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The anticipated sequel to the Mets taking 2 of 3 in St. Louis earlier in the month.
[url=http://cranepoolforum.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=9459]The basics[/url] remain the same.
Since we last filed out of the theater, nothing much has changed for the Cardinals themselves. They've gone from 11 games over .500 to 10, from 2.5 games back to 4. The roster remains mostly the same, with Duncan moving to the DL and Izturis coming back. Wainwright, Mulder, and Carpenter are still hurt. Ankiel's gotten hotter (hits in each of his last 7 games including 2 HR), Ludwick's still raking (.961 OPS?!), Pujols is Pujols, Looper still has a stupid face, LaRussa keeps batting pitchers 8th because he's a misunderstood drunken genius. Blah blah blah blah blah.
What has changed for St. Louis is their playing environment. The Cubs have added Rich Harden in an attempt to tread water until Soriano comes back, then rocket into the home stretch. The Brewers have CC Sabathia now, and have gone into snack attack mode with 8 straight wins, including a 4 game sweep of St. Louis that pushed Milwaukee past them into 2nd place in the Central. With the deadline approaching, St. Louis needs to evaluate on the fly and determine whether they should be making a move to fix their floundering rotation and bullpen, or one to build for next season. I think 3 Mets wins would make the decision a lot easier.
Pitching Matchups
Mitchell Boggs 28.2 IP, 3-1, 6.59 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 12K/17BB versus Mike Pelfrey 115.2 IP, 8-6, 3.81 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 68K/44BB
Once upon a time, Mitchell Boggs was recalled from AAA-Memphis to make a start against the Mets. The Mets hit everything he threw, and Boggs was sad. But mean old Manager LaRussa left him in for 6 innings anyway, letting him absorb 10 earned runs in a blowout loss. Something about saving the bullpen or building character. A few days later he was demoted to AAA. The end.
A few days ago, Boggs was again recalled from AAA. He hasn't appeared in a major league game since being shelled by the Mets. I'm anticipating the sequel.
Mike Pelfrey is a great pitcher. Always has been. We have loved him unconditionally since the start.
Joel Pineiro 93.2 IP, 3-4, 4.52 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 47K/24BB versus Brandon Knight ---
Joel Pineiro is one of those guys who illustrates the difference between "command" and "control" by throwing a lot of balls over the plate and watching a good percentage of them sent hurtling in the opposite direction. Pineiro has allowed 46 hits in 30.2 innings over his last 5 starts. He made a ridiculous kick-save and catch on a comebacker earlier in the year. I can't find the video. Snore.
Brandon Knight has made a living bouncing around between lower-tiered professional teams, including the Nippon Ham Fighters, Somerset Patriots, and New York Yankees. He planned on making the leap to coaching in 2008, but instead took a contract with New Orleans and ran with it to the tune of a 1.60 ERA and 49K/10BB ratio in 39.1 innings of mixed starting/bullpen duty. He was selected as a US Olympian in Beijing. If he pitches really well maybe we can buy him a surgical mask to breathe through.
Kyle Lohse 134 IP, 12-2, 3.35 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 70K/31BB versus Johan Santana 138.2 IP, 8-7, 3.05 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 120K/38BB
Kyle Lohse still hasn't stopped be stubbornly excellent. He was great in his last start, against the Brewers, but the bullpen gave away a tie game. Lohse basically dominated the Mets when they met at the end of June, and the bastard hasn't lost a decision since early May.
Johan Santana retrieved an old woman's cat from a tree. She beat him with her purse when he returned it. Then the cat pissed on him.
Bullpen Matters
Closer Ryan Franklin has been getting hammered left and right lately, meaning he may soon lose that title. Jason Isringhausen isn't any better. Kyle McClellan is, but I don't like how is last name looks with all those c's and l's squished up in the middle. Russ Springer and Ron Villone are both approaching their 40th birthdays. The former has a sub-2 ERA and the latter is a LOOGY who, despite a party-sized ERA and WHIP, has only allowed 4 baserunners in his last 11 outings.
X Marks
Fernando Tatis was all kinds of hot shit for the Cards back at the turn of the millennium. Marlon Anderson had an OPS+ of 66 in 253 ABs for StL in 2004. Hello, brothers. Jason Isringhausen: exasperating Mets starter turned successful Cardinals reliever. Braden Looper: exasperating Mets reliever turned successful Cardinals starter. Once prompted me to make an MSPaint job of his likeness being mauled by a lion out of spur-of-the-moment frustration. I no longer have the file.
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