Bucs pound Cards in road trip opener

Joel Pineiro probably wished St. Louis Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa had switched the starters one more time tonight as he got rocked by the Pittsburgh Pirates, seven of the 10 Pirates run scored on him, all earned.

The 10-2 pounding is not what the Cardinals imagined going into Pittsburgh for the first game of a nine-game road trip.

Tonight's game started late due to rain, while several other MLB games were postponed. There was speculation as to how much the delay might've affected Pineiro, but the Pirates' pitcher, Paul Maholm, pitched under the same circumstances, and Maholm went 8.0 innings, allowing only two runs, those in the ninth when he was out of gas but left in so he could attempt a complete game.

In a post-game interview, La Russa admitted he didn't know what was wrong with Pineiro but that something had to be done, because there had been just too many occasions where Pineiro wasn't getting it done.

Pineiro got stung right away when Nyjer Morgan tagged up and scored from third on a Brandon Moss sac-fly.

The Pirates added two more in the third when Nate McLouth lined a two-run homer out in right field.

McLouth struck again in the fifth, cracking a bases loaded (and clearing) double, sending home Maholm, Morgan, and Luis Cruz to increase the Pirates' lead to 6-0. The double chased Pineiro, La Russa bringing on Randy Flores.

Flores got hit right away, Moss trading places with McLouth at second base, adding another run to make it 7-0. That seventh run was charged to Pineiro, all seven earned.

Maholm then helped himself, singling with the bases loaded off of Flores, Moss and Raul Chavez scoring, extending the Bucs' lead to 9-0.

The Pirates added one more in the next inning, McLouth tagging up at third and scoring on a sac-fly by Adam LaRoche.

Flores ended up allowing two of the later Pirates' runs, Ron Villone letting the tenth run cross the plate. These two were followed by Josh Kinney and Kelvin Jimenez, who gave up no more Bucs' runs.

The Cardinals didn't score until there last at bats, when Maholm was pretty much gassed but left in to see if he could get a complete game. That didn't happen, Josh Phelps hitting a leadoff single, followed by an Aaron Miles double into the right field corner.

Mark Johnson, a Fall call-up and now third-string catcher, chopped an infield single down the third base line, Phelps scoring the first Cardinals' run and breaking up Maholm's bid for a shutout. Felipe Lopez took a batting practice speed pitch back up the middle, advancing Miles to third and Johnson to second.

The Pirates' brought in Romulo Sanchez, who got Nick Stavinoha to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, Miles scoring, but the Cardinals running out of outs fast. Kennedy flew out to end the game, the Cardinals dropping a tough one, 10-2, on a night when the Wild Card race teams they were chasing all were postponed from action.

The loss finds the Cards slipping back another game in the NL Wild Card, now 5.0 games behind the NL WC leading Milwaukee Brewers. As well, the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies are both 2.0 games ahead of the Cardinals.

Adam Wainwright is slated for tomorrow night's start, hoping to help his teammates get this all-important road trip back on track. Jeff Karstens will get the nod for Pittsburgh.

Game time at PNC Park tomorrow night is 6:05 p.m. CT.

The 4thebirds...LIVEcast is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

photo by David Watson

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Sore back forces Chipper to sit out | braves.com: News

Sore back forces Chipper to sit out braves.com: News: "Chipper Jones will not be in the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets because of a sore back. Martin Prado will start at third base, if weather permits and the game is played as scheduled.

Jones, who is in a race for the National League batting title with Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, enters Friday with a .362 average and 71 RBIs. He went 2-for-8 with one RBI and two runs scored in his last three-game series against the Mets from Aug. 19-21. Against Johan Santana, who is set to start Friday at Shea Stadium, Jones is a lifetime 5-for-11 (.455) with an RBI and a strikeout."

4thebirds...
... News regarding Chipper Jones.

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4thebirds...LIVEcast Cardinals vs. Pirates 9/12/08

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Blue caps, to answer your question

By now, of course, the guest on the 4thebirds LIVEcast blog last night is long gone, but just in case, we finally found the answer to his/her question: Blue caps.

The question: What color are the caps the Cardinals are wearing?

I didn't have the heart to admit I was colorblind and didn't know for sure, but I guessed: black.

And then others who were posting comments about the current game strategy or play-by-play were offering their opinions. The top choices were black and navy blue.

The commemorative caps (911) were indeed described as blue in a related news story I'd found later.

So on a night when we were frantically posting our frustrations over the umpires' "non-balk call" relative to Marmol's super-tricky pick-off move to first base, we give pause to study and debate the color of a cap.

Crimanee, we'll blog up anything that moves on our LIVEcast, and we learn something new, every game.

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Redbird Randoms...9/12/08 Piniero, Thompson

In a late change, the Cardinals are now switching back some starting pitchers.

To wit, Joel Piniero will now start tonight's game, while Brad Thompson will get Sunday's start.

photo by Barbara Moore

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Stay aggressive, Brendan

It's quite all right that Brendan Ryan over-slid third base last night.

You just can't argue with that kind of hustle.

Sure, a lot of other Cardinals would've held up, but then, a lot of other Cardinals would've have gotten the kinds of jumps Ryan gets. Nor do Ryan's teammates (except a few) seem to get up to top speed so quickly.

So there Ryan was, hell bent for canvas, and with a smart slide, too, similar to the one he used to win a game for the Cards about 24 hours earlier. Except for one little thing.

The slide took him a bit beyond the bag, Redbird hearts filling with glee one moment, sinking the next as his fingertips drifted away from the base.

By strategy, maybe he shouldn't have gone. But when you run bases on strategy alone, you miss out on extra bases. Albert Pujols, for all his hitting prowess, is a genius at picking up the extra base, knowing when and knowing himself well enough to quickly calculate whether he has a great chance at making it.

But mind the word, chance, because that is definitely part of it. Ryan took a good chance. And although the replay showed him safe, even that doesn't matter. What does matter is that the play was so close, you know it was the right way to go.

Honestly, when it comes to Cardinals and days late and dollars short, the crystal ball isn't tuning in to a base hit at the next at bat.

On the ball field, I always say: If you're gonna make a mistake, do it at a hundred miles an hour. Leave no doubt in the opposition's mind that whether out or safe, you're going to put every bit of pressure on them you possibly can.

And there were plenty team reason for the loss, anyhow.

Final analysis: Stay aggressive, Brendan Ryan.

photo by Barbara Moore

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Cardinals at Pirates 7:05 p.m. (maybe) 09-12-08 - PBC Blog - post-gazette.com

Cardinals at Pirates 7:05 p.m. (maybe) 09-12-08 - PBC Blog - post-gazette.com: "Something already has been postponed by the Pirates today -- the scheduled Clemente Day activities on Federal Street outside PNC Park. Those now will be held next Friday before the Pirates play Houston."

4thebirds...
... Game preview.

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Watertown Daily Times Online - Sports

Watertown Daily Times Online - Sports: "Jamie Moyer can rest his arm when he retires. For now, the old man is doing whatever it takes to extend the Philadelphia Phillies' season.

Moyer pitched 5 2-3 effective innings on three days' rest, Ryan Howard hit his major league-leading 43rd homer and the Phillies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 Thursday night to gain ground in the playoff race."

4thebirds...
... Of concern to the Cardinals, this entire series.

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Bird Land » Blog Archive » Title Bout: Pujols v. Jones

Bird Land » Blog Archive » Title Bout: Pujols v. Jones: "True to the scouting report that had him hitting well at home this season (.400), hitting well against Colorado in his career (.313) and pounding the opposing pitchers (.358), Atlanta’s Chipper Jones raked his way back into the batting title lead with a 6-for-12 series against the Rockies. That thrust him a few points ahead of Albert Pujols, .362 to .360.

This weekend, it’s Pujols’ turn to play the splits."

4thebirds...
... This race will go down to the wire, obviously, but for Pujols, it will be a distraction as long as the Cardinals are mathematically in the hunt for whatever is left over in the NL.

Knowing how Pujols sneers when asked about home run hitting, I can just imagine the look on his face as he has to answer media questions regarding his 100th RBI, which occurred during a one-run loss to the Chicago Cubs, at Busch Stadium, and on a night when Pujols made a costly fielding error and made the last out with two men on base.

photo by Barbara Moore

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Above average: Cards' Pujols setting the mark

Above average: Cards' Pujols setting the mark: "Albert Pujols, perhaps the greatest St. Louis athlete since Wayne Gretzky had a cup of coffee with the Blues in 1995-96, is trying to lead the Cardinals back into the playoffs and fend off an Atlanta superstar for a batting title."

4thebirds...
... Pujols, Pujols, Pujols. Wow.

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Redbird Report

Redbird Report: "Sadly, I was able to catch the balk instantaneously, while these Major League umpires couldn't pick it up. Any of the three other umpires could have stepped forward, but no call was made by any of them."

4thebirds...
... Yes, folks, this is a game summary from Redbirdfan13, the same fellow who stepped up to the plate for 4thebirds and assisted with the better portion of last night's play-by-play on the LIVEcast blog of the rubber match of the Cardinals/Cubs game.

Our viewers might have had a hard time keeping up, RB13 was posting so fast, at times, down to the pitch-by-pitch.

And during the game, RB13 had a lot to say about the shortcomings of the umpiring crew when it came to a "non-call," which I figured would be part of today's game summary, posted on his MLB Blog, Redbird Report. (There are a few blogs by the same name, but this link takes you to his blog.)

RB13's article hits all the important aspects of last night's game, and he has a more current article re: K-rod as well.

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Raise the Jolly Roger!

Raise the Jolly Roger!: "This series was so terrible that I was able to write every recap before the completion of the game. I don't like to do this, but when the Bucs are getting pounded and the game is going late, I try to summarize the game while covertly not mentioning anything that happens in the last few innings. I still watch/listen and would change something if a comeback struck, but that has not yet happened. That way I can get to bed and forget about things rather than dwell on such a miserable game any longer than I have to."

4thebirds...
... A popular Pirates' blog entry from Raise the Jolly Roger!

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Pittsburgh Pirates Blog | Blogging about the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pirates Tickets, Pirates Rumors and more!

Pittsburgh Pirates Blog Blogging about the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pirates Tickets, Pirates Rumors and more!: "For the third straight night, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Houston Astros. The Astros got the best of the Pirates by the score of 7-4 as the continue to play very good baseball. It’s too bad the Pirates couldn’t learn something from the hot playing Astros."

4thebirds...
... A Pirates' blog game summary from recent game with Astros.

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Cardinal Nation Globe: Pujols is human... maybe

Cardinal Nation Globe: Pujols is human... maybe

4thebirds...
... Cardinal Nation Globe weighs in on Pujols milestone.

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Harden makes strong return in Cubs win :: Naperville Sun :: Sports

Harden makes strong return in Cubs win :: Naperville Sun :: Sports: "What's the big deal?
That's what Rich Harden said about his two-week hiatus over shoulder concerns, all the way up to the eve of his return Thursday to the Cubs' rotation in St. Louis."

4thebirds...
... Game summary from a Chicago-area publication.

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Cards clubhouse blog: Agonizing loss for Cardinals

Cards clubhouse blog: Agonizing loss for Cardinals: "BY DAVID WILHELM
News-Democrat

It was a game of close calls and missed opportunities Thursday for the Cardinals, whose 3-2 loss to the Cubs could have been their most frustrating setback of the season."

4thebirds...
... Frustration for Cardinal Nation abounds in this piece.

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680 The Fan - Atlanta's Sports Station

680 The Fan - Atlanta's Sports Station: "Albert Pujols became the third player in major league history to drive in 100 runs in each of his first eight seasons when he hit an RBI double in the sixth inning of the Cardinals' game against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night."

4thebirds...
... Another take on the Pujols' milestone.

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Wild Cards

The St. Louis Cardinals' Elimination number for the NL Wild Card is twelve as they linger 4.5 games behind the WC-leader, the Milwaukee Brewers. Both the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies are 3.0 games out of the NL WC, both the share an "E" number of 12.

That puts them only one digit farther from elimination then the Cards, but the more important state is that if the Cards cannot catch the Brewers, it's all a moot point.

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Bucs may opt to alter rotation plans | pirates.com: News

Bucs may opt to alter rotation plans pirates.com: News: "HOUSTON -- The Pirates will not know the severity of Tom Gorzelanny's finger injury until the left-hander is examined by a specialist in Pittsburgh on Friday. However, with a strong possibility that Gorzelanny might not be able to make his next start, manager John Russell may have to alter the six-man rotation plan that he was set to go with until at least Sept. 22.

'[General manager] Neal [Huntington] and I have talked about that,' Russell said. 'We could move somebody from the bullpen to that spot. Since the [Minor League] season just ended, there's still the opportunity to call somebody up. We have a couple days to figure something out.'"

4thebirds...
... Pirates news now of interest to Cardinal Nation.

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Rerouted Cubs wait to face Astros | cubs.com: News

Rerouted Cubs wait to face Astros cubs.com: News: "ST. LOUIS -- You don't mess with hurricanes, which is why the Cubs will have unexpected down time Friday and Saturday, part of what Lou Piniella called 'Hurricane Ike hiatus.'

The Cubs were originally scheduled to open a three-game series in Houston on Friday night at Minute Maid Park. But the Friday and Saturday games were postponed while Houston waits to see what Hurricane Ike decides to do. The storm was expected to make landfall in Texas early Saturday, and the city of Houston was in its path. Better to be safe, so Major League Baseball opted to postpone the games and take a wait-and-see approach."

4thebirds...
... info on Ike as it relates to the Astros/Cubs series.

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Wood walks tightrope to close thriller | cubs.com: News

Wood walks tightrope to close thriller cubs.com: News: "ST. LOUIS -- There were two outs and two on when Lou Piniella went to the mound in the ninth inning Thursday to talk to Kerry Wood before Albert Pujols stepped into the batter's box. The message was simple, as was Piniella's arm gesture.

'It was a hand confirmation -- 'Go get him out,'' Piniella said. 'And then I said a little prayer back to the dugout.'"

4thebirds...
... Never shy to take center stage just when his team has the big advantage, Cubs' manager Lou Piniella goes to the mound with two outs in the ninth, instructing his closer, Kerry Wood, to get Albert Pujols out.

Duhhhh!

How Piniella can figure out these complicated game strategies, and so spontaneously, I'll never know.

Imagine that, I mean, telling the pitcher to try to get the batter out. You learn something new in baseball every game, I suppose.

But if that's all it takes, TLR better plan on visiting Perez, Franklin, Izzy, Motte, Springer, ect. a whole lot more.

photo by Barbara Moore

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Redbird Randoms...9/12/08 Thompson, Hurrican Ike, Molina, Pujols, Miles

On-deck: The Cardinals start a nine-game road trip tonight in Pittsburgh, playing the first game of a three-game set with the Pirates at PNC Park. Game time is 6:05 p.m. CT.

Probables: STL-Brad Thompson RHP (5-2, 4.61) vs. PIT-Paul Maholm LHP (8-8, 3.74)

Birds' Perch: The Cards remain in fourth place in the NL Central, the Astros winning last night and pulling ahead by a full game, now 1.5 games ahead of the Cards in third. The Cards are 4.5 games behind the second place (and Wild Card leading) Brewers, and 10.0 games behind the first place Cubs.

Pujols milestone: Albert Pujols collected his 100th RBI in last night's loss to the Cubs.

Miles where?: Utility fielder (not just Utility infielder, now) Aaron Miles started in left field last night, but had no balls hit to him.

Molina recovers: Catcher Yadier Molina will be out a few more games while his severely bruised leg mends. The injury resulted from a home plate collision with the Cubs' Ted Lilly.

Ike demands respect: Hurricane Ike is expected to make landfall in the Houston area soon, causing MLB to postpone the start of the Cubs/Astros series. It is yet to be determined whether the teams will attempt a double-header on Sunday with a single game on Monday (an off day for both clubs) or whether the entire series will be moved to another MLB ball park. Likely candidates are Atlanta and Florida.

Redbirds extended: The Cardinals have agreed to a four-year contract that would keep Memphis as the Class AAA affiliate team.

Batavia in playoffs: Low-A affiliate Batavia Muckdogs are in the finals of the New York Penn League.

photo by David Watson

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STLtoday - Cubs-Astros series delayed

STLtoday - Cubs-Astros series delayed: "Just as Chicago Cubs fans were readying themselves to celebrate a second consecutive division title, the Cubs brought the Milwaukee Brewers and even a couple of other clubs back into the fold by losing eight of nine games.

And now, as the magic number has shrunk a little more and the end is in sight, another roadblock was tossed in their way Thursday."

4thebirds...
... Imagine the Cubs playing in Busch Stadium, but not against the Cardinals. That probably won't happen, but it could if the case would come up that MLB couldn't find a neutral site for the Astros/Cubs series due to Hurricane Ike's potential landfall in the Houston area.

So far, the best scenario for these clubs puts them (in Houston, of course, if everything is okay) in Atlanta, as the Braves will not be returning from their current road trip until Tuesday.

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STLtoday - Carp shut down

STLtoday - Carp shut down: "Chris Carpenter, limited by continuing soreness in his right shoulder, is likely to be shut down for the rest of the season after an evaluation by team medical officials Thursday."

4thebirds...
... Derrick Goold hits many points: Carpenter, Molina, Batavia Muckdogs, Memphis Redbirds, Brad Thompson, Colby Rasmus

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Charitable ballplayers up for award | MLB.com: News

Charitable ballplayers up for award MLB.com: News: "NEW YORK -- Fans know of five-tool players, the highest designation given by scouts of an individual's ability. An award that fans can assist in bestowing is for six-tool players. That sixth tool is devotion to community service."

4thebirds...
... Here's the particulars on the Man of the Year deal involving Pujols. Learn about the Vote.

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Smith, White talk about defense | stlcardinals.com: News

Smith, White talk about defense stlcardinals.com: News: "KANSAS CITY -- The subject was Defense 101 and the professors were Ozzie Smith and Frank White."

4thebirds...
... We heard it was quite a show. Now you can, too.

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Pujols reaches RBI century mark | stlcardinals.com: News

Pujols reaches RBI century mark stlcardinals.com: News: "It's hard to remember, but at one point this season, it looked like Albert Pujols' streak of 100-RBI seasons might end at seven.
Perish the thought."

4thebirds...
... Matthew Leach's take on the Pujols' RBI milestone.

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Shuffled rotation brings up Thompson | stlcardinals.com: News

Shuffled rotation brings up Thompson stlcardinals.com: News: "Kyle Lohse's five-day suspension has led to an extensive rejiggering of the Cardinals rotation, and the tweaking starts immediately.
Brad Thompson will start Friday night's game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh, while Joel Pineiro will be pushed back from Friday to Sunday. Pineiro will take Lohse's originally scheduled start, which he will miss as a result of the suspension."

4thebirds...
... This is how the Cards will rotate the starters with Lohse now serving his suspension.

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STLtoday - Cards agree to 4-year extension with Memphis

STLtoday - Cards agree to 4-year extension with Memphis: "The Cardinals announced today that they have agreed to a four-year extension with the Memphis Redbirds, the team's Class AAA affiliate."

4thebirds...
... Looks like we get to keep our Memphis Redbirds.

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STLtoday - Pujols hits milestone in loss to Cubs

STLtoday - Pujols hits milestone in loss to Cubs: "A series of isolated incidents conspired to extend a pattern Tuesday night. A Cardinals team needing to do much right to create a playoff push instead backslid because of little things done poorly."

4thebirds...
... Joe Stauss game summary.

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Pujols at center of Cards' tough loss | stlcardinals.com: News

Pujols at center of Cards' tough loss stlcardinals.com: News: "Albert Pujols once again re-wrote his name alongside -- no, among -- baseball's absolute immortals on Thursday night. Then he showed that even a baseball immortal is human.

On the same night when he reached 100 RBIs for the eighth time in as many seasons, Pujols committed a costly error and popped up to end the game as the Cardinals lost to the Cubs, 3-2, at Busch Stadium. The loss certainly can't be hung on Pujols' neck. But a team that has gotten used to otherworldly performances from its superstar needed another one on Thursday, and it didn't get it."

4thebirds...
... There's just no blaming Mr. Lopez this time. Pujols had his turn for a rough night, and with a lot on the line. And the worst part for Pujols is that the best thing that came out of last night's performance was his 100th RBI of the season, something he may have accepted better if the Cardinals had won. The RBI accumulation is more of personal stat, and doesn't have "team" written on it, at least, not on the outside.

Matthew Leach hits the important points of the game in this summary.

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4thebirds...LIVEcast Cubs vs. Cardinals 9/11/08

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Redbird Report

Redbird Report: "With Derek Lee at the plate, Lilly tried to score on a soft chopper to Ceaser Iztruis, who threw Lilly out at home. With the close play at home, Lilly went in hard at home, trying to jar the ball loose from Yadier Molina, where Lilly's knee went into the thigh of Molina. Molina suffered a bruised thigh which would later be the reason for him leaving the game after his at-bat in the bottom of the 4th-inning."

4thebirds...
... Here's a game summary from a young sportswriter whose blog was featured on MLB Blogs. Quite a writer.

This is his About Me profile on the MLB site.

About Redbirdfan13
A St. Louis Cardinals fan all of my
life, I've grown up knowing quality baseball with the knowledge of the best fans
in the game. I've recently begun writing about baseball and just got an article
I wrote published in a decently sized newspaper that has quite a following in
the area I live in. I'm 19 years old and love baseball, hoping to enter into the
world of sports reporting or writing after college is done.
Interests
Watching baseball, writing, keeping up with
the MLB, and spending time with the Mrs's.

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LIVEcast reminder 9/11/08 Cubs/Cards

NOTE FOR ANY OTHER CARDINALS' BLOGGERS: You are more than welcome to hook up with the live blog, which can be run on your site and this site simultaneously (and any number of other sites as well, i.e., the live blog we use will run concurrently on three other sites related to 4thebirds. If you're interested, use the Email the Author link below this post, or just use the remark box during the live blog and inquire.

NOTE FOR UCB MEMBERS: Any United Cardinals Bloggers who wish to test the live blogging code, or use via e-mail invite, or otherwise would like to jump in for a few minutes to test the functionality of this device, please use the Email the Author link below this post if you do not already have my e-mail address. I will need your e-mail address that you would use for your Cover-it-Live account to send you the invite. Your invite will contain all the instructions needed to set up a live blog window, either in a browser window separate from your site, or with the addition of the live blog window within a post on your site.

For tonight's game, I will be doing limited posting in case someone needs some help on this. If you have a Wordpress site, you can still use this system, but you will have to do it a different way. Generally, Blogger blogs handle this very well, and most sites that can embed html code.

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Redbird Randoms...9/11/08

On-deck: The Cards play the rubber match of the Cubs/Cards series tonight at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Game time is 7:15 p.m. CT.

Probables: CHC-Rich Harden RHP (9-2, 1.99) vs. STL-Todd Wellemeyer RHP (12-6, 3.74)

Birds' Perch: The Cardinals have slipped into fourth place in the NL Central, 9.0 games behind the first place Chicago Cubs, 4.5 games behind the second place Milwaukee Brewers (also NL WC leaders), 0.5 games behind the third place Houston Astros.

Next series: The Cardinals start a 9-game road trip tomorrow with the first three games at Pittsburgh, then three games in Cincinnati, then a day off before finishing the road trip with three games at Chicago.

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Bird is the word | Future Redbirds

Bird is the word Future Redbirds: "Just when we see former River City Rascal Josh Kinney back in action in the big leagues again, we learn that the Cardinals have purchased the contract of 24-year old RHP Ryan Bird from the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League."

4thebirds...
... If they're up-and-coming Redbirds, Future Redbirds has the "word on the Bird."

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Bird Land » Blog Archive » Prospect Audit: The Bird Land 7

Bird Land » Blog Archive » Prospect Audit: The Bird Land 7: "In the past couple Farmnik entries, we’ve set the stage for the prospect ranking season and the revising of the Baseball America Top 30 (on bookshelves next February, of course). First, we revisited this year’s Top 30 and then a poll of the readers for the top 2009 rookie, breakout candidate and sleeper.

Now, the Bird Land 7."

4thebirds...
... Here's a neat list of top prospects, compiled with the help of some United Cardinals Bloggers.

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STLtoday - Cubs won't be playing Astros here

STLtoday - Cubs won't be playing Astros here: "Don't expect to see the Cubs stick around for the weekend to play the Astros here at Busch Stadium.

There was buzz around the stadium Wednesday night that if Hurricane Ike disrupted things in Houston this weekend, the scheduled series between the Cubs and Astros could be moved here."

4thebirds...
... Probably won't happen, but whatever the outcome is, it will be interesting, given the nature of the NL Wild Card.

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STLtoday - The Free Agent 15

STLtoday - The Free Agent 15: "Here at STLtoday.com Sports, we get pounded with questions about the ’09 free agent class. Which players should the Cardinals target?"

4thebirds...
... Here is a thought-provoking piece by Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This one is fun because every one's opinion is desired, but nobody can claim they're right, or that anyone else is wrong, at least, not until and unless the Cards actually deal for one of the players on Gordon's Free Agent 15.

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STLtoday - Cards suffer world of hurt

STLtoday - Cards suffer world of hurt: "I'm assuming it was a little breezy late Wednesday night on the streets of Wrigleyville. But that wasn't a gust coming off Lake Michigan on Chicago's North Side. More likely, the mighty wind was whipped up by thousands of Cubs fans who exhaled simultaneously after their heroes put down the Cardinals 4-3 at Busch Stadium."

4thebirds...
... A much more even-tempered and effective piece by Miklasz, whose normal column seems to contain at least one item that pisses somebody off.

(Then again, don't we all?)

You can see he's still trying to ease his way back from his "Redbird Write-off" a few days ago.

This is how you do it, Bernie: When I projected Pujols would go on a tear for the last two games of this series with the Cubs, I was wrong. Oh, he has hit (2-for-4), but honestly, not like I was figuring. So the correct response is: "Man-oh-man, did I ever call that one wrong!" I'll say that, and I don't even have an audience. (Maybe that's why? Hmm.)

Must forgive Bernie, however, because we know if he didn't care about the subject matter of which he writes (in this case, the Cardinals), he wouldn't rant and would probably become a bit dull. We're pretty sure the Post-Dispatch don't pay for "Dull," so we get it.

In any event, the article explores we can speculate is just about how most of Cardinal Nation feels, and there-in lies Bernie's gift.

(Note: This isn't a love-hate rant; Bernie Miklasz really is respected around here.)

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Daily Farm Report - 9/10/08 | Future Redbirds

Daily Farm Report - 9/10/08 Future Redbirds: "We are so very near the end, but thankfully Batavia has kept the DFR’s alive for a little while longer. Derrick Goold follows up the UCB’s top seven lists with his own. His methodology was a little different from Erik’s, as he didn’t consider Perez, Mather, Garcia or Boggs eligible. It’s always good to get DG’s take on the prospects."

4thebirds...
... DFR

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Pujols is clutch; is that even news worthy? « Redbird Ramblings

Pujols is clutch; is that even news worthy? « Redbird Ramblings: "so, what do you know? the big bad central division leading cubbies came to town yesterday. looks like the cards caught them at the right time.

big z and harden are both out, but the cubbies still had dempster (who has had a very good season as a starter) start for them last night. it did not start out very well. the cubs got two runs off of lohse in the first inning and another one in the third. dempster seemed to be on for five innings."

4thebirds...
... Ramblings from Redbird Ramblings.

Not to be confused with 4thebirds "Redbird Ramblings," which had been used some time back, before realizing there was blog by that name. It's quite a common phrase, and no doubt, there's plenty more of them out there somewhere. But since, we've called one of our (almost daily) features, Redbird Randoms.

In any event, the link points to the blog, not any of our old posts.

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SportingNews.com - The Sporting Blog - Molina Learns the Hard Way Not to Be on the Tracks When the Lilly Train's Coming Through

SportingNews.com - The Sporting Blog - Molina Learns the Hard Way Not to Be on the Tracks When the Lilly Train's Coming Through: "When you hear the name Ted Lilly, you probably think 'crafty lefty, decent stuff, a good middle rotation guy.' But when I think Ted Lilly, I think of two words: Bad."

4thebirds...
... And you can guess what the other word is.

Clean play, cheap shot, no matter. The point is that Ted Lilly is the example of old school baseball, the type that the Cubs need to make their way through the eons to glory. (And I do mean eons.)

There have been many stories that include last night's collision, and a few, like this one, that have zeroed in on the play. The odd thing is that all the stories seem to take the tone that Molina is the guy to be hated in all this.

Why? Because he's a catcher that got ran down by a base runner?

Happens all the time, by big burly base runners and diminutive base runners. It's part of the game.

And yes, Molina should've known better than assume a base runner is going to allow him a "gimme touch-out." But since when does Molina become the object of hatred?

I guess if the publication posting this wants to alienate Cardinal Nation, so be it. We'd appreciate it, however, if they stated the publication's bias in the title or subtitle, perhaps, something that says certain players get the "up slant" and and others get blindsided.

Just wondering if the writer hates the St. Louis Cardinals, or Yadier Molina in particular, or perhaps his ethnicity? After all, he was run down by a "Lilly" white Caucasian. See? That Card don't play.

Clean play, cheap shot? Don't matter. Fair reporting does matter.

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Cubs Even the Series | Mike On The Cards

Cubs Even the Series Mike On The Cards: "Ted Lilly is good, and that sucks. Really, he’s good. Seriously, that sucks. Lilly kept the Cardinal hitters off balance all night, lasting eight innings, giving up just one run on five hits. He was brilliant. To me, he looks hittable. I guess to Major League hitters, he’s not."

4thebirds...
... Yes, Ted Lilly is really good. And he's smart (about pitching, anyway). And, he has command. And, he can change speeds.

These qualities make for a really good pitcher. The thing that makes Lilly look so hittable is that he doesn't throw all that hard. But his location and choice is outstanding, and make no mistake, Lilly knows hitters.

The earned run statement is valid, and frustration is valid. But so is Lilly, and as a Cardinals' fan, that does suck.

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Texas Teams Monitoring Hurricane Ike - Sports News Story - WFSB Hartford

Texas Teams Monitoring Hurricane Ike - Sports News Story - WFSB Hartford: "The Houston Astros are scheduled to open a key three-game series with the Chicago Cubs starting Friday, and several high schools along the Gulf Coast and in Central Texas have already decided to call off or reschedule weekend games."

4thebirds...
... Ike is wanting on the schedule, and there's nothing baseball can do about it.

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New York Mets may not need to worry about Philadelphia Phillies, writer says - New York Mets baseball - NJ.com

New York Mets may not need to worry about Philadelphia Phillies, writer says - New York Mets baseball - NJ.com: "New York Mets fans are talking about it and the papers are reporting it; the 2007 collapse is still far from an afterthought. But one writer has openly admitted (via a nifty grading system) that the Philadelphia Phillies will have a much harder time trying to catch the Mets this season."

4thebirds...
... Right now, Phillies news is important to Cardinal Nation, due to the current state of the NL Wild Card.

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Cardinal Nation Globe: CNG posts used for evil

Cardinal Nation Globe: CNG posts used for evil

4thebirds...
... Season and series ain't over yet. I seen in a forum post yesterday, a fair-weather fan twist old Ernie's phrase in speaking about the current series: "Let's lose two!"

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Making a move | News-Leader.com | Springfield News-Leader

Making a move News-Leader.com Springfield News-Leader: "The Springfield Cardinals finished with the best full-season record in the Texas League's North Division (76-64), but they didn't make the playoffs -- victims of a first-half tiebreaker."

4thebirds...
... Erin Bolen of the Springfield News-Leader covered the end of the Class AA affiliate Springfield Cardinals' season.

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Change cropped up for Bandits in '08 / QCTimes.com

Change cropped up for Bandits in '08 / QCTimes.com: "On and off the field, the 2008 season will be remembered as a year of change for the Quad-Cities River Bandits.

Manager Steve Dillard dealt with a changing roster throughout his team’s 68-66 season, in which more players suited up for Quad-Cities than any of the 47 seasons that preceded it."

4thebirds...
... Steve Batterson covers the QC River Bandits like no other. Always something new to report from the Class A affiliate.

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Lilly, Cubs clip Cards - :: Cincinnati news story :: LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV in Cincinnati

Lilly, Cubs clip Cards - :: Cincinnati news story :: LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV in Cincinnati: "Ted Lilly hurled eight strong innings and the Chicago Cubs held on for a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, in the middle contest of a three-game set from Busch Stadium.

Lilly (14-9) allowed five hits and one run, while striking out five and walking none to get the win. Felix Pie, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez each recorded an RBI for the Cubs, who had dropped two in a row coming in."

4thebirds...
... Game summary.

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Lilly calms concerns, stifles Cards | MLB.com: News

Lilly calms concerns, stifles Cards MLB.com: News: "ST. LOUIS -- Ted Lilly did not hear Lou Piniella's rant after Tuesday's game, but the left-hander got the message.

Lilly pitched eight solid innings and survived a head-on collision at home plate as the Cubs took advantage of two errors by third baseman Felipe Lopez in a four-run second inning to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, on Wednesday night."

4thebirds...
... Game summary.

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Cubs keep lead over Brew Crew

Cubs keep lead over Brew Crew: "Ted Lilly pitched eight superb innings as the Chicago Cubs downed the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, in a critical National League Central Division battle on Wednesday.

Lilly (14-9) yielded just one run and five hits while striking out five without a walk. Kerry Wood picked up his 29th save despite allowing a two-run homer by Ryan Ludwick in the ninth."

4thebirds...
... Game summary.

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Cards clubhouse blog: Kinney's comeback highlights losing effort

Cards clubhouse blog: Kinney's comeback highlights losing effort: "The Cardinals lost to Chicago 4-3 on Wednesday, the latest blow to their playoff hopes for this season. But for one Cardinal, the night was a success.
Reliever Josh Kinney, a former Frontier League pitcher, threw a scoreless seventh inning in his first regular-season game since Oct. 1, 2006. Kinney needed just six pitches to dispose of Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukudome."

4thebirds...
... David Wilhelm of the Belleview News-Democrat present a transcription of Josh Kinney's statement after yesterday's game.

It's good to see a writer hit upon Kinney's comeback in some detail. Kinney could have more impact on the Cardinals current and long-term destiny than people are yet realizing. Wilhelm seems to have spotted the significance.

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Rockin' the Red: Are the Cards still in it?

Rockin' the Red: Are the Cards still in it?: "I'm not totally sure what to write here. Every time I declare the Cardinals out of the Wild Card race, they get back in it. Every time I jump back on the bandwagon, they fall right back off it."

4thebirds...
... Kujo, you are a Cardinals' blogger, of course the Cardinals are still in it.

All kidding aside, check with Rockin' the Red often to find out if any discussion has developed re: Cards in? Cards out?

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Cheap seats blog: Carp is still ailing

Cheap seats blog: Carp is still ailing: "A month after he injured his shoulder at Wrigley Field, things apparently still aren't well with Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter."

4thebirds...
... Scott Wuerz asks tough questions about Carp's condition.

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STLtoday - Cubs, Lilly make good things happen

STLtoday - Cubs, Lilly make good things happen: "But mostly this was about starting pitching. Lilly, who had been 4-2 with a 2.98 earned-run average against the Cardinals while pitching for Toronto and the Cubs, was not much short of stifling."

4thebirds...
... Last night's defeat at the hands of Ted Lilly and the Chicago Cubs had, as most games, dozens of plays that factor in to how the game developed, and eventually, the result of its conclusion.

But the biggest factor, addressed here by Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was Cubs' pitcher Ted Lilly. Give credit where credit is due.

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Lilly takes Piniella's message to heart :: Beacon News :: Sports

Lilly takes Piniella's message to heart :: Beacon News :: Sports: "ST. LOUIS -- Maybe Barack Obama is right about the power of words.

As soon as Cubs manager Lou Piniella roared about his team's need to ''go out and kick somebody's ass,'' pitcher Ted Lilly showed teammates the way -- by crashing through St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina trying to score in the second inning Wednesday night."

4thebirds...
... A Chicago-are newsgroup article hyping the Cubs win and trying to make a direct connection between Piniella's fiery speech from the day before with Ted Lilly's trying to knock Yadier Molina's block off at home plate.

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Redbirds Fun: A Nation Remembers

Redbirds Fun: A Nation Remembers

4thebirds...
... a nice Nine-eleven memorial presentation, including Youtube video of Jack Buck.

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STLtoday - Ankiel on hold

STLtoday - Ankiel on hold: "Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel will seek a second opinion in the coming days on an abdominal injury that has not improved in recent weeks, Cardinals officials confirmed Wednesday. Manager Tony La Russa said he would use the outfielder 'sparingly' or 'when needed' until the result of his meeting with a specialist."

4thebirds...
... an update of sorts by Derrick Goold regarding Rick Ankiel's abdominal injury. Other updates include Memphis Redbirds, Hurrican Ike (relative to Cubs), and more.

photo by Barbara Moore

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Utility is tough, Lopez still the right Redbird

Felipe Lopez has taken quite a bit of heat for his pair of miscues in last night's ball game, but the knock on the recently acquired former All-Star is a bit rough considering the situation.

Of course, there are no excuses for a brain blowout on a force play that found Lopez trying to tag a base runner instead. Lopez himself admits to all that, and that the goof-up, plus his throwing error, cost his team.

But oh how quickly folks forget that just the this past Sunday, Lopez dove on a ball down the third base line off the bat of Marlins' leadoff hitter Hanley Ramirez to start off the game with a putout for Adam Wainwright and his team instead of a double with no one out in the first inning.

Tit for tat, last night's errors were undoubtedly part of what Cards' manager Tony La Russa called "ugly" in his post-game interview, without pointing any specific fingers, you might say. No big deal. Lopez knows it. We move on.

Cardinal Nation should consider this, however. Lopez has started, substituted, pinched-into games, covered outfield positions, infield positions, and if he's around another week so, may join Aaron Miles as a utility man who has pitched.

Keep in mind that last night's lineup had bats in mind more so than defense. La Russa could have played Josh Phelps at third and Nick Stavinoha in left field. Phelps, after all, is an infielder; right side, but still, an infielder. Phelps, to our knowledge, had little or no outfield experience to that point. And indeed (and also, no fault of Phelps), there were a couple of balls Phelps played conservatively that a regular outfielder would've handled much more aggressively, and that, due to experience alone.

Or ... Aaron Miles could've played at third base. He's done so before, and with Adam Kennedy, surprisingly starting at second base with a left-handed pitcher on the hill, would've allowed Lopez to take his two or three games more of outfield experience than Phelps into left field.

But there certainly isn't any faulting La Russa on finding a way to keep Lopez's bat in the lineup, as the man has performed well since becoming a Redbird.

If that's La Russa's strategy, so be it. There's no denying he favors hitters over defenders, and maybe that's because he has gotten used to Rick Ankiel (in healthier times) roaming center field, and has enjoyed infield corners with gloves that if aren't destined to go gold this season, are certainly line with the stuff.

That being said, you have to concede that La Russa has to find some way to get every bit of offense on that field as possible, considering how much difficulty the Cardinals have had at the plate this year. Hence, Lopez is in the game, and in a variety of positions, each one with there own set of skills and strategies.

Keep in mind that yesterday's errors were one each of the position knowledge and skills oriented. In other words, mental and physical. A force play is obvious to most of us, but on that field, Lopez has to pre-think, so to speak, all the possibilities of the play about to occur. He isn't just out there reacting to whatever happens, although that sometimes is what occurs.

Lopez had to consider (before the pitch is thrown), things like:

• who is batting?
• where does he usually hit?
• what pitch is being thrown, as this can affect the "where" part?
• is the turf fast today?
• where do I go on a single to left?
• where do I go on single to center?
• where do I go on single to right?
• what's my duties on an extra basehit? to left? to center? to right? into the alleys?
• is this a bunt situation?
• what is my coverage on this bunt? (often called by the catcher, but there is a standard bunt defense that the Cardinals were probably employing just because there was a "new man on the job"
• what is my read on a batted ball as far as direction? speed of ball?
• what is my read on a bunted ball? do I charge or retreat?
• how many outs? (yes, reader, a simple thing, and did you even consider that yet? Ah-ha!)
• an oh, there is so much more....

...and as a third baseman (or any other position player), you have to consider tons of factors like these between every pitch, and then some.

So should Lopez be crucified for the mental mistake on the force play? Probably not, although if he hung from one arm for a while, that would surely be enough for him to burn that experience into his thinking as a third baseman.

But wait a minute. Today, he might be playing left field again, and what are his duties on this particular pitch, game situation, according to the batter at the plate, and his own pitcher on the mound, and what pitch is he throwing, and how is the outfielder next to me playing, and what do I do on a ball into the gap, and ...

Throwing error, mental error, okay. Get over it, folks. All Lopez needs to do is think about correction, practice skills for correction, and play wherever La Russa points tomorrow.

photos by Barbara Moore

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Shaky 'D' costly against Cubs | MLB.com: News

Shaky 'D' costly against Cubs MLB.com: News: "ST. LOUIS -- As the schedule dwindles to its final two weeks, the Cardinals have little margin for error. They certainly have no room for two errors in the same inning.

Just such an unraveling doomed them on Wednesday night, with a pair of Felipe Lopez miscues turning a one-run inning into a four-run outburst. The ugly frame sent St. Louis to a 4-3 loss to the Cubs, ending a three-game winning streak and knocking the Cards back to 4 1/2 games behind Wild Card-leading Milwaukee."

4thebirds...
... MLB.com beat writer Matthew Leach tells the of the "ugly" game that led to the Cardinals' 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs last night.

Most articles regarding this game are hard on Felipe Lopez, but it's kind of surprising he hasn't made more errors, the way he has been bounced around that defense. Lopez makes no excuses.

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Cardinals get last home crack at Cubs | MLB.com: News

Cardinals get last home crack at Cubs MLB.com: News: "ST. LOUIS -- The stakes are surely still too high for any hijinks, but it's clear that some elements in the Cardinals' clubhouse are a little irritated with some actions by the Cubs as Thursday's series finale approaches.

On Tuesday, it was infielder Brian Barden expressing frustration with a high-and-tight pitch from Carlos Marmol. On Wednesday, manager Tony La Russa made it clear -- without explicitly saying so -- that he was annoyed by Ted Lilly's collision with Yadier Molina at home plate."

4thebirds...
... Matthew Leach previews the rubber match tonight at Busch Stadium while quoting Yadier Molina and Tony La Russa regarding the Ted Lilly collision with Molina in last night's game.

Most players and media are calling it a clean play, but not all convinced. Or so it seems.

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:: TheSouthern.com - Southern Illinois' Homepage ::

:: TheSouthern.com - Southern Illinois' Homepage ::: "Miners' pitcher Ryan Bird will have a new address beginning this week.

The Frontier League's pitcher of the year will head down to Jupiter, Fla., home of the St. Louis Cardinals' instructional team, for an evaluation by the club's scouts.

'Incredible situation for him,' said Miners' manager Mike Pinto.Miners' pitcher Ryan Bird will have a new address beginning this week.

The Frontier League's pitcher of the year will head down to Jupiter, Fla., home of the St. Louis Cardinals' instructional team, for an evaluation by the club's scouts.

'Incredible situation for him,' said Miners' manager Mike Pinto."

4thebirds...
... The Cardinals' organization are taking a much closer look at this young pitcher who'd attended St. Louis University.

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Modern Woodmen Park playing surface to get makeover / QCTimes.com

Modern Woodmen Park playing surface to get makeover / QCTimes.com: "Harvesting the small patch of corn that sits behind the Quad-Cities River Bandits bullpen won’t be the only field work taking place at Modern Woodmen Park this fall.

The playing field at Davenport’s Midwest League stadium will be getting an offseason makeover as well, addressing concerns of the River Bandits’ parent club, the St. Louis Cardinals."

4thebirds...
... Ben Kratz, the groundskeeper at Modern Woodmen Park, is on deck for the River Bandits this Autumn. His task. Fix the field.

Kratz is a full-time groundskeeper for the facility that hosts the St. Louis Cardinals' Class A Quad-Cities River Bandits. The Cardinals have concerns, as do visiting ball clubs, that a player could get hurt do to the poor condition of the playing surface.

Not Kratz's fault. The Mississippi had a lot to do with the deterioration of the field throughout the course of this season.

The QCTimes.com lays it all out, the publication that provides a great portion, if not most, of the QC River Bandits coverage.

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Cards overcome long odds to contend | MLB.com: News

Cards overcome long odds to contend MLB.com: News: "ST. LOUIS -- For perseverance in the face of adversity, no team in the 2008 season has surpassed the St. Louis Cardinals.

This is not quite the same as winning a pennant, but there ought to be some credit due for hanging tough despite a series of debilitating injuries to crucial personnel. The fact that with less than three weeks left in the regular season the Cardinals are still in the postseason chase is a tribute to their persistence and determination."

4thebirds...
... Quitting isn't in the Cards.

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Chipper pulls past Pujols in batting race | braves.com: News

Chipper pulls past Pujols in batting race braves.com: News: "Chipper Jones has repeatedly said over the past couple of weeks that regardless of who wins the National League batting title, Albert Pujols is the league's best hitter.

But it certainly doesn't look like Jones is going to let Pujols win the title without a fight."

4thebirds...
... The race within the race, at least, for the fans. Pujols, if we know him at all, is putting the team first, and batting title second.

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Cubs eagerly awaiting return of aces | cubs.com: News

Cubs eagerly awaiting return of aces cubs.com: News: "On Thursday, Rich Harden will make his first start since Aug. 29. The right-hander is anxious to get back on the mound.

'It feels like a long time,' said Harden, who has made nine starts since joining the Cubs in a July 8 deal with Oakland. 'I only skipped one start. It feels like it's been a month, especially losing a few games, too. I want to get out there.'"

4thebirds...
... Harden's first start in a while, and although he is a great pitcher, the Cards are hoping he isn't quite on his best stuff out of the chute.

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Washington Times - Tejada hits grand slam, Astros beat Pirates 7-4

Washington Times - Tejada hits grand slam, Astros beat Pirates 7-4: "Miguel Tejada's grand slam broke open a close game in the sixth inning and helped the surging Houston Astros beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4 on Wednesday night."

4thebirds...
... A Washington Times summary of the night the Astros beat the Bucs and slipped past the Cards into third place as well as leaped ahead (of the Cards) a half-game in the NLWC.

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Red-Hot Astros Streak Past Pitiful Pirates - MLB News Story - WKMG Orlando

Red-Hot Astros Streak Past Pitiful Pirates - MLB News Story - WKMG Orlando: "Miguel Tejada smacked a grand slam and Brian Moehler threw six effective innings, as the Houston Astros continued their torrid post-All Star break stretch with a 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, in the third installment of a four-game series from Minute Maid Park."

4thebirds...
... Here's an Astro's game summary, how they overtook the Cardinals for third place by knocking off the Bucs.

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STLtoday - Fielding flaws cost Cards

STLtoday - Fielding flaws cost Cards: "Widely referred to as overachievers, the Cardinals used consistent defense and solid fundamentals to climb into contention this season. The absence of same Wednesday escorted them to fourth place. MORE CARDINALS
BIRD LAND: A user's guide to Albert's elbow "

4thebirds...
... The Cardinals may not have played up to the standards of some folks, but they did play a tough game against maybe the best team in baseball, and are in a position to win the three-game series tonight.

Joe Strauss covers the hot spots of the game, taking a pretty tough line on substituting third baseman Felipe Lopez.

All knocks aside, all the Cardinals really need to do is put the loss behind them, right next to the wins, and get ready to play the next game of "this is the most important game of the season." That's September, and it's great that the Cards are here.

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Cubs beat Cards despite ninth-inning meltdown - MLB - CBSSports.com Live GameCenter

Cubs beat Cards despite ninth-inning meltdown - MLB - CBSSports.com Live GameCenter: "Ted Lilly pitched eight sharp innings and the Chicago Cubs capitalized on shaky fielding by injured Troy Glaus' replacement, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 Wednesday night for only their second win in nine games."

4thebirds...
... Game summary from CBSSports.com.

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Lilly stymies Cards, Cubs even series

Lilly stymies Cards, Cubs even series: "ST. LOUIS --Ted Lilly held the St. Louis Cardinals to one run on five hits in eight innings and the Chicago Cubs capitalized on two errors by third baseman Felipe Lopez to post a 4-3 win Wednesday."

4thebirds...
... The early line from the Belleville News Democrat

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R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens

R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens: "Baseball in Batavia nearly died over the winter. Given a second chance at life, the Muckdogs have run with the opportunity.

There's a lot of history here. The Batavia franchise is a charter member of the New York-Penn League dating back to 1939. But the game of baseball outgrew small town America and last winter, facing an economic and organizational crisis, the Muckdogs nearly folded."

4thebirds...
... The Low-A Cardinals' affiliate Batavia Muckdogs are doing well in their playoffs, but the organization that is the Batavia Muckdogs has made a comeback of its own. This story tells you what that it took to accomplish a better organization and team.

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Lilly calms Cubs' concerns, stifles Cards | MLB.com: News

Lilly calms Cubs' concerns, stifles Cards MLB.com: News: "Lou Piniella wanted to see the Cubs kick some butt. Ted Lilly did just that.

Lilly survived a head-on crash at home plate and the Cubs took advantage of two errors by third baseman Felipe Lopez in a four-run second inning to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, on Wednesday night."

4thebirds...
... Game summary from MLB.com

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Cards fall short on comeback, slip to fourth in NL Central

The Chicago Cubs evened up the series with the St. Louis Cardinals tonight, holding off a ninth inning comeback that featured a double to the right-center field wall by Albert Pujols, then a two-run homer to the same area, only one row up, by Ryan Ludwick, who earned his 100th and 101st RBI of the season.

Ludwick's round-tripper, however, wasn't enough to bring the Cardinals back, Kerry Wood getting the save for the Cubs as the Cards drop a tough one, 4-3.

Pujols helped the Cards score first, in the first inning, when he grounded home Cesar Izturis to give the Cards an early 1-0 lead.

Felix Pie singled home K Fukudome in the top of the next inning, the start of a frame in which the Cubs scored all of their four runs on the night. Alfonso Soriano brought home a couple when he grounded into a fielder's choice to third baseman Felipe Lopez, who threw wildly to Adam Kennedy covering second, allowing Mark DeRosa and Pie to score. Aramis Ramirez then singled home Soriano.

That four-run frame forced Looper to throw about three innings worth of pitches, after which he lasted through the fifth. His pitch count ended up at 106, and from there La Russa went with Randy Flores, Jason Motte, Josh Kinney, Ron Villone, and Kelvin Jimenez, the five relievers allowing no Cubs runs and no hits in four combined innings of work. Looper had given up the four runs, but only one of those was earned.

You could easily count Looper's performance as another excellent outing for a Cards' starter, but with a very rough inning.

So what the game challenge became was Cubs' starter Ted Lilly, who always seems to have the Cardinals' number. Lilly went eight stellar innings, at one point, taking out Yadier Molina at the plate and going back on the mound to throw some more. Molina would play a few more innings and then have to leave the game with what La Russa called a severe bruise in his post-game interview.

Lilly's command of his fast ball, slider, curve, and change kept the Cardinals' batsmen off balance most of the night, until Cubs' manager pulled him for reliever Kerry Wood in the ninth. That's when Pujols and Ludwick worked up a couple of comeback runs.

Unfortunately, falling short in the ninth meant a loss that, combined with a Houston Astros victory tonight, causes the Cards to slip into fourth place in the NL Central.

The Milwaukee Brewers won their game earlier in the day, so the NL Central stacks up with the Cubs in first, Brewers 4.5 games behind them in second, then, the Astros, 8.5 games out, and in fourth, the Cards, now 9.0 games out.

The Wild Card race adds up quite differently, and not as badly as the regular season standings. The Brewers still lead the NL WC. The Astros enjoy a real boost from their victory tonight, moving up to second in the WC, tied with the Phillies, both 4.0 games behind the Brewers. The Cards aren't in a horrible spot, only 4.5 games behind in the WC.

Tomorrow night features the rubber match, which, given the way the first two games of the series has gone, promises to be exciting.

Rich Harden (9-2, 1.99) is slated to pitch for the Cubs, opposed by the Cards' Todd Wellemeyer (12-6, 3.74). Game time is 7:15 p.m. CT.

photos by Barbara Moore

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The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO - Mike Pound: Mike Shannon has a rougher job than column writing

The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO - Mike Pound: Mike Shannon has a rougher job than column writing: "We all have days when we don’t look forward to going to work.

Days when the thought of what awaits you at your job fills you with dread, with fear, with nausea. I’m sure Mike Shannon, who as the longtime St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcaster probably has the best job in the world, has days when he has to drag himself to work: “Shoot. I have to drive over to Bush Stadium, sit in the radio booth, drink beer and watch baseball again. I wish I wrote a newspaper column.”"

4thebirds...
... The columnist wrote a whole column (if that's what it was), about nothing. Weird the way he dissed Shannon. Maybe he's a friend or something and is pranking him a good one. If not, maybe one day Shannon will bust him a good one in the chops. It makes you wonder what the heck the connection is, but there's not a whole lot of articles about Mike Shannon, so this gets the nod.

Anyhow, if you check out the article, you might wonder just who the drinker really is.

photo by Barbara Moore

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MRI negative on Glaus' right shoulder

MRI negative on Glaus' right shoulder: "An MRI exam Wednesday on the right shoulder of St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus was negative."

4thebirds...
... MRI says OK for Glaus. See what David Wilhelm says about it.

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Exile in goatville < Chicago News, Events and Culture | Chi-Town Daily News |

Exile in goatville < Chicago News, Events and Culture Chi-Town Daily News : "I'll admit it, I can't even watch a majority of these games. I can't endure the agony."

4thebirds...
... This writer believes the Cubs are struggling because they don't possess what he believes is a standout, MVP-quality hitter.

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4thebirds 4thoughts

There's not much left for the Cardinals to do during the perpetual hype of the Cubs/Cards rivalry except prep and play.

It appears the Cards will be without the services of third baseman Troy Glaus; for how long, no one's sure. Felipe Lopez figures to be his replacement, but depending on what kind of lineup manager Tony La Russa will mark up with left-hander Ted Lilly on the hill for the North Siders, this could take some thought.

The Glaus shoulder injury will strain a bit more than his shoulder, as it is unlikely Rick Ankiel or Skip Schumaker will start. And though there are calliups to use, one of them isn't Joe Mather, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Lopez in left. This would be a good time for TLR to get Stavinoha back into the mix, except that Lilly will eat him up with off-speed.

Due to Lilly's ability to mix curves and change speeds, it might not be a bad idea (and we know this goes against TLR's grain) to use an extra singles hitter. God forbid we have two players shorter than six-foot tall as it is, but bat handling instead of fanning may be the best order of business tonight. Until Lilly is done for the night, anyhow. Then, you can pinch all the power into the batters' box you want.

Cubs' manager Lou Piniella has shot the works with his post-game tirade, so if his squad fails to react, he has nowhere to go with another media show. Do look for Piniella to shake things up on the field if possible. In other words, Yadi better get ready to go a-gunnin', because it is entirely possible that the Cubs' skipper will be sending anyone who reaches first base, until Yadi proves he can thrown them out. Also, Molina has a lot of season on him, so another Cubs' base running technique will be to break for the next base when the ball is in the dirt. There is no waiting to see if Yadi scoops the ball, or blocks it, or whether it deflects away; it's just, go.

Otherwise, look for Piniella to use the hit-and-run whenever possible. There's few things that can get a team's momentum going like a risky hit and run, especially with a pitcher like Braden Looper, who almost never walks anyone. When a pitcher is that much around the plate, a batter is much more likely to get a decent pitch to hit, increasing the chances for contact and success on the play.

These are not strategies of desperation, however. It just seems like the Cubs will be looking for plays that instill confidence, so they can quit thinking about how and when the other team is going to "come get em." (The Cards know that feeling, and so does Cardinal Nation.) When Soto, for instance, failed to execute proper placement on a sacrifice bunt last night, the result was a demoralizing (for the Cubs) double play. It's possible Mr. Piniella will yet use some bunts tonight, but maybe with a player that has actually performed the play at least once this entire season.

One key to getting to Ted Lilly will be to get him in the set position, where his effectiveness goes way down. He does lose some movement and zip on his fast ball with base runners aboard, and is likely to overuse his breaking ball, even more so than his change-up, and he has excellent command of both. When this occurs, it would help if the Cards could do some stealing, but don't count on it as TLR favors the longball, even if it comes once every three innings. These factors play against the Cards, but getting Lilly into the set, and keeping him there, is still the Cards best shot at getting to the awesome Cubs' hurler.

(And it may sound funny, but the Redbirds would probably be better off if they were facing Carlos Zambrano.)

Certainly the Cardinals are aware of Lilly's favored pitching progression against them, and you couldn't blame the lefty hurler for using the same pattern, at least until the Cards' batsmen can prove they can overcome the mix. What we're talking about here is a constantly alternating (if that isn't redundant) pattern of fast ball up and in, off speed low and away, fast ball up and in, off speed low and away, etc. If the Cards go chasing after this common pitching approach, you will see Lilly not only continue the pattern, but throw nothing over the plate. Once Lilly determines that the Cardinal hitters are will to hack inside and reach outside, the pitches in this pattern will get farther and farther outside the strike zone. And who could blame him?

This is simply the challenge of facing a great pitcher. If you're lucky, he's off location or just doesn't have his stuff. That's what happened to Lohse. It can happen to Lilly. But don't rely on it.

Better that the Cardinals beat Lilly like they did Dempster; on a night where he does seem un-hittable. In that way, you suck up all the confidence and momentum and leave nothing but despair for your opponent. We'll just have to see who accomplishes this tonight.

The great thing about baseball, however, is that none of this could happen. A game can take on any demeanor and change the strategy by the inning.

Last projection, sort of out on a limb, sort of not: Pujols will go on a tear at the plate, but not for the reason you might think. This has nothing to do with the fact that he has just hit three homers in three games. What it has to do with is that Pujols is riding a high as far as playing for those kids last weekend, the whole Walk in the Park thing, which means a lot to Pujols. And on a mechanical note, I've said long ago, when Pujols was going through what I would call a rough patch which I though was caused by a swing set up to pull only. Back then, I stated that when Pujols hitting most effectively, he has some drives into the right-center field alley, and beyond.

Well, that's what I saw last night, and so, tonight, I look for him to really punish the baseball, left, center, right. The bigger question is whether La Russa can place anyone in the lineup to protect him, and the only way I can see to do that is with 9-1-2 as contact, singles hitters, even though TLR will probably hit power in the number two slot. The clean-up hitter is critical tonight, because we're about out of options.

• not Ankiel; a lefty
• not Glaus; he's injured
• not Mather; he's injured, and a shame, because he can really see the off-speed stuff and hit it hard
• Ludwick, and hope he gets on track, but with Lilly and his off-speed skills, yikes
• Stavinoha, on a risk; off-speed challenged
• not Duncan, he's injured, and, a dead-pull lefty
• Phelps, with enough big league experience not to fold, but not enough recent ABs to be sharp, a risk

No, my pick would be Yadi. Sounds goofy at first, but it does make sense. Either that or stick with Luddy, who although has struggled of late, has indeed, played a big part in the what success the Cardinals offense has had.

Out of time. Game starts in a few hours.

photo by Barbara Moore

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Cards Not Done Yet | Mike On The Cards

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4thebirds...
... The unique Mike on the Cards take on last night's game.

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4thebirds...
... Fan vote, it seems. Check it out if you like minor league Cards.

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Rockin' the Red: Lovable losers

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4thebirds...
... Funny photo here.

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STLtoday - Update: What Albert says about his elbow

STLtoday - Update: What Albert says about his elbow: "'Unless I blow it out tonight or in the next three weeks, I'm not going to have surgery after the season,' he said. 'That's how I feel.'"

4thebirds...
... The latest on Pujols' decision to have or not have surgery.

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Three worthy of being NL's top skipper | MLB.com: News

Three worthy of being NL's top skipper MLB.com: News: "Lou Piniella has the Cubs in position for a second straight division crown.

Tony La Russa took an overhauled Cardinals club that many thought destined for also-ran status and has it playing contending baseball.

Jerry Manuel turned around an underachieving Mets team and has it pointed toward the playoffs."

4thebirds...
... Guess who we're voting for?

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Rosenblog| Chicago Tribune | Blog

Rosenblog Chicago Tribune Blog: "The Cubs have induced rampant panic by losing eight of nine games. They have caused chaos with injuries to two pitchers who would be among your top three playoff starters. They have set off the eruption of Mount St. Piniella after their best pitcher couldn’t hold a 3-0 lead against the supposedly plummeting Cardinals."

4thebirds...
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Bernie’s Extra Points » Blog Archive » The Strange NL Central

Bernie’s Extra Points » Blog Archive » The Strange NL Central: "What the heck is going on here?"

4thebirds...
... I'll tell you what's going on here. Bernie's not talking '09 any more.

It seems 4thebirds and about three other blogs were the only ones screaming that the Cards have every bit of a chance to get that Wild Card.

There's no halfway, folks, you're in or your out.

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