1 encouraging, 2 discouraging signs from Dodgers sweep of Cardinals

The results have been disappointing, but there have been some signs the Cardinals can move forward from this west coast road trip.

The Cardinals began their final series of this tumultuous road trip hoping to turn things around against the Dodgers. But as John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, noted at the beginning of the series, to do the same thing repeatedly and expect different results is insanity.

The Cardinals' results from this series have come close to insanity. It's incredibly frustrating. And, to be told by Mozeliak to practice some patience with the team seems insulting, as fans have been dealing with these same results for several seasons except for swapping out some players.

Thankfully, the team has the day off Monday. It'll be disappointing if there aren't significant changes for the team's betterment. We should expect some movement between St. Louis and the AAA Memphis squad. It would be great to see more, but that's asking too much for now. Adam Wainwright could be returning to start. There could be some movement from the rotation to the bullpen as well. And where to begin with the line-up. With so much talent, it's terrible to see the lack of timely hitting.

Encouraging: April is over

As Justin Timberlake would say, It's gonna be May. The team can turn the calendar to a new month of opportunities. It's a more exciting prospect when your team is in the depths of their worst start in over fifty years.

It does lead to the hope that we see Nolan Arenado start to hit with some authority again. Tyler O'Neill should get the opportunity to permanently win the job of left fielder and keep a spot in the lineup. It's frustrating to see these two players not play as we know they can.

opportunitywinningIt will be a new opportunity to make some changes, gain some consistency and go on a win streak. It will be nice to see them play how we know they are capable.

Discouraging: Oli Marmol doesn't seem overly concerned

Since the incident when Marmol publicly criticized Tyler O'Neill for a perceived lack of hustle. the manager seems to have backed down and now parrots the company line that the team will improve. We must maintain patience because the team is resilient and this will all serve them well in the long run.

It doesn't help the thought that Marmol is a puppet with Mozeliak pulling the strings.

It also doesn't help matters that their manager has seemingly been silenced after an attempt to encourage a player went terribly. It's good to have a manager try to promote. The shot went wrong this time. Marmol can't be permanently silenced, though. He can't keep toting the company line like a parrot. Mozeliak hired Marmol because he was ready for the job. He had one regrettable communication lapse.

The team needs Marmol speaking out and fighting with and for them. The team looks lost. Marmol needs to take the lead and get them out of the darkness.

After Monday's off day, the Cardinals will take on the Angels and Tigers. Here's hoping things take a turn in the right direction.