Move over Spider Man, I'm in love with Captain America!

05/22/2012

Padres 3 Cardinals 4

Dear Cards,

 Steve Rogers/ Captain America: Doc... I think now is the perfect time for you to get angry.

Dr. Bruce Banner/ Hulk: That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry.

I saw the 6:45 showing of The Avengers last night.  It was amazing! Well- written and funny.  I love Captain America.  Steve Rogers, the Avengers' great leader.  I adore his assertiveness, his confidence, his courage, his selflessness.  And his very nice physique.

Honestly, I love all the Avengers. But I would marry Captain America in a heartbeat.

I missed the game because it started at 7:15 PM.  The plan was for me to watch the replay at 12 AM when I came back from my night out.  However, Fox Sports had serious issues last night and did not show the game replay. :(

This is the first game of the season where I had to make due with post game comments and Internet video.

I was able to rewind the DVR back to the eighth inning to watch the Padres take a 3-2 lead over the Cardinals and the Cardinals reclaim that lead in the bottom of the eighth with a 2-run bomb by Tyler Greene (of all the guys to save us from another defeat).

Great job, Tyler!   And Jaime, way to go deep into the game! Too bad you didn't record an out in the 8th inning, but maybe next time, right?  Also, I think it's sick that you struck out 7 over 7 innings using only 92 pitches.  Efficiency for the win!

Now, we just need the other starters to step up and go deeper into games.  Our next off day is a long ways away-- June 11th (the last one was May 10th)-- and the bullpen is going to fall apart even more if you starters don't get you stuff together.*

Jaime seems to have his stuff together, now.  Our last win before last night's was his last start (May 16 vs. San Francisco).

No, don't apologize! It was pleasurable!

Last night, Fox Sports Midwest was one of the Fox Sports outlets that experienced technical difficulties.  Fortunately for Cardinals fans, this resulted in viewing the (less painful, due to legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg) Padres broadcast with NO COMMERCIALS!!

I pretty much missed the best night of Cardinals baseball ever (ha ha, hyperbole, much?), considering that I wouldn't have had to suffer through Dan, Al, and Rick (although he later joined the telecast and the Padres post game show).

FSM apologized to Cardinals fans today.  But in all honesty, the technical mess Fox Sports dealt with last night probably prevented some fans from succumbing to the strong urge one feels when watching the Cardinals broadcast at times-- the overwhelming desire to get rid of your hearing organs any way, any how. 

Til Later!

*Edited on May 30th to add: I can't count or read a calendar correctly, the next off day is  tomorrow, May 31st. (I want the team to have a break, but WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO WITH MYSELF TOMORROW?!)

McCovey Cove

05/16/2012

Cardinals 4 Giants 1

Dear 'birds,

Game time temperature in the ballpark by the bay was in the 50s, but Mr. Freese's bat shook it's thaw and delivered three hits, including the game winning RBI.

Interesting David Freese home/road issue:

At home (15 games): .196 average/ .646 OPS/ 2 homers/ 10 RBI. And on the road (20 games): .346 average/ 1.021 OPS/ 6 homers/ 18 RBI.

The pitching last night was spectacular.  It was fun watching the young lefty starters (Jaime Garcia and San Francisco's  Madison Baumgartner) showcase their skills.  I am glad the Cardinal batters were able to break through, because it was definitely a clinic in pitching last night.

I know that the Giants have outstanding pitching, but has anyone ever wonder if their pitching is so good because the ballpark is so cold?  Maybe that's why their offense is so bad.  Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad if they didn't play in frigid temperatures half the time.

I guess I should look up some home/road splits for the Gigantes:

This season, Giants hitters, at home (18 games): .256 average/6 homers/52 runs scored. And on the road(19 games): .260/19 homers /82 runs scored .  No major difference in average, but a considerable difference in power, though.

This season, Giants pitchers, at home (18 games): 2.37 ERA/8 homers/51 runs against, 44 earned runs. And on the road (19 games): 4.32/15 homers/91 runs against, 78 earned runs. So, much worse on the road than at home. Oh, the benefits of playing 81 games in a pitcher's ballpark! Although, looking at other years, Giants pitchers were pretty much spectacular regardless of the setting.

'Til Later!

Losses are depressing

05/11/2012

Braves 9 Cardinals 7

Final/12

Dear Cardinals,

Hey, at least you all made it a ballgame yesterday. We came very close to giving a crappy effort and losing outright on the day that Tony La Russa's number was  retired.

The worse part is that the offense obviously showed up, we just failed to execute on other parts of the game.  I hate when that happens.  For instance, 2 Braves runs scored on passed balls in the first inning.

It looked as though it was going to be a loooong night for Jaime, and it kind of was, but his teammates kept him in the game and he wound up pitching okay.  He got a no decision, at least. Almost had the win.

Anyway, get 'em today! I want a rubber game tomorrow!

Til Later!

Strikkkkkʞkʞkeouts are Fascist!

Jaime Garcia had nine strikeouts today, striking out two batters looking-- which is apparently why scorers use backward k's.  I always thought it was just arbitrary..."oh, let's shake up this line of K's and write this one backwards," but alas, it appears nothing in baseball is without reason.  (Now whether that reason makes good and proper sense is another story.)

It's only Spring Training, but winning ballgames is a great habit start in March.  The Redbirds have now won five straight!  They had been doing that annoying flirt 'get a game over .500 and lose the next day' bit I especially hate, but now they have a 11-6-1 record.  Really, though, your spring record has no correlation at all with the regular season, but at least the players leave the field feeling happy.  I know if I were a player and I had lost a game, the rest of my day would be ruined.  Even if it's only spring training.

Today's game was beautiful baseball.  I liked the team that played today-- great hitting (But only one hit for extra bases and thirteen singles today, which is only great if they come in bunches or if you have a fast runner on who'll steal his way into scoring position), great pitching (only four hits allowed and  thirteen strikeouts, all by left-handers), and smart baserunning.  Gorgeous. 

Here's a fun video from the great movie Bull Durham when Crash (Kevin Costner!) tells Nuke (I don't know who this is, and I'm too lazy to google it.)  that strikeouts are fascist.