The hitting looked great for the most part, although the pitching left a little to be desired.
Wainer struggled, although the weather was for the hitters today.

However, the 2-5 hitters went a combined 12 for 22, with 4 HRs and 1 3B, along with 10 RBI. Nice.

Let’s put together a nice homestand for a change, and re-take the NL Central…

Greet the Mets, hopefully with a broom.
Well, it’s on…in 4 hours anyway. The Metropolitans are getting their chance at revenge for the National League pennant that should have been theirs, by their reckoning, or at least that of many of their fans.

That’s why the play the games. Even Cardinals fans would admit that a lot of times the better team doesn’t win (see 1985 WS Game 6 or 1968 WS Game 7). However, the delusion that the Mets were a much better team than the Cardinals at that point really should end. The Cards’ pitching was good enough to win in 7, and aside from one game (Game 4 in St. Louis), the Mets potent lineup was nullified.

And, oh by the way, Carlos Beltran is still dreaming about that called third strike. And he still can’t swing at it. That being said, good luck this season to Mets’ fans. Let’s hope there’s another Mets-Cards NLCS. It’s the way it should be.

That is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen…
A game-winning, walk-off, grand-slam home run by Gary Bennett. I can’t even say how happy I am right now. That was amazing.

It reminded me of Jim Edmonds’ Game 6 walk-off homer in the 2004 NLCS. Same kind of emotion. Intense. Finally, this team is starting to feel like a team. Like they care. This might be the start of something good.

I predicted a home stand of 8-1, and so far they’re 3-0. So they just have to win 5 out of the next 6 versus the Marlins and Pirates. Marlins are playing well…so that’ll be easier said than done. But I believe they’ll sweep the Pirates. I’m sure some payback is in order after the sweep in P-burgh.

Despite my other worries, I’ll go to bed happy tonight!

Against the Cubs for cryin’ out loud!

Carp doesn’t get the decision…but a Cy Young type performance regardless. The bottom end of the lineup produces today, solely in the form of Gary Bennett. I’d almost rather he start most of the games the rest of the season, and I’m not just talking about his hot streak. Seems more calm behind the plate, and isn’t a total black hole in the 8 spot. Has been better at blocking balls in the dirt too.

The “core” guys need to start hitting, though. Weaver is going to give up more than 1 run tomorrow night. I guarantee it.

With Carp going tonight, I’m somewhat hopeful that the Redbirds can win this series. 3 out of 4 before the break would be a nice momentum builder, especially with their horrid stretch before this weekend.
Anyway, I’ve been out of town on personal business…and with very little internet access and no satellite TV, so I’ve missed the excitement of the last couple of nights. But I’m back in civilization and caught video highlights on the official site, and I’m happy that J-Ed is beginning to look like the ‘cusp-of-Hall-of-Fame’ player he’s been over his stretch as a Cardinal centerfielder. I’d write an ‘Incline and Rise of Jim Edmonds’ post, but it might jinx him. But I’ll think about it.

Albert seems to be returning to form, too…especially ‘the Assassin’s Grin’. Hat tip to Viva El Birdos for coining a new Cardinals catch-phrase.

Don’t look now…but he’s on pace for 25 for the season. Considering his low power numbers at the beginning of the season due to his shoulder surgery, he’s coming on nicely. He’s looking like the old Scott Rolen…but now he’s a better hitter, at least this season. History says his average will come down, but I think he’ll finish the season above .330.
And as I’m typing this, J-Ed hits his 9th. Maybe, just maybe, this team is starting to come around again.

And I’m talking about a number, not the number of the third baseman. Although he was just HBP.
Albert just put one away, with 2 on base. I’m not holding my breath to see if the Cardinals rotation and bullpen can do the same…

C’mon Jimmy…let ’em have it!

Back from the land of the dead…or at least, the land of ‘finding it hard to write about a bad team,’ which is what the Cardinals are at this point in time.
What can you say about an 8-game losing streak? I could actually say a lot…but I didn’t watch many of the games, and writing about a ****-fest really isn’t my bag. So, since the Memphis Redbirds are in the Duke City tonight, I thought I’d go check ’em out. I’ll finally get to see John ‘Stranded in limbo’ Gall. I’ll write about it tomorrow.

In the meantime, check out some of the other Cardinals MLBlogs…there’s a great bunch of people blogging about the reduced Redbirds.

but I’m not going to lay into Mark Mulder. The guy has some issues right now, the first of which is that I could hit a home run off of him. Why that’s so, no one seems to know. If Mulder knows, he’s not saying.
He claims he’s not injured, but Duncan thinks his mechanics are flawed. He allegedly threw an ‘electric’ practice session within the last couple of days, but I’d guess Joe Crede wasn’t there at the plate with a bat on his shoulder.

Something has got to give…and throwing a sieve (actually 2, let’s not forget Ponson) out there every 5 days will not get the Cardinals wins. It looks like young Mr. Reyes will be pitching on Thursday. I wish him well. He’s going to need it. But I think he’s got the stuff and mental toughness to succeed and hang with the big club.

All this aside, the American League is clearly the better league right now. Maybe more on that later…

  

Reverend Redbird employs Win Probability Charts from FanGraphs at his site, and I thought I’d try it.

The interesting thing to me is that after the Redbirds took an 8-1 lead in the bottom of the 8th, the Rockies had no chance to win, according to the formula.