The Cardinals made their big trade, but they’re still just treading water in the weak NL Central. After acquiring Mark DeRosa on Saturday, they have lost all three games in which he has played. They nearly dropped another contest on Wednesday night after getting a fantastic performance from Adam Wainwright, who allowed just one run over nine innings to the Giants, but caught a couple of lucky breaks to win it in 10 innings.

Colby Rasmus led off the inning and would be followed by Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick, so one would figure they’d have a decent chance to score, even on a night when they only picked up one run through nine innings. Rasmus had a decent at-bat, but it should’ve ended when he popped up a foul ball near the Giants’ dugout. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval circled around it but couldn’t make the grab, as the ball bounced off his glove. Sandoval apparently can’t field against St. Louis, as he’s committed four of his six errors this year against the birds, three of which came in one game in San Francisco. Rasmus then took a pitch that appeared to be knee-high and on the outside corner, but the umpire didn’t ring him up, allowing him to crank a monster shot into the right field bleachers on the next pitch. It was the first of hopefully many walkoff homers and it certainly gave the Cards a boost. They could really use tonight’s game too as their next 10 will all be on the road against the three teams that are currently in fourth, third, and first in the division.

Continue reading "Cards Still Need Offensive Boost"

The Blues have done well this offseason to retain key pieces of last year’s team such as Keith Tkachuk, Jay McClemment, Brad Winchester, and Mike Weaver. I personally didn’t see Weaver coming back, not because of his lack of performance, but because I didn’t think that the Blues would have room for him on their roster. That changed once the team decided to buyout the final year of Jay McKee’s contract. The Blues now have Weaver, Erik Johnson, Carlo Coliacavo, Eric Brewer, and Barret Jackman locked up for next year. They also have a qualifying offer on the table to Roman Polak who is apparently expecting some massive contract offer from the Blues, but the team isn’t biting. The club would probably be willing to pay him more than just the qualifying offer they gave him, but they’re not going to overpay for a guy who’s just a supporting player, albeit a solid one.

Continue reading "The Blues fill a big need, look to sure up roster"

1. Tonight’s the Home Run Derby. I’m heading down there later to soak up some of the atmosphere and to see if I can get close enough to Clark Street to maybe grab a ball. Albert Pujols has come close to hitting it out of the park in regulation play, so he might have a shot when he’s being grooved pitches. That being said, I’m a little worried about him heading into this competitive batting practice extravaganza.

Pujols had minor surgery on his elbow this year that will eventually need reconstructive surgery. Pujols is in the midst of his best home run hitting season in his already extraordinary career. Would it be cool to see him win the derby in his home stadium? Of course. But I’d much rather see him get to the 50 home run plateau for the first time, which could also propel the Cardinals to their first postseason berth since they want it all in 2006. Colby Rasmus and Ryan Ludwick are both starting to get into grooves. If Pujols goes down, those performances disappear faster than Mark McGwire at a press conference. That’s not to take anything away from either player, but if pitchers can be more careful with them, they’ll make fewer mistakes. Fewer mistakes will equal lower production and it will trickle down through the rest of the already struggling lineup.

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1. The Cardinals are apparently desperate enough for offense that they're looking at bringing up Troy Glaus to play left field or just as a pinch hitter. He still can't throw without pain, so Brendan Ryan would have to sprint out from shortstop to get the ball flipped to him if the ball gets hit to left. This could result in a lot of singles becoming doubles and with the Cards having a ground ball inducing pitching staff, they could lose out on a lot of double plays this way.

2. St. Louis is apparently interested in Adam Dunn. Dunn is a terrible outfielder and he strikes out a lot. A lot of times, it looks like he swings the bat as hard as he can with his eyes closed. That being said, Chris Duncan and Rick Ankiel aren't making contact with their eyes wide open, so I'd be open to bringing in Dunn. He's currently making $10 million a year with Washington after signing with them in the offseason, but they could give him up as they only signed him to a two-year deal and they clearly aren't going anywhere this year or next. 

Continue reading "A Few Quick Thoughts on the Cards Heading into Monday's Game"

What a game! Wednesday night’s marathon between the Dodgers and Cardinals was the best game that I’ve attended this season, in addition to being the longest game I’ve ever been to. It had a little bit of everything. There were plays at the plate, an appeal for missing a base which ended up being called an out, and of course, Manny being Manny. Just under five hours after the game had begun, the had Cardinals rallied three times, twice for the tie and once for the win.

However, the game could’ve ended much earlier. After Colby Rasmus drove in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth in his first at-bat of the game, he was thrown out at second base attempting to steal. I thought he was out when I was watching live at the game, but I slowed it down when I got home, and it looked like he got in there ahead of the tag. If he’s called safe, perhaps Yadier Molina singles and brings him in. In the 12th inning, we got to see Joe Thurston’s latest baserunning gaffe. To Thurston’s credit, he’s put together some very solid at-bats this season as a pinch-hitter. He continued that trend on Wednesday by lining a ball down the right field line. He even made the smart decision to not try and extend his hit into a triple when he was representative of the winning run. Unfortunately, he missed first base. The Dodgers appealed to first and he was called out. Maybe Thurston needs to stick around late after the Cards’ game on Sunday against Houston. It’s a “Kids Run the Bases Day” at the ballpark and perhaps he can get some pointers from Tee-Ball players.

Continue reading "Cards Grind Out Win Against Playoff Contender"