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Egg Laying

Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:30 AM
Filed Under: Heroes and Goats | Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals
According to the Wikipedia entry, the northern cardinal lays eggs between two and four times a year.  Which is funny, because I'm pretty sure that the St. Louis version lays eggs roughly once a week.

They go on the road, but to a park that they play extremely well at.  They are facing a team that used to be in the hunt, but now is double-digits behind the leaders and obviously fading.  Everyone seems to be heating up, hopefully clicking along.  So what happens?  Another mediocre effort and a loss putting them six games behind.

(BTW, does anyone have any doubt this is Milwaukee's year?  Set aside yesterday's come from behind improbable win.  Tonight they get four hits, but three of them are solo homers and they turn a triple play.  I think even if the Cards didn't lose another game this year, they'd still wind up losing the division.  It's just that kind of season for the Brewers.)

A very tough night for Jake Westbrook.  He just couldn't get anything going and was victimized muchly by Ryan Doumit.  (Which is a sentence you really shouldn't ever have to read or write.)  Sometimes I wonder if this season would be much different if Adam Wainwright would have been healthy.  Part of me thinks yes, but part of me realizes that Waino was with the team last year and a lot of the same issues were involved then as well.  Whatever is affecting this team, it's pervading at a deep level, one that even a player like Wainwright can't disperse.

Anyway, Westbrook takes 110 pitches and can't get out of the sixth, allowing five runs on nine hits, including two homers.  If this team is going to get on any sort of run (and all indications are that they aren't, but let's pretend), the starting pitching has to be putting up quality starts at a minimum and really more than that on a regular basis.  That's just not happening.  This offense could occasionally bail out a pitcher from a bad start, but it's not exactly consistent enough to do it regularly.  Look at who shut them down tonight.  Daniel McCutchen?  Jose Veras?

While Westbrook gets the Goat, there were a lot of disappointing performances.  Yadier Molina went 0-3 and again only saw five pitches in the game.  Yadi had a great chance with two on and two out in the sixth, but Jason Grilli got him on a popup and the Cards last best chance was retired.  Before that, there were two on and none out in the fourth, but David Freese hit into a double play and Molina flew out.  Missed opportunities are so prevalent with this team!  Also, the way Albert Pujols usually hits in Pittsburgh, a 1-4 night isn't that thrilling, especially when he's got to do more than that for his push for .300.

On the positive side, Ryan Theriot had a great night.  Not only did he have three hits, which was a third of the team total, but he scored the first run for the Cards.  Besides Theriot, Matt Holliday was the only other batter with more than one hit.

It feels more and more like the Cardinals will be playing out the string come September, if they aren't starting that already.  I don't think this team is the most frustrating version to come along recently--last year's team probably wins in that regard--but it is right up there.  There are a lot of excuses and you do have to appreciate how they've battled through injuries, but overall this isn't a team that's likely to do much of anything.  Obviously, I could be wrong and there could be some magical turnaround, but I wouldn't put my money down that way.

Chris Carpenter is on the hill tonight.  There's no doubt that the Cards have to win a Carp start.  They have to do more than that, obviously, but they can't give away games when their ace is on the mound.  Here's what he's done against the Pirates:

PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS IBB HBP GDP
Ronny Cedeno 24 23 5 1 0 1 2 1 2 .217 .250 .391 .641 0 0 1
Ryan Doumit 23 22 7 4 0 2 4 1 5 .318 .348 .773 1.121 0 0 0
Andrew McCutchen 18 18 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 .278 .278 .333 .611 0 0 0
Garrett Jones 17 16 6 2 0 1 3 1 3 .375 .412 .688 1.099 0 0 0
Neil Walker 11 11 3 0 0 1 1 0 2 .273 .273 .545 .818 0 0 0
Ryan Ludwick 7 5 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 .200 .429 .200 .629 0 1 0
Pedro Alvarez 6 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .167 .167 .167 .333 0 0 0
Paul Maholm 4 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .333 .333 .333 .667 0 0 0
Michael McKenry 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0
Steven Pearce 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .250 .250 .250 .500 0 0 0
Kevin Correia 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0
Matt Diaz 3 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 .500 .667 .500 1.167 0 1 0
Jeff Karstens 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0
Xavier Paul 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0
Total 127 120 33 8 0 5 15 4 17 .275 .310 .467 .776 0 2 1
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/16/2011.

The Pirates have actually done better against Carpenter than I would have expected. Hopefully Carp paid attention to how Westbrook didn't deal with Doumit, since Carpenter has had some of the same problems. If Doumit beats this team on two straight nights, there is something severely wrong with the universe. 

Jeff Karstens is up for the Buccos. Here's his career against the Redbirds:
 
PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS IBB HBP GDP
Lance Berkman 10 7 1 0 0 0 0 3 2 .143 .400 .143 .543 0 0 0
Albert Pujols 9 8 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 .250 .333 .375 .708 1 0 2
Skip Schumaker 9 8 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .250 .333 .250 .583 0 0 0
Corey Patterson 8 8 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .125 .125 .125 .250 0 0 0
Ryan Theriot 8 6 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 .000 .143 .000 .143 0 0 1
Yadier Molina 7 6 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .333 .429 .333 .762 0 0 0
Jon Jay 5 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .600 .600 .600 1.200 0 0 0
David Freese 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0
Matt Holliday 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333 .667 0 0 0
Mitchell Boggs 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 1.000 1.500 0 0 0
Chris Carpenter 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0
Rafael Furcal 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0
Jaime Garcia 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0
Allen Craig 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.000 2.000 0 0 0
Gerald Laird 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 1
Total 72 64 14 2 0 0 2 7 7 .219 .296 .250 .546 1 0 4
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 8/16/2011.

While there's not a lot of exposure there, Karstens has kept the Cardinals in check. Perhaps Jon Jay can get on track against him, though.

I said that the Cards needed to go at least 5-1 on this road trip.  They've already lost the one, so that means to reach that mark they'd need their longest winning streak of the season.  We'll see if they have it in them.

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1 Comments

1 Comment | Leave a comment

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Author Profile Page Guest Author | August 16, 2011 7:45 AM | Reply

I agree that Westbrook wasn't on his game last night. But don't discount James McDonald. He's going to be a great pitcher in the National League if he stays healthy.

I think you are right about it being the Brewers' year though.

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Heroes
Matt Holliday (5)
Matt Carpenter (4)
Rafael Furcal (4)
Carlos Beltran (3)
Jon Jay (3)
Kyle Lohse (3)
Lance Lynn (3)
Yadier Molina (3)
David Freese (2)
Jaime Garcia (2)
Adam Wainwright (2)
Lance Berkman (1)
Allen Craig (1)
Shane Robinson (1)
Fernando Salas (1)
Jake Westbrook (1)

2011 Top Hero: Lance Berkman (24)
2010 Top Heroes: Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols (24)
2009 Top Hero: Albert Pujols (28)
2008 Top Hero: Albert Pujols (25)

Goats
Matt Holliday (4)
Carlos Beltran (3)
David Freese (3)
Jaime Garcia (3)
Marc Rzepczynski (3)
Adam Wainwright (3)
Rafael Furcal (2)
Tyler Greene (2)
Jason Motte (2)
J.C. Romero (2)
Fernando Salas (2)
Mitchell Boggs (1)
Matt Carpenter (1)
Tony Cruz (1)
Daniel Descalso (1)
Jon Jay (1)
Erik Komatsu (1)
Kyle Lohse (1)
Victor Marte (1)
Eduardo Sanchez (1)
Jake Westbrook (1)

2011 Top Goat: Ryan Theriot (12)
2010 Top Goat: Brendan Ryan (14)
2009 Top Goats: Rick Ankiel and Todd Wellemeyer (13)
2008 Top Goat: Troy Glaus (13)

2012 Happy Flights
Happy Flights: 7
Happy Flight Opportunities: 12
Happy Flight %: 58%

Through 5/20

    Cardinal Nation Approval Ratings (March 2012)
    Adam Wainwright 91.9% (down 2.8%)
    Chris Carpenter 90.1% (up 3.2%)
    Lance Berkman 88.6%
    Tony La Russa 88.2% (up 17.4%)
    Yadier Molina 87.4% (up 3.7%)
    Matt Holliday 87.3% (down 3.8%)
    David Freese 85.5%
    John Mozeliak 85.4% (up 13.3%)
    Mike Shannon 85.3% (up 0.4%)
    Jose Oquendo 84.7%
    Derrick Goold 82.8% (down 5.0%)
    Mark McGwire 82.6% (up 20.1%)
    John Rooney 81.5% (down 2.8%)
    Mike Matheny 81.1%
    Bill DeWitt 79.8% (up 8.8%)
    United Cardinal Bloggers 78.9%
    Skip Schumaker 73.3% (up 9.2%)
    Jim Hayes 71.9% (down 4.2%)
    Jon Jay 71.1%
    B.J. Rains 69.5% (down 0.9%)
    Kyle Lohse 68.9% (up 13.8%)
    Dan McLaughlin 68.0%
    Joe Strauss 67.7% (up 10.2%)
    Ricky Horton 67.5% (down 1.6%)
    Al Hrabosky 66.4% (up 3.2%)
    Albert Pujols 54.9% (down 45.5%)
    Colby Rasmus 46.5% (down 35.3%)

    2011
    Dave Duncan 87.9% (up 0.9%)
    Matthew Leach 85.5%
    Pop Warner 76.7%
    Ryan Franklin 72.8% (up 3.1%)
    John Vuch 68.9%
    Jeff Luhnow 66.4%
    Dan Lozano 58.7%

    2009
    Rick Ankiel 83.9%
    Chris Duncan 69.1%


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