4thebirds...: 07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

4thebirds...LIVEcast Brewers vs. Cardinals 8/27/08

Redbird Randoms...8/27/08

On-deck: The Cards play tonight in St. Louis at Busch Stadium versus the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:15 p.m. CT.

Probables: Manny Parra LHP (10-6, 4.10) vs Adam Wainwright RHP (7-3, 3.04)

Birds' Perch: The Cardinals remain in third place in the NL Central, 10.0 games behind the Cubs in first, and 4.5 games behind the Brewers in second place.

LIVEcast blog tonight for Cards: A limited livecast will be open during tonight's ball game, but not attended at all times. The blog is left open so that viewers can leave remarks for later review, which will post at various intervals.

Cards shellacked dozen to donut

The St. Louis Cardinals lost more than just the game to the Milwaukee Brewers last night. They also lost ground to everyone that counted in their race to obtain a playoff position, be it the distant dream of first place in the NL Central, or the chance at the NL Wild Card spot.

In their 12-0 loss last night a Busch Stadium, the Cards squandered potentially rallies with almost every inning, trying to pick on Brewers' hurler Ben Sheets, who, for all his success, has not done well against the Cardinals. Until last night, that is. And even after the flood gates had opened on the latter of the Cards' relievers, Brian Hall, Mr. Recurring Nightmare of the 9th, returned to haunt Busch Stadium yet again, clobbering a two-run homer to push the Brewers score well out of reach.

At one point, Sheets had thrown more pitches than Cards' starter Todd Wellemeyer, but received some offensive backing at the right times, and somehow found his way out of jam after jam.

Wellemeyer didn't exactly do badly himself, his only real mistake pitch to Ryan Braun, who clocked a two-run homer on a full-count pitch. Actually, that gopher ball itself wasn't the worst pitch in the world, but the slipping to a full count was the problem. Wellemeyer ended up throwing 112 pitches on the night, giving up five runs, four of them earned.

The one unearned run came after Albert Pujols made a rare defensive error. His throw to second was the error, but in fact, what made the goof-up so rare was that Pujols attempted to make a throw to force out a base runner at second base when he had a much easier toss to Wellemeyer covering first base right in front of him. Needless to say, the inning went on until it cost the Cardinals a run. Although that one run by no means became the deciding factor in the ball game, it pointed out the type of night the Cards were having.

On a line drive into left field, Rick Ankiel either misjudged or misread or flat out lost the ball, the drive striking him on the arm, it appeared, no where near his glove.

The Cubs won in a come-from-behind victory, as did the Phillies, and of course, the Brewers beat the Cardinals, so the St. Louis squad lost ground on all fronts; first place and the Wild Card.

As for the NL Central lead, the Cardinals are now 9.5 games out.

A more realisitic goal at this point is the Wild Card spot, which is not out of reach, but is slipping away at the moment. The extra-inning victory by the Phillies allows them to slip into first place in the east, putting the Mets back in the Wild Card and tied with the Cardinals in that category. The Brewers increased their lead in that race, the Mets and Cardinals both 4.5 games behind.

For a team that "talked down" the importance of last night's game, the Brewers sure played like a team hungry to take that Wild Card spot, not content to wait around for the Cubs to self-destruct in the last month of the season, as they have been known to do in the past. The Mets and the Phillies were scrapping pretty good in their extra-inning affair, and the Cubs re-saddled their horse to race on to a big win after falling behind the Pirates.

Which leaves the Cardinals, who played as hard they ever had, but maybe just don't have the same horses, at least not at this point. They seem to be a better team than they show at times, but the mark of the winner is still not showing. Beating up on weaker teams seems to make them appear as good as anyone, but folding against the competitors is more telling at this point.

Still, the Cards can reverse the disheartening feeling and the momentum if they can find a way to split this mini-series with the Brew-Crew. Just playing well, at this point, though, won't cut it, as it might've early in the season. And big secret to the Cardinals having success is really no secret at all, but rather, that they simply go out and play as they usually do, as hard as ever. That's all any team can do, and for that, a true Cardinal Nation cannot find fault with the team from St. Louis.

photo by jodie and larry

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

4thebirds...LIVEcast Brewers vs. Cardinals 8/26/08

Pujols named NL Player of the the Week

Albert Pujols was named by Major League Baseball as the NL Player of the Week after he went on an 11-for-19 tear, batting .579.

Pujols has been bestowed the NL Player of the Week before, six times, making this the seventh. He had four games in which he had more than one hit, tallying 10 RBIs.

Currently, Pujols is in a battle with Atlanta Braves' Chipper Jones for the league lead in batting average, but Pujols has stated (more than once) that regardless of this fact, or whether he is playing against the Braves or anyone else, he does everything he can to help his team win.

photo by Barbara Moore

Monday, August 25, 2008

C.A.R.D. 8/24/08

Gulf Coast League Cardinals: GAME #1 -- Lost 7-4 to the GCL Nationals.

Devin Sheperd went 3-for-3

Gulf Coast League Cardinals: GAME #2 -- Won 9-8 over the GCL Nationals.

Devin Sheperd went 2-for-4
Rainel Rosario was 1-for-4 with a home run

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Won 6-2 over the Bluefield Orioles.

Joseph Hage went 2-for-4
Jose Mateo struck out three Orioles in 5.0 innings

Batavia Muckdogs (Low-A): Won 4-3 over the Williamsport Crosscutters.

Colt Sedbrook was 3-for-4
Xavier Scruggs was 1-for-3 with a home run

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Lost 5-3 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Domnit Bolivar went 2-for-4 with a home run
Adron Chambers was 1-for-4 with a home run
Deryk Hooker struck out six Timber Rattlers in 6.0 innings

Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A): Lost 9-3 to the Brevard County Manatees.

Tyler Henley went 2-for-3 with a double

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Won 6-5 over the Arkansas Travelers.

Daryl Jones went 3-for-5 with a home run
Daniel Descalso was 3-for-4
Brett Wallace went 2-for-4 with two home runs
Brad Furnish struck out six Travelers in 6.0 innings

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Lost 5-4 to the Omaha Royals.

Nick Stavinoha was 3-for-5
David Freese went 2-for-4 with a home run

Redbird Randoms...8/25/08 Wellemeyer, Pujols, Molina

On-deck: The Cards start a two-game set tomorrow night with the Milwaukee Brewers. Game time is 7:15 p.m. CT at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Probables: MIL-Ben Sheets RHP (11-7, 3.16) vs. STL-Todd Wellemeyer RHP (11-4, 3.79)

Birds' Perch: The Cards hold steady in third place, 8.0 games out of first place and 3.5 out of second place, behind the Cubs and the Brewers, respectively.

Whatcha done for me lately? Over the last 5 games, these are the Cards with the most hits:

Albert Pujols -- 11 hits
Yadier Molina -- 8 hits
Skip Schumaker -- 7 hits
Cesar Izturis -- 6 hits
Ryan Ludwick, Felipe Lopez -- 5 hits

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Back on the job

4thebirds... will be back on the job tomorrow, Monday, August 25. We were called away on feature business over this weekend: northeast Indiana; Hebron, Valparaiso; and in Lynwood, Illinois.

Friday, August 22, 2008

C.A.R.D. 8/22/08

Dominican Summer League Cardinals (DSL): Lost 6-4 to the DSL Mariners.

Michael Avila went 1-for-4 with a home run
Tharick Martines went 1-for-3 with a home run

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Lose 4-2 to the Princeton Devil Rays

Edgar Lara went 2-for-4 with a home run
Jack Cawley went 3-for-4 with a double
Yunier Castillo went 2-for-3

Batavia Muckdogs (Low-A): Lost 4-2 to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

Chris Swauger went 2-for-3
Alex Castellanos was 2-for-3 with a double
Edwin Gomez was 1-for-3 with a double
Scott Gorgen struck out seven Scarppers in 5.0 innings

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Won 5-3 over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Nico Vasquez went 2-for-5 with a double
Francisco Rivera went 2-for-5 with a double
Domnit Bolivar went 2-for-4
Blake Murphy was 1-for-4 with a double
Oliver Marmol went 2-for-4 with a double
Ryan Kulik struck out nine Timber Rattlers in 7.0 innings
Matt Spade struck out four Timber Rattlers in 2.0 innings

Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A): GAME #1--Lost 6-2 to the St. Lucie Mets.

Steve Hill was 1-for-3 with a home run

Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A): GAME #2--Won 6-0 over the St. Lucie Mets.

Brian Cartie went 2-for-2 with a home run

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Won 5-4 over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

Casey Rowlett went 2-for-4 with a double
Andrew Brown went 1-for-4 with a double
Brett Wallace was 2-for-4
Kyle Mura struck out four Naturals in 4.0 innings

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Won 5-0 over the Omaha Royals.

Cody Haerther was 1-for-4 with a double
Mark Johnson was 2-for-2 with a double

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Redbird Randoms...8/21/08 Wainwright, Schumaker, LaRue

On-deck: The Cards start a three-game weekend series home stand at Busch Stadium tomorrow versus the Atlanta Braves. Tomorrow night's game starts at 7:15 p.m. CT.

Probables: ATL-Charlie Morton RHP (3-7, 5.95) vs. STL-Adam Wainwright RHP (6-3, 3.14)

Birds' Perch: The Cards are currently in third place in the NL Central Division, 8.0 games behind the first place Cubs and 2.5 games behind the second place Brewers.

Wild Card: The Cardinals are 2.5 games out of the NL Wild Card spot, behind the Brewers.

Whatcha done for me lately? These Cards got hits in last night's rout of the Pirates.

Skip Schumaker -- 3 hits
Ryan Ludwick -- 2 hits
Albert Pujols -- 2 hits
Jason LaRue -- 2 hits
Rick Ankiel -- 1 hit
Troy Glaus -- 1 hit
Felipe Lopez -- 1 hit
Todd Wellemeyer -- 1 hit

C.A.R.D. 8/20/08

Dominican Summer League Cardinals (DSL): Won Game #1, 2-1 over the DSL Athletics (Team #2).

Jorge Lopez was 2-for-4
Eduard Estalis stuck out five Athletics #2 in 4.0 innings
Charlian Jimenez struck out three Athletics #2 in 6.0 innings

Dominican Summer League Cardinals (DSL): Lost Game #2, 4-2, to the DSL Athletics (Team #2).

Michael Avila went 2-for-4 with two doubles
Pedro Peno stuck out five DSL Athletics #2 in 4.1 innings

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Lost 7-6 to the Bluefield Orioles.

Luis Mateo went 3-for-6 with a home run
Edgar Lara was 2-for-4
Matt Rigoli went 1-for-3 with a double
Jon Bravo struck out four Orioles in 3.0 innings

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Lost 6-5 to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

Daryl Jones went 1-for-4 with a home run
Donovan Solano went 2-for-3 with a double
Brett Wallace went 1-for-4 with a double
Jose Martinez went 3-for-4 with three doubles
James Rapoport went 1-for-4 with a double

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Lost 7-6 to the Omaha Royals.

Nick Stavinoha went 2-for-5 with a home run
Josh Phelps went 1-for-3 with a home run
Jarrett Hoffpauir went 2-for-4 with a double

Frontier Communications drops the ball

Due to connectivity issues with our local ISP, 4thebirds has was unable to run the LIVEcast of yesterday's Cardinals/Pirates game.

As well, there are other problems this ISP has caused, and we will have to make up for their inability to keep us "on the air."

We will take this weekend to retool the damage Frontier has caused our business, and will continue to blog the Cardinals as much as we can, as often as we can, in the interim, and should be back to our regular schedule by next week.

We may have posts over this weekend as the Cardinals take on the Atlanta Braves in a weekend homestand, but cannot promise so at this time.

Thank you for your patience.

Frontier Communications has no explanation for the problem, and as yet, has offered only continued billing instead of a make-good.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

4thebirds...LIVEcast Pirates vs. Cardinals 8/20/08

Redbird Randoms ... 8/20/08 Carpenter, Isringhausen, Waiwright, Wallace

On-deck: The Cards play the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Game time: 7:15 CT.

Probables: PIT-Jason Davis RHP (1-2, 1.80) vs. STL-Todd Wellemeyer RHP (10-4, 3.79)

Birds' Perch: The Cards remain in third placed in the NL Central, 8.5 behind the first place Cubs and 2.5 behind the second place Brewers.

Wild Card: The Cards are currently 2.5 games behind the Wild Card leader, Brewers.

Izzy done: Chances are, reliever Jason Isringhausen is finished for the 2008 season with tendenitis.

Carp continues to mend: Former ace Chris Carpenter will be handled with care by the Cardinals, who are rehabbing him on-site. "Carp" is now throwing, but not yet pitching off a mound.

Waino ready: Rehabbing pitcher Adam Wainwright has proclaimed himself ready to face big league hitters, but admits he doesn't know what role the Cardinals wish him to pitch in. Wainwright has stated he will accept a role as reliever or starter, whichever the club needs him to do more.

Wallace adds an A: Brett Wallace has been promoted from Class A Quad-Cities River Bandits to Class AA Springfield Cardinals.

C.A.R.D. 8/19/08

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Won 8-1 over the Bluefield Orioles.

Luis Mateo went 3-for-5
Jack Cawley went 2-for-5 with a double and a triple
Osvaldo Morales went 1-for-5 with a home run
Rickey Noland went 2-for-4 with a home run
Scott McGregor struck out five Orioles in 5.0 innings

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Lost 5-1 to the Burlington Bees.

Francisco Rivera went 2-for-4

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Lost 8-4 to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

Mark Shorey went 4-for-5 with a double
Jose Martinez went 2-for-3

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Lost 4-3 to the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Josh Phelps went 2-for-3 with a double
David Freese went 2-for-4 with a double
Jesse Todd struck out six Isotopes in 6.0 innings

Izzy latest wrinkle in hardluck hurlers

Jason Isringhausen, according a news feature on the St. Louis Cardinals Official Web Site, is likely done pitching for the balance of the 2008 season. Medical staff report "right elbow tendinitis and a partial tendon tear in his flexor group."

It is highly likely that "Izzy" will be able to return to action next season.

As for former ace Chris Carpenter, he had a throwing session (not pitching) yesterday, and will throw again today at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals are taking plenty of time with Carpenter to be careful of his health.

Yet another former ace, Adam Wainwright, threw a bullpen session yesterday, and has announced that he is once more ready for major league action. The big question now is whether the Cardinals need him more in a reliever's role or back in the starting rotation.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

4thebirds...LIVEcast Pirates vs. Cardinals 8/19/08

C.A.R.D. 8/18/08

Dominican Summer League Cardinals (DSL): Won, shutting out the DSL Phillies 1-0.

Michael Avilia went 2-for-4

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Won 4-2 over the Bluefield Orioles.

Nico Vasquez went 3-for-4
Jack Cawley went 2-for-3 with a double

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Lost 1-0 to the Burlington Bees.

Thomas Pham went 2-for-4 with a double

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Won 5-2 over the Chorpus Christi Hooks.

Brandon Dickson struck out five Hooks in 5.0 innings
Mark Shorey went 2-for-3
Daryl Jones went 2-for-4 with a home run
Brandon Buckman went 1-for-4 with a home run

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Won 6-5 over the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Brendan Ryan went 2-for-4
David Freese went 1-for-4 with a home run
Blake Hawksworth struck out six Isotopes in six inning.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Redbird Randoms...8/18/08 Looper

On-deck: The Cards are off today. They will start a seven-game homestand tomorrow that will feature day's off after each set. Tomorrow night the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town for a 7:15 p.m. CT game. It will be the first of a two-game set before a day off on Thursday.

Probables: PIT-Ian Snell RHP (4-10, 5.91) vs. STL-Braden Looper RHP (11-9, 4.07)

Birds' Perch: The Cards currently hold third place in the NL Central, 7.5 games behind the division-leading Cubs. The Brewers are in second place, 5.5 games behind the Cubs.

Wild Card: The Milwaukee Brewers are currently the NL's leader for the Wild Card, the St. Louis Cardinals two games behind them.

Competition on tap: The Cubs are idle today, but the Brewers play tonight in Houston.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Reds ace too much for Redbirds' ace

The Cincinatti Reds' ace Edinson Volquez sailed through some innings and overcame obstacles in other innings that the Cardinals could only hope to, Dusty Baker's non-offensive club hammering the Cards for seven runs in a 7-3 troucing in the series and road trip closer.

Kyle Lohse wasn't sharp, but wasn't so bad, either, the Cards leaving the bases loaded in one inning when they had Volquez on the ropes, failing to support Lohse at the same time. But you can't ask an offense to put up the six or seven runs the Cards usually need to win in every game. Today simply wasn't that day.

The Cards' offense came in spurts, Tory Glaus singling home a run, then, in anoher inning, Schumaker doing the same, and then, in yet another inning, Ryan Ludwick doubling home a run. Volquez gave up only three hits in his 7.0 innings of work.

At one point, Volquez threw a pitch high and tight to Cards' hurler, Kyle Lohse. The next inning, Volquez led off, Lohse playing him some chin music, the home plate umpire then warning both teams. An inning later, Volquez drilled Felipe Lopez in the back, but Volquez was not ejected from the game, making the warnings a somewhat stupid way of doing things for major league baseball.

The loss, combined with a Cubs rout of the Marlins, pushed the Cards back to 7.5 games out of first place in the NL Central. Milwaukee was just getting started on the west coast at the time of this post. A Brewers win would send the Cards three games back of the Wild Card spot, while a loss by the Brewers would allow the Cards to keep pace at two games out of the Wild Card.

Today's game ends a 10-game road trip that found the Cardinals playing tough but losing the series that kicked it off in Chicago, then taking three out of four for the "middle" series with the Florida Marlins, then taking the series against the Cincinatti Reds, failing to sweep today.

Now it's back to St. Louis where they will enjoy tomorrow (Monday) off, then start a home stand with two games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, then a day off, then a three-game series over the next weekend at Busch Stadium versus the Atlanta Braves, then a day off, then another two-game set, this time against the Milwaukee Brewers (also at home), then a day off, then another road trip. So plenty of days off, a good thing with a pitching staff that will need every rest day it can get, especially with the currently DL-pitchers, Wainwright and Carpenter.

photo by Barbara Moore

Saturday, August 16, 2008

4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Reds 8/17/08

Pineiro wins again as Cards touch-4 four times

Plenty of round-trippers in the Great American Ballpark helped Joel Pineiro pitch through another great outing as the St. Louis Cardinals ensure a series win against the Cincinatti Reds tonight, winning 9-3.

Pineiro gave up seven hits, but some of them were ground ball hits, which as much as summed up his seven complete innings of effectiveness with his sinker. He did give up two solo dingers and one other earned run, but walked no one and struck out six Reds. The right-hander threw 81 pitches, 57 for strikes.

The Cards pounded out 13 hits on the night, four of them round-trippers. Skip Schumaker hit a three-run shot in the second inning after the Cards had already scored two runs to take a 2-1 lead. Schumaker's blast capped off a five-run second inning, leaving Pineiro a commanding 5-1 lead with which to work the hill.

Albert Pujols hit a solo homer in the third to add on, something the Cards are not always capable of doing.

In the fourth inning, Ryan Ludwick hit a two-run shot to left, making it 8-1. Pujols made it a back to back affair, hammering a 400+ foot drive over the center field wall, giving the Cards a 9-1 lead.

The Reds had their turn at long ball, Andy Phillips with a solo shot in the fifth and Brandon Phillips copying the at bat in the sixth.

With a 9-3 lead, manager Tony La Russa brought in Jason Isringhausen for the seventh inning, Russ Springer for the eighth, and Ron Villone for the ninth, each of them giving up one hit, but no runs.

Pineiro improves his record to 6-5, and with Chris Perez putting in two good closing performances, the chances of Adam Wainwright returning to the starting rotation instead of the bullpen is probably getting more consideration.

The Cardinals have a chance to sweep the Reds tomorrow afternoon at 12:15 p.m. Kyle Lohse (13-5) is slated to throw against the Reds' Edinson Volquez (14-5).

photo by Iscan

4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Reds 8/16/08

Redbird Randoms...8/16/08 Pineiro, Barton, Glaus

On-deck: The Cards play the Cincinatti Reds tonight at the Great American Ballpark in Ohio. Game time is 6:10 p.m. CT.

Probables: STL-Joel Pineiro RHP (5-5, 4.82) vs. Aaron Harang RHP (3-12, 5.17)

Birds' Perch: The Cardinals are in third place in the NL Central Division, 7.5 games behind the first place Cubs and 2.0 behind the second place Brewers.

Wild Card: The Milwaukee Brewers currently lead the Wild Card race, the Cards two games behind. The Phillies are 4.5 games behind the Brewers, right on the Cards' heels.

Carp on DL: Chris Carpenter is one the 15-day DL with an expected return of August 26.

Waino in Memphis rehab: Injured pitcher Adam Wainwright will make another rehab start for Triple-A Memphis, tonight.

Whatcha done for me lately? These are the Cards with the most hits over the last 7 games:

Troy Glaus -- 10 (in six games)
Felipe Lopez -- 9
Ryan Ludwick, Albert Pujols, Cesar Izturis -- 8

Barton activated: Brian Barton has been activated, the Cardinals finding room for him on the roster when Chris Carpenter was placed on the DL.

C.A.R.D. 8/15/08

Gulf Coast League Cardinals (GCL): Lost 11-8 to the GCL Mets.

Jose Rada struck out eight Mets in 5.0 innings.

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Lost 11-1 to the Kingsport Mets.

Edgar Lara went 2-for-3

Batavia Muckdogs (Low-A): Lost 5-1 to the Auburn Doubledays.

Colt Sedbrook went 3-for-4

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Lost 11-4 to the Beloit Snappers.

D'Marcus Ingram went 3-for-5
Domnit Boliver went 4-for-6 with a double and a homer run
Carlos Pupo went 2-for-4 with a home run

Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A): Lost 10-1 to the Brevard County Manatees.

Antonio DeJesus was 2-for-4

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Won 3-2 over the San Antonio Missions.

Brandon Yarbrough went 2-for-4
Adam Ottavino struck out six Missions in 5.0 innings.

Poll results: 25 by 15th

In a recent 4thebirds poll, you were asked which Cards would reach the 25-home run mark by August 15th. Last night, Rick Ankiel hit a home run at the Great American Ballpark, but that wasn't enough for him to reach 25.

In fact, only one Redbird elevated is round-tripper stats to the 25-homer level: Ryan Ludwick.

Ludwick now has 30 home runs on the season.

Next is Pujols with 24, one shy of our poll's ceiling. Ankiel has 23, and Troy Glaus has 21.

You were allowed multiple votes on the 4thebirds poll and 94% of you were correct in choosing Ludwick.

Eighty-eight percent picked Pujols, who didn't quite make the mark. Other who you were less sure sure about, and rightfully so, were:

Rick Ankiel 47%
Troy Glaus 17%
Yadier Molina 1%

photo by Barbara Moore

Friday, August 15, 2008

Thompson stands in as Cards beat Reds

Brad Thompson of the St. Louis Cardinals added significant innings in the stead of injured starter Chris Carpenter in a 5-3 win in the opening game of a three-game set with the Cincinnati Reds, 5-3.

Thompson threw 5.0 innings, not as deep as manager Tony La Russa would've like for a starter, but certainly a good contribution considering Thompson has been working middle relief for some time now. The Reds scored three runs on Thompson, who struck out four in his service tonight at the Great American Ballpark.

Jaime Garcia come on to work a couple innings before La Russa went to the shorter bullpen hurlers. Abscent in that group once more was Jason Isringhausen, but Kyle McClellan worked, then Ron Villone, who performed his specialty of facing one left-handed batter. Chris Perez closed once more.

While the Cardinals' pitching staff has been of major concern, the offense produced well again, scoring five on the night.

Rick Ankiel put the Cards out in front in the first inning with a two-run shot into the right field seats.

The Reds' Chris Dickerson answered one of those runs in the bottom of the frame with a leadoff solo blast of his own, cutting the Cards' lead to 2-1.

Back came the Cardinals in the second, Skip Schumaker singling home Felipe Lopez to inch ahead 3-1.

Another answer by the Reds, Corey Patterson sending home Javier Valentin with a sacrifice fly.

Now up 3-2, the Cards would take their turn at scoring, Pujols scampering home from third base with the bases loaded and Jason LaRue grounding into a fielder's choice. These runs were all against Red's starter Bronson Arroyo, who threw a hefty 106 pitches in his 6.1 innings of work.

Patterson scored on a fielder's choice in the fifth, cutting the Cards lead to one at 4-3.

LaRue would contribute with the bat again, hitting a sacrifice fly that brought home Lopez to put the Cards up 5-3, the final score in the game.

Thompson improves to 5-2 while Garcia, McClellan, and Villone all earn holds. Perez notched his fourth save.

Hot hitters of the Cards tonight:

Lopez went 2-for-3, scoring two runs with a triple
Albert Pujols went 3-for-5 with two doubles
Ankiel was 1-for-4 with a home run
Ludwick went 1-for-5 with a double

The Cardinals play the Reds tomorrow night at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinatti, Ohio, game time 6:10 p.m. CT.

Joel Pineiro is slated to pitch for the Cardinals, pitching against the Reds' Aaron Harang.

photo by Barbara Moore

4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Reds 8/15/08

Carpenter back to DL

Chris Carpenter has been placed on the 15-day DL, according to a Matthew Leach article posted on the St. Louis Cardinals' Official Web Site today.

A medical diagnosis of a "right posterior shoulder strain" will cause Carpenter to miss not only today's spot in the rotation, but at least one more as well. He is expected to be re-activated on August 26. At that time, the Cardinals will be in St. Louis taking on the Milwaukee Brewers.

Brian Barton has just returned from the DL and will now be activated, solving a dilemma of what to do about the Rule 5 player at this juncture.

Brad Thompson has been slated to pitch in Carpenter's spot today versus the Cincinatti Reds in Ohio, but there is no word on how the team will "fill" the Carpenter vacancy the next time it comes up in the rotation.

4thebirds...LIVEcast Reminder

C.A.R.D.

Gulf Coast League Cardinals (GCL): Game #1:Lost 9-2 to GCL Nationals; Game #2: Lost 8-1 to the GCL Nationals.

Braulio Hirlado went 2-for-3 with a double
Ted Obregan went 2-for-3

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Lost 6-4 to the Kingsport Mets.

Paul Cruz went 2-for-4 with a double

Batavia Muckdogs (Low-A): Lost 2-1 to the Tri-City Valley Cats.

Colt Sedbrook went 2-for-4
Pitcher George Brown struck out four Valley Cats in 5.0 innings

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Lost 6-1 to the Beloit Snappers.

Domnit Bolivar went 3-for-4 with a double
Pitcher Charles Fick struck out five Snappers in 4.0 innings.

Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A): Lost 6-4 to the Brevard County Manatees.

Tyler Henley went 4-for-7 with two doubles

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Lost 6-5 to the San Antonio Missions.

Donovan Solano went 3-for-5 with a double
Jose Martinez went 3-for-4 with a double

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Lost 3-0 to the Round Rock Express.

Josh Phelps went 2-for-3 with two doubles
Pitcher P.J. Walters struck out nine Express in 6.0 innings

Redbird Randoms...Thompson, Ludwick

On-deck: The Cards take on the Red in the first game of a three-game series at Cincinnati tonight. Game time is 6:10 CT.

Probables: STL-Brad Thompson RHP (4-2, 4.34) vs. CIN-Bronson Arroyo RHP (10-9, 5.44)

Birds' Perch: The Cards remain in third place in the NL Central Division, 7.5 games behind the division leading Cubs, and 4.0 games behind the second place Brewers. The Brewers are currently the leaders in the Wild Card race.

Whatcha done for me lately? Ryan Ludwick has done it all lately for the Cards in the RBI department, batting in all three of the Cards runs in last night's 3-0 shutout over the Marlins.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Wellemeyer goes into eighth as Ludwick drives home three

Todd Wellemeyer joined the current trend of Cardinals' pitchers going deeper into ball games tonight as the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Florida Marlins 3-0 at Dolphin Stadium.

Wellemeyer gave up only three hits during 7.2 innings of work, throwing 112 pitches, about half and half on balls and strikes. He walked four and struck out three.

While Wellemeyer was grinding it out on the mound, Ryan Ludwick was collecting RBIs. He owned all three of those tonight, the first of which came on a stand-up double in the third inning that scored Cesar Izturis. Later, in the seventh inning, Ludwick blasted his 30th homer of the season, this one to left field and sending home Izturis for the second time, with himself trotting in for the third Cards' run of the game.

Three runs would prove to be two more than needed, an unusual scenario for the Cardinals, who normally have to score at least six or seven to come out on top. But the bullpen held up again tonight, manager Tony La Russa choosing three relievers to keep the Marlins scoreless for the last four outs of the game.

With two outs in the eighth, Russ Springer got the call, striking out Jorge Cantu with two Marlin's runners aboard.

La Russa went to left-handed specialist Ron Villone to start the ninth inning, to face left-handed clean-up hitter Mike Jacobs. Villone got Jacobs to pop out to Albert Pujols at first base for the first out.

Once more, La Russa went to the bullpen, this time for Ryan Franklin, who would fulfill the role of closer, whether or not he currently carries that title. (Since La Russa has refused to name anyone as the Official Closer, each reliever in that role has done well.) Franklin struck out Dan Uggla, then gave up a single to Wes Helms. After a wild pitch sent Helms scrambling to second base, Franklin ignored him even more, concentrating on batter John Baker, who grounded out to second baseman Aaron Miles to end the game.

The victory gave the Cardinals a series win over the Marlins, three games out of four. Cincinatti is the next stop, tomorrow night, when the Cardinals start a three-game set.

Chris Carpenter will miss his turn in the rotation tomorrow; Brad Thompson is slated to take his place in the starting role.

photo by Barbara Moore

4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Marlins 8/14/08

C.A.R.D. (Cards' Affiliate Radar Display)

Dominican Summer League Cardinals (DSL): Lost 6-1 to the DSL Phillies.

Santo Sandoval went 2-for-4 with a double
Luis Pimental went 2-for-3

Gulf Coast League Cardinals (GCL): Lost 7-6 to the GCL Marlins.

Steve Hill went 3-for-4 with three home runs and four RBIs

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Won 1-0 over the Greenville Drive.

Jarred Bogany went 3-for-4
Edgar Lara went 3-for-4 with two doubles
Osvaldo Morales went 1-for-3 with a double

Batavia Muckdogs (Low-A): Won 5-2 over the Tri-City Valley Cats.

Brett Lilley went 2-for-5 with a double
Beau Riportella went 2-for-4 with a double
Edwin Gomez went 1-for-4 with a double
Scott Gorgen stuck out four in 3.1 innings

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Won 5-3 over the Beloit Snappers

Brett Wallace went 3-for-5
Francisco Rivera went 2-for-3 with a double
Oliver Marmol went 2-for-4 with a double

Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A): Won 4-3 over the Brevard County Manatees.

Luke Gorsett went 1-for-5 with a home run

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Won 6-2 over the San Antonio Missions.

Brandon Buckman went 4-for-5 with a double
Brandon Dickson struck out four Missions in 4.1 innings.

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Won 2-1 over the Round Rock Express.

Jarrett Hoffpauir went 1-for-3 with a double
Mark Johnson went 1-for-3 with a double
Jess Todd stuck out six Express in 6.2 innings

4thebirds...LIVEcast reminder

Method to Mather's Madness

When someone is said to be climbing the walls, it's usually not a good sign. And if someone does so on a regular basis, you might say he's mad. But when you suddenly realize after an eye-opening event that there may have been a method to such madness, it might make you nod your head in agreement and tap your lips with an index finger while sounding: Hmmmm.

Joe Mather's sensational catch in last night's ball game that took away a home run from Luis Gonzalez of the Florida Marlins just may have been the proof that there is a method (and a result) to what seemed like madness, and may have actually been a well-rehearsed play for the rookie outfielder.

Through the season, Cardinal Nation has probably watched more fly balls leave the park while the Redbirds were on defense then anyone would like to admit. And not that the likes of Ryan Ludwick, Skip Schumaker, and Rick Ankiel have done something wrong in their travels through the outfields, but Mather does something a lot more than they do that may have trained him to make great catches like the one seen at Dolphin Stadium last night.

There have been times when fly balls to left field (where Mather normally plays) have hit the wall, landed on the warning track, just made it over the wall, and have carried pretty far over the wall or fence, as the park may be.

But here's the thing: Mather attacks every one as if he is going to make the catch, even if the ball is well out of reach. This rookie outfielder has taught himself how to approach, attempt, and make catches on all types of wild fly balls that may or may not be headed out of the park.

What might seem goofy looking to see him running up the wall on a home run that is twenty rows up actually becomes the best training on fly balls that might not quite make it. Knowing how to handle the walls and fences and judging the fly balls just can't be accomplished without, well, trying it out.

Success on fielding tough fly balls that would otherwise skip over the top of the wall or narrowly make it over is within reach of the outfielder that knows how to make a bonafide attempt. Learning this can feature some embarrassing bumbling miscues, but those are quickly forgotten after a few grabs like Mather made last night.

To be sure, all the Cardinals' outfielders are quite talented out there, maybe the best group of outfielders in the league.

But now, we know that when Mather goes up, an out may come down.

photo by Iscan

Looper and unnamed closer Perez muddle Marlins

Seven solid innings from St. Louis Cardinals' starter Braden Looper and two rookie relievers managed to take the respectable output of their team's offense and turn it into a win versus the Florida Marlins last night.

In a 6-4 victory, Looper improved his record to 11-9, allowing five hits and two runs in 7.0 innings. Reliever Kyle McClellan, the rookie who doesn't seem like a rookie, did get knocked around a bit last night, giving up a couple runs. McClellan's appearance was uncharacterisitic of his usual performance, and he looked somewhat tired, as if his pitches didn't have the movement they usually do.

Reliever/sometimes closer/but never named as official closer/closer Chris Perez went the last two innings under what appeared to be a La Russa strategy that says, if it ain't broke, don't take him out of the darned game. This, even though Perez walked the first batter he faced. He pitched through the hindrance, still relying heavily on his mid-90s fast ball, which he threw at 97 mph five times in a row at one point.

The offense came through with probably just enough support for a Cards' win on a day when starter does okay and goes beyond five innings. Six runs was the tally, with Jason LaRue delivering what was probably the biggest impact swing of the game, a 2-RBI double to right-center in the seventh inning, a tie-breaker at the time, putting the Cards up 4-2.

Adam Kennedy probably couldn't wait to get back in a game after an atypical error on a ground ball a few games ago that cost his team a big inning. Last night, Kennedy went 2-for-2 and scored a run, but also contributed two sacrifice flies that accounted for two RBIs.

Other big offensive games were turned in by Skip Schumaker, who was 3-for-5, and Troy Glaus, who suddenly went perfect again with a 4-for-4 game.

Joe Mather, who by now is probably a hero in both St. Louis and Memphis, made a spectacular leaping grab to steal away a Marlins' home run late in the game.

The Cardinals have taken two out of three games from Florida so far as they attempt to win the four-game series tonight at Dophin Stadium.

photo by Barbara Moore

Redbird Randoms...8/14/08 Wellemeyer, Thompson, Kennedy

On-deck: The Cards play the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium in Florida at 6:10 p.m. CT. This is the last game of a four-game set, in which the Cards lead 2-1.

Probables: STL-Todd Wellemeyer RHP (9-4, 4.01) vs. FLM-Scott Olsen LHP (6-7, 4.04)

Birds' Perch: The Cardinals are in third place in the NL Central Division, 7.5 games behind the first place Cubs and 4.0 games behind the second place Brewers.

Wild Card: The Cards are 4.0 games out of the Wild Card leader right, who happens to be the Brewers.

Carp's return: Chris Carpenter has a mild injury to his pitching arm, and will miss his regular spot in tomorrow's rotation. He will return to the rotation after on the next time around.

Thompson fills vacancy: Pitcher Brad Thompson will fill in the vacancy of starter Chris Carpenter tomorrow in Cincinatti.

Whatcha done for me lately? Last night's game...

Skip Schumaker went 3-for-5, scoring a run
Jason LaRue went 1-for-4 with a 2-RBI double
Albert Pujols went 2-for-5 and scored a run
Felipe Lopez went 1-for-1 in a pinch-hitting role with a triple and scoring a run.
Adam Kennedy went 2-for-2 and scored a run
Troy Glaus went 4-for-4, hitting a double and scoring a run
Joe Mather made a great catch at the left field wall
Braden Loope went 2-for-3

photo by Barbara Moore

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

4thebirds/UCB...LIVEcast Cardinals @ Marlins 8/13/08

C.A.R.D. (Cards' Affiliate Radar Display) 8/13/08

Gulf Coast League Cardinals (GCL): Lost 4-3 to the GCL Dodgers.

Rainel Rosario went 2-for-3
David Medina went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run
Braulio Horaldo went 1-for-2 with a triple
Pitcher Chris Notti struck out five in 3.1 innings

Johnson City Cardinals (rookie): Pounded the Greenville Drive 19-8 in a slugfest.

Curt Smith went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple
Travis Mitchell went 3-for-5 with a double
Ivan Castro went 2-for-4

Batavia Muckdogs (Low-A): Won 3-2 over Tri-City Valley Cats.

Charles Cutler went 2-for-3
Beau Riportella went 2-for-3 with a double
Pitcher Adam Veres struck out eight Valley Cats in 5.0 innings

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Lost 4-2 to the Clinton LumberKings.

Domnit Bolivar went 1-for-5 with a double
Oliver Marmol went 1-for-3 with a double
Pitcher Richard Castillo struck out seven LumberKings in 6.0 innings

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Won 7-4 over the Round Rock Express.

Nick Stavinoha went 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, collecting 3 RBIs
Jarrett Hoffpauir went 3-for-4 with a double

Redbird Randoms ... Looper, Izturis, Carpenter

On-deck: The Cards will play the third game of a four-game series with the Florida Marlins tonight at 6:10 p.m. CT at Dolphin Stadium in Florida.

Probables: STL-Braden Looper RHP (10-9, 4.20) vs. FLM-Ricky Nolasco RHP (11-7, 3.92)

Birds' Perch: The NL Central hasn't changed in the last few days, the Chicago Cubs atop the division, three full games ahead of the second place Milwaukee Brewers and seven games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Carp's quandry: May not be as bad as Cardinal Nation had feared. Chris Carpenter underwent further medical scrutiny in St. Louis yesterday by Cardinals' medical staff, affirming the strain to his right triceps. Carpenter will miss a turn in the rotation, but is expected to return to action on the next time around.

Whatcha done for me lately? In the theft department, these are the Cards' team leaders:

Cesar Izturis -- 15
Skip Schumaker -- 8
Adam Kennedy -- 7
Albert Pujols, Felipe Lopez, Brendan Ryan -- 6
Ryan Ludwick -- 4
Brian Barton -- 3
Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan -- 2
Joe Mather, Aaron Miles -- 1

photo by Barbara Moore

You might say, the Cards just couldn't hang

You might say the Florida Marlins hung on, for seven innings, to edge the St. Louis Cardinals.

Or, you might say, the Cards were stifled by a gutsy Marlins' pitching staff.

Or, you might say, the St. Louis bats went to sleep, again.

Or, you might say, the Cardinals just couldn't hang.

Actually, all of the above might apply, and then some, but however you say it, the Cards fell to the Marlins, 4-2, in a game that saw a rain delay of almost two hours.

Unfortunate for the current Cardinals' ace, Kyle Lohse, who, although made one mistake pitch that led to a Hanley Ramirez three-run blast in the second inning, was pretty much on his game. Lohse hurled for just 4.1 innings, allowing six hits, and four runs. He struck out five.

Lohse had the lead in the first inning, before he even took the mound, when Ryan Ludwick clear a loaded set of bases on a double. The Marlins got one of those back in the first, and then, the rocket shot from Ramirez in the second inning to reverse the lead.

And that's how the lead remained for seven more innings, both squads getting into their bullpens due to the lengthy rain delay.

Cards' manager Tony La Russa used Russ Springer, Jason Isringhausen, and Ryan Franklin, most of his more experienced relievers, as the Cards were within one run. The offense never got anything going, however. The only good part about the pen usage was the Cards did save one inning's worth of work due to the Florida home team advantage, not having to bat in the ninth.

Marlins' manager Fredi Gonzalez used more of his pen than La Russa, replacing starter Chris Volstad with Mark Hendrickson, Matt Lindstrom, Arthur Rhodes, and closer Kevin Gregg.

Every reliever in the game did well, evidenced by the fact that no more runs were scored since the starters were forced to depart.

The loss evens the four-game series at Dolphin Stadium at a game each.

The series continues tonight at 6:10 p.m. CT at Dolphin Stadium. Braden Looper is slated to take the hill for the Cardinals, matched against Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins.

photo by Barbara Moore

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Marlins 8/12/08

C.A.R.D. (Cards' Affiliate Radar Display)

Dominican Summer League Cardinals (DSL): Lost 11-3 to the DSL-Mariners.

Wader Perez went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double
Jaun B. Cabrera went 1-for-4 with a home run

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie): Won 7-2 over the Greenville Drive.

Joseph Hage went 4-for-5
Curt Smith went 3-for-5
Kevin Thomas pitched 5.0 innings, striking out three
Reynier Gonzalez pitched 4.0 innings of no-hit ball, striking out six

Batavia Muckdogs (Low-A): Lost 2-1 to the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Arquimedes Nieto pitched 3.0 innings, allowing no hits and striking out four

Quad-Cities River Bandits (A): Won 4-2 over the Clinton LumberKings.

Domnit Bolivar went 1-for-4 with a home run
Jared Bradford pitched 5.0 innings, striking out four
Jameson Maj pitched 4.0 innings of no-hit ball, striking out four

Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A): Won 5-1 of the St. Lucie Mets.

Daniel Descalso went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run, tallying four RBIs
Paul Vasquez went 3-for-4 with a double
Luke Gorsett went 3-for-5
Shaun Garceau pitched 7.0 innings, allowing only one run on four hits, walking three and striking out seven

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Won 4-3 over the Chorpus Christi Hooks.

Casey Rowlett went 4-for-6 with a double
Donovan Solano went 3-for-5 with a double
Justin Fiske struck out three
Fernando Salas struck out five

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Lost 3-2 to the New Orleans Zephyrs.

Brian Barton went 1-for-4 with a triple
Jon Jay went 2-for-4 with a double
Adam Wainwright struck out two
Mark Worrel struck out four

Redbird Randoms...Lohse, Wainwright, Carpenter

On-deck: The Cards will play the second game of a four-game set tonight in Florida at Dolphin Stadium versus the Marlins at 6:10 p.m. CT.

Probables: STL-Kyle Lohse RHP (13-4, 3.80) vs. FLM-Chris Volstad RHP (3-2, 2.67)

Birds' Perch: The Cardinals remain in third place in the NL Central, 6 1/2 games behind the division leading Cubs, who were idle yesterday. The Brewers won their game, however, and are three games ahead of the Cards in second place.

Waino's #'s: Rehabbing Adam Wainwright threw 3.0 innings for the Memphis Redbirds at Autozone Park last night. Wainwright threw 48 pitches, 29 of them for strikes. He allowed two runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out two New Orleans Zephyrs. He faced 13 batters, throwing no fly outs and seven ground outs.

Mulder done for '08: Injured pitcher Mark Mulder will not pitch again this season, but will reportedly undergo an alternative rehabiliation process involving much stretching in an attempt to come back to pitch again in the 2009 season.

Parisi finished for the season: Pitcher Mike Parisi, who had pitched a stint with the parent Cardinals this season, was injured in a Triple-A game for Memphis and will not throw again this season. It has not been determined whether Parisi will need any type of surgery to recover from injury to his right arm.

Whatcha done for me lately? Joe Mather and Yadier Molina both hit home runs in last night's 4-2 victory at Dolphin Stadium.

Ankiel off the pine: Rick Ankiel was recovered enough from an abdominal strain to play in last night's contest in Florida. He played left field, was told to play tentatively, and did, allowing a flare single that Ankiel commonly would have dove for. He did accomplish an RBI with an infield single in the first inning to put the Cards on the board first.

Barton back on board?: Rehabbind Brian Barton reportedly has departed the Memphis Redbirds and will return to the parent club in Florida. As of this posting, Barton has not been named to the DL nor activated.

Carp back to St. Louis: Possibly injured Chris Carpenter returns to St. Louis today to check with medical personal regarding soreness in the right triceps. In Chicago on Sunday, he left the game after feeling the soreness, and it is possible he will miss his next start in the rotation as a precautionary measure. (source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

LIVEcast tonight: 4thebirds will run a LIVEcast during tonight's game at Dolphin Stadium. Readers of the 4thebirds blog are welcome to post comments at any time. No downloads or registration is necessary. You simply type your comments in a provided box and hit "Send."

Plea to avoid "chaw"

Recently, a comment was left with a post:

"I love baseball, my husband hates crowds. Our Daughter bought us tickets
for our anniversary on Aug. 23. I have had cancer of the tongue twice, and I
wish the young players wouldn't use that chaw, because their at risk."

This is a great reminder of sorts that the tobacco products used orally by ballplayers (or anyone!) can lead to bad medical situations.

The good news about the observation made is that many of the "yound players" are actually using bubble gum, which is supplied by the barrel in the dugouts. For those others, we can only hope they abstain from the nasty habit, and though it is not their job to role model for youthful viewers, it is that very audience that is likely to follow the players' example.

LIVEcast reminder for Cards/Marlins tonight

Monday, August 11, 2008

Waino's #'s in Memphis

Adam Wainwright faced 13 batters in a rehab start at Autozone Park for Triple-A affiliate Memphis Redbirds tonight.

Wainwright earned no decision in the Redbirds' 3-2 loss to the New Orleans Zephyrs, pitching three complete innings.

Wainwright gave up two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out two Zephyrs. He threw 48 pitches, 29 of them for strikes. He now has a 12.27 ERA with Memphis.

Of the 13 Zephyrs Wainwright faced, he threw no fly outs but seven ground outs.

You picked So

Seventy-five percent of respondents chose So Taguchi as the former Cardinals' player they would most like to see back in a St. Louis uniform.

Twenty-five percent chose David Eckstein.

No one chose Scott Rolen or Anthony Reyes.

Pineiro notches victory, Molina, Mather homer in Cards win

Pitching was the order of the night for the Cardinals in a 4-2 series opener win versus the Florida Marlins tonight. Cardinals' starting pitcher, Joel Pineiro earned a victory, now 5-5, his first in some time.

Pineiro went 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits and giving up two runs, only one of them earned. Pineiro walked two and struck out four, giving up the long-ball once. All in all, a successful start for Pineiro, one in which the starting pitching has gone seven innings, a definite plus for an embattled staff.

Pineiro had some help from teammate's Yadier Molina and Joe Mather, who both homered to account for three of the four Cardinals' runs. Rick Ankiel batting in Felipe Lopez from third base for the initial Cards' run.

Ankiels RBI came in the first inning. The Marlins answered in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch by Pineiro, Hanley Ramirez scoring from third base to tie the game at 1-1.

The Marlins took a 2-1 lead on a Cody Ross solo home run in the second inning.

Molina hit his two-run shot in the fourth inning, flipping a one-run deficit into a one-run lead at 3-2. That score would hold until the ninth inning, when a pinch-hitting Mather hit his solo shot to add a run to the Cards' lead, making it 4-2.

As big a story for the Cards as the homers, however, was the relief pitching, Kyle McClellan coming on in relief for Pineiro to start the eighth inning. Ramirez hit a flare single that dropped a step in front of Ankiel playing left field. Ankiel muffed the catch, then threw wildly to second base, the ball shooting past Miles and Pujols to go all the way to the first base side dugout, a lazy-running Ramirez getting a reprieve and able to go all the way to third base on the play.

McClellan then had a super-jam on his hands, at the time, the tying run on third base with no one out. McClellan threw a ground out, strike out, and fly out to make the eighth a scoreless inning, protecting the lead.

Mather had pinch-hit for McClellan to hit his solo shot, Chris Perez coming on as closer in the ninth with a two-run lead.

Perez walked Dan Uggla to lead off the ninth, a no-no for a closer on a tight budget. Uggla dished an out over for the Cards however when assumed an easy steal of second base. Molina's arm had something to say about that, firing a strike to second base to erase a potential rally starter for the Marlins.

Chucking 90-mph fast balls, Perez got Wes Helms looking for the second out. Cody Ross couldn't catch up to the Perez fastballs either, striking out swinging to end the game.

The much-needed victory came on a night when the Milwaukee Brewers had already won their game earlier, the Chicago Cubs idle. The Cards remain in third place in the NL Central, now 6 1/2 games out of first and three games behind the Brewers in second.

photo by Barbara Moore

4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Marlins 8/11/08

C.A.R.D. (Cards Affiliate Radar Display)

Gulf Coast League Cardinals: Lost 6-5 to the GCL Mets.

Rainel Rosario stole three bases
Pitcher eric Fornataro struck out five in 5.0 innings pitched

Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie League): Won 4-3 over the Greenville Drive.

Travis Mitchell went 2-for-4 with one triple
Paul Cruz was 2-for-4
Curt Smith went 2-for-4
Pitcher Brett Zawacki struck out eight Drive in 4.2 innings pitched

Batavia Muckdogs (Low-A, short season): Lost 6-5 to the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Jose Garcia went 4-for-5

Quad-Cities River Bandits (Low-A): Won 7-6 over the Clinton LumberKings.

Domnit Bolivar went 3-for-5
Thomas Pham was 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBIs
Pitcher Ryan Kulik struck out six in 6.0 innings pitched

Palm Beach Cardinals (High-A): Won 13-3 over the St. Lucie Mets.

Matthew Arburr went 3-for-4 with three home runs and six RBIs
Peter Kozma was 2-for-6 with one double and three RBIs
Tyler Henley went 2-for-4 with a triple

Springfield Cardinals (AA): Lost 7-3 to the Chorpus Christi Hooks.

Mark Shorey went 2-for-4 with a home run
Brandon Buckman went 2-for-5 with a double

Memphis Redbirds (AAA): Lost 3-0 to the New Orleans Zephyrs.

Jon Jay went 2-for-3
Pitcher Mitchell Boggs struck our four in 6.0 innings pitched.

4thebirds...LIVEcast email reminder

Cards drop series to Cubs, fret over Carp

Losing the three-game series to the Chicago Cubs by dropping the rubber match last night at Wrigley Field was only one of the worries befalling the Cardinals. When starting pitcher Chris Carpenter called for his catcher, Yadier Molina, to visit the mound, then the Cards' trainer and manager, all of St. Louis held their breath.

Cardinal Nation had witnessed this scene before, with Carpenter long ago, and with Mark Mulder long ago, and more recently, with Adam Wainwright and Mulder. Each scenario ended badly for the pitchers, respectively, and the hopes of the Cardinals' in terms of losing the services of some of their best pitchers.

And while the Cubs were busy making great defensive plays and with their pitching staff turning in solid performances on the whole, the Cards were having a bad night, or at the least, unable to have a good night. Worries over Carpenter's condition must have been running through every Cards' player's mind, with worry over a their chances for success on the field without yet another former staff ace, but worry over a teammate simultaneously.

As for the game, important enough, seeing how the Cards were taking on the NL Central's leaders, well, it was just something that slipped away once Carpenter suddenly left the field. Later, it was determined that Carpenter had a mild strain of the right triceps. But no one will completely buy that one until "Carp" gets to throw again and can find out if that's all there is to it. Cardinal Nation is hopeful.

Ryan Dempster pitched a great game for the North-siders, extending his record to 13-5. Dempster seems overshadowed in Chicago by the big salaried Carlos Zambrano and a great season by left-hander Ted Lilly, but make no mistake, Dempster is every bit a pitcher as anyone on that Cubs' staff.

Throwing 73 strikes in a 113-pitch night, Dempster went 6.2 innings, allowing six hits and only two runs. He walked three but struck out six.

By the time Dempster was pulled by Cubs' manager Lou Piniella (who had made an "I'm winning" mound visit earlier), the Cubs were up 6-0.

The lopsided score came on a five-run sixth inning, that was a bit worse than it might've been when Adam Kennedy, who is normally very solid at second base, let a ground ball shoot between his legs to open the floodgates of a Cubs' bum rushing of relief pitcher Brad Thompson.

The Kennedy error was quite costly, but as TV announcer Joe Morgan put it, there isn't a fielder who has played that hasn't had that happen to them at one time or another. No one felt worse than Kennedy, but it has happened to many of the other Cards' players this year. Kennedy's contributions at the plate and in the field so far this season far outweigh this one mistake.

The Cubs' relief crew of Jeff Samardzija, Kerry Wood, and Carlos Marmol allowed only one hit after Dempster left the game, all but shutting down the Cardinals. Joe Mather hit a double off of Dempster, bringing home Izturis for the first Cardinals' run, and after Dempster was relieved by Samardzija, Albert Pujols doubled home Mather, those two runs the only ones scored by St. Louis all night.

The wind was blowing every which way at Wrigley last night, but mostly in, the Cubs able to prove they are good enough a ball club to win on runs scored by other means. The Cubs outhit the Cards 9-7, with only power hitting coming in the form of three doubles, by Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, and Ronny Cedeno.

The loss drops the Cardinals to seven full games behind the Cubs, and permits the Brewers, who won last night in extra innings, to increase the lead of second place (and currently the Wild Card) by three full games.

The Cardinals now travel to Florida to take on the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium in a four-game series. The first game is slated for tonight at 6:10 p.m. CT.

photo by Barbara Moore

Parisi season over

According to the Official Web Site of the St. Louis Cardinals, pitcher Mike Parisi's season must come to a close early.

In a recent start for affiliate Class AAA Memphis, the Redbirds' hurler had to come out of the game due to injury to his right elbow.

The injury has been described in a Matthew Leach article as:

"...a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right
elbow."

Parisi had an 0-4 record with the parent club Cardinals this season. The Cardinals are hoping Parisi will not need surgery to correct the injury.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Cubs 8/10/08

This live blog may open prior to game time to allow for your pre-game questions and comments. Feel free to submit posts using the box at the bottom of the LIVEcast window. No registration or downloading is required.

And, we look forward to viewing your posts during the game!

Redbird Randoms ... Carpenter, Wainwright, Wrigley

On-deck: The rubber match of the Cards/Cubs three-game series will be played tonight at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Game time is 7:05 p.m. CDT.

Probables: STL-Chris Carpenter RHP (0-0, 1.00) vs. CHC-Ryan Dempster RHP (12-5, 2.93)

Dinger dudes: In yesterday's game, the balls were flying out of Wrigley Field.

STL-Skip Schumaker (7)
STL-Troy Glaus, 3 homers (21)
STL-Albert Pujols (24)
CHC-Mark DeRosa (13)
CHC-Carlos Zambrano (3)

Waino Whacked: In a rehab appearance Friday night, Adam Wainwright got shelled as he pitched for Triple-A affiliate Memphis. He lasted only 27 pitches, giving up four hits, one of them a home run.

LIVEcast tonight: 4thebirds... will open a LIVEcast for tonight's Cards/Cubs series finale.

photo by Barbara Moore

Saturday, August 9, 2008

4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Cubs 8/9/08

Friday, August 8, 2008

Edmonds flips off Tony

There's no better way for a player who was "shown the door" by those who mistakenly believed he was no longer of value than to "show them a pair," of home runs that is, but either way, Jim Edmonds was two parts of a three-count that pinned a loss on the Cards in extra innings at Wrigley Field.

Upon hitting his first home run, Edmonds made it a point to give the bat a bit of flip in the direction of Tony La Russa in the Cards' dugouts. Read into it what you will.

Cardinal Nation should be proud of the former Cardinals' standout, not because he did so much to beat the Redbirds on Friday, but because he is playing us just as hard as he played when he played for St. Louis.

Now, how do the Cards beat the Cubs on Saturday?

No easy answer there, except to do what the Cards always do: play hard every game as it comes.

The positive in Friday's loss is that the Cardinals found out they can play with the division's--and the league's--best. Now they have to take the disappointment of an extra-inning 3-2 loss and use it to motivate themselves to play that much harder in Saturday's game. There's really not a whole lot more to analyze.

Plenty to worry about, though, if that's your thing. Seven games behind the Cubs now looks like a cross-country trip on a tricycle, considering how tough the Chicago team is this year. How critical is this series? At this time of the season? Should the Cubs sweep, the Cards would fall to nine games out. Shudder to think it.

A split or a series win, on the other hand, keeps the Cards a lot closer to contention, at least from a momentum point of view.

And things won't get any easier, considering where the next leg of the road trip takes the St. Louis ballplayers. Yet by the time the Florida trip ends, the Cards will have a good idea whether they're going to be able to compete with the high-caliber teams they'll have to play better than in order to go anywhere in post season.

As for the actual game, it was one of those grudge matches, the best kind for true fans of baseball, as well as their favorite team(s). Low-scoring, pitcher's dueling, Ted Lilly for the Cubs, Braden Looper for the Cardinals. It would be Bob Howry (5-4) picking up the victory for the Cubs, however, the game having been knotted at 2-each.

Ryan Franklin (4-5) was saddled with the loss, in his second inning of relief, giving up a walk, then a single, then intentionally walking a batter because the Cubs had base runners on the corners. With the bases loaded and no out, the strategy enacted a force out at any base.

The Cubs next hitter, however, Henry Blanco, beat the strategy with a walk-off single to left center field.

On the day, the aforementioned Jim Edmonds had his pair of solo home runs. The Cards two runs were produced by a Joe Mather home run in the third and an Adam Kennedy ground ball that scored Skip Schumaker.

NOTE: There was no LIVEcast today due to an important meeting in Paris, Illinois. Saturday's LIVEcast is in limbo for the same reason, but if there is any way we can get it going, even a little late, we will, of course. Sunday's series finale is on our schedule.

photo by Barbara Moore

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Glimmer of Iz

Something good happened to the Cards today.

Izzy.

Oh, how the throngs have eased away from him, during a time when he needed Cardinal Nation the most. But Izzy has kept at it, as he always has, because, basically, if you don't give up completely, there's nothing else to do but keep at it.

And today, a glimmer of hope, because Izzy threw a tons of strikes in a variety of speeds and slants and curves and cuts and straights and locations. In other words, Izzy really looked as if he was in command and had his stuff.

Certainly, Tony La Russa isn't going to toss Izzy right back into the closer's role, but then again, if the game conditions dictate, don't be surprised if there Izzy stands, on the hill, in the next dicey situation.

It's just baseball, ever-changing, and on a daily basis. Today, it was bullpen up, offense down, and Lohse didn't do all that bad. Not his greatest day, either, but a starter getting through seven innings for the second day in a row is certainly promising for the team.

And today, Izzy gave up nothing but headaches to Dodgers' batters that were swinging at a "returned from the dead repertoire." There wasn't a zombie pitch in the bunch.

Yes, a glimmer, and an important one. It's things like Izzy's performance today that can be one of several subtle actions that lead to more subtle actions, and before you realize it, you have a team that has fought long and hard enough to have put it together and are ready to make a better run for a win, a series, a playoff spot, and so on.

The nice thing about baseball, as well, is that you get to keep trying, and that's something that Izzy has never quit doing. While some were busy booing, Izzy was busy trying. Period.

No sweep for Cards as Manny goes deep again

The Cards may have enjoyed a couple big hitting games during the three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it was Manny Ramirez who kept plugging away, hitting home runs with consistency, today's two-run shot enough to down the Cards all by itself.

Taking the rubber match, 4-1, on getaway day, the Dodgers got some quality innings out of their 20-year-old starter, Clayton Kershaw. Allowing only one run on three hits in seven full innings, Kershaw threw a boatload of pitches early, then settled down. His innings finished with four walks and seven strikeouts.

Lohse pitched well, but gave up all four runs early. Down one run in the third, Ramirez took Lohse for 412 feet worth of fly ball that, unfortunately, was much farther then the left field wall. The two-run blast put the Dodgers out in front by three.

Jaun Pierre would triple home a run in the next inning, the Dodgers going up 4-0.

The Cardinals wouldn't get on the scoreboard until the fifth inning, Cesar Izturis singling home Aaron Miles for the Redbirds' only run.

Lohse admitted after the game that he made two pitches he'd want back, one to Pierre and one to Ramirez.

Lohse also stated that it would've been nice to travel to Chicago on a sweep.

Manager Tony La Russa stated that sweeping series is hard to do, and that the Cardinals ran into a good pitcher [Kershaw] today.

All focus now swings over to the upcoming three-game series with the Chicago Cubs, at Wrigley Field. Division momentum will ride on the next three games.

photo by SD Dirk

4thebirds...LIVEcast Dodgers vs. Cardinals 8/7/08

Redbird Randoms ... Lohse 8/7/08

On-deck: The Cards will attempt a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers today at 1:15 p.m. at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The game ends the current Cards' home stand.

Probables: LAD: Clayton Kershaw LHP (1-3, 4.02) vs. STL-Kyle Lohse RHP (13-3, 3.73)

Birds' Perch: Third place is a familiar setting for the Redbirds these days as they keep winning, but just to keep pace with the NL Central Division leading Chicago Cubs. The Brewers continued to hover slightly over the Cardinals in second place, by a half-game. The Cards trail the Cubs by 5 1/2 games.

Wainwright bumped up: Rehabbing Adam Wainwright was supposed to get a rehab start on Saturday, the likely location, Memphis. Now that rehab start has moved up a day to Friday, also in Memphis, the home of the Class AAA affiliate Memphis Redbirds.

Homer a dirty word to Pujols: Or so it seems, reporters can hardly talk to Albert Pujols these days about ...shhish, home runs. The slugger star gets real testy whenever the subject comes up, accusing the media of "stupid" reporting. Hate to say it, Albert, but when you hit a grand slam in front of 40-thousand-plus fans, a granny becomes the sort of thing folks want to read about in the papers. At the same time, Albert should know that most fans and reporters realize he is out there working his tail feathers off to contribute to the team, and we all know a lot of the perpetual questions get tiring. Hey, we get tired of hearing the same-ole, same-ole, too. So how about we ask you about the ball you hit hard?

Lopez contributes right off the bat: In his first at bat as a Cardinal, newcomer Felipe Lopez singled. He was 1-for-3 on the night, having played left field in his St. Louis debut.

Perez looks faster: Possibly the new closer for the Cards, relief pitcher Chris Perez showed up to Busch Stadium, just activated from Triple-A Memphis, and had to come into last night's game a bit earlier than a closer normally does. Manager Tony La Russa called upon Perez with four outs remaining, and the rookie reliever responded well, running into no trouble he couldn't pitch through.

Perez's fastball seemed more lively, but that may have been due to a slider he threw that he never seemed to get to the last time he did a stint with the major league club. One thing was for sure, however: those two pitches used in random patterns played havoc on Dodgers hitters last night.

3 Ps 4 U: Huh? Simply put, we've noticed that Pineiro, Pujols, and Perez made for quite a trio of impact, an unlikely but effective combination. Bet the statmasters never put that one together.

Nieto and the Muckdogs blank Doubledays

Batavia Muckdogs' starting pitcher Arquimedes Nieto remained perfect at 5-0 as the A-short season affiliate team blanked the Auburn Doubledays yesterday.

Reliever Joshua Hester recorded his first hold while closer Adam Reifer notched his 13th save.

Chris Swauger went 2-for-2 with a double, scoring the Muckdogs' only run.

Brett Lilley also went 2-for-2.

Kernals blank Quads' finest in Iowa

Finest ballplayers, that is, not the those other, well ... bad enough we have to talk about a loss, but a 2-0 shutout probably didn't put anybody on the Low-A Quad-Cities River Bandits in a good mood.

Despite the blanking, Domnit Bolivar went 1-for-4 with a triple, and recent draft choice Brett Wallace had a 2-for-4 game.

Fiske Ks five in Missions shutout

Justin Fiske struck out five Missions as the Double-A Springfield Cardinals shut out the San Antonio squad 1-0 yesterday.

Relievers' Luke Gregerson and Luis Perdomo lent their hurling hands, Gregerson earning his sixth hold while Perdomo tallied his third.

Fernando Salas notched his 22nd save on the season, representing yet another pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization who may one day make a bid for the role of closer with the parent club.

Each team had eight hits.

James Rapoport went 1-for-4, scoring the AA-Cards only run. Rapoport's hit was a double.

Mark Shorey had a 1-for-4 game, his hit a triple.

Freese, Phelps' homers not enough for Redbirds

Home runs by Josh Phelps and David Freese were not quite enough help for the Triple-A affiliate Memphis Redbirds to overcome the Sacramento River Cats yesterday.

Phelps went 3-for-4 in the game. Freese went 2-for-4, also hitting a double.

Tyler Greene went 3-for-5 with a double, collecting two RBIs.

The Redbirds actually outhit the River Cats 11-10, but the 7-6 final was the "bottom line" in the contest.

Johnson City R-Cards fall to Pulaski

The Johnson City Cardinals (rookie league affiliate) fell to the Pulaski Mariners yesterday, 5-2.

The Mariners outhit the R-Cardinals 11 to eight, but there were some plate standouts for the R-Cards.

Alex Castellanos, a name we never seem to not see when reported on this St. Louis Cardinals' affiliate, went 2-for-4 and scored a run.

Edgar Lara went 2-for-4.

Ivan Castro had a 1-for-4 game, his hit a double.

Garceau, Parise, Samuel, one-two-three punch the Palm Beach win ticket

High-A affiliate Palm Beach Cardinals' pitching can hold a team down, one pitcher after another, while their own squad scores, well, however many they want.

Sounds easy. Probably not. But that's the PB Cards rolled yesterday at Roger Dean Stadium in Florida, beating the Daytona Cubs 4-1.

Starting PB pitcher Shaun Garceau struck out for in his role, his record now reflecting seven wins against three losses. Reliever Pete Parise earned his first hold in the win, and no-doubt-about-it closer Francisco Samuel notched his 24th save.

One has to wonder when Samuel will move up in the minor league ranks, as closers are at a premium in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Daniel Descalso has also become a familiar name due to his offensive production at the High-A lever. Descalso went 2-for-3. Brian Cartie went 2-for-4.

Doubling was Peter Kozma, which was his hit out of three at bats. Kozma was recently promoted to the High-A club.

4thebirds...LIVEblog Morning Session 8/7/08

River Bandits shut out Kernals

The St. Louis Cardinals' Low-A affiliate Quad-Cities River Bandits were shut out by the Cedar Rapids Kernals last night.

With only four hits, there wasn't much Bandits' offense, but Domnit Bolivar did go 1-for-4 with a triple.

Brett Wallace went 2-for-4.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Pineiro goes seven while Pujols slams and Ludwick solos

Albert Pujols went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and a grand slam to help struggling starting pitcher Joel Pineiro and the team to a victory last night.

The St. Louis Cardinals took the three-game series as well, from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and have a chance to sweep today at 1:15 p.m., an afternoon game on "getaway day," before the Cards travel to Chicago for a three-game set in that city against the NL Central's leaders.

The Cards jumped on the board first, Adam Kennedy scoring on a wild pitch by Dodgers' starter Derek Lowe in the first inning.

Manny Ramirez would have none of it, however, blasting a solo home run in the next half-inning, teammate Angel Berrora tripling home a run in the same frame, flipping the lead over to the Dodgers, 2-1.

Ramirez then singled home Matt Kemp in the third inning, extending the Dodgers lead to 3-1.

Pineiro kept plugging away, as he has been for weeks, without a lot of good results usually. Just the same, he worked through the innings waiting for the Redbirds' offense to come alive.

Ryan Ludwick answered quickly, singling Pujols home in the third. Not long after, Yadier Molina singled home Ludwick, and the game was tied at 3-all.

Pineiro then got a real lift after holding the Dodgers scoreless in the fourth, Pujols launching a grand slam into the left field seats, the Cards suddenly up 7-3 with one swing. The next batter, Ludwick, belted a homer as well, solo, of course, since Pujols had just cleared the bases. Ludwick's team leading 29th homer added one, making it 8-3.

Pineiro did a lot to help himself get a win while helping his team keep pace with the Cubs and the Brewers when he went farther than the fourth inning. Both the fifth and the sixth innings were one-two-three's respectively. The Brewers managed to clip Pineiro for one run in the eighth, cutting the lead to four at 8-4.

When Joe Mather got a pinch-single in the seventh, then stole second, he needed only wait around for Skip Schumaker to single him home to inch the Cards ahead by five once more, 9-4.

Brad Thompson came on in relief for the eighth inning, giving up two runs before Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa brought in Chris Perez to see if he could pull off a four-out close. Perez was activated today, and although La Russa didn't say it out loud, it was obvious Perez was going to get a shot at closing if the game conditions dictated the opportunity. Well, the game conditions did, however early it occurred.

Perez worked his closing with a 9-6 lead, getting into a position in the ninth that found the Dodgers attempting to rally as they had the previous night. The closest Joe Torre's team got, however, was with the potential tying run on-deck in the form of Manny Ramirez. Perez, however, got Russell Martin to ground out on a slow-roller to third baseman Troy Glaus.

It was Perez's first major league save. He struck out four.

The Dodgers had a few offensive pains. One was Casey Blake, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Three other Dodgers' hitters had doubles, including Kemp, Angel Berroa, and James Loney. The aforementioned hitters were responsible for eight out of the Dodgers 11 hits on the night.

The Cardinals had 17 hits, 11 of them due to four hitters: Pujols, Ludwick, Kennedy, and Izturis. Pujols accounted for four of the team's nine runs, his grand slam taking care of those. Pujols also doubled and singled twice.

Ludwick went 3-for-5, Kennedy went 2-for-5, and Izturis went 2-for-3.

Another Cardinals's hitter of interest was newcomer Felipe Lopez, who went 1-for-3.

The game time was 2:56.

Game attendance was 42,581.

photos by Barbara Moore

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