Breaking Down The Cardinals Loss & Franklin's Third Blown Save

Another blown save by Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin.  Another St. Louis loss.  This one in the most excruciating fashion imaginable.  The San Francisco Giants were down to their last strike.  Runners on 1st and 2nd, and Mr B-12 himself - Miguel Tejada - at the plate.

Let's stop right there and recap a bit.  Jaime Garcia was absolutely masterful tonight.  He had no-hitter stuff.  But in the fifth inning, a Garcia pitch gets away and hits Pat Burrell up around the head and neck.  Next, Miguel Tejada grounds a single between short and third.  Then former Cardinal Mark DeRosa shortened his swing, punched a little flair to right, and the Giants took a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth, Skip Schumaker drew a walk, two groundouts moved him to third, and he scored on a wild pitch.  Then in the eighth, Colby Rasmus hit a towering home run to the deepest part of AT&T ballpark to give the Cardinals the lead.  Miguel Batista gave up a two-out triple to Nate Schierholz, but then struck out Freddie Sanchez swinging to take us to the ninth.

In the top half of the inning, and desperately needing an insurance run or two to take some pressure off the struggling Franklin, the Cardinals manages to sandwich a weak fly out between two soft ground outs. A rather uninspired effort at a time when more was needed.

So we reach the bottom of the ninth.  Franklin comes in and promptly got Aubrey Huff to ground out.  The next batter was Buster Posey.  Posey then did something Cardinal fans had forgotten could be done.  He shortened his stroke and took a decent pitch the other way for single.  It was a fabulous piece of hitting - one I wish some St. Louis player would do (Skip is doing that this season...he's it).  Franklin looked to be a bit rattled at this point and walked Pat Burrell.  Giants rookie first-baseman Brandon Belt pinch-ran for Burrell.

Now, Cardinal twitter Nation started going beserk.  Everyone seemed to know what was coming.  Aaron Rowand was coming up, and the end was nigh.  But the ever-fading Rowand hit a fly ball caught by right-fielder Lance Berkman.  So in walks Tejada.

Franklin gets a called striked on a fastball.  It was a good pitch.  Then Tejada fouled off a nice sinker.  Up in the count, Franklin put a pitch in the dirt, but Tejada took it for a ball.  Tejado ruined a 1-2 fastball by fouling it off.  Next, Franklin threw a splitter in the dirt, but Tejada didn't go fishing.  Another pitch out of the zone, and we have a full-count.

This was a very exciting at bat.  The two veterans were really in a battle.  Franklin hadn't made a mistake, but neither had Tejada.  With the count full, I was certain that Franklin would bust him in on the hands and he did.  What I didn't expect was the bat speed of Tejada to get around on the pitch and rip it just foul down the third base line.  It was the perfect pitch from Franklin, but at 91mph, I guess it didn't have enough oomph.

After Tejada fouled off another cutter to stay alive, the at bat was getting interesting.  Franklin started out having control, but after the last two foul balls I began wondering what the Cardinals closer would do.  What he did was throw a fastball around the plate that Tejada got a good swing on.  He struck it well, and lifted it into left-centerfield.  The crowd thought he got it all - and I did too.  But Franklin had missed the sweet spot of Tejada's bat.  Jon Jay and Colby Rasmus raced back towards the warning track and converged on the ball.  A sure out to end the game.

But No!  As unbelievable as it seems, Rasmus had it in his glove and had it pop out.  He used two hands as our dads taught us, and he dropped it.  Posey scored.  Belt raced around from first and scored the winning run.  I could not believe what I just saw.

The play looked strange.  While it was no can of corn, it was a play you see major league outfielders make all the time.  But Jon Jay was very close to Rasmus as the ball came down, and it appeared to this observer that Rasmus may have been worried about a collision at the last second.

Why was Jay right there?  Did Colby fail to take charge of the play?  He's the center-fielder - it's his call.  Did Rasmus flake out and think Holliday was the left-fielder?  I doubt Holliday has the range to be right there like Jay was.  Perhaps it was too loud as the Giants fans thought it might be a home run off the bat.  If that's the case, it would be tremendous breakdown in fundamentals for a Tony LaRussa managed team.

LaRussa didn't give much insight, as he was testy in the post-game interview.  Understandably so, since this had to be one of the most brutal losses he's had to endure in his long managerial career.  And coming at a time when his ball club could really use the win.

And an even bigger question lies with Franklin who was clearly quite emotional and shaken after suffering his third blown save in four chances this season.  A question mark at the end of the bullpen is not what a reeling team that can't score runs needs.

Another unfathomable facet on this nightmarish night was the fact that it was scored a double for Tejada.  How can that possibly be?  The ball hit Rasmus in the glove - that must be an error.  Must be.  I'm a fan of home cooking as the next guy, but this is another example of how official scorers in Major League baseball have become nearly as corrupt as the judges in a professional boxing match.  A travesty.  A sham.  A mockery.

There was no comment I heard from Jaime Garcia about not getting the win out of such a brilliant performance.  I'm not sure I would understand all of what he would have to say, but I am certain that this Arizona-based scribe could pick out the curse words.

The Second Half Begins In Positive Way for Cardinals, Carpenter

As Chris Carpenter breezed through the Los Angeles Dodgers line-up on Thursday night, all of Cardinal Nation gave a deep sigh of relief as well as celebrating the 7-1 victory.

The St. Louis right-hander had not been sharp since getting hit on his pitching arm by a line-drive in late June, but the veteran was efficient and in command for eight innings, only surrendering four hits and an Andre Ethier solo home run.  Carpenter struck out six, and has apparently corrected the mechanical flaws that had plagued his starts earlier in July as he did not walk a Dodger.

Carpenter was able to locate his curve, something that he has been unable to do his last two starts.  He had allowed 11 earned runs and 18 hits with 4 walks in only 9 innings during the July funk leading to fears among Cardinal fans that the former Cy Young winner was injured.  But the team insisted he was fine, and pitching coach Dave Duncan said just before the All-Star break that Carpenter's issues were in his delivery, specifically the way he was landing on his left leg.

So one great fear of the second half is eliminated right away.  Carpenter was masterful - crisp and efficient, getting out of innings with very few pitches.  And that was important on a typical St. Louis July night rampant with heat and humidity.  Carpenter only threw 101 pitches in his eight innings, but wasn't asked to do more in the muggy conditions, giving way to Mitchell Boggs who finished the game with no drama.

Another positive development was the Cardinal offense.  Dodger lefty Clayton Kershaw has bedeviled the Redbirds in the past, but he wasn't sharp tonight and St. Louis took advantage.  Albert Pujols had three hits, Yadier Molina and Aaron Miles added two each to the team total of 12.  The offense was able to string hits together and put runs on the scoreboard in four different innings.

The Cardinals recalled Allen Craig from Memphis to replace OF Nick Stavinoha, who went on the DL with a shoulder sprain.  Craig had 2 RBI and hit the ball hard, but did not record a hit.  Craig has only one hit hit in his 21 Major League career at-bats.  He was replaced in the sixth inning by another rookie, Jon Jay, who extended his 12-game hit streak with a RBI double in the seventh.  Jay continues to be a spark to the line-up, and he is now hitting .386 on the season.

With Cincinnati having the day off, St. Louis is only one-half game out of first.  With Carpenter back to being himself and the offense looking like it should, Cardinal fans are feeling a bit better about the team and the second half of the season.


Photo by Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images Sport

Jay Provides Spark, But Where Will He Play?

St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Jon Jay has been asked only to fill-in during his rookie year, but he's doing his best to break into one of the best outfields in the National League.  Called up from Triple-A Memphis on July 3rd to replace the DL-bound Ryan Ludwick, Jay has been a revelation.  Since then his exciting play has been a much needed catalyst for the club's disappointing offense.
 
     The 25 year old product of the University of Miami made his first big league appearance earlier this season, and performed well both as a starter and as a pinch-hitter.  He is currently amidst a NL-best 11-game hit streak and is batting .377 for the season in 34 games.  But in this latest 8 games stretch with St. Louis, Jay has really turned it on - hitting at an even .500 clip with 2 HR, 9 RBI and has scored 12 times for a slugging percentage of .594.  Unbelievably, he has either scored or drove in a run in 10 of the 24 innings the Cardinals have scored since he joined the big league club.  That's a direct effect in 41.7% of all Cardinal rallies.

     Timely hitting is one thing, but Jay has also shown a high-level of baseball smarts.  The best example is the third inning of Sunday's Cardinals game against Houston.  Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez cruised through the St. Louis line-up, retiring the first 10 batters and looking quite relaxed pitching from his wind-up.  With St. Louis down 2-0 and needing to shake things up, Jay noticed the Houston infielders playing back and laid down a bunt for a hit (the first such hit of season for the team).  Rodriguez now had to pitch from the stretch, and St. Louis pounced.  An Albert Pujols single and a Matt Holiday 3-run homer gave the Cardinals all they would need to go into the All-Star break on a needed high note.

       Jay's awareness of the situation and ability to make things happen did not get by St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa.  As reported by Joe Strauss in Monday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, LaRussa remarked about Jay, "He does what the situation demands. He's aggressive and he's intelligent. That's a good combination for any player. He's been very impressive."  Ironically, those comments may spell the end of reserve OF Randy Winn with the Redbirds.  The Cardinals picked up Winn following his release by the Yankees, and Jay - performing quite well in his initial stint in the majors - was sent down to make room.  LaRussa explained that first demotion as an opportunity for Jay to continue to play every day.  But he and the organization did admit that Jay had "impressed".  While providing a jump to the ball-club initially, Winn is now suffering through a 2-27 slump.  There is now little justification for the Cardinals in keeping him over the impressive Jay.

     This is a wonderful story, but let's not forget our hero only has 34 big league games under his belt.  While it's clear Jay has brought electricity to an unexpectedly staid line-up, his brief time with St. Louis has protected him from the attention of opposing scouts and coaches.  Word has certainly gotten out, and adjustments will be made in the approach to Jay.  The key is his adjustments to those changes.  Other Cardinal rookie outfielders have hit The Show with a splash.  But will Jay sustain the the glory like former MVP and two-time batting champ Willie McGee, or will the holes in his swing be exploited like Rick Ankiel's. 
  
     Questions like those have Jay's future MLB career in a tremendously wonderful state of flux.  He has enjoyed regular playing time due to starting RF Ryan Ludwick being on the DL with a calf injury.  Ludwick is expected to return soon, and he is a proven player of impact - both with the bat and the glove.  Starting the last two games for hobbled CF Colby Rasmus (mild hamsting strain), Jay showed enough aplomb with the glove to be the back-up In center the team has been looking for since spring training.  But Rasmus is a budding superstar with all the talents  of Jay  - and more.  Matt Holliday in left field already is a superstar, and recently signed the largest contract in franchise history, and he is earning it.  So despite all that Jay brings to the line-up, there is no room left at the inn.
  
     But bright signs are in his future.  His production as a left-handed hitting outfielder on the bench fills a desire the club has had since spring training, plus LaRussa is renown for giving plenty of playing time to his reserves (often to the chagrin of Redbird fans).   Jay has a real possibility of playing a valuable role on a World Series team.  Or there is the opportunities of the upcoming trade deadline.  Injuries to starting pitchers Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse make the Cardinals buyers, and Jay's solid play - and rookie contract - make him a valuable pawn in the upcoming chess game.  He just might find himself a starting outfielder on some lesser big league team by August 1st.

     That's not something Cardinal Nation wants nor wishes to hear.  But no matter what happens, Jay is taking the right approach.  He told the Post-Dispatch, "I know it's a game. I've got to have fun, fun with a reason.   I'm more of a happy-go-lucky guy. I'm not going to let things bother me. I'm not going to get too high and not going to get too low. I'm just playing the game."

     So far in 2010, Jon Jay is just playing the game the right way, the Cardinal way.  And he's not the only one having fun. Watching him, Cardinal Nation is having a blast.

St. Louis Cardinals Mid-Season Awards

As a frustrating first half of the 2010 season winds down, it's time to evaluate the winners and losers on the St. Louis Cardinals talented roster. The MLB All-Star Game is traditionally viewed as the midpoint of the season as most players get a three day break to rest, heal, and reset. It also is the perfect time to evaluate what we've seen so far. Here's this humble scribe's breakdown of the Redbirds first half award winners.

MVP
CANDIDATES

• Albert Pujols:     All discussion of Most Valuable Player (either for the Cardinals, or for the NL) begins with the All-Star first baseman.  While Pujols hasn't always been as clutch in 2010 as fans are accustomed, the slugger hasn't slacked off the pace of his First-Ballot Hall of Fame career.  He is batting .307 with 21 HR, 61 RBI, and 54 Runs scored.  His .412 OBP .577 SLG & .989 OPS slash line is below career norms, but all rank in the top 3 in the NL.  Always finding a way to win, whether through his aggressive but intelligent base-running or his Gold Glove caliber defense (.997 fielding percentage with 3 errors), Albert is the engine that drives the team.
• Adam Wainwright:    Last season was Wainwright's breakout season, winning 19 games and garnering the most first-place votes for the Cy Young award.  He didn't win that award though, finishing 3rd in the balloting.  That slight seems to have pushed the right-hander to an even higher strata.  He is second in the NL in Wins (13) ERA (2.11) and Complete Games (4).  Taking the torch as staff ace from Chris Carpenter, Wainwright's losses reflect his dominance as much as his wins.  He's suffered 2 losses in 1-0 games, and another loss came in a complete game which he allowed only 2 earned runs.

And the winner is...     PUJOLS. Exceptionally tough decision, based simply on Pujols being everyday player.

Cy Young
CANDIDATES

• Wainwright     13-5  2.11 ERA  19 starts 4 CG 1 SHO 136.1 innings 127 strike outs.  

 And the winner is...     WAINWRIGHT.  No one else in the conversation.



Rookie of the Year
CANDIDATES

• David Freese:     Freese was handed the job on Opening Day 2010 and is clearly the team's #1 at the position.  A shaky start to the season in the field belied his reputation with the glove, but he settled down and has been solid defensively with flashes of brilliance. At the bat is where Freese has shined, though. His .296 batting average ranks first amongst all NL rookies in batting, staying over .300 until an ankle sprain slowed him down. Currently on the DL, Freese's discipline at the plate and penchant for driving in runs has been sorely missed in the line-up.
• Jaime Garcia:     Coming into Spring Training after losing most of 2009 because of Tommy John surgery, the highly though of prospect was a long shot for the rotation. Garcia simply forced his way into the rotation with his outstanding performances in camp. The 24 year old Mexican-born left-hander promptly put up numbers not seen by by an NL rookie SP since Fernando Valenzuela. Garcia hits the break with an 8-4 record and his 2.17 ERA ranks just behind teammate Adam Wainright for third in the NL.  Garcia does walk too many batters and has been shaken by errors by his fielders, but these are correctable.  A fantastic curve, a major league fastball, and command of a variety pitches shows there is still room to improve upon his fantastic start.
  
• Jon Jay:     Recently called up from Triple A Memphisfor the second time this season, Jay is proving to be the catalyst the offense has been needing.  Since rejoining the Cardinals on July 2, Jay has been involved in half of all the innings the St. Louis offense has put runs on the scoreboard.  The 25 year old OF enters the break on an 11-game hitting streak and is batting .385 in his limited ABs and sporting a very impressive OPS of 1.018 which would be 3rd in MLB if he had enough plate appearances.  

And the winner is...     GARCIA.  As impressive as Freese has been, without Garcia the Cardinals would be challenging the Cubs for irrelevance in the NL Central.

Comeback Player of the Year

CANDIDATES

• David Freese:     Freese missed a good portion of the 2009 season due to ankle surgery precipitated by injuries sustained in an automobile accident the previous winter.  Though he made the Cardinals 2009 opening day roster, he didn't stick around long.  He was penciled in as the big league club's starting third baseman after a successful return to Triple A Memphis in August, but he put that opportunity in jeopardy with a DUI arrest this past off season.  He has put that problem behind him, and had been a vital part of the Redbird line-up until his current stint on the DL.
• Jaime Garcia:     Garcia first sported the Birds on the Bat late in the 2008 season going 1-1 while starting one game and appearing in nine others.  He was showing good promise, but suffered a ligament injury and had to undergo Tommy John surgery missing most of the 2009 season.  As 2010 Spring Training commenced, Garcia was ticketed for the minors to rebuild arm strength - at best a relief role in the majors.  But he impressed enough to travel north with the team, and Redbird fans cannot imagine where the Cardinals would be without him in the rotation.

And the winner is...     GARCIA. Both had tough roads back, but Garcia is more valuable.