MVN - Most Valuable Network

Cards Use Longballs To Beat Red Sox

Game # 75 Fri. June 20, 2008

Cardinals 5 Red Sox 4

Ahh, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox, my two favorite teams. I have always been a huge Cardinals fan, but have also always rooted for the Red Sox. In 2004, while I hated to lose the World Series, I was happy that if we weren’t going to win, that Boston did. There is so much class and tradition in Boston, and Fenway Park is a beautiful setting for baseball.

Friday, the Cardinals went from getting swept by one of the worst teams in baseball (the Kansas City Royals) to beating one of the best teams in baseball (the Boston Red Sox). I guess that is one thing about baseball, anyone can beat anyone on any given day. Friday, the banged up Redbirds rolled into “Beantown”, still without Pujols in the lineup. The Cards offense was still effective though, with longballs from Skip Schumaker, Jason La Rue, and Yadier Molina. Kyle Lohse pitched well, picking up his 9th win of the season. Here is my analysis of the game:

Performance of the Game: Jason La Rue

What Went Right:

1. Unexpected Power - The home runs came from Skip Schumaker, Jason La Rue, and Yadi. Nothing against them, but they wouldn’t have been the three anyone would have picked to go yard from looking at the batting order. But you have to give this team credit. With Pujols out of the lineup, this team needs performances like that.

2. Kyle Lohse - His pitch count was a bit high (109 through 6 innings), but Kyle picked up his 9th win of the year. He gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits in 6 innings. The way he is pitching it is very possible that he could have 11 or 12 victories by the All-Star break.

3. Yadi - Considering how hard he was hit last Sunday against the Phillies in a home plate collision that left him with a concussion, no one expected Yadi to go yard in his first game back. He still isn’t back behind the dish yet, but served as the Cards’ DH Friday night in Boston. Good job, Yadi!

What Went Wrong:

1. Cesar Izturis - He pulled his right hamstring in Friday night’s game. The last thing we need is another injury. But luckily we have Brendan Ryan and/or Aaron Miles that can play short well. And if we need to call someone up, Jarrett Hoffpauir is waiting in Memphis. He is a 2nd baseman, that could allow Ryan or Miles to scoot to short, if needed. And don’t forget Kennedy. He has been really effective at 2nd also.

The win puts the Cardinals at 43-32, 11 games over .500, and still 3 1/2 behind the cubs. Tomorrow, Mitchell Boggs will make his 3rd major league start for St. Louis. Let’s hope the bats come alive.

Rehab Report: Mulder, Clement Struggle In Memphis

The Cardinals have definitely faced their fair share of adversity when it comes to their starting pitchers this season.  But considering all the injuries, the starting rotation has done remarkably well in my opinion.  Two guys that have yet to even be on the pitching staff this season are Mark Mulder and Matt Clement, both of whom are in minor league rehab assignments in an effort to join the rotation at some point in the near future.

Mark Mulder, after multiple poor outings for Memphis, altered his delivery and had some newfound confidence coming into his rehab outing last night with the Memphis Redbirds.  But new delivery or not, he had the same unsuccessful results as in his last stint with Memphis.  He allowed 6 runs in the first inning alone, and ended up allowing lasting 3 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs on 10 hits and seeing his AAA ERA jump to 13.50.  His pitches lacked movement and for the first time in his comeback attempt, I am starting to really worry.  The reason for my worry is that up until now you could blame it on his arm and the surgery.  But he is throwing pain free now and just “doesn’t seem to have it.”  I am not saying he is done, but he is by no means going to be back in St. Louis until he figures things out here in Memphis.

And then we have Matt Clement.  He had a couple of decent outings before being sent to Memphis for a start tonight against the Albuquerque Isotopes.  As I am writing this, it is the 3rd inning and Matt seems to be struggling as much as Mulder.  Through 2 2/3 innings, he has already given up 6 runs, walked 3, and given up 2 homeruns.  I remember when Clement was with the Cubs, but I do not remember much about his pitch speeds. He has hit either 82mph or 83mph 99% of the time tonight, with an occasional 75mph changeup.  That simply put, is not going to get the job done.  I would like to see him in the 90’s and that has yet to happen.  But I will say this about Clement, he seems to be hiting his spots.  I think he is MUCH closer than Mulder.  This is pretty much spring training for Clement and you also have to remember he hasn’t pitched in the majors in a long time.

Long story short, the Cardinals would have loved to have an effective Mulder or Clement join their weary rotation.  But we don’t have an effective Mulder or Clement at this point in time.  So for now, we will have to continue to get the job done with what we have.   Luckily, we have some depth there.  I am very pleased with what Lohse, Looper, Pineiro, and Wellemeyer contribute, especially Wellemeyer.  And don’t forget about Adam Wainwright, who has been excellent, until experiencing some finger issues that landed him on the DL along with Carpenter and company.

Brad Thompson, after his start this week, was optioned back to Memphis and Mike Parisi was recalled.  Personally, I disagree with that move.  Thompson has much more experience and success at the major league level.

All in all, I think the Cardinals and their pitching will be fine.  It is just obvious to me that an organization’s pitching DEPTH is just as, if not more important than their rotation.  And as for Mulder and Clement, they will continue to work out their kinks here in Memphis.  And Clement, it seems, is much closer to doing that than Mulder.

Cards Swept By Royals

Game # 74   Thur. June 19, 2008

Royals 4    Cardinals 1

Well, I am about to type a sentence I never thought I would.  The Kansas City Royals swept the St. Louis Cardinals in a three game series this week.  And they deserved to.  They just flat out beat us (unlike 1985 when we were robbed of a World Title by Don Deckinger).  Their pitching was incredible and the Pujols-less version of the Caridnals’ offense was next to dead, going only 2 for 29 in Thursday’s finale.  Here is my analysis of the game:

Performance of the Game:  Brad Thompson

What Went Wrong:

1.  The Offense - Simply put, without Albert Pujols in the lineup, the Cardinals are a different team.  And it isn’t just because of his individual contributions, but rather how the entire team is pitched to differently when he is absent from the lineup.  Mix in the fact that the Cardinals offense has been struggling the past few days anyway, and also factor in that the Kansas City Royals pitched really well.  The Cardinals managed only 2 hits in 29 (.069 batting average) Thursday.  There isn’t much more to point to about what went wrong.

What Went Right:

1.  Brad Thompson - He was called up to take the start that Anthony Reyes had originally been slated for.  And Brad did a pretty good job, allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits in 5 innings of work.  His sinker sank, which is always the key to his success.  What I didn’t agree with though, was no sooner had he taken a shower after his start, than he was optioned back to Memphis and Mike Parisi was recalled to join St. Louis.  Parisi is NOT ready yet, and needs more time at AAA.  And I may be mistaken, but I believe that Thompson is out of options (or at least very close to it), meaning we cannot send him down again without him having to clear waivers.  He may have an option left, but why waste it?  Leave him with the Cardinals, especially given the setbacks by Carpenter, Mulder, and Clement, as well as Wainwright’s injury.  Oh well, I am not John Mozeliak.

2.  Rick Ankiel - 1 for 3 with his 11th longball of the season.

The loss puts the Cardinals at 42-32, still 10 games over .500.  My least favorite team, the cubs lost too though, so we didn’t lose any ground in the standings, remaining 3 1/2 games back in the NL Central.  I don’t understand how we took 2 out of 3 with Philly, then get swept by the Royals.  But that is baseball.

Gotta Feel Bad For Braden Looper

Game # 73   Wed. June 18, 2008

Royals  3   Cardinals 2

The Royals took the series, winning for the second day in a row against the Cardinals in St. Louis.  You couldn’t have asked for a better effort from Braden Looper, who went 7 innings and allowed only 1 run.  And you also can’t be too disappointed in the Cardinals’ 11 hits (11 for 34, .324BA).  The Royals went deep twice in the 8th inning off of Kyle McClellan.  It was one of those games that you hate to lose, especially for the starting pitcher, but you have to tip your hat to Kansas City.  Here is my analysis of the game:

Performance of the Game:  Braden Looper

What Went Wrong:

1.  Kyle McClellan - He hadn’t been in the game five minutes before giving up two home runs, two home runs that cost the Cardinals the game.

What Went Right:

1.  Hits - Skip Schumaker, Aaron Miles, Chris Duncan, and Jason La Rue all had 2 hit nights.

2.  Braden Looper - As I said above, Braden had an excellent outing.  The no-decisions that I have seen this year are heartbreakers because they usually come off the bullpen after the starters have done an excellent job.

The loss puts the Cardinals at 42-31, 11 games over .500, and still 3 1/2 behind our arch enemy, the Chicago Cubs.

Gotta Feel Bad For Joel Pineiro

Game # 72   Tue. June 17, 2008

Royals 2    Cardinals 1

Joel Pineiro extended his winless streak to 6 games, but through no fault of his own.  He was phenomenal, allowing only 1 run in 7 innings of work.  It was an old fashioned pitcher’s duel.  It was a 1-1 deadlock until the Royals went yard off Ron Villone in the 8th inning.  Here is my analysis of the game:

Performance of the Game:  Joel Pineiro

What Went Wrong:

1.  Not enough offense - The Cardinals were 5 for 30 (.167BA).  It is just a different team without Pujols in the lineup.  His presence forces the opposing team to approach the entire lineup differently.  And without him, the Cardinals just aren’t as strong.

What Went Right:

1.  Izzy - Izzy pitched a perfect inning, which is a great step in the right direction for him.

2.  Joel Pineiro - Anytime your starter goes 7 innings and only allows 1 run, you are in a position to win ballgames.  You can’t expect much more from him.  I think Pineiro is underrated as a member of this rotation.  He works quickly, hits his spots, varies his speed, mixes his pitches, and gives you innings.

The loss puts the Cardinals at 42-30, 12 games over .500, 3 1/2 games behind the cubs.

I Told You So Tony…Play Skip EVERY day!

Game # 64 Sat. June 7, 2008

Cardinals 8 Astros 4

A good day for me is defined by a Cardinals win and a Cubs loss. Well not only was today a good day, but I got the pleasure of seeing Carlos Zambrano get schooled by the Dodgers, then lose his temper as usual. I love it… Now, on to the Cardinals.

Friday the Cardinals were shut down by Houston. But who can blame them? They had been rained out on Wednesday, played two games on Thursday, then their flight to Houston was so late that the team didn’t check into their hotel until after 3 AM Friday morning. So today, Tony decided to let the team skip batting practice to give them all the rest he could. And how did they respond? Well, we evened the series with Houston by defeating them 8-4. The Cardinals’ offense exploded for 7 runs in the second inning, started by a Troy Glaus homer and highlighted by a Ryan Ludwick longball. It seemed like it was going to be a laid back remainder of the game, but that was not the case. Adam Wainwright’s middle finger on his right hand lost feeling and he called time out to remove himself from the game. Can we say SCARY? If we lose Adam, we could be in serious trouble. Anyway, we finished up the win, setting up the rubber game tomorrow. Here is my analysis of the game:

Performance of the Game: Skip Schumaker

What Went Right:

1. Skip Schumaker - He was 3 for 5 with a single, a double, a triple, and 2 RBI’s. He improved his average to .306 and once again proved my point, that he belongs in the lead-off slot EVERY night.

2. Troy Glaus - He kept telling everyone that he hated playing in cold weather and that when the weather heated up so would he. And so far, he has been DEAD on. He has been nothing short of AWESOME this month. On May 30th Troy had just 2 home runs to show for the first two months of the season. And since last Saturday, he has gone yard 5 times in 8 days. Skip Schumaker said that Troy is the type of guy that can carry a team for a month and I think he is 100% correct. Troy is such a breath of fresh air with his positive attitude and he just goes about his business in such a professional way.

3. Adam Wainwright - Despite the scare with his finger, he got the win and improved to 6-3 on the season. He gave up 2 runs over 5 innings. He also had 2 hits at the plate, improving his average to .225. Tomorrow he is flying back to St. Louis to get his finger checked on. There isn’t any swelling and he can bend it, but when he tries to push off on a curveball, it just doesn’t cooperate. I will be keeping him in my prayers because we need him as our ace.

4. Ryan Ludwick - He was 2 for 4 with a double and a LONG 3 run home run. He is now hitting .310 on the year.

5. Chris Perez - When is Tony La Russa going to wake up and give him the closer’s gig. This guy is 100% stud. No fear on mound and has more confidence than any rookie I have seen in a long time.

What Went Wrong:

1. Barton over Mather - Why would you start Barton AGAIN? Play Joey Bombs over Barton. Mather’s defense is much better and we know his offense is better. I don’t mind the occasional start for Barton, but this is rediculous. We just need Ankiel back.

2. Kyle McClellan - He has been really solid this year, but he struggled Saturday. He wasn’t hitting his spots in my opinion and the Astros made him pay. He will be fine though.

3. The Umpires - Once again, they are terrible. They blew a call in our favor and they blew one against us too. I guess it balanced out in the end.

The win puts us at 37-27 on the year and back to 10 games over .500. We are now only 2 1/2 games behind our enemy the cubs. I can’t stand being behind those guys, anyone but them. So let’s win tomorrow and see if we can reclaim the division.

Cards Like Draft Class of 2008

The St. Louis Cardinals picked up 51 players in Thursday’s amateur draft, 27 pitchers and 24 position players. Here is a little info on the top 5 picks:

1. Brett Wallace 1B/3B Arizona State (13th overall pick) - Known as one of the top hitters in this year’s draft, the Cardinals jumped at the chance to snag this PAC-10 Triple Crown winner, who is projected to be a .300 hitter with 25+ home runs one day as a major leaguer. He takes good at bats and provides some left handed power.

2. Michael Lynn Pitcher Ole Miss (39th overall pick) - Being an SEC fan (Alabama…Roll Tide) I am especially stoked to see us pick up Ole Miss’ ace Michael Lynn. I have had to hear how good Ole Miss was all season, oftentimes at Alabama’s expense. I have to confess I don’t know much about Lynn, but I have seen some clips and he kind of reminds me of Andy Benes, in that he is a big guy. He is 6′5″, 250 lbs. What he lacks in “stuff” he makes up for with pinpoint control of his pitches. He is the perfect project for Dave Duncan.

3. Shane Peterson OF Cal State Long Beach (59th overall pick) - He has hit for average in college, but hasn’t really shown that much power. He plays both corner outfield spots well. Too soon to say much more about this guy.

4. Ernest Vazquez SS Durango High School in Nevada (91st overall pick) - He lacks the speed that most shortstops have but has a strong arm, which means he could end up playing third. He is projected to be about a .270 hitter in the majors with some pop in his bat. This pick doesn’t impress me at all. But I hope I have to eat my words.

5. Scott Gorgen RHP UC Irvine (125th overall pick) - He has three pitches that he can throw for strikes, a fastball, a curve, and a changeup that are very good. He also has a great work ethic. He probably would have been taken higher if not for his size (5′10″ 190 lbs.).

So there you have it, my take on the Cards’ top five picks. Our farm system has come a long way in the past year alone, and I think it is evident with all of our injuries how important it is to have depth. Let’s hope this year is another step in the right direction.