St. Louis Cardinals: The Hangover Continues

After a hot start to the season, it looks like the St. Louis Cardinals are headed in the wrong direction.

Whether this is hangover from the Adam Wainwright injury or just the team slowing down following a hot start, the Cardinals can’t afford to squander a lot of that goodwill.

Monday at Busch Stadium was a prime example. Against the lowly Philadelphia Phillies, the Cardinals looked lethargic and dull in a 4-1 loss.

It is worth noting Cole Hamels pitched for Philadelphia. Wonder if this will ignite any trade talks between the clubs?

Here are the highs and lows from Busch:

*The top of the order paid off well in the third inning, when Matt Holliday brought Matt Carpenter home on a base hit to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

*To be fair, John Lackey didn’t look bad at all. It wasn’t until the seventh inning, when the Phillies scored three runs, that Philadelphia finally got to Lackey’s pitching.

*The 4-5-6 hitters in the lineup combined to go 0-for-12. That’s not the type of production you need when you are trying to win games.

With the Chicago Cubs shutting out the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0, the Cubs moved within one game of St. Louis (12-6) for the top spot in the National League Central. The Cubs and Cards have four next week at Busch in what should be a wild and entertaining series.

But first, the St. Louis Cardinals have to overcome adversity. Michael Wacha takes the hill on Tuesday at 8:15 p.m.