Reyes Gets the Win

Who would have thought?  The once mighty St. Louis Cardinals, clearly on the decline (according to the “experts”), start the 2008 season 6-2.  Maybe the ease of the April schedule should get some credit for the hot start. Obviously the outstanding pitching performances from the starting five weren’t going to last forever.  Most of us would have been happy to be a .500 club right now.  Either way, a win is a win.

Credit this one to Anthony Reyes.  After starter Brad Thompson ran up his pitch count in the third, he was only able to go four innings, striking out five, but leaving the game down 3-2.  Tony La Russa called upon Reyes for long relief, who faced only one over the minimum in three innings of work. His only blemish was a two out triple given up to the slumping Hunter Pence, before inducing a ground out from Lance Berkman.  Reyes now has half as many wins as he did in all of 2007.

Cardinal third baseman Troy Glaus provided the two go-ahead RBI on a double in the eighth.  Ryan Franklin pitched a scoreless bottom half, and Jason Isringhausen closed it out with his fourth save of the season in as many chances.  Here’s the full box score.

If tonight was an audition for Thompson to keep his spot in the rotation, he may have failed.  I’m not disappointed in his outing by any means, but it’s been reported that Joel Pineiro, after his rehab assignment, would slot into the rotation for Sunday, Thompson’s spot.  If that were the case, one would assume that Thompson joins the guys in the bullpen, and Kelvin Jimenez would be optioned back to Memphis.

The Cards have a chance tomorrow to start the year with three straight series wins.  Braden Looper gets the ball for the Redbirds, opposed by Houston’s Chris Sampson.

Finally, according to Matthew Leach, the Cardinals’ beat writer for MLB.com, lefty starter Mark Mulder is another step closer in his battle back to join the rotation.  Find that story here.  A healthy Mulder would displace another Cardinal starter, most likely Todd Wellemeyer or Braden Looper.  The way things have started, I’d be hesitant to replace any of them.