Cardinals Jaime was El Jefe Tonight

Jaime Garcia (source: Wikipedia)

Everyone in Cardinal Nation - if not baseball - is agog at the performance of Jaime Garcia tonight at Busch Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers.  I have to admit I missed most of it as my sister-in-law had an automobile emergency at game time that I had to respond to.  I wasn't happy about missing the game, but a man must do what a man must do.

I caught the game in the top of the sixth via at bat on my iPhone as we drove back across the city towards home.  It did not take long to notice how quickly Garcia was getting the ball, getting signs, and delivering.  The score was 6-0 at this point, and Garcia's actions made me think more was involved.  A quick touch of the box score showed that my instincts were correct.

What I did see of the sixth and seventh inning told me that Garcia had it all working.  Every pitch was low in the zone, and the movement was exceptional.  The furtive swings of the Brewers' batsmen told me the backstory I had missed, and their body language as the looked at called strikes solidified my extrapolations.

In our house lives a beautiful 15 year old girl.  A girl who has lately  discovered the joys of baseball (I thank the Arizona Diamondbacks and their fun ball park for this).  After one out in the eighth, I was thinking I had the perfect opportunity to show her the second-by-second drama that only sports can provide.  And the build-up/release rollercoaster that is at the heart of what baseball is about.  But before I could stand up to do this, Garcia walked a man.  Now pitching from the stretch, he promptly lost the no-hitter to Yuniesky Betancourt (of all people) on a sharp ground ball that found the hole between second base and shortstop.

The quick loss of the no-hitter once a man reached base did not surprise me.  In fact, I was looking for it.  The past week taught me some lessons.

It marked the fifth time this week that such an event occurred.

I first noticed the trend during Garcia's last start on Sunday when he started the game with four perfect innings.  But the fifth inning started with a single.  The it went  out, 2-run HR, walk, single, and a run-scoring single.  Then on Monday, Kyle Lohse was lights out again through two 1/3 innings, then he lost all control.  The Gaby Sanchez grand slam punctuating my point.  I thought it all a fluke until Jake Westbrook cruised through 4 2/3 innings Thursday without allowing a Florida Marlins getting a runner on base.  But once Greg Dobbs reached base and Westbrook began delivering from the stretch, the Marlins next 4 batters reached base and two runs scored.

Of course, the Marlins getting their first hit with one out in the eighth is hardly evidence of some latent failing amongst an otherwise outstanding starting staff.  But once Garcia finally let a runner reach base and approached Betencort from the stretch, the no-hitter was lost.

Why?  I don't know.  Perhaps losing a good groove then pitching from the stretch  is just enough to tip the balance of competition to the favor of the hitters.  It has also been a certain something the Cardinal hitters have exploited.  If nothing else, it's an interesting trend - one I noticed only because all the starters were lights out...until someone got on base.

Cardinals Loss on Pitchers This Time

By User shgmom56 on Flickr

The St. Louis Cardinals managed to lose to the Florida Marlins on Monday night 6-5.  For the first time in a while, this loss can be pinned fully on the starting pitcher Kyle Lohse.

Lohse was cruising through the first two innings, needing only 17 pitches to retire the first seven Marlins hitters he faced.  The lone baserunner reached on a ball that went through SS Ryan Theriot's legs for an error.  But Lohse lost the strike zone in the third inning.  After getting the first out, Marlin's pitcher Chris Volstad got the first hit against Lohse - a single.  Now pitching out of the stretch, Lohse walked two more Marlins.  You can guess what happens after you give the opposing pitcher and then walk two, right?  You guessed it, a two-out two-strike grand slam by Gaby Sanchez.

The Big Puma Strikes
The Cardinal hitters came to the rescue, and regained the lead 5-4 in the bottom of the frame on a three-run dinger by Lance Berkman - his ninth of the season.  Fresh off a second NL Player of the week award, Berkman drove in four runs on his two hits, and added a walk.  But Lohse kept struggling with the strike zone and his pitch count kept rising.  Marlins slugger Mike Stanton launched a bomb into Big Mac Land at Busch Stadium, tying the game.

The game would remain tied until the eighth, when Stanton struck again, greeting Mitchell Boggs with a lead-off triple.  The next batter, Greg Dobbs, was able to plate Stanton with a sacrifice fly and the Marlins had the late lead.

Tyler Greene Fails
Now to the bottom of the ninth with Florida leading 6-5.  Daniel Descalso lead off with a walk.  Tyler Greene was asked to move Descalso over with a sacrifice bunt but he failed, bunting straight to the pitcher who got a force-out at second.  Allen Craig - fresh off the DL - struck out.  Ryan Theriot then singled.  If Green does his job and gets the runner to second, the Cardinals tie the game.  Alas, Leo Nunez coaxed a ground ball out of Colby Rasmus, and the rally - and the game - were over.

Greene was particularly brutal this game.  He went 0-4 and failed to get the sacrifice bunt down.  Now batting .219 on the season, Greene again is failing to show he has the stuff to be a Major League ball player.  As Bernie Miklasz points out, Greene is now 1-6 in his career in sacrifice situations.

With David Freese's broken hand and Skip Schumaker still on the DL, the Redbirds will need someone to step up and replace some of Freese's slugging.  Greene has shown good power in the minors, but at the big league level, he just doesn't hit.  Plus, Greene has been inconsistent with the glove with the parent team.  Daniel Descalso has had some good at bats lately, but he went hitless on Monday also.

Monday's loss went to Mitchell Boggs, but Kyle Lohse finally had a poor start.  He was due one, though.  He still looks healthy and this observer expects a very good season from him. 

Don't Look for Cliff Lee to Join Cardinals This Season

Cliff Lee is on the trading block.  That's what the rumors say.  And rumors are floating everywhere (it seems) that the St. Louis Cardinals are buyers for starting pitching because of the injuries to Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse.   These rumors aren't just twitter or talk-radio generated.  Respected national and local sportswriters are speculating on the matter.  Bloggers are crazily abuzz - as us will bloggers do. 


The Seattle Mariners lefty starter has been sensational after starting the season on the disabled list.  He is 8-3 with a miniscule (by American League standards) ERA of 2.34 over 103.2 innings with 5 complete games and 1 shutout.  The Mariners are going nowhere fast.  They are 34-50, in last place in the AL West, and 16 games behind the Texas Rangers.  It's been a sorely disappointing season, and the rumors of trading a valuable commodity like Lee for a crop of young, cheap top-tier prospects seems like a prudent course.  And the Cardinals could put together a package with Shelby Miller, Allen Craig, John Jay and/or Tyler Greene.  


That's an incredibly steep price to pay.  Then you have to add in Lee's contract.  There is approximately $4 million remaining on Lee's contract for this year.  Not too steep for a team with valid pennant expectations.  But Albert Pujols' contract is due for renegotiations or worse (free agency negotiations - Heaven forbid), the Cardinals have plans for those players.  As Derrick Goold stated this past January those younger (read cheap) players are needed to keep the club's $100 million dollar budget within reason of sustainability.  If the franchise is to carry the contracts of Pujols, Matt Holliday, and Chris Carpenter it must rely upon a roster full of players making the minimum salary but playing above their pay.  Oh, let's not forget Adam Wainwright's wonderfully low long-term contract will be expiring in 2013.  After shedding the likes of Luke Gregerson, Brett Wallace, and Jess Todd last year to boost the roster, how can GM John Mozeliak responsibly trade away even more of the desperately need roster fillers for a short term need?  And unless team President Bill Dewitt opens up the wallet - and unless Mozeliak is deranged - he won't.


     One can use a broad brush to paint my logic over the names of Dan Haren, Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano (maybe for chief groundskeeper), or just insert any SP on a losing team.


     So this sage's advice to Redbirds fans is to pray that Brad Penny's set-back is minimal, that Kyle Lohse's muscle sheaths make medical history, or that Blake Hawksworth finds salvation at the altar of Dave Duncan's genius.  No other prayer from Heaven is bound to help this staff this season.


     If you disagree - or if you have viable trade options in mind - let the world know in the comments.


     If you disagree, or have some viable trade options, let everyone know in the comments.