Recently in Aaron Miles Category

Time For a Breather

So, like I said yesterday, a Cardinal win and a Cub loss and they go into the break 4 1/2 games out.

The Hero is pretty obvious.  Aaron Miles hits a three-run bomb and a two-run triple, even if he did have a boneheaded fielding play in the game as well, which cost the Cards early.  I thought the Cards would tee off on Snell, since they kept fouling off his pitches, but he survived longer and did better than I expected.  The rest of the Pirates staff, well, not as much.  Good to see Glaus go yard again and Molina to keep hitting.  I'm really impressed with Yadi's .300+ average.  He's become a force at the plate as well as behind it.

The Goat would go to Joel Pineiro.  There's really nothing about that pitching line that looks good.  10 hits, six runs, three walks in less than six innings?  Yuck.  The staff is going to have to have someone step up (or have Wainwright come back strong and early) or things may start to get out of hand.

I meant to watch the Futures Game yesterday but it slipped my mind.  There's a thread on the game at the Clubhouse and a wrapup in the DFR at the new and improved Future Redbirds.

It's a breather in Cardinal Nation today, as Ryan Ludwick and Albert Pujols will be sitting on the field tonight watching the big bombs going off.  The rest of the team is home resting up and probably already thinking about Jake Peavy.

The World Series Reprise Continues

Before we get to the upcoming series with Detroit, lets pause for a moment and remember Sunday's game.  From all accounts, it was a doozy.  Piniero pitched great; Lester was slightly better.  Paplebon was proven human.  There were clutch hits (Kennedy in the ninth off the Sox closer), timely pitching (see McClellan in the 10th and Izzy in the eleventh), and off your seat drama (Duncan cut down at home).  I only wish I could have seen it.

Congrats to Nick Stavinoha, who got his first ML hit on Sunday in the sixth.

I'll award the Hero for this game to 2 folks:  Joel Piniero, who shook off my dire predictions of doom to throw 7+ innings and allow only 2 runs, and Aaron Miles, for his 5-hit effort.  Anytime your name is linked to Don Mattingly's (the last visiting player to have 5 hits in a game at Fenway) that's good.  Goat?  Mike Parisi.  Sorry, Mike.

Although the sting of losing that 2004 world series will always remain (granted, the sting will eventually fade to almost nothing as time passes), the Cardinals have won both regular season series from Boston since (in 2005 and this past weekend).  We haven't been so lucky with the Tigers, getting swept in Detroit last year.  Looper, Reyes, and Thompson were the victims during that May Series at Comerica.  Looper gets another crack at them today, facing Kenny Rogers.  The best pitching matchup of the series, however, is tomorrow, as Kyle Lohse meets rookie wunderkind Armando (don't call me Andres) Galarraga.  Wellemeyer's balky elbow will face hit or miss Nate Robertson in the finale Thursday.

The Cardinals, a team that has not shown much plate discipline lately, would be well served to be deliberate at the plate and run up the pitch counts early.  That would get the starter out and get us to their bullpen; other than Zumaya (who's just back off the DL), it is one of the worst in the AL.

One other item worth discussing today:  Mark Mulder's name has been bandied about for a possible start in Kansas City this weekend.  He was scratched from his rehab tune-up last night.  Despite two surgeries and countless hours rehabbing his shoulder, Mark's never gotten his arm back to the form he displayed as one of the Oakland A's anchors in the first part of this decade; whether it's a loss of velocity due to diminished strength in the arm following the surgeries, or his elusive arm slot issues, he isn't the same pitcher he was in 2004.  Also, as he progresses higher in the minors he's gotten slapped around pretty good by AA/AAA hitters.  I don't see how he's even an option at this point for a spot start with the big club.  Mark deserves all the credit in the world for his determination to get back on the field and resurrect his career.  I just don't think it's going to happen.

Frankly if Mulder's name appears as a better option for a spot start than Anthony Reyes from here on out (once Reyes returns from the DL), there's something seriously wrong with the thinking in the front office.

(PS - There was no Mitchell Boggs on the 1970s A's teams; the guy I was thinking of is Mitchell Page.)

Sometimes, Being Wrong Is OK

Man it's hot.  It's like Africa hot.  Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot.  Little bit of a heat wave on the west coast.  So naturally I spent my Friday playing in a work softball tournament; 4 games in 6 hours, during the hottest part of the day.  The good news:  We won.  The bad news:  I've spent the last 24 hours re-hydrating (beer is not an adequate hydrant, by the way) and taking 600 mg of Advil every 6 hours.

That, coupled with my belief (reinforced by my wife, a life-long Red Sox fan) that the Cardinals' offensive outage would make for a long weekend, meant I've paid very little attention to the last 2 games.

So what do my wondering eyes discover tonight?  They've won the first two in Fenway. 5-4 Friday, 9-3 today.  Not a bad recovery from that lead balloon they left over Busch after the KC series, eh?  I was wrong, and I'm glad to have been.

Heroes and Goats from these 2 games:

Friday, the hero will be a 2 for 1 special:  Kyle Lohse for winning his ninth game, and Skip Schumaker for his 2 run HR that provided the lead St Louis wouldn't surrender.  Goat:  Randy Flores.  You really don't want to load the bases by walking 2 of the first 3 hitters in this lineup.  No seriously.

Saturday, I'm giving the hero nod to Aaron Miles.  Yes, Troy Glaus and Mitchell Boggs (and wasn't there an Oakland A in the 70s with the same name?) are both deserving, but anytime you hit a completely unexpected 2-R HR to quiet the Fenway Faithful, you get hero status from me.  Goat?  Hard to find one; I'll have to reach and award it to Schumaker for being the only starter without a hit today.  It also means Skip becomes a winner of the highly sought 'Hero today, Goat tomorrow' award; it's like a Golden Sombrero, only cooler.

Tomorrow they will try for the sweep.  John Lester (6-3) has been tough this year, especially at home; he's already no-hit the Royals at Fenway.  Joel Piniero (2-3) has pitched well, better than his record indicates.  He's been especially good since returning from the DL (12 innings pitched, 10K, 2.25 ERA).  Either we'll have a good one, or Piniero's due for a clunker.  Hopefully the former.

Catching Up (Again)

Our office just went to doing 40 hours in four days, so as to have Friday off, which meant I've been away from the computer for most of the weekend.  Let's recap, then discuss:

Thursday (vs. Cincy)
Hero: Troy Glaus.  1-4, but drove in both runs with a homer.
Goat: Randy Flores.  Both he and Mark Worrell were credited with two runs in the box score, but Flores let them all score.  A bases-loaded walk and then a bases-clearing triple?  Ouch.

Friday
Hero: Skip Schumaker.  As much as anyone can be in a 20-2 game.  Three hits, including a home run.
Goat: Pick a pitcher.  I guess I'd have to go with Todd Wellemeyer, since his eight runs in three and 1/3 innings really put the game out of reach.  Ron Villone's six in an inning and two thirds was pretty ghastly as well, and Worrell, Russ Springer and Ryan Franklin didn't cover themselves with glory either.  When the best pitcher of the night is Aaron Miles, that's a bad night.

Saturday
Hero: Kyle Lohse.  To come out the afternoon after that shelling and to shut down the same offense is pretty impressive. Runner up to Ryan Ludwick for his acting job.
Goat: Rick Ankiel.  0-4 with two left on.

Sunday
Hero: Can we say Tom Gordon?  No, the rules say just Cardinal players.  So it comes down to Schumaker and Glaus again, both with two hits and a home run.  We'll go with Skip this time, since he left one fewer man on base and his home run came in a tighter game.  (Granted, Glaus's was just a couple of batters later, but you have to drawn the line somewhere.)
Goat: Randy Flores.  You come in with two on and two out. Then you walk two guys, forcing in a run?  Springer wasn't much better, walking in another one, but at least he got an out.

Wonderful thing about baseball.  The Cards scored less in the series than the Phillies did in the first game, yet they won two of three.  It really proved that momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher.  The Cards still couldn't gain any game on the Cubs, but it could have been much worse.  Sitting 3.5 out at this time of year is pretty much beyond anyone's wildest expectations.

And best wishes to Yadier Molina.  That was a nasty collision in the ninth inning.  All reports seem to indicate that it wasn't as severe as it appeared on the field (I thought it was great to hear "Yadi! Yadi! Yadi!" as he was being taken off) and it should "just" be a concussion.  Hopefully he'll rejoin the team quickly--with Pujols and Wainwright already being down,  you'd hate to see Molina be out as well.

Lot of activity this weekend, with Joe Mather and Mark Worrell going back to Memphis in exchange for Jason Isringhausen and Anthony Reyes.  Izzy's definitely saying all the right things, so hopefully he's got his mindset right and he'll be able to restore order to the ninth inning soon.  Reyes already got a win in his first game back and apparently will be used out of the pen as a long relief guy, though he could start for Wellemeyer Thursday if there are medical questions.  In other words, we may not see him again for a week.

Speaking of medical questions, Chris Carpenter is getting a second opinion after being shut down last week.  I don't think a lot of people are surprised.  Carpenter was being talked about as being back in the next couple of weeks, but that seemed like a stretch for the surgery he had.  Besides, it's the Cardinals and pitching.  Everyone has at least one setback that extends the return timetable.  It'd be nice to hear that it's not needing more surgery or that it isn't anything serious, but that may be too much to ask.

The rehab calvary might actually be close to arriving, though.  Mark Mulder had a very impressive outing in Springfield Saturday, getting up into the 90s on the gun and throwing five shutout innings.  Granted, he's been good before in the minors, but he never was throwing that hard.  Matt Clement was a little less impressive, but he had a decent outing.  We'll see if the innings continue to take a toll on him, however.  Personally, I'm a little more excited about Mulder now.  I don't know if it'll hold up, but as excited as people that should know are about this new arm slot and seeing the first results, it's very encouraging.

Day off today for the Redbirds (Yadi needs it, for sure) before the Royals series starts Tuesday.  I'll take a look at the pitching matchup, etc. then.

Good First Step

The Cards could have come out flat, wallowing in the one-two punch of their top players being taken from them for a time.  Instead, they decided the best way to work through the adversity was to make someone else pay for it.  A few more games like that and the loss of Wainwright and Pujols might not be quite as devastating.

Not much doubt that the Hero of the piece was Braden Looper.  A complete game shutout anywhere, especially for a converted reliever, would get you kudos, but to do it in the bandbox that is Great American Ballpark is even more impressive.  It's not like the wind was blowing in--the Cards did smash three home runs--but he "made it look easy" as my Reds fan father in law said when he called for his weekly chat.

A number of players could have challenged Looper for the title.  Ryan Ludwick hit another home run.  Jason LaRue--yes, that Jason LaRue--broke out of his power outage with a home run in a two-hit night.  Rick Ankiel went deep.  Even Chris Duncan contributed, getting a hit in four trips and making a sparkling defensive play at first.

As hard as it was to narrow down the Hero, it is equally tough to name a Goat.  It comes down to Aaron Miles and Troy Glaus, both of whom were 0-3.  Miles had two walks, but also a strikeout.  Glaus walked once and didn't K.  Both scored a run.  Miles left two on, while Glaus only left one, so he gets the tag.

The Cards have already won the series, but they go for the sweep tomorrow evening.  It could be a tough task, depending on what Joel Pineiro brings from the disabled list.  Pineiro hasn't thrown since May 20, when he allowed three runs in 5.2 innings to San Diego.  He faced the Reds earlier in the year, throwing seven scoreless innings.  Corey Patterson has had the most success against him in the past, so he'll probably get a start.

The Reds counter with Bronson Arroyo.  Arroyo has struggled some this year, posting a 5.74 ERA.  However, his ERA stood at 7.56 when he faced the Cardinals back in April and he was able to get a victory, allowing only three runs in six innings.  He's done a pretty good job against the Cardinals in the past, but Ludwick and Ankiel both have had success against him.

On paper, at least, the Cards should have the advantage.  It could turn into a high scoring affair, though, if Pineiro has some rust on the arm.

After the jump, a couple of housekeeping items:

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Another Downer

Really, was anyone surprised?

I missed both games yesterday, the afternoon win due to work and most of the evening one due to softball.  I did see them get down 5-0 and was pleasantly surprised to hear on the radio on my way home that the game was going into the bottom of the ninth.  I turned on the game at home to see the Cards up in the bottom of the 10th, but the Nats had a runner on and Ryan Franklin was pitching.

This is going to turn out badly, I thought.  And sure enough it did.

Since Izzy gave up the closer role, Franklin has pitched 9.1 innings.  Counting last night, he's given up four earned runs, for an ERA of 3.86.  Six of the nine outings, though, he's not been charged with any runs.  However, his WHIP in that span is 1.61, which is ridiculously high for a closer.  To put it in perspective, Izzy's WHIP for the year is 1.78.

I'd like to see Tony be a little more open to one of the rookies getting a shot in the ninth, but I think the more likely hope is that Izzy is mentally and physically ready soon to take the job.  And will Tony have to swallow a little pride and bring Anthony Reyes back to the majors after another disaster by Mike Parisi?

Hero of the second game has to be Mark Worrell.  Two scoreless innings with the team way down, then blasts a three-run homer in his first AB.  The Cards have had a number of people, including pitchers, do that in the last decade.  If I had more time, I'd look them up.  (About to leave the office, sorry!)

At least they won the first game, behind another blast by Troy Glaus.  He really does like the warmer weather!  The goat is a toss up between two players that went 0-3, but Aaron Miles left more men on than Brian Barton.  Awesome to see a pinch-hit HR by Pujols as well.

More draft today.  I'm sure everyone's seen that the Cards took a 3B with their first pick.  Sounds like a pretty solid hitter.  With David Freese, Allen Craig and now Brett Wallace, the hot corner is a popular place.

Cards and Houston tonight.  Looper vs. Moehler.  Could be a lot of fireworks at the bandbox.  Out of time, or I'd do the normal breakdown.  Enjoy the day!

Record-Breaking

The Cardinals posted their highest-ever April win total by beating up on the Reds yesterday.  After Harang took a 2-0 lead, I was afraid that the game was starting to get out of hand, especially the way Harang can pitch.  But the Cardinals immediately stole a run back (almost literally, with Duncan scoring on a wild pitch) and were off and running.

Heroically, Rick Ankiel was 3-3, driving in two of the Cardinals' five runs.  Right behind him was Aaron Miles, with his 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI game.  And it's possible that Jason LaRue should get a little mention as well, depending on what he told his teammates about Harang.

On the flip side, Troy Glaus was 0-4 with a double play, which gets him another Goat award.  Days like that are going to happen, though, and at least it happened in a win.

If there's anything LaRussa can do, it's juggle lineups.  So far, the results are looking good.

Along with the game yesterday, there were a lot of eyes on the Memphis game, with Mark Mulder pitching.  Those eyes are now permanently scarred after witnessing a horrific outing.  3.2 innings, 7 earned runs?  At least we won't have to worry about the braintrust rushing him up to the bigs.

Mulder can have two more rehab starts and I expect, even if the first one is very good, they'll leave him down there for both.  There's not a pressing need for a starter right now anyway, plus you still can't quite tell what you have with him.

While the strong start puts the Cards in good company with prior Redbird teams, don't start printing the playoff tickets yet.  Larry at VEB did some great work showing the pitching splits, home and away, leading to the projection that May, with an even split of 14 home games and 14 road games, and June (18 away, 9 home) could be tough ones for the Cardinals.

That's for another day, however.  Today, the Cards are virtually tied for first place and are off getting ready for the series with the Cubs.  A day to reflect on April and appreciate what they've done and a day to root like crazy for the Brewers this afternoon.  Looks like a good matchup in Wrigley, with Zambrano and Gallardo going at each other.

Won't be around tomorrow, as real life has a heck of a day in store for me.  But I'll be back Saturday with the pre-game and post-game postings for the UCB game blogging project.  I'm quite excited to see how this is going to turn out!

And for those of you coming over from VEB or other places talking about the project, here's the link to the description.  Note that CardinalsGM is taking over for my inning, while I'm doing the pre and post game.

Slipping

When you are faltering, even the teams that you should beat wind up beating you.  Which doesn't really bode well for the future of this team.  Four runs is nice, but you'd like to see more than that when all four score in the first inning.

You knew that Wellemeyer was playing with fire last night.  The first seven outs were in the air, and that's just asking for trouble in a ballpark that's not known to be a pitcher's paradise.  Wellemeyer only got 2 outs on the ground, 11 by fly ball and 5 by strikeout.  That probably means that he was lucky to get away giving up only the one home run.

I don't think it's too much of a debate to anoint Anthony Reyes as the Goat of last night's game.  If he hits Miles with that double-play throw, it's two outs, none on and the .115 hitting Adam LaRoche coming up.  Instead, the winning run is at second with one out.  Allowing two extra runs just put the icing on the cake, unfortunately.

Kudos to Kennedy for not only backing up the play but having the presence of mind to throw it to first to get at least one out on the play.  Ironically, that's something I'd never seen before until my softball game Tuesday night, where the same thing happened (though no throw to first was made).  For that and the 2-4, 2 RBI game, Adam Kennedy is the Hero of the game.

It'd been nice if Albert could have come through in the sixth with a couple of runners on, but he was 2-2 with a HBP at that point.  While another hit wasn't unlikely, it's still tough to get three hits in a game.  And I guess you could say it was about time for Snell to get him out.

If not for Reyes, Chris Duncan might have gotten the goat.  Grounding into a big double play didn't help, but it seemed possible that, if he'd taken a better route to Bay's home run ball, he'd have been able to catch it at the wall.  Maybe not, but that's the way it looked to the untrained eye.

So now the Cardinals have slipped into third place, 2.5 games behind the apparently-never-losing Cubs.  Their 13-9 record, though, would lead the AL Central and West and have them a half game out in the NL East.  That said, four of the last five have gone the wrong way and that's a trend that needs reversing.

It might be a tough chore to do that today.  Tom Gorzelanny takes the mound, and the Cardinals have traditionally had some struggles against left-handers.  Gorzelanny sports a terrible ERA, but it's all based on two games against the Cubs, where he gave up 14 earned runs in 5 innings.  In his other two starts, he has an ERA under three.  Pujols hasn't hit him all that well, but Aaron Miles has.  Most of the other Cardinals haven't faced him much, though it is interesting to see that Ankiel is 3-3 with a HR against him.  Being that Gorzelanny is a lefty, I was going to say Ank sits today, but with those numbers, probably not.

Joel Pineiro goes for the Cards this evening.  The Pirates that have faced him the most were former American Leaguers, though both Xavier Nady and Jason Bay have home runs off of him in limited action.

This could be a tough one for the Cards, but they really need to get a victory before going back home for a key homestand against the Astros, Reds and Cubs.

Speaking of that Cub series, later today I'll release the lineup for the UCB Game Blog project.

The Wildest Times of the World

Lohse blowing a 2-0 lead.  Cards trailing 8-3.  Rallying for four, then scoring the tying run off a missed double play in the ninth.  12 innings.  Albert Pujols playing second.  And then the Brewer who scored the game winning run is traded to Tampa Bay.  (They couldn't do that just a little earlier?)  What's next, cats and dogs, living together?

It was a crazy game, made a little more so because it was a day game and I was following along at the CardsClubhouse game thread.  One of the great things about the internet and the rise of game threads (almost every forum has them now!) is that you can "watch" the game together.  As close as sitting with a bunch of people in the stands as you can get without spending money.

Anyway, it was a very unorthodox game.  Lots of what ifs.  Most people will dwell on the missed call by the umpire on Pujols's slide home.  I didn't see it, but it sure sounded like he was safe.  Obviously, that run plus the fact that it made first and third two outs instead of one out could have made a difference in the game.

The one I want to talk about, however, is one of LaRussa's questionable moves, at least in my mind.  As soon as a right hander came into the game, LaRussa pinch hit Rick Ankiel for Brian Barton.  This seemed a little bit of a knee-jerk reaction.  At the time, the Cards were down by 5, which seemed like a perfect opportunity to see what Barton could do.  I realize that TLR always goes all out for a win and the team did rally, but it didn't have much to do with Mr. Ankiel, who is really slumping right now.  Besides, if he'd kept Ankiel on the bench, he could have used him at a more strategic time.

Many people say that TLR doesn't like the youngsters, that he'll do anything not to play them.  A theory I've come up with in the last week or so is not that he doesn't like the young players.  I mean, look at his use of Kyle McClellan, the way he used the bullpen in 2006, his four ROYs under his watch, stuff like that.  No, I think what TLR's bias relates to is first impressions.

Rick Ankiel made a heck of a first impression as a pitcher and Tony immediately liked him.  Now, he'll go almost out of his way to give Ankiel shots.  Brian Barton started off the spring slow and didn't make the best of first impressions on the field.  That seems to be what LaRussa remembers and possibly part of why he starts on the bench.

It's not really a personality thing--I mean, he probably likes Barton as a person, just like he likes Brendan Ryan--but being that his first impression of Barton as a baseball player was negative, that keeps factoring into his decisions.

It's just a theory, but it seems to fit some of the decisions he's made over the last few years.

Anyway, back to the game.  It's a rare decision, but I think the Hero of the game has to be Aaron Miles, who went 4 for 5 with a run and an RBI while playing two different positions without an error.

The Goat is Jason Isringhausen, who quickly ruined the afternoon by allowing a walk, a stolen base and a hit.  You can't be walking people in the 12th if at all possible, especially when your first baseman is playing second and would have to cover on the steal.  (Though, to be fair, it sounded like Molina's throw was on the wrong side of the bag.)

While Izzy gets his third Goat of the year, it was one of the first and few times where you could actually consider Albert Pujols for the role.  Sure, AP had a nice game (2-6, 2 RBI, a run--should have been 2--scored) but look at his last two at-bats, when the game was on the line.  In the ninth, he impatiently swung at pitches with the game on the line and would have ended the game on a double play if not for Rickie Weeks' bad throw.  Then, in extras, he strikes out.  The Goat is not always about who had the worst game.

Still, I love his attitude about playing second.  (And also like the fact that he lobbied to play shortstop.  Like that was going to happen with his bad elbow, but the man wants to do anything he can to help the team.)  When he was given instructions about not turning a double play and to be careful, he said he would.  But later.....

"What do you think, that I wasn't going to turn a double play?" scoffed Pujols. "I was. I was going to turn a double play. I'd be careful. First of all, I'd make sure I catch the ball and not try to get too fancy and drop it. But I was going to try to turn it."

There's a reason he's the best.

So on to Pittsburgh, a land that has been favorable to the Cardinals in the past.  Last year, they went 12-6 against the Pirates and are 88-41 (.682) against them this century.  The last time the Cardinals had a losing record against the Bucs was 1999, when they went 5-7.

Tonight, Ian Snell tries to shut down the St. Louis machine.  El Hombre is really looking forward to this one.  He has four homers (and a .563 average) in 16 ABs against Snell.  There's a strong likelihood that Pujols will get his third three walk game of the season tonight.  The rest of the lineup looks pretty good against him as well.

Todd Wellemeyer is on the hill for the Cardinals.  Most of the Pirates haven't seen him much, but what they have seen, they've not liked.  Ronny Paulino does have two hits against him, however.

Finally, a couple of small notes.  If you've not heard, Brendan Ryan will be joining the team in Pittsburgh.  Brad Thompson is going down to Memphis for a bit, which is probably good because he's had some struggles in the bullpen in two of his three outings.

We've gotten one more blog to join our May 3rd game blogging project.  The Cardinal Virtue will be taking the second inning.  We still need one more volunteer and then the game will be set. (EDIT: We got it!  Fungoes is going to take an inning as well!)

Also, if for some reason you want these headlines on your site, check out the widget I created at WidgetBox.

Opening Day!

All the promise of the spring gets puts to the test as the daily "grind" starts.  I say grind, but that's only for the players.  For us fans, it's the most joyous of times.  Baseball, on every day.  The background of our evenings, always giving us something to watch and discuss.

I'm still on record as saying that the Cardinals are going to fulfill some of this spring promise.  I spent a good portion of my fantasy draft yesterday making the same arguments I've made here.  I really hope that I'm not eating my words come September--I doubt they'll be very tasty, especially if the Cubs are winning.  (BTW, Cub fans, here's to a happy 100th anniversary.  May there be many more!)

The lineup is already out there, from the always-informative Derrick Goold:

1. Skip Schumaker, LF
2. Ryan Ludwick, RF
3. Albert Pujols, 1B
4. Troy Glaus, 3B
5. Rick Ankiel, CF
6. Yadier Molina, C
7. Cesar Izturis, SS
8. Adam Wainwright, RHP
9. Aaron Miles, 2B

I'm a little surprised to see Brian Barton not in there.  As Goold says in his entry, there was a lot of speculation he'd be in the lineup against the left-handed Jeff Francis.  And Glaus hitting fourth instead of Ankiel?  Interesting in its own right.  Should be interesting to see how this all works out today.

OK, so here's Francis's line against the current Cardinals.  Not a lot of success save Pujols, who basically has success against everyone.  It does show why Miles is in the lineup and probably why he's hitting ninth, making for greater odds that there will be a man on when the lineup rolls over.  And Glaus has taken him deep a couple of times.

Wainwright against the Rockies is here.  He's not had a lot of exposure to the club (27 PA against hitters wearing the purple), but that's not surprising given his one year as a starter and the teams only getting together twice a season.

I look for a low scoring game.  Hopefully the Cardinals will be able to pull it out.  Anyone want to pick a Pujols home run?

It's a wonderful time.  Baseball is here!

Also on the Network: √ Yanks Beat A Lefty? [Depressed Fan] √ Yanks Start Second Half With "W" [Green Pinstripes] √ All-Star Breather: The Giants Catchers [El Lefty Malo] √ Rock Is Dead; Shea Stadium July 18, 2008 [Loge 13] √ Citi Field Revealed (FYI: No Loge Here) [Loge 13] √ My Rifle, My Pony and Me [Beantown West] √ Quick Chicago roundup [Tremendous Upside Potential] √ Giants Reveal New Stadium Ticket Plans [Loge 13]