Matthew Leach, the Cardinals beat writer for MLB.com, was kind enough to answer some of my questions on the major storylines so far in the season. Below, find his thoughts on Albert Pujols’ future in St. Louis, the rise of David Freese and Colby Rasmus, what to expect come October, and more.

The Cardinals have picked up their play over the past week heading into their showdown with another surging team, the Dodgers. Colby Rasmus has been the key to the team’s newfound energy. The hot young center fielder hit .500 during the week to go with three home runs and nine RBIs. He also scored six runs and had a game-winning hit during his streak. Rasmus’ batting average skyrocketed from .262 to .293.
The big week earned him honors as the National League Player of the Week.
Albert Pujols has also found his stroke following a frustrating month and a heated exchange with [...]

Colby Rasmus singled in Aaron Miles with one out in the 11th inning to give the Cards a 5-4 win. The win puts St. Louis 10 games over .500 for the first time since early May. The Redbirds are in a battle with Cincinnati for first, but it appears they have regained some of their early season swagger.
Albert Pujols is a big reason. The superstar hit another home run after his three-homer day last week at Wrigley. Pujols is looking better at the plate and leading the offensive charge.
The offense was firing on all cylinders early with a four-run first [...]

After a full day of Albert Pujols talk, the focus shifted back to the action on the diamond. St. Louis used a four-run sixth inning to take control and win the game 5-4. Ryan Ludwick started the explosion with an RBI double. He also accounted for the Cards only other run with a homer in the fourth. Yadier Molina and David Freese drove in the other three runs to put St. Louis up 5-2. Blake Hawksworth made things interesting in the seventh with a throwing error that allowed a run to score and set up another. He left after 1/3 [...]

No need for Felipe Lopez or Joe Mather tonight — or anyone in relief for that matter.
A night after the 20 inning marathon, Adam Wainwright gave the bullpen some much needed rest and led the Cardinals to a 5-3 victory. He went the full nine innings, gave up three runs (2 ER) and struck out nine. After a rough start that was aided by a freak error when Wainwright slipped on the “chalk” circling home plate, Waino settled in for a dominant performance. In the final seven innings he allowed one hit and left the Mets bats frustrated for another [...]

When Matt Holliday was reintroduced this month after signing his nice new contract (7 years, $120 million), the Cards’ leftfielder decided to switch numbers. Instead of the number 15 he sported in 2009, Holliday will now take the field wearing the number 7 jersey. The change was one Holliday made to pay homage to Cardinals great Jim Edmonds, who wore 15 while roving centerfield from 2000-2007.
Perhaps, the switch could be more than just a small tribute. Number 15 may not have to sit on the shelf for the 2010 season. No, Holliday didn’t switch back. Jim Edmonds wants to put [...]

Coming off one of the worst stretches of Cardinal baseball I’ve ever witnessed, the Redbirds came to my town in hopes of getting back on track against the Marlins.  I was in attendance for all three games of the series.
Game one was a nail biter that ended badly with a walk off homer from Jeremy Hermida off of Jason Motte in the ninth.  The Fish won 4-3.  The loss was the fifth straight for St. Louis.  When would it end?
One of the first things I noticed in game two was a kid in a Marlins jersey a few rows in [...]

We’re going to need more brooms.
First, the Brewers swept the Cardinals in a three game series with their win on Sunday in St. Louis.  Then the Cards did some sweeping of their own, taking all three games from the visiting Chicago Cubs.  And now, there’s a pile of broken glass somewhere under Big Mac Land at Busch, thanks to a first inning blast off the bat of Albert Pujols.  Somebody’s got to clean that up.
Pujols’ home run was measured at 418 feet, and shattered the “I” in the illuminated Big Mac Land sign on the upper deck in left field.
Pujols [...]

After my trip to St. Louis for another exciting (but dissappointing) Opening Day, and being on an airplane during last night’s game, I was pretty excited to watch my first Cardinal telecast tonight. More on my trip in a minute.
The Cards were hoping to get a solid performance from tonight’s starter Todd Wellemeyer en route to a win over Pittsburgh, and at least, an opening series tie.  Instead, the Colonel was roughed up for 5 runs on 12 hits.  He also walked a pair, and needed 93 pitches to get through 5 innings.
Even though he didn’t particularly have a good [...]

After the Cardinals beat the Marlins 6-3 today in their final Grapefruit League game of the spring, the club optioned outfielder Joe Mather to Triple-A Memphis.  The remaining twenty-five players will be your 2009 Cardinals on Opening Day.
Surviving the cut, and making the big league roster are top prospect Colby Rasmus, third base stand-in David Freese, and utility infielders Brendan Ryan, Joe Thurston, and Brian Barden.
I can’t remember a Cardinal team filled with so many versatile players.  Of the five outfielders (counting Skip Schumaker), four are capable of playing all three outfield positions, and of course Skip is the starting [...]