Monday's Game: The Cardinals starter Brad Thompson-his first year as a major league starter, gives up 3 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings and Anthony Reyes-his first full year as a starter gives up 5 earned runs in 1 1/3 innings and going into the 6th inning the Cardinals were down 11-0. Seemingly a unsurmountable deficit to overcome, but in the bottom of the 6th the Cardinals put up 3 runs and in the 7th scored 6 run putting themselves back in the game, down 12-10. The got it to 12-11 before losing 13-11.
Tuesday's Game: Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer who has been a journeyman picked up by the Redbirds this year pitched 2 innings only giving up 1 run as the Cardinals went up 3-1 going into the 6th, when Kip Wells, who has been awful as a starter, but for some odd reason great coming out of the bullpen gave up 2 runs to tie the score. The teams traded runs in the 10th before again reclamation project Mike Maroth who besides his very first start for the Cardinals has been pretty much awful (since that start his ERA has gone from 1.23 to 11.25 with the Cardinals for all those mathematicians out there that is a 10 run increase), gave up 3 2-out runs in the top of the 14th and the Cardinals fell 7-4.
Now back to my first point, the Cardinals have dug themselves a hole the whole season. I know losing Chris Carpenter for the whole year hurts the pitching staff, but that still doesn't make up for those who are out on the field for their production or lack thereof. On August 5th the Cardinals lost to the Nationals 6-3 (again blowing a great start by Wainwright) completing a 1-5 road trip against bottom dwellers Pirates and Nationals, which put them 8 games back (50-58). Later that week Rick Ankiel was called up on August 9th and in his 3rd at bat blasted a 3-run homer to help the Cardinals beat the Padres 5-0. Since August 6th until September September 7th, the Redbirds had made up 7 games and were looking good going to Arizona with Wainwright starting and giving the team a chance to be in a tie for first place. But once again they wasted a great start by Wainwright and lost 4-2. Since then the Cardinals have gone 1-12 in their last 13 games. What the cause for the turnarounds? The first one, I think Rick brought a new energy to the club and some new hope. Pickup Joel Pineiro was pitching well and Wainwright had one of the lowest era's among starters since the all star break. Then on September 7-9 reports of Ankiel's past use of HGH came about. I am not directly blaming that for the sudden plunge, but it didn't help. Since then Rick's batting average has gone from .353 to .282 and has only had one extra base hit and hasn't had a hr since he hit 2 against the Pirates on September 6th where he had his best hitting game as a major leaguer. But the real problem has been starting pitching, other than Wainwright and Braden Looper the rest of the staff is so unpredictable and the bullpen which has saved the team so many times has looked shaky lately. So who's to blame-it's really a culmination of things: Injuries, under performance, pitching woes etc. The Cardinals were lucky to be in the NL Central who by default will have a playoff contender and have any chance at the playoffs, but really ownership needs to get real ballplayers and guys who want it. No more Kip Wells shrugging his shoulders when he gives up a hit, or rushing Mark Mulder back, which I don't think they did, but he hasn't been anything short of awful since he has come back. After Friday nights loss to the Cubs after Wainwright gives up only 1 run, the season was over and now the Cardinals have fallen to 70-80 and 8 games out and all but assuring a season ending record of under .500 for the first time in a long time.
So, in closing the Cardinals season has been a series of highs and lows, with the lows being more prevalent. They fell into the valley and couldn't quite get up the hill and then fell completely back into the bottom of the valley. Brendan Ryan put it well in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch well this morning, "These two weeks, 2 1/2 weeks have been the longest weeks ever," Ryan said. "How many times have we come back and fallen just short? Even (Tuesday). Come back all the way to the 14th and just can’t seem to get over the hump."Here's to the hope that the experience the young guys have gotten helps for the Cardinals return to the top of the NL Central next year-I had to borrow that line from a Cub's fan.
For some humor from the Mike and Mike show:
"You are the biggest wimp in all mankind" – Golic to Greeny
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