A loss is one thing, and a blowout is another, but getting romped by arguably the worst team in the National League is just plain ugly.  The game today was an unpleasant reminder of 2007.  I remember so many times last season turning on the game to find the Cardinals down big in the early innings.
At first, the outcome was somewhat of a surprise to me.  Last year, the lopsided losses usually came from the arms of Kip Wells, Mike Maroth, or Anthony Reyes. Maybe my memory was clouded by the 3-0 start to ‘08 by Braden Looper, but I [...]

You can’t win if you don’t score, and in yesterday’s game, Giants’ starter Tim Lincecum made sure the Cardinals didn’t score.  The 3-0 defeat was the first time this season that the Cards were shutout.  They had a few opportunities, but the young Lincecum got big outs when it mattered most.  In the fourth, the Cardinals had two on with no outs, with Albert Pujols, Rick Ankiel, and Adam Kennedy due up.  Two strikeouts and a ground out later, the Cardinals still had no runs.  Pujols saw his 10-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0 for 3 [...]

Those were the words of Cardinals’ broadcaster Al Hrabosky in reference to all the giveaways a fan will receive after last night’s win over the Giants.  Of course the Cardinals must have played well in order for you to qualify for all that free crap.
As I speculated yesterday, a good performance from starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer would be an essential part of a win for the Cards.  He was outstanding again.  Beginning the game by striking out the side, in order, Wellemeyer pitched seven solid innings, allowing one run on four hits, while striking out six.  His 26 strikeouts ranks [...]

Weather permitting, the Cardinals will play the first of three at home against the Giants tonight. Todd Wellemeyer gets the start for St. Louis, and hopes to better his last performance.  Last Saturday in San Francisco, he pitched brilliantly through five, striking out seven, before running out of gas in the sixth.  While the Giants’ starter in that game, Matt Cain, was just as good or better, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to keep the Cardinal bats as quiet again tonight.  Runs may be at a premium, so it’s important for the Redbirds to be able to drive them in [...]

The Cardinals let a lead slip away late in the game today, and fell 5-3 to the Milwaukee Brewers. Unfortunately, I was slammed at work today and didn’t get to see any of it.  I did have Mike Shannon and John Rooney tuned in on XM, but was consumed in my work and didn’t hear much of it either.  So, if you missed the game like I did, check out Matthew Leach’s recap on the Cardinals’ official website.
Even after the loss, The Cardinals remain in first place in the Central, ahead of Milwaukee and Chicago by a game and a [...]

They say pitching wins ball games, and that certainly was the case last night in the Cardinals’ 6-1 win over the Brewers.  Braden Looper might not have had his best stuff, nor was he able to go deep into the game, but he did execute the game plan well, pitching around Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder, and allowing only three hits in five-plus innings.With the 2007 Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun out of the lineup, it was an easy decision for Tony La Russa to avoid giving Fielder anything to hit.  Not allowing the opposition’s best to beat you is [...]

Back to baseball.  Sure, the players need days off, but I’m not so sure about the fans. The much anticipated series with Milwaukee starts tonight, and could turn out to be a better indicator of where the Cardinals rank amongst the league’s better teams. Milwaukee brings along a record of 8-4, a half game back of St. Louis in the Central.
The Brewers got off to an incredible start in 2007, running away with the division early, but couldn’t hold on down the stretch, giving the Cubs the crown.  Their team is a year older, and more experienced, and once again [...]

The Cards have the day off today, so there’s no better time to show another commercial from the team’s new ad campaign.  I posted one starring Rick Ankiel on Thursday. This spot stars Fredbird, the league’s best mascot.  Enjoy!

Update (8:15 pm):  Game over.  Cards lose.  Who’s to blame?  I guess no one, but maybe everyone.  You can’t win ‘em all, but I thought this one would be a tougher fought battle than it turned out to be.  In the beginning, I thought it was brilliant for Tony La Russa to have Aaron Miles sacrifice the runner over to third in the first inning. Normally, with no one out, you’d like to play for the big inning, but with Tim Lincecum on the hill for the Giants, scoring early might be the difference in the game.  Well, I was [...]

The Cardinals have started the year off hot, going 9-3 in the first 12 games, and winning each of their first three series, with a chance to win a fourth later today.  I think we’ll have a better idea of what’s to come from this season after they play some more formidable opponents.  That starts after the off-day tomorrow, with a three game series at home against Milwaukee.  So far, the Cards have taken advantage of what seems to be an easier April schedule than most.  But, a win in April is every bit as good as a win in [...]