{"id":5780,"date":"2010-06-14T10:51:11","date_gmt":"2010-06-14T17:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seamheads.com\/?p=5780"},"modified":"2010-06-14T10:51:11","modified_gmt":"2010-06-14T17:51:11","slug":"desert-mirage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2010\/06\/14\/desert-mirage\/","title":{"rendered":"Desert Mirage"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cardinals won the first game in Arizona, but that was just the oasis in the losing streak. \u00c2\u00a0A quick recap:<\/p>\n

Friday (5-2 win<\/a>)<\/span>
\nHero: Brendan Ryan<\/strong>. \u00c2\u00a0He’s still not found himself at the plate entirely, slipping back around .200, and a home run was about the most unlikely thing that could have happened in that at-bat, but it was good to see him get the big hit. \u00c2\u00a0Plus, that means a post-game interview on FSMW and he and Jim Hayes always make for good TV.
\nGoat: Dennys Reyes<\/strong>. \u00c2\u00a0Again, if the lefty can’t get lefties out, there’s a problem.
\nNotes: Read a note that Jaime Garcia and Yadier Molina agree that people aren’t chasing Garcia’s pitches as much anymore. \u00c2\u00a0He’s going to have to make some adjustments now, because walking five batters leads to shorter outings and will wind up come back to haunt you eventually…The top of the lineup went 0-12 in this game. \u00c2\u00a0It just seems impossible to get this offense going on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

Saturday (<\/span>7-2 loss<\/a>)<\/span>
\nHero: Colby Rasmus<\/strong>. \u00c2\u00a0Two for four with a home run. \u00c2\u00a0I also want to give major kudos to Blake Hawksworth for his work after his rough start on Monday. \u00c2\u00a0Three innings, only one run and three strikeouts is a pretty effective outing.
\nGoat: Adam Ottavino<\/strong>. \u00c2\u00a0Rookie pitchers are like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are going to get. \u00c2\u00a0This time, the outing wasn’t nearly as sharp as the one against the Brewers. \u00c2\u00a0Then again, in that time period, his pitching coach has basically said he’s not good enough for a good team. \u00c2\u00a0Can’t imagine that’d mess with his mind or confidence, do you?
\nNotes: Nice to see Fernando Salas doing well. \u00c2\u00a0He’s probably the one booted to Memphis for Jeff Suppan’s triumphant return, but he’s still getting valuable experience. \u00c2\u00a0And can someone explain to this pitching staff how to get Dan Haren out? \u00c2\u00a0Man’s hitting .425 on the season, but that’s in large part due to his six for seven against the Redbirds.<\/p>\n

Sunday (7-5 loss)<\/span>
\nHero: Albert Pujols<\/strong>. \u00c2\u00a0Honestly, Pujols has looked completely lost at the plate recently. \u00c2\u00a0Eight strikeouts in his last 11 games? \u00c2\u00a0An average below .300? \u00c2\u00a0It’s gotten so bad that Arizona pitched to him with first base open and two outs. \u00c2\u00a0That never happens. \u00c2\u00a0So it was good to see him come through in big situations late in that game to spur the comeback.
\nGoat: Dennys Reyes<\/strong>. \u00c2\u00a0Yes, Kyle McClellan allowed the game winning home run, which was a no-no after having two outs in the inning. \u00c2\u00a0But you get into the ninth or extras on the road, you run the risk that one mistake kills you. \u00c2\u00a0However, if Reyes does his job, that ninth inning scorefest for the Cards may have given them the lead, bringing Ryan Franklin into the game instead of McClellan. \u00c2\u00a0Reyes again can’t get lefties out, which is become less of a slump and more of a problem.
\nNotes: It was nice to see the Cards rally, even if it was against one of the worst bullpens in the league. \u00c2\u00a0Jumpstarts have to come from somewhere, so that coupled with interleague coming up might help somewhat.<\/p>\n

The Cardinals look up at the Reds 1.5 games ahead of them. \u00c2\u00a0I know it’s just a function of the last few games, of the way the team has seemed to struggle, but is anyone else getting worried a bit? \u00c2\u00a0Not flat out, “we’re doomed” worry, but some general unease? \u00c2\u00a01.5 games isn’t a lot, I know, but imagine where this team would be if they hadn’t built a five game lead in the division by mid-April. \u00c2\u00a0If they were playing good baseball, I’d be less concerned, but they haven’t been able to do a sustained and consistent attack since the middle of last month, and even that was only about five or six days.<\/p>\n

There has to be some joy in Cardinal Nation soon, right? \u00c2\u00a0Maybe this week will hold the key, though the return of Jeff Suppan may tamp down on some of that\u00c2\u00a0exuberance. \u00c2\u00a0The more I think about it, though, and hearing that the braintrust does believe that there are some adjustments he can make, I wouldn’t be completely surprised if Suppan didn’t go out and put together one or two decent starts. \u00c2\u00a0I think the league would catch up with him again, and I just the idea that the Cards went out and signed him is completely wrong, but for the fact that they may only need him to pitch a couple of times before Brad Penny returns, it might not be a disaster. \u00c2\u00a0Might.<\/p>\n

The Cardinals have traditionally (wow, using traditionally to talk about interleague play. \u00c2\u00a0There’s something so wrong with that.) been a strong interleague team<\/a>, with their winning percentage second only to Florida in the NL. \u00c2\u00a0Pujols has the highest interleague batting average. \u00c2\u00a0In theory, the conditions are right for a surge.<\/p>\n

If it’s going to happen, it may start tonight against the Mariners. \u00c2\u00a0Adam Wainwright takes the mound for the Cardinals against Luke French. \u00c2\u00a0While on the face of it, you like the fact that French has a 6+ ERA, you then realize that 1) he’s a lefty, 2) the Cardinals have never seen him before and 3) those are the kind of guys that drive the Cardinals to distraction. \u00c2\u00a0With Wainwright on the hill, it could be a pitcher’s duel. \u00c2\u00a0Perhaps they’ll be able to solve this riddle and put up some runs. \u00c2\u00a0We’ll have to just wait and see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cardinals won the first game in Arizona, but that was just the oasis in the losing streak. \u00c2\u00a0A quick recap: Friday (5-2 win) Hero: Brendan Ryan. \u00c2\u00a0He’s still not found himself at the plate entirely, slipping back around .200, and a home run was about the most unlikely thing that could have happened in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":347,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[8150,796,5357,798,389,2195,5358,8339,8151,2281,1088,8340,212,3826,519,2083,8338,1554,8341,3101],"class_list":["post-5780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-adam-ottavino","tag-albert-pujols","tag-blake-hawksworth","tag-brendan-ryan","tag-colby-rasmus","tag-dan-haren","tag-dennys-reyes","tag-desert-mirage","tag-fernando-salas","tag-first-game","tag-fsmw","tag-good-tv","tag-jaime-garcia","tag-jeff-suppan","tag-jim-hayes","tag-pitching-coach","tag-post-game-interview","tag-redbirds","tag-triumphant-return","tag-yadier-molina"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t