Emotional Win Last Night

05/22/2012

Padres 0 Cardinals 4

Dear Adam Wainwright,

Congratulations!  As someone who witnessed my sister rehab from knee surgery this past winter, watched her frustrations earlier this track season, and shared in her joy when she received three state medals last weekend,  I have a little insight into the emotions you experienced after last night's victory.

Your emotional post game comments about what last night's victory meant to you after you spent a year rehabbing from Tommy John-- I can only imagine the struggles you through daily and the doubt that surfaced this year in your mind after a inconsistent starts.

Let me just say, Waino, I believe in you.

Great work last night:

 9 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 9 K

 

Til Later!

Finished with the NL Central (for now)

05/06/2012

Cardinals 8 Astros 1

"Now we won a ballgame yesterday. If we win one today, that's two in a row. We win one tomorrow, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before." 

Lou Brown in Major League II

Dear Tyler Greene,

It's like you heard me complaining about you being in the lineup Sunday. I mean, that's the only explanation I can think to explain your beast mode performance. 

Your batting stats from Sunday:

3 for 3, with 2 HR, 1  double, 3 Runs Scored, 4 RBI.

I think that warrants another start. Your batting average is now .256. It was .200 before the game.

Who knows? Maybe you are on an upward swing?

EXTRA:
Adam is now a game under .500! Strong start yesterday! (Dare I say it? Waino Bueno!) And, happy flight! from Houston to Phoenix, Arizona.

'Til Later

"Happy Flight!" meter:  5/8

The first W

05/01/2012

Pirates 7 Cardinals 10

Dear Cards,

Congratulations for scoring your first runs while Wainwright's on the mound!  It only took a whole month!

Allen Craig-- welcome back.  You're like a shot in the arm.

David Freese-- you strike out a lot, but somehow you always come through at the best times.

Yadi Molina-- I really think you have some invisible shield you put on when on the bases. Two stolen bases last night and you're second on the team in stolen bases. 

Matty-- great game yesterday.  I hope this is the start of your average trending upward. Oh, and can you take your friend Carlos Beltran along, too?  He is starting to tailspin (of course, I think it's because he hits best in the two-hole, but no one else thinks this argument has any weight.)

Adam Wainwright-- congratulations on your first "W" since 2010!

Fernando Salas-- please get your stuff together because it is getting ugly.  Last night you came into a 10-4 game and proceeded to make it a proper ball game instead of keeping it a laugher.  I like laughers (clarification: when the Cardinals are winning).  I do not like two hits and two walks in a one inning relief appearance. Confounding.  It was even more confounding how Matheny left you in after it was obvious you weren't going to get any more than two outs.

'Til Later!

Tossed into the 'ssippi:  Fernando Salas

I have nothing*

04/24/2012

Cardinals 2 Reds 3

Final/10

Redbirds--

No, seriously. I have nothing. Nothing to say.  Due to last night's poorly written Whitney Houston* Glee episode (*see what I did there?) and the Cardinals team I've watched during this road trip, I am only filled with consternation.

Wait.

I do have a few observations:

1. Umpires SUCK!!

2. Wainwright pitched very well. (And he got a no decision, not a loss! So, we're getting closer to that big W each time out.)

3. Blown saves suck more than umpires, especially on back-to-back nights.

4. The "NL best offense" is currently looking like its worse.

5. Watch Holliday finally stop being the one black hole in the line up only to have all the rest of the guys become a big black hole of suck.

6. What team is going to show up this weekend versus the Brewers? Will we begin May out of first place?

Whoops. Number six is questions... oh well. That is all.

Wait.

I have a suggestion: Win today and make this a .500 road trip. Got it? Cool.

'Til Later

*Meanwhile, I've two song title posts in a row! Whitney killed this song in The Bodyguard:

Enjoy! Maybe it'll brighten up what has been a lousy week in the baseball department.

Don't Stop Believing...

04/23/2012

Cardinals 2 Cubs 3

Dear Cards,

Seriously, boys? Is this how our/your string of consecutive series going to end? At the hands of the Chicago Cubs?

I know, I know there are two more games to play in the series.  It isn't over yet, the fat lady isn't singing, don't stop believing.

Well, I can hear the fat lady running through her vocal exercises.  No offense to Adam Wainwright, but he isn't the same pitcher.  It's not his fault.  He probably won't be the Adam Wainwright of yore until August.

I am hopeful he can hold back the Cubs offense just enough that we can score enough runs to win, but the NL best offense is currently not clicking on all cylinders. (Although, maybe we are.  Yesterday's pitcher, Matt Garza,  is a good pitcher and good pitchers have the annoying tendency of shutting down good hitting.)

We really need to win this game tonight, Wainwright.  Offense, you all need to do your thing tonight (no, not the striking out and leaving a ton of men on base,  the other thing-- getting loads of hits and scoring most of the men who get on base). 

Tonight is MUST WIN if you want to have a rubber game tomorrow, if you want a chance of keeping the streak alive and winning a series tomorrow. (To state the obvious).

Adam was better last time, hopefully he'll improve even more.  Maybe this time you hitters can actually score runs while he's on the mound, too.

I feel like this is the first big test of the season-- a mid-term, if you will. It's like everything else-- Berkman going on the DL, center fielders running into walls-- were quizzes.  Although, Chris Carpenter being out indefinitely is a test.

'Til Later!

PS I hope I'm happy later tonight and not bombed out. 

Crushed Hopes (no longer undefeated)

04/07/2012

Cardinals 0 Brewers 6

Dear 'birds,

I do not like losing... at least it came against a pitcher who went undefeated at home last season.

Adam Wainwright looked good in his return.  Well, his numbers (5.2 IP, 4 Hits, 3ER, 1 BB, 1 K) were good, and his breaking pitches were great.

I hope we won't get shut out anymore this season.  I hate not scoring at all. 

Just win the series tomorrow, boys.  I'm worried because Lance Lynn is pitching tomorrow... what if he is taken out early and it becomes a bullpen game, ruining the bullpen for the Cincinnati series?  I am worried that whoever is pitching for Milwaukee will keep the bats quiet.  I hope not.  I will be disgusted if that happens.  Prove me wrong, Cards.  I want to write about how silly my fears were tomorrow.

This is a good opportunity to show how you respond to losing.  I wonder how Mike Matheny is handling his first loss.

Tomorrow is a "get away day"-- will it be a "happy flight?"

'Til Later