The Cardinals: Why Aren't They Better?

Anyone here noticing how Cris Carpenter is seemingly saving the Cards' starting staff right now?

They are getting better production with Ray Lankford, Tony Womack and Reggie Sanders, than they did out of their 1b (Martinez), 2b (Vina) and Rf (misc.) than last year, but that could end any day now for a couple of these guys.

As good a centerfielder that Edmonds is with the glove with old guys like Lankford and Sanders that has to be a lot of ground to cover.

He's got what, 50 RBIs now and it's just the first day of June?

I was gonna pick this fight elsewhere, but Mike Lowell is at least as hot as Rolen, in a lesser lineup and with a crappy home park to hit in. You can make a good case on the basis of their last 200 games for Lowell as the NL All-Star 3B.

VORP, 2003-4
Rolen 87.1
Lowell 85.0

They're both head n' shoulders above the NL pack at third.

Ever read Herzog's book? Where he proposed funding stadiums with national bingo, I believe? Man, I hated that guy. I was SO happy when Kansas City won that World Series on the lousy ump call. It's a funny book, though.

i'm just trying to figure out what the measurement is for "dangerous"... if you were to measure for "most dangerous hitter", what stat would you use? or is it something more subjective?

bnw, I'm still waiting for a poem about To Saguchi.

Please forgive me.

The So Taguchi will speak to no-one today
He does not even read your paper anyway
We cannot guarantee he will appear at Cannes
And if he does he'll do no one-to-ones

He is asleep
And when he wakes he will need to be fed
Then he will sing
Then he will go back to bed

No interviews with Mr So Taguchi today
We are dismayed by your attempts to invade his privacy
Please go away! Please, go away!
Goodbye!

His painting exhibition is at Andrea Rosen
His rock band rocks the Buddokan
And his book 'I, Taguchi' is in its third impression this week
But Mr So Taguchi is asleep

No interviews with Mr So Taguchi today
We are dismayed by your attempts to invade his privacy
Please go away! Please, go away!
Goodbye!

Please go away!
No interviews today
Good day! (Hoppit!)
Please go away!
No interviews today

The Cards are the best team in the NL Central right now, no doubt about it. But I hate to think that these huge disparities in the strength of interleague opponents could be a major factor in deciding the NLC pennant race in September.

I smell a regression to mean coming...

Edmonds is a freaking witch in centerfield.

I think they got the message.

"The Cardinals have a house-of-cards feel to them, with a starting rotation from the Jobe Collection and two of the all-time stathead bete noires at catcher and second base. You can get away with a lot if you make plays and have a tremendous lineup core, and that's what this team has. Like the late-'90s Mariners, it may not be enough to win a title or be a consistent playoff team, but the years in which it does work--like '99 for the Mariners, or '04 for the Cards--are fun to watch. I think enough of the roster core that even my conviction that Matt Morris is about to see the business end of a scalpel again isn't enough for me to suggest that the Cards will join last year's Royals as the only teams to blow seven-game first-half leads in the Wild Card era."

I'm guessing this means: the team is not on the East/West coast thus I didn't notice how they went to the playoffs 3 of the last 4 years.

I can see the comparison to the M's, but I can also see some comparisons to the Angels team from a couple of years ago. The Cards have a bit better starting pitching than that Anaheim team, but it remains to be seen whether the bullpen can keep it up, especially in playoff baseball.

WEAK

The NFL wishes it had the parity the NL is currently experiencing.

I'd say the anemic offense is a bigger problem.

But the offense...urgh. And to think, earlier this year, their O was looking ridiculously good.

And even when the offense manages to put some runs on the board, the middle relief gives up any lead they are given. Miceli was nails before the Dotel trade, but his descent into sub-mediocrity coincided almost perfectly with that move.

And so far (admittedly, it's only been 4 games) Garner has managed exactly like Jimy Williams. Last night, down a run in the 9th (after Miceli gave up back-to-back jobs in the 8th), he let Orlando Palmeiro make the last out with Make Lamb and Jason Lane, two guys with some power sitting on the bench.

a rare ilbb xpost - yeah, i couldn't figure out LOOGY either.

I wish I had the numbers from a NY Times article 2 Sundays ago in front of me, but the number of teams that make up even a 7-game deficit from this stage of the season is ridiculously low. (I guess KC last year was an exception, but I think their lead peaked earlier.)

the cubs don't scare me nearly as much as the sox do, and i guess they shouldn't, because they're not as good. the sox, given a healthy williamson and a #3 starter, would be like the uber-cardinals, with a devastating middle of the order, front of the rotation, and back of the bullpen, in addition to having solid hitters 1-9 (which i think has a kind of intangible value), relievers who comliment each other well, and a nice back of the rotation in wakefield and arroyo. that's how they looked on paper at the beginning of the year, which is why i thought they were an easy pick for the division. thank god things haven't worked out.

one of those cleveland teams? earlier? more recently?

Albert Pujols .321/.410/.627
Scott Rolen .333/.410/.611
Jim Edmonds .303/.410/.653

Published: August 6, 2004

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 5 - At 5:20 p.m., the red-clad residents of this baseball capital turn toward the batting cage at Busch Stadium and behold the faces of the game.

The hot shot from the Southern California suburbs who scales fences and streaks his hair, drives a Ferrari and goes by the name of "Hollywood."

The farm boy from the Indiana cornfields who glides like a Hoosiers guard, and drives a pickup truck around town and a Winnebago across the country.

The man-child from the Dominican Republic, who immigrated with a grandmother named "America," recites Bible verses and strikes exaggerated poses after his home runs.

Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen and Albert Pujols do more than make up the most popular batting practice group every evening at Busch Stadium. They have assumed the mantle left by Mark McGwire and formed a modern-day murderer's row, defining the best team in the National League.

In an era when so many premier players are produced in the Southern California sprawl, the Latin American sandlots and the heartland towns, three archetypes have come to this consummate baseball city. They muster beneath the Gateway Arch, a symbol of hope for any low-round draft choice or long-lost prospect who wore out his welcome in a larger market with a shorter fuse.

As St. Louis Manager Tony LaRussa studied the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters in his lineup this week, he said: "Look at their swings, their workout routines, their personalities. They're as different as California, Indiana and the Dominican Republic. The only thing about them that's alike is the talent and the fact that they haven't won a ring."

All they have in common is the cause. Edmonds is a graceful acrobat with a long and stylish swing who forever looks like he is lounging at one of the beaches in Orange County, where he grew up. He struts into the clubhouse, sometimes early, sometimes late, fiddling with his cellphone.

Rolen glances at his gifted teammate and rolls his eyes in jest. Built like a linebacker, recruited by college basketball teams as a guard, Rolen has a compact swing, a precise pregame routine, and a grass-roots horse sense about the way to play. He takes swings in the middle of the clubhouse, volunteers to make appearances, and is often flanked by his Labradors or his parents, who live in Jasper, Ind., and follow him to stadiums in their recreational vehicle

Pujols aims for distance in nearly every aspect of his life. He broods before games and preens during them. A portrait of precocity, Pujols got married when he was 19 to a woman who has a daughter with Down syndrome, replaced McGwire in the lineup when he was 21, and this week became the first player to hit 30 or more home runs in each of his first four seasons. Asked about the feat, he sounded like Barry Bonds, minus the sense of humor. "I don't care," Pujols said, puffing his chest. "I can do it every year."

Edmonds, Rolen and Pujols do not necessarily hang out together, and probably never will. Some teammates say they are simply too different - Edmonds too aloof, Rolen too focused, Pujols too haughty - but they still talk easily about social engagements and celebrate each other's achievements with bottles of Champagne. While many clubhouses are segregated by ethnicity or geography, Edmonds, Rolen and Pujols are simply too huge for superficial boundaries.

There are bound to be petty jealousies when superstars share the stage, but Edmonds, Rolen and Pujols are complementing one another this season, hitting over .300 and combining for 87 home runs and 254 runs batted in before Thursday's game. Defensively, Rolen is the best at his position, Edmonds is among the best, and Pujols has made a surprisingly adept switch from the outfield to first base. If there were justice in postseason honors, the three players would probably split the Most Valuable Player award.

"We have our Hollywood guy, our country guy and our little kid in a big body," outfielder Reggie Sanders said. "They are very different, but we ride those three horses."

For all their contrasting qualities, Edmonds, Rolen and Pujols are more similar than they let on. Because of their histories, they need St. Louis for the same reasons. They hunger for the unwavering support, the dearth of distractions and the emphasis on tradition. "When you're here, why would you ever want anything more?" Edmonds said.

In Anaheim, teammates questioned whether Edmonds was willing to play through pain and sacrifice for the greater good. In Philadelphia, teammates called Rolen a cancer and fans became so abusive that his parents stopped going to games.

Pujols did not really even have parents. The youngest of 12, he grew up without a mother, rarely saw his father and moved from the Dominican Republic to New York when he was 16.

After Pujols saw a man get shot outside a grocery store in New York, America packed the family and moved to Independence, Mo. In junior college, Pujols developed a reputation for refusing to run out ground balls, fell to the 13th round of the draft and bristled when the Cardinals finally picked him.

St. Louis seems to soften even the most hardened players. On his way to 70 home runs in 1998, McGwire complained about the attention in almost every city, but soaked it up in St. Louis and now has a local highway named after him. "Every time he came up, the people in the stadium would jump, and he'd be about to burst with adrenaline," LaRussa said. "He was a great player anywhere, but here he was greater."

The same goes for his successors. In St. Louis, Edmonds is not just accepted, but admired. Rolen has tapped the potential that Philadelphians always knew he had. And Pujols has exceeded the standards set by the best players ever in his age group. He also invites numerous children with Down syndrome to Busch Stadium and has an knack for hitting home runs on the days they are in attendance.

"I try not to sensationalize anything, but this is a place where you really appreciate what you're doing," Rolen said. "Baseball means a lot to this city, and it better mean a lot to you. It's not just something to do. It's a special thing that's done right here. Everyone cares about what's important."

Even though the stadium is aging and the downtown sleepy, Edmonds, Rolen and Pujols are among a legion of players who signed long-term contracts to stay in St. Louis. Their motives are relatively pure. The fans treat every game like a college football Saturday, present their favorite players canisters of food and clap politely even when someone goes 0 for 4.

As the renown broadcaster Jack Buck used to say: "There's a passion in other cities. But there's a fairness attached to it here."

General Manager Walt Jocketty said: "I think the guys like the atmosphere because there is very little confrontation - with management, ownership, media and fans. It's all about baseball."

The team and the game have changed over the years. The Cardinals used to rely on pitching, then speed, and now power, but the organization has stressed the same old-fashioned fundamentals for the past half-century. The locals beamed earlier this year when Rolen laid down a bunt with runners on first and second, and then dived to first base trying to avoid the tag.

Picked to finish third in the National League Central this season, St. Louis has slugged the division to death, eclipsed the high-profile pitching staffs in Houston and Chicago and staged a series of improbable comebacks. The former manager Whitey Herzog has repeatedly been reminded of 1987, the last time the Cardinals went to the World Series, and 1982, the last time they won it. "This is a much different team," Herzog said. "But I do see some similarities."

The players share a keen sense of club history. When new additions arrive at Busch Stadium, they are often directed across the street, to the St. Louis Baseball Hall of Fame. Then they go back to the ballpark and meet many of the inductees, who roam the clubhouse, passing tradition with their very presence.

Red Schoendienst, who started with the team in 1945, still suits up for batting practice. Stan Musial and Lou Brock parade through the stadium in red blazers. Bob Gibson and Ozzie Smith pass along advice to young players. "The secret is that we're not just around when the club is doing well," Schoendienst said. "We're here all the time."

The old Redbirds gathered in the concourse of Busch Stadium on Wednesday in 90-degree heat and 99 percent humidity - Red, Lou, Ozzie, Whitey, Gibby and Stan the Man, as they are affectionately known in town - just to check out a giant hole in the ground. They were dressed up in their red finery for the naming of the newest Busch Stadium, scheduled to open in 2006.

Next to the former greats sat the current ones. Pujols and Herzog whispered back and forth. Rolen applauded as Musial showed off his batting stance. Even the construction crew paused to behold the faces of the game.

The heart of the order of Cardinals baseball beats on.

fuck, pencil him in at #6 I guess....

perfect counter to nomar trade. maybe better than.

everyone else can kiss their WS hopes goodbye now

wait... hasn't the trade deadline passed for post-season eligibility?

offense wasn't a weakness no, and maybe they could've traded for another reliever or something, but w/ kline,king,tavarez,calero, and izzy that wouldn't have as much value as walker, who replaces a collection of replacement players in the outfield and (if he stays healthy) can have an impact every day.

up until a week or two ago, i was saying (maybe even here), "sure, the cards are perfectly built if you want to win 100+ games during the regular season, but come the playoffs they're in the same boat as everyone else. w/ no shutdown pitchers, i can't see them as real favorites." i've totally changed my mind. in any given game opposing pitchers will have to face edgar renteria, albert pujols, jim edmonds, scott rolen, and larry walker 4-5 times apiece. i don't care WHO you are - schilling, prior, schmidt, whoever - you can't survive that unless you bring your A++ game.

all their starters throw strikes, keep the ball in play, and will probably give up 3-6 runs per game. won't matter. they're good enough, because that lineup is just unfair.

no, i don't believe they're a lock, but you'd be crazy not to have them as favorites at this point.

[*"I second-guessed myself on that one and got burned," Schmidt said of Rolen's two-run homer that sparked the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night. "I was overthrowing early on rather than thinking about where to throw it. Unfortunately it ended up beating me."]

The Cards took a huge risk on Walker and obviously they are in the position to take risks like that, but this guy should obviously be treated with a lot of care. He's one groin-pull away from being taken out behind the barn. Remember, this is a guy that the YANQUIS passed on, I mean, who do the Yanquis pass on?

i must've missed the schmidt game. i've always been a dominant-pitching-beats-all guy, but this is just another level. and i'm not saying prior/schmidt type can't shut them down, but note that, in a game where schmidt made "one mistake pitch" (those being a part of the game for everybody) the giants stil lost.

the only NL team i see as a serious threat to them is the cubs, because they're the only team with 4 starters that are capable of holding this lineup to 2-4 runs if they're all locked in. but they still have to make the playoffs, and they have to keep prior and wood healthy.

i would say the marlins are a lesser threat, with the same qualifiers attached w/ greater emphasis.

begs also otm, even if edmonds or rolen cool off, you've still got edgar, albert, jimmy/scotty and walker to deal with...i don't see it being an issue. (though it would be wise to remember it was for '03 sox, but they were a slightly different kind of god-like lineup and did eventually find their groove)

Yup. And Rolen has been very consistent this season, his rbi surge may have slowed but he still keeps his average up there. Great pitching can shut any team down, but this season when the Cards face a Schmidt or a (first half) Clement, they seem to find a way to win at least half of the time. Key to the game gygax is talking about is that Woody Williams (i believe) matched Schmidt inning after inning. (Or see Woody vs Benson today.) (Or Marquis vs Maddux). And when the other team gives the Cards a chance, they pounce. All the cliches about winning have held for this team this season. Makes me wish they would hurry up with the inevitable slump before the postseason.

Atlanta is actually playing nearly as well as the Cards, which seems hard to believe! They meet this weekend, so it could be a playoff preview.

Records since 7-1:
Cardinals 28-6 .824 (That is fxxking outrageous!)
Braves 27-8 .771

Rolen's OPS in the last week, in which he has 2 RBI, is 1.040, compared to 1.022 for the season. Which means, whaddya know, we can chalk ribby rates up to the L Word.

I'm hoping 'gax is tongue-in-cheek with "no pitching." The Cards have 3 starters who have outVORPed Dontrelle Willis, another who nearly has (Suppan), and besides Izzy a pair of underrated relievers in King and Calero.

"Shutdown pitchers" are helpful but not essential to postseason success. The Big Red Machine of the '70s didn't really have any, and the 1991-2002 Braves had several.

However, I don't see a whole lotta point in applying it to the Cards, as their Pythag record is the best in the bigs. Their real record is +3 over expectation, while the Yanks are still +9.

Mabry played third for Rolen yesterday and hot 3 hits. John freakin' Mabry is hitting .336.

I think actually that's not telling us anything we don't already know -- that the Cards pitchers when judged independent of their team aren't any great shakes.

Team luck, I dunno... I just posted it because it seemed to support what I already thought. I know that it's a pitching stat, but a quick look at the Cards' DL list (or John Mabry's avg.) for the year seems to support the team luck ranking.

VORP, 2004

John Mabry 15.9
Chipper Jones 13.8

A true homer like me would say that part of the lesser DL is due to players like Pujols, Renteria, and Rolen playing through injuries. We're tough and clutch.

Anyone remember what Will Clark did during that 1/3 season he had with them, replacing McGwire??

it's technically "phat albert" right? last year there was also "prince albert" which i liked, but i haven't heard it much this year (maybe cuz i hardly watch SC). i hope that one catches on but you'd prolly consider it boring as well.

does anyone else agree w/ me that it's now sportscenter's duty to carry on baseball's grand nicknaming tradition, and that they're doing a piss-poor job of it? they fit in seamlessly and add punch to the broadcast, yet we've got guys like barry bonds and pedro martinez walking the earth without a single nickname to their credit (unless you count bermanism crap, barry "u.s." bonds, are you kidding me??).

here's the dunn monstershot (right column): http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cin/news/cin_gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20040810&content_id=824580&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp measured at 500 feet. it actually doesn't look that impressive; i wish they had one of those tracking cameras on it.

and speaking of flat-footed home runs off of curveballs and mlb.com videos, watch the also nicknameless manny ramirez helicopter around on this hanging vazquez curve:
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_news.jsp?ymd=20040425&content_id=729254&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp
(i hate the guy but he's possibly my favorite hitter and i spent a disturbing amount of time researching him last night)

THIS IS SURELY THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

i wish i'd seen that perez pitch last night. he must be amazing.

so he basically did what he always does and they just suddenly decided to call it illegal or something? anyone see this game?

making him the first spitballer since...?

Criminy!

It will be interesting to see how they do in September, as they have two series each against the Padres, Dodgers and Astros. All of those teams have played pretty well in the past month.

Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon before Sunday's game: "They're much more talented than we are at this stage of the game, but I enjoy playing the Cardinals. You don't like the losses, obviously, but I really believe the competition has made us a better club. It has elevated our game. I think because of it we're going to be a better team next year."

Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon after Sunday's game: "Quite frankly, I'm tired of talking about St. Louis. I'm glad to see them leave."

VORP for Cardinal pitchers thru Aug 31:

Jason Marquis 38.6
Chris Carpenter 37.8
Woody Williams 26.0
Jeff Suppan 24.5
Jason Isringhausen 19.2
Steve Kline 18.8
Ray King 17.1
Julian Tavarez 16.4
Matt Morris 13.6
Cal Eldred 12.8

So clearly Morris goes to the postseason bullpen?

All I have to say to Cardinal's fans is they better fear the five game series, just ask Seattle or Atlanta fans about that one.

Ankiel has looked good so far, which should help.

No Carpenter in first round :(

The SABR people in the audience were probably thrilled with the Cards go ahead runs coming on a pair of walks.

``I wanted Billy to start the ninth,'' Manuel said. ``I wanted him to start the ninth fresh.''

Somewhere Larry Bowa feels a bit better.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=250408124

There was an article in the Lexington paper on Friday comparing the Cards starters to the Yanks. The Cards stats were obviously much, much better than New York, but get this the salary for the combined five is about the same for a year as Mike Mussina. Other than Morris, the other four are all signed for 2006. I guess it is fair to say last year's solid starting pitching was not a fluke.

Signing Mark Grudzielanek and David Eckstein to replace Tony Womack and Edgar Renteria has also worked out much better than expected on the field and for a WHOLE lot less money.

The bullpen looks to be the weak link, but is better than some other contending clubs.

Among qualifiers for the batting title, Eckstein's .671 OPS in 2004 ranked him 20th out of 21 MLB shorstops.

2003: .651 15th out of 20
2002 wasn't so bad: .752 7th out of 18. But of course, the Angels had great timing in that lots of their players had career years in the same year and that's why they won the WS.

.252/.325/.325
.276/.339/.332

As he's never hit .300 or walked more than 45x a year, I'd expect Regression to the Mean.

So it's a month or two of Mabry at third?

Yeah, Eckstein is killing my HACKING MASS team. Stupid OPS. If he actually keeps it above 800 for the season, I'll ... I'll be cranky about it!

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/scott_seabol.shtml

Rolen's injury has given an opportunity for Scott Seabol to get out of the One-Game Career Club. In my Feb. 11 column, I discussed Seabol and a number of other players who had one-game careers and what their chances were of changing that situation. In that piece, Clay Davenport liked Seabol's chances and sure enough, he got into yesterday's loss to the Dodgers, leaving the company of Eddie Gaedel and Moonlight Graham forever.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-cardinals-rolen&prov=ap&type=lgns

... and the Cards came out swinging, Wells faced 10 batters in the first 2/3 of an inning.

Carpenter appeared a little shaky (how often does he bat in a 30+ minute half inning before even throwing a pitch) but seems to have settled down.

That's beautiful!

if Zach Duke is pitching, anyway, which he's not

"Jason Vogelsong"?

Check his splits:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlbpa/players/5103/splits

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=228&p=2&c=436721

-i did not know that...

- S. Ponson walked  
- S. Ponson caught stealing, catcher to shortstop

Outstanding, world series-worthy game

what the hell is Popshots talkin' aboot?

DETROIT (AP) -- This weekend, the Detroit Tigers drew more fans to Comerica Park for three consecutive games than they ever have in its seven-season history.

Brandon Inge said the 125,417 people that crammed into every nook and cranny of the ballpark -- and those nonpaying customers perched on the parking garage beyond the left-field wall -- witnessed a transformation.

Curtis Granderson hit a go-ahead RBI double in a three-run eighth inning and Detroit finished a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 4-1 victory Sunday.

The Tigers have won nine of 10, maintaining the best record in baseball and holding off the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. Just three years ago, Inge was playing for Detroit when it lost an AL-record 119 games.

"This series wraps up how much of a change it's been," said Inge, who made spectacular plays at third base to help complete the sweep. "All these years, we've been talking about being better. Finally now, with these games and with as many people that have been out, it finally seems like we're there.

"There's no fluke anymore. There's no, we'll see how they do in the first half, or after 50 games. We are a good team."

The Cardinals are, too, but they're in a rare slump -- losing six straight for the first time since 2002.

A day after Granderson helped the Tigers rally to a 7-6 win in 10 innings, the 25-year-old center fielder came through for them again against St. Louis.

"To be successful in those situations, you have to genuinely want to be in those situations," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "And he's for real."

Inge agreed.

"Granderson is my clutch MVP for the first half," he said.

The Tigers chased Sidney Ponson with two singles in the eighth, putting runners on the corners with one out before Randy Flores relieved.

Granderson then hit a double over center fielder Jim Edmonds' head, scoring Alexis Gomez.

"I try my best to not outthink it because it's really easy to think way too much, especially when you have the amount of fans out there being as loud as they are," said Granderson, explaining his mind-set in pressure situations. "I don't try to hit the ball 500 feet, I just try to get the job done."

Placido Polanco followed with an RBI double and Ivan Rodriguez added a run-scoring single off Brad Thompson to put Detroit ahead 4-1.

Ponson (4-3) gave up two runs and six hits over 7 1-3 innings. He had a solid performance after giving up 17 runs in his three previous outings, two of which were starts. He threw 79 pitches against Detroit -- 51 for strikes.

"It's tough to pitch better than that," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "To see 'loss, Ponson', that's tough to take."

Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman allowed one run, seven hits and a walk over seven innings, throwing a season-high 116 pitches. Bonderman had eight strikeouts after striking out 12 in each of his previous two starts.

"He kept us in there so we could win," Leyland said.

In the eighth inning, rookie Joel Zumaya struck out Albert Pujols on an 85 mph pitch after he fouled off a 101 mph fastball.

"If Pujols is thinking fastball, fastball and you throw a fastball, that pitch is in the seats," Leyland said.

Scott Rolen followed with a single but was stranded at second when Wilfredo Ledezma (1-0) got two straight popups. Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 23 opportunities.

"Their pitching is great and they have power," St. Louis infielder Aaron Miles said. "And when you get into their bullpen, they're blowing pretty good stuff at you."

The Cardinals went ahead 1-0 in the second on Miles' RBI single, scoring John Rodriguez after he led off with a double.

Detroit's Magglio Ordonez tied the score with an RBI single in the fourth, bringing Ivan Rodriguez home after his leadoff double.

raining seat cushions :D

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e189/LHKyle/99_So.jpg
"If I was the opposite gender, I'd be chasing him. I'd be dating him. But I'm not, so I don't. But I'm making the point...He's really a neat guy." -- La Russa, on So

Also, Timo Perez is up from Memphis. That can't be good.

-25.3 [VORP], St. Louis catchers: BP lists 88 catchers for 2006. Ranked 88th in VORP is Yadier Molina. Ranked 86th is his tandem buddy, Gary Bennett. The latter backstop doesn't play much and when he does, it's almost like having two pitchers in the lineup. Over the last month he's 2-for-31 with three walks. The great thing is, during the playoffs, we'll hear the announcers bending over backwards to sing their praises. Hitters this bad have to be truly awesome at other stuff, right?

Of note for the Cardinals was the work done by the bullpen: four shutout innings, two hits, one walk, six strikeouts. Conceding that it was the Astros, that’s the kind of performance they’ll desperately need in any playoff game not started by Chris Carpenter. It’s indelicate to write it, but the team might be better off if Jason Isringhausen can’t pitch.

any indications that LaRussa is panicking yet? I wouldn't think so. Maybe if Carpenter loses.

wed: SD - Chris Young (#13 in NL pitcher VORP)
thurs: MIL - Doug Davis
fri: MIL - Chris Capuano (#10 in NL pitcher VORP)
sat: MIL - Ben Sheets (#28 in NL VORP... but only pitched the second half the season, easily one of the best pitcher's in the NL).
sun: MIL - Dave Bush (#30 in NL VORP)
mon: SF - Jason Schmidt (#8 in NL VORP) or Matt Cain (#20 NL VORP)

So basically they're up against 6 or 7 of the league's best pitchers.

Hence, I'd rather they squeak in, esp if the Mets get to face them.

Jay Jaffe: Panic, Tony. Start Carpenter again tomorrow. Press harder. Three words: Yadier Molina cleanup.

Delmon Young

119 Plate Appearances = 1 Base On Ball

That's not exactly how I'd describe a 1-8 tailspin into what looks to be one of the biggest collapses in recent MLB history.

http://www.ocregister.com/newsimages/sports/2006/05/15_jweavermed.jpg

Sept 20

Record = 80-69, division champs = 99.66%, playoffs = 99.68%

Sept 29

Record = 81-77, division champs = 70.71%, playoffs = 70.71%

Next year, I won't give up on the Jays when their Wild Card chances are down to 0.3% in mid-September. You gotta believe!

I wonder if TLR was watching the ATL-HOU scoreboard because if STL loses and Houston ends up winning...

-- Alex in SF (clobberthesauru...), Friday 7:11 PM. (Alex in SF)

The season right?

If the Giants beat the Cards, then Houston and St. Louis have to play a tiebreaker in Houston (as Houston is 9-7 vs. St. Louis)...

the winner of the tiebreaker then advances to the playoffs.

Houston's chances was what I meant, but yeah the season too.