5-3, the Cardinals were able to score one in the ninth and had Albert Pujols on second when Matt Holliday struck out looking to end the game.
The Cubs meanwhile, in a bizarre game where the Phillies had more runs (4) than hits (3), had an amazing outing from Rich Harden who was perfect through five innings. but then gave up a walk to Carlos Ruiz and a homer to Jimmy Rollins and the game was then tied at 2. The Phillies were able to score one in the eighth, but Brad Lidge blew a save to allow the Cubs to tie the game at 3-3 after nine innings. In the twelfth, Ben Francisco of the Phillies opeed the frame with a home run off Kevin Gregg and the Phillies hung on to win in 12 innings 4-3.
the Cardinals (63-52) still lead the Chicago Cubs (58-53) by 3 full games in the NL Central.
The Cubs meanwhile, in a bizarre game where the Phillies had more runs (4) than hits (3), had an amazing outing from Rich Harden who was perfect through five innings. but then gave up a walk to Carlos Ruiz and a homer to Jimmy Rollins and the game was then tied at 2. The Phillies were able to score one in the eighth, but Brad Lidge blew a save to allow the Cubs to tie the game at 3-3 after nine innings. In the twelfth, Ben Francisco of the Phillies opeed the frame with a home run off Kevin Gregg and the Phillies hung on to win in 12 innings 4-3.
the Cardinals (63-52) still lead the Chicago Cubs (58-53) by 3 full games in the NL Central.
Cards 3 Up and Hungry for More
With a win last night against the woeful Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals improved their record to 63-51 and are now 3 full games over the slumping Chicago Cubs (58-52). Now ahead of the Cubs in the loss column, the Cardinals have a chance to gain further ground. The Cardinals have 2 more games against the ailing Reds today and Wednesday, and another 3 game series against the lowly Padres, while the Cubs are at home for three games against the NL East leading Philadelphia Phillies. If the Phillies are able to win a couple from the Cubs, and the Cardinals do what they are supposed to do against the Reds and Padres, the 3 game lead could become even more. With only 50 or so games remaining in the season, it would be nice if the Cardinals could get a little breathing room in the NL Central race.
What was very encouraging in the win against the Reds last night was the outstanding pitching performance of Kyle Lohse, who pitched 6 innings, gave up one run on only 4 hits and had 3 K's. If Kyle Lohse can get hot (and this win against the Reds, who look like a Triple-A team right now doesn't count, but it is a start), that would be a big step for this Cardinal team who are looking for a solid 4th starter.
Mitchell Boggs will pitch against the Reds for Todd Wellemeyer who has gone on the DL. I'm guessing they just don't want him to start. Things look on the up and up for the Redbirds.
Go Cardinals!
What was very encouraging in the win against the Reds last night was the outstanding pitching performance of Kyle Lohse, who pitched 6 innings, gave up one run on only 4 hits and had 3 K's. If Kyle Lohse can get hot (and this win against the Reds, who look like a Triple-A team right now doesn't count, but it is a start), that would be a big step for this Cardinal team who are looking for a solid 4th starter.
Mitchell Boggs will pitch against the Reds for Todd Wellemeyer who has gone on the DL. I'm guessing they just don't want him to start. Things look on the up and up for the Redbirds.
Go Cardinals!
Monday, August 10, 2009
August Schedule Sets Up Nicely for Big Month
August could be a big month for the Cardinals, as they face many teams who are out of the playoff race in their respective divisions.
This week the Cardinals face the Cincinnati Reds (48-62) and the San Diego Padres (47-66) at home for two three-game series. Then the Cards go to LA to face the Dodgers (67-45) for 3 and then visit San Diego for a four game set. Then the Cardinals return home to face Houston (55-56) and (oddly enough) the red-hot Washington Nationals (40-72), both for a three-game series.
They will only face one team with a winning record, the LA Dodgers, however, the Dodgers have stumbled as of late, having only gone 3-6 in August. The Dodgers currently are on a 3-game losing streak, having lost 3 straight to the Atlanta Braves.
Hopefully the Cardinals can take advantage of this easier stretch of games and pull away in the National League Central Division race.
This week the Cardinals face the Cincinnati Reds (48-62) and the San Diego Padres (47-66) at home for two three-game series. Then the Cards go to LA to face the Dodgers (67-45) for 3 and then visit San Diego for a four game set. Then the Cardinals return home to face Houston (55-56) and (oddly enough) the red-hot Washington Nationals (40-72), both for a three-game series.
They will only face one team with a winning record, the LA Dodgers, however, the Dodgers have stumbled as of late, having only gone 3-6 in August. The Dodgers currently are on a 3-game losing streak, having lost 3 straight to the Atlanta Braves.
Hopefully the Cardinals can take advantage of this easier stretch of games and pull away in the National League Central Division race.
Cards Sweep Pirates, Go 2 Up Over Cubs
What a big weekend for the Cardinals (62-51) who are now 2 full games ahead of the Chicago Cubs (58-51) and 6 full games ahead pf both the Milwaukee Brewers (55-56) and the Houston Astros (55-56). While the Cardinals swept the Pirates in Pittsburgh, the Cubs lost 2 out of 3 to a hot Colorado Rockies team in Colorado.
The only negative for the Cardinals is that the Chicago Cubs have the same amount of losses (51). The Cubs simply have played 4 fewer games than the Cardinals and they could theoretically win all 4 games which would put them in a dead heat. The Brwers and Astros being 6 six games back just seem a little too far back to be real contenders in the race for the NL Central crown and now it definitely seems to be a two-team race between the Cardinals and the Cubs.
The big problem for the Cardinals if they want to win this division is the back end of their rotation. Kyle Lohse has not done well since he has returned to the rotation after many injuries, and Todd WEllemeyer has gotten lit up time after time. Amazingly, Wellemeyer after being sent to the bullpen will get another start on Tuesday at home vs. the Cincinnati Reds. If the Cardinals want to win the division, they need to find at least one good starter to get them through to the end of the regular season and give them a solid fourth starter for the playoffs.
My prediction is that the Cardinals will need to go 30-20 in their last 50 games to win the division, which would put them at 91-71. With Carpenter, Wainwright and Pineiro pitching well this is a real possibility, but you can't hope that all three pitchers win all their games from here on out, so either Lohse or Wellemeyer or someone else (Boggs?) is going to have to step it up.
The only negative for the Cardinals is that the Chicago Cubs have the same amount of losses (51). The Cubs simply have played 4 fewer games than the Cardinals and they could theoretically win all 4 games which would put them in a dead heat. The Brwers and Astros being 6 six games back just seem a little too far back to be real contenders in the race for the NL Central crown and now it definitely seems to be a two-team race between the Cardinals and the Cubs.
The big problem for the Cardinals if they want to win this division is the back end of their rotation. Kyle Lohse has not done well since he has returned to the rotation after many injuries, and Todd WEllemeyer has gotten lit up time after time. Amazingly, Wellemeyer after being sent to the bullpen will get another start on Tuesday at home vs. the Cincinnati Reds. If the Cardinals want to win the division, they need to find at least one good starter to get them through to the end of the regular season and give them a solid fourth starter for the playoffs.
My prediction is that the Cardinals will need to go 30-20 in their last 50 games to win the division, which would put them at 91-71. With Carpenter, Wainwright and Pineiro pitching well this is a real possibility, but you can't hope that all three pitchers win all their games from here on out, so either Lohse or Wellemeyer or someone else (Boggs?) is going to have to step it up.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Cardinals Need Sweep of Pirates
52 games are left in the 2009 season for the St. Louis Cardinals and every game counts. When you are playing a team like the Pirates who are 17 games under .500, you need to do one thing - CRUSH THEM. All week, teams in the hunt have been losing to teams long gone, such as today when the Florida Marlins (55-53) gave up an 8-3 lead in the 5th to lose to the woeful Washington Nationals (37-72) 12-8. When it comes to crunch time, you have to win the games you are supposed to win. For the Cardinals that means that they must sweep the Pirates who are 12.5 games back of the Cardinals and have just sold off half their team for prospects. The Cards are perfectly positioned for a sweep, with Carpenter, Wainwright and Pineiro going in the Friday through Sunday sweries. Whether the Cardinals will pull it off, that remains to be seen.
Even better for the Cardinals is that the Chicago Cubs visit the Colorado Rockies this weekend, a team that until playing the red hot Phillies has been on a bit of a hot streak. It would be great if the Cardinals could get the sweep while the Cubs falter a bit. But no matter what it looks like on paper, the game of baseball is a crazy game. And that is why they play it on the field.
Go Cardinals!
Even better for the Cardinals is that the Chicago Cubs visit the Colorado Rockies this weekend, a team that until playing the red hot Phillies has been on a bit of a hot streak. It would be great if the Cardinals could get the sweep while the Cubs falter a bit. But no matter what it looks like on paper, the game of baseball is a crazy game. And that is why they play it on the field.
Go Cardinals!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Cards lose, split series - Is there an invisible ceiling for the Cardinals?
Kyle Lohse (4-7) gave up 5 runs and 7 hits in 2 and 2/3 innings as the Cardinals lost to the New York Mets at Citi Field 9-0. Even though the Mets lost their starter Jon Niese in the second inning to an injury, the Mets shut out the Cardinals behind excellent relief pitching, something that the Mets lacked last night in their 10 inning loss.
With the loss, the Cardinals dropped to 59-51 and a half game behind the Chicago Cubs, who play the Cincinnati Reds this evening.
the one positive of the day for the Cardinals was that Albert Pujols continued his hot streak that began yesterday by hitting 2 doubles in the game.
Since the Cardinals reached a record of 17-7 on May 1st and then lost their next game on May 2nd(to the Nationals 6-1), the Cardinals have had six opportunities to get back to .500 and have lost them all. If the Cardinals want to win the NL Central they are going to have to crack through this invisible ceiling and get over the 10 games over .500 mark. If the Cardinals finished the season 10 games over .500, their record would be 86-76, a mark that would not likely earn them a playoff bid.
the Cardinals this weekend play a three game set with Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, so this will be a great chance for the Cardinals to hurdle this invisible ceiling.
With the loss, the Cardinals dropped to 59-51 and a half game behind the Chicago Cubs, who play the Cincinnati Reds this evening.
the one positive of the day for the Cardinals was that Albert Pujols continued his hot streak that began yesterday by hitting 2 doubles in the game.
Since the Cardinals reached a record of 17-7 on May 1st and then lost their next game on May 2nd(to the Nationals 6-1), the Cardinals have had six opportunities to get back to .500 and have lost them all. If the Cardinals want to win the NL Central they are going to have to crack through this invisible ceiling and get over the 10 games over .500 mark. If the Cardinals finished the season 10 games over .500, their record would be 86-76, a mark that would not likely earn them a playoff bid.
the Cardinals this weekend play a three game set with Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, so this will be a great chance for the Cardinals to hurdle this invisible ceiling.
Offensive Surge Gives Cardinals Big Comeback Win Over Mets
If you would have told me before the game that Joel Pineiro would not have a good night, and Johan Santana was pitching for the Mets, I would said, "Easy loss for the Cardinals."
It was not the case, as Santana was not totally on his game either, and Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez gave up his fourth blown save of the year. What was on for the Cardinals was their bats, as they scored 12 runs in 10 innings to beat the Mets in a comeback win, 12-7. Even bigger for the Cardinals might be that Albert Pujols came out of his slump and went 4-for-5 with two home runs, 11 total bases and 5 huge RBI's, one a homer off Santana in the 8th and the other a grand slam in the 10th inning to put the game away off Mets reliever Sean Green.
It was a great offensive display for the Cardinals, who came back from a 7-4 deficit with one run in the 8th and two runs in the 9th to tie the game at 7-7. Seven batters for the Cards had at least one RBI and the Cardinals pounded out 15 hits.
This was a huge win for the Cardinals and kept them in a tie for first place (but 2 back in the loss column) with the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs. The Cubs (57-48) beat a woeful Reds team 6-3 and are now 9 games above .500, while the Cards record goes to 59-50.
It was not the case, as Santana was not totally on his game either, and Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez gave up his fourth blown save of the year. What was on for the Cardinals was their bats, as they scored 12 runs in 10 innings to beat the Mets in a comeback win, 12-7. Even bigger for the Cardinals might be that Albert Pujols came out of his slump and went 4-for-5 with two home runs, 11 total bases and 5 huge RBI's, one a homer off Santana in the 8th and the other a grand slam in the 10th inning to put the game away off Mets reliever Sean Green.
It was a great offensive display for the Cardinals, who came back from a 7-4 deficit with one run in the 8th and two runs in the 9th to tie the game at 7-7. Seven batters for the Cards had at least one RBI and the Cardinals pounded out 15 hits.
This was a huge win for the Cardinals and kept them in a tie for first place (but 2 back in the loss column) with the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs. The Cubs (57-48) beat a woeful Reds team 6-3 and are now 9 games above .500, while the Cards record goes to 59-50.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Can the Cardinals win the NL Central?
With two months to go, the Cardinals are leading the second place and red-hot Chicago Cubs by a half game, but are two back in the loss column. Do the Cardinals have what it takes to win the NL Central? The rotation is very top heavy, with Carpenter, Wainwright and Pineiro doing great work, but Kyle Lohse is just back off the DL and Wellemeyer has been relegated to the bullpen. Can the Cardinals win with just 3 solid starters? The Cubs rotation is much stronger all around, but their bullpen has given up games, as they did to the Marlins Sunday (a big thank you to Kevin Gregg for blowing the save!).
My prediction is that Tony LaRussa will get the Cardinals into the playoffs - whether they win the division or not I'm not sure, but both the Cubs and the Cardinals will be very good in August and September and both might make the playoffs. The Giants, Rockies and Marlins are all getting hot too, so I am not sure the Cardinals can count on the wild card.
One thing is for sure, Albert Pujols needs to get hot again. Matt Holliday can't keep this pace up for much longer! Go Cards!
My prediction is that Tony LaRussa will get the Cardinals into the playoffs - whether they win the division or not I'm not sure, but both the Cubs and the Cardinals will be very good in August and September and both might make the playoffs. The Giants, Rockies and Marlins are all getting hot too, so I am not sure the Cardinals can count on the wild card.
One thing is for sure, Albert Pujols needs to get hot again. Matt Holliday can't keep this pace up for much longer! Go Cards!
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