Cardinals News

"Undone by the type of runaway inning he has labored to contain, Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse must now halt his skid before it undermines his start to the season. The Colorado Rockies pelted Lohse for four two-out runs in the first inning to send the Cardinals to a 9-3 clunker Thursday at Coors Field. Lohse retired the first two batters of the game and got ahead of a few hitters after that. But quicker than he could figure out a tight strike zone or overcome an infield bobble, a second consecutive start was awash in runs."

"If Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick continues to swing like one of the top hitters in the National League, he just might get enough at-bats to rank with them. Ludwick finished a power-packed series against Colorado with two home runs in Thursday's loss to the Rockies, and he elevated his slugging percentage to .758. That would be the best in baseball, except for a technicality. He doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify."

"The Cardinals decided to remove Adam Wainwright after seven shutout innings Wednesday not only because the bullpen was available that night but because they want Wainwright available for many more nights. "I didn’t think it was smart to push," manager Tony La Russa said Thursday."

"The Rockies would like to feel they finally are starting to get a little momentum in their plight to be a factor in the National League West race this season. They will get a much better idea of whether that's true tonight. They are coming off back-to- back victories against the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals, 9-3 on Thursday afternoon at Coors Filed on the heels of an eighth-inning rally for a 4-3 victory Wednesday night. It is the Rockies' first back-to-back wins in three weeks."

"Suddenly, the Rockies' revolving rotation doesn't look so wobbly. Thanks to Jorge De La Rosa. Less than two weeks removed from pitching for the Triple-A Omaha Royals, and just five days after his dubious debut in a Rockies uniform, the left-hander from Mexico showed his best stuff Thursday afternoon in Colorado's 9-3 victory over St. Louis. "

"Tony La Russa told first baseman Albert Pujols he was going to try to score him a day off at some point on this eight-day trip, and now, even with the first baseman's legs "barking," the manager is having difficulty figuring out when would be best. Today's afternoon game would be ideal except, La Russa said, "against a lefthanded starter, not my favorite thing to do." Pujols had a noticeable limp Tuesday night because his left knee was bruised and swollen after his game-winning slide into home plate Monday night. Catcher Yorvit Torrealba's pads connected with Pujols' leg just below the knee."

"The Cardinals hesitate to call it another setback in the ongoing saga of Mark Mulder's two-year recovery from a shoulder injury, but Wednesday's decision to sideline the lefty for a week or more is at least a sidetrack. After meeting with the team doctor Wednesday, Mulder was judged to have a mild rotator cuff strain and was removed from his rehab assignment. He will be given at least seven days, possibly as much as two weeks, to rest his surgically rebuilt joint before again attempting a rehab assignment that would bring him back healthy to the majors."

"On the day that Tony La Russa signed a two-year contract extension to remain as Cardinals manager, we sat in his office to discuss his decision to return. With the Cardinals headed in a new direction — going with younger, more unproven players — we wondered whether La Russa would be happy. We have always associated La Russa with high-powered, big-dollar teams and lineups filled with established players. And the 2008 Cardinals were the opposite of that. La Russa caught me by surprise that day when he said he preferred to manage a younger team. Yeah, I was a little skeptical."

"Unable to provide like he expects to at the plate during this visit to Coors Field, Albert Pujols won a game with his legs Monday and had a chance to grip a victory with a catch Wednesday. But he couldn't get a glove on it. Pujols' miss in foul territory on a fly ball near the Colorado Rockies' dugout prolonged the eighth inning, stoked a Colorado rally and sabotaged the Cardinals' wobbly relief. The Rockies did what they had hinted at in the previous two games of the series, storming back for a 4-3 victory at Coors Field. "

"A long shot under any circumstances, the comeback was even more improbable, considering how the Rockies have stumbled lately. They erupted for four runs in the eighth inning Wednesday to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3. It was just the second win for the Rockies in their past seven games and their fourth in the past 17."

"Until Wednesday's eighth inning, the only reminders of last fall were above the Rockies' dugout and scoreboard: National League Champions. The title has mocked them for the better part of a month, an early-season slide a few snowflakes away from a demoralizing avalanche. "We need something to give us some life," slugger Matt Holliday said before the game. The defibrillator finally arrived courtesy of the new starting catcher and a reserve outfielder who looks like a "Deadwood" extra. Chris Iannetta's two-run triple and Ryan Spilborghs' run-scoring single shoved the Rockies to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, providing a lighthouse for a team that has lost its way. "

"The Rockies have a week to decide about the future of left- hander Mark Redman on their major league staff. He hasn't done much to make a case for himself. While a ninth-inning flurry allowed the Rockies to at least make things seem close in their 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field on Tuesday night, the tone was set in the early innings."

"Near the tail end of his career as a pitcher, Cardinals center fielder Rick Ankiel had trouble throwing strikes. He had no such problem throwing from the outfield Tuesday night. In the first inning, Ankiel caught Todd Helton's drive to center, then nailed Willy Taveras on a perfect throw to third to complete the inning-ending double play. In the eighth, he gunned down Omar Quintanilla, who appeared to have an easy triple. "I was shocked he threw me out," Quintanilla said."

"Albert Pujols smote a two-out double to right-center in the first inning of Tuesday night's game and scored, rather routinely, on a single to left. The run he scored in the ninth inning to win Monday night's game wasn't quite so routine. The Cardinals' Mr. April-May-June-July-August-September-and-October scored from second base on a 4-3 slow-roller. Pujols, the most feared, respected hitter in the game, had made the difference on Monday with his cunning, cleverness and daring, but not with his swiftness afoot. "

"The symbol for the high-flying St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night was center fielder Rick Ankiel throwing out Willy Taveras in the first inning, and then Omar Quintanilla in the eighth, with otherworldly throws to third base. The symbol for the hapless Rockies was starter Mark Redman, trudging off the mound to a smattering of boos from the patrons at Coors Field. After the Rockies' 6-5 loss, manager Clint Hurdle neatly summed up why the Rockies are tied with the San Diego Padres for the worst record in baseball at 12-21..."

"Albert Pujols' daredevil dash from second base on a groundout was the final and most dramatic turn in a see-saw duel that the Cardinals had to win several times over against Colorado on Monday. A game that saw a rookie's debut, a birthday to forget and four lead changes ended when the Cardinals didn't yield to the opportunities they had to lose the game. Pujols seized his one opportunity to win it. The Cardinals prevailed 6-5 at Coors Field when Pujols ran farther than Rick Ankiel's groundout in the ninth inning traveled."

"Walker, who retired after the 2005 season with the Cardinals, joined the Cardinals in Denver and will stay with them on their eight-day, two-city trip. He’ll work with hitters and outfielders — "if they ask," he said — and he’ll throw batting practice. His arrival coincides with first-base coach Dave McKay taking the week off from throwing BP because of a sharp pain in right shoulder."

"Mark Mulder's latest rehabilitation outing didn't do much to clear up what is becoming an increasingly murky situation surrounding the convalescing lefthander. Making his second start for the Class AAA Memphis Redbirds on Monday night — this time with Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak looking on from behind home plate — Mulder battled hard but was unable to make the big pitches in a 7-6 loss to Colorado Springs."

"Called up Sunday to serve in the bullpen, Parisi is the first member of the Cardinals' 2004 draft to reach the major leagues. While the righthander sees the lack of peers as a cautionary tale, the Cardinals take a harder message from a college-heavy draft that has been more maligned than productive. Lesson learned. "

"A game that saw a rookie's debut, a birthday to forget and four lead changes ended when the Cardinals didn't yield to the opportunities they had to lose the game. Pujols seized his one opportunity to win it. The Cardinals prevailed 6-5 at Coors Field when Pujols ran farther than Rick Ankiel's groundout in the ninth inning traveled. "You need to take that chance," Pujols said. "You need to be aggressive playing the game, and that's what I did. ... We battled and we played hard. We didn't give up on the game." "

"Five innings into the Rockies' 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field on Monday night, the emotional roller coaster that has been Colorado's season was encaptured. There was right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez faced with the challenge of Adam Kennedy having been given a one-out triple in the first on an overzealous fielding effort by right fielder Brad Hawpe. And Albert Pujols, arguably the most intimidating offensive force in the post-Bonds era, at the plate."

"Star Wars trumped The Umpire Strikes Back. Albert Pujols has broken hearts and shattered hopes. But until Monday night, his method of spoiling dreams was rather predictable. With one swing of the bat, he can make opposing fans gasp in silence. The St. Louis Cardinals' superstar sent the Rockies reeling with his running Monday, a speedy burst from second base on an infield groundout in the ninth inning securing a dramatic 6-5 victory at Coors Field. "

"A 1-2-3 ninth inning for Jason Isringhausen on Sunday night earned him his 10th save of the season, No. 291 of his career, and quieted the naysayers. "Till tomorrow," said Isringhausen, smiling. "I came off the field and one of the security guards said, 'Well, you're everybody's hero tonight.'" And so it goes for the closer. Isringhausen had given up 11 hits and eight runs in 6 2/3 innings over his last eight appearances, blowing three saves and suffering the loss two other times. But in 12 pitches, he was masterful Sunday in preserving the series-clinching 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. "

"The Anthony Reyes experiment — at least as a Cardinals reliever — is over for the moment. The Cardinals optioned Reyes, 26, to Class AAA Memphis before Sunday night’s game and recalled 24-year-old Mike Parisi from Memphis. Reyes, a starting pitcher in four professional seasons before this spring, had done good work early in his stint as a reliever but struggled in his last four outings, allowing 12 hits and six runs in seven innings."

"Tony La Russa has stumbled upon a new definition for "damage" in the No. 2 spot in his batting order. Its name is Adam Kennedy. The Cardinals second baseman, without a home run since last Aug. 7, became a painful pebble in the Chicago Cubs' cleats during Sunday night's come-from-behind 5-3 victory before 44,969 at Busch Stadium. The Cubs never found a way to retire Kennedy. As a result, the Cardinals secured the three-game series with the benefit of one extra-base hit, Todd Wellemeyer's five-inning start and a four-man bullpen tag team."

"''When things start to go out of whack, you've got to have some areas to cover yourself with,'' he said. ''Nobody goes 162 games with a 25-man roster or a 12-man pitching staff.'' A few hours later, the Cubs made the GM's point when up-and-down Jason Marquis (1-2) hit one of his down notes in an ugly start against his old team, blowing an early 2-0 lead in an eventual 5-3 loss at Busch Stadium."

"It was midafternoon just a couple of blocks from new Busch Stadium and a Cubs fan was leaning out the passenger side of a vehicle, flaunting the Cubs logo on his shirt. On the corner a legalized ticket-seller yelled at the passing car: "We love the Cubs. Y'all bring us money." Less than a block away, a fan wore a Cardinals red T-shirt with the taunting question, "Got rings?" in obvious reference to the 10 owned by St. Louis since the Cubs last won in 1908."

"Sunday night's game at Busch Stadium began as a virtual carbon copy of Rich Hill's first-inning implosion two nights earlier, only this time it was Jason Marquis playing the role of struggling starter with no clue about the strike zone. And like Friday night, it ended with the Cubs losing 5-3 to St. Louis, leaving them with three consecutive losing series as they head to Cincinnati."

"Closer Jason Isringhausen arrived at Busch Stadium Saturday with a fresh haircut and an upbeat attitude. Isringhausen sought a buzz cut after fumbling a 3-1 lead in the ninth inning of Friday’s 11-inning 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs, which raised fresh questions about his physical fitness. "I’ve never worn my hair longer until this year," Isringhausen said. "No more — a clean start.""

"Mark Mulder said Friday afternoon that he envisions no problem exiting the disabled list when his 30-day rehab assignment expires May 14. The Cardinals may privately disagree. Mulder's return from rotator cuff surgery in September became one of the most-asked questions in spring training and early April. Now, with an overachieving rotation offering the most positive surprise of the Cardinals' record-setting start, a black-and-white issue takes on several shades of gray."

"Last year's rule resurfaced Saturday as this season's exception. An out-of-control inning left the Cardinals and their starting pitcher out of position to deal with the Chicago Cubs. For three innings, Kyle Lohse was good enough to tease with what one teammate described as no-hit stuff. The fourth became a frustrating maze made up of six runs and six hits, including three for extra bases, that allowed the Cubs to even the teams' three-game weekend series with a 9-3 decision."

"The ugly unkempt mess beyond the Busch Stadium center-field fence was not unlike the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation when the season began. There was so much potential for growth, but few, if anyone, expected anything glorious to materialize. Well, the eyesore still exists outside the park — plans for a shopping village remain on hold — but inside something remarkable has happened. The Cardinals have gone from last year's dull ache to this season's feel-good story because of their starting pitching. St. Louis entered the weekend with a 15-5 record and the game's lowest ERA (3.30). All this without Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder or Matt Clement. "

"What a delicious way to spice up the ending of the first Cub-Cardinal series, and with first place at stake no less: An ex-Cardinal cast-off in Jason Marquis vs. an ex-Cub cast-off in Todd Wellemeyer. After ex-Cub farmhand Kyle Lohse experienced a meltdown in his 9-3 loss Saturday—one many critics say was long overdue from a rag-tag rotation of several cast-offs that is leading the league in ERA—it is Wellemeyer's turn Sunday night."

"The Cubs may not have all the kinks worked out yet, but they have managed to get Ted Lilly on track after his slow start. Lilly (2-4) helped the Cubs to a 9-3 victory Saturday over St. Louis as the Cubs snapped a two-game losing streak and moved to within a half-game of the first-place Cardinals."

"National television audiences (Fox and ESPN) will see the final two games of the series here with the Chicago Cubs, and one important national observer spoke briefly with Cards manager Tony La Russa on Friday morning. La Russa met President George W. Bush at Lambert Airport after the latter had made a speech at World Wide Technology in Maryland Heights. Bush, former president of the Texas Rangers, "congratulated us on our (18-11) start," La Russa said."

"With one ninth-inning pitch the Cardinals revisited an uncomfortable question. With one 11th-inning swing they turned a potentially calamitous ending into something uplifting. Left fielder Skip Schumaker ended the first of this weekend's three-act drama Friday when he turned a one-out, first-pitch fastball into a walk-off, two-run home run and a 5-3 revival over the Chicago Cubs in front of a sellout crowd of 45,077 at Busch Stadium. "

"This 5-3 loss at Busch Stadium ended on Skip Schumaker's walk-off, two-run homer in the 11th that spoiled an otherwise feel-good return to the majors for reliever Chad Fox. But the ending was written in the way this game was started by left-hander Rich Hill, who pitched his way out of the starting rotation -- and may have pitched his way to the minors."

"You look at the lineups any way you like—salary, name recognition, All-Star appearances, bubble gum card statistics—and you see mismatch. The Cubs and Cardinals—on Friday $53 million vs. $23 million—don't belong on the same scorecard, much less anywhere near each other in the Central Division standings. And yet here they were in raucous Busch Stadium, with the Cards winning 5-3 in 11 innings and building their lead over the Cubs to 11/2 games. Smoke comes to mind. So do mirrors."

"Cubs manager Lou Piniella was left without answers on Friday when trying to explain the puzzling pitching of Rich Hill and the clueless defensive play of Alfonso Soriano. While Soriano was able to make up for his defensive lapses with a game-tying, two-run home run in the ninth inning, Hill's ineptitude forced Piniella to remove him in the first inning and use almost his entire bullpen in a 5-3, 11-inning loss to St. Louis."

"The driver of the tow truck involved in the accident that killed Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock a little more than a year ago has settled with the ballplayer's insurance company, the driver's attorney confirmed Thursday. Jacob Hargrove, who still drives a tow truck for Eddie's Towing Co., and his attorney reached an agreement with State Farm Insurance this week, the terms of which were not disclosed."

"One year and a day since Cardinals reliever Kyle McClellan was at the lowest level of professional baseball, he received the highest honor from his high school. Thursday was "Kyle McClellan Day" at Hazelwood West. An hour before McClellan threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the varsity game, two students sat outside the school wearing T-shirts with the school mascot on the front and "McClellan 46" on the back. Others crowded the field to see the local boy turned big-leaguer make a pitch from his old mound. A fitting one-year anniversary, of sorts."

"For a quarter-century now, one of the cardinal rules in Major League Baseball has been that you never let a Tony La Russa team pick up steam. Once those teams do, they quickly develop confidence, which after a while starts to look like the swagger of a bully. They can be awfully hard to stop once they reach that stage... This season's Cardinals aren't quite there yet, but an 18-11 April signals that they aren't willing to go quietly, as they did behind a paper-thin pitching staff a year ago."

"Don't leave that porch light on for Mark Mulder just yet. After some encouraging starts on the 30-day medical rehabilitation option, Mulder had one that surely was less encouraging at Class AAA Memphis Wednesday, as he was thumped for nine runs and nine hits over 3 2/3 innings in which he threw 80 pitches."

"The Cardinals' leadoff hitters' .400 on-base percentage is third-best in the National League, the No. 2 hitters' .301 batting average and .380 OBP rank third each in the NL, and that spot's .513 slugging percentage is the best in baseball. The cleanup spot continues to be a struggle, though Rick Ankiel went three for three in Wednesday's 5-2 victory. No. 5, however, had the fifth-best OBP (.395) and second-best slugging (.589) entering play Wednesday. After that spot, the Cardinals' numbers slide toward the bottom of the league."

"The Cardinals rode steady pitching to an 18-11 record in April, setting a franchise record for victories in the first month while shocking their skeptics... To hang in the National League Central race, the Cardinals will have to consistently convert their scoring opportunities. And maybe, just maybe, La Russa has found ways to make that happen with the players on hand."

"Braden Looper worked six solid innings and Rick Ankiel had three hits and two RBIs, helping the St. Louis Cardinals hand Aaron Harang another tough luck loss with a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Aaron Miles had a pair of RBI singles and Jason Isringhausen earned his ninth save in 11 chances for the surprising Cardinals, who won a franchise-record 18 games the first month of the season."

"A year ago, the Cardinals franchise was spinning out of control. Baseball talk was off the table, replaced by sordid tales of drinking, death and destruction. The sacred Birds on the Bat logo was tilted and tainted by the disorder. Now, after the opening month 2008, the Cardinals are looking like a fresh, crisp, cleaned-up contender. In dusting off the Reds 5-2 Wednesday before 40,629 at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals closed the first month with 18 victories, the most in April in franchise history."

"Wednesday's game was one the Reds really wanted. It represented the difference between winning or losing a series. It was a chance to get on track after having a three-game winning streak snapped the night before. The team's ace, Aaron Harang, was on the mound. That's about as sure a bet as you'll find. But it didn't work out. The team lost 5-2 at St. Louis before a crowd of 40,629 at Busch Stadium."

"But on Sunday, Ankiel drew two straight walks in front of Pujols, the second igniting a four-run, game-winning rally. Since that day, Ankiel, hitting fourth again now, is eight for his last 13 with five runs batted in, including three singles and two RBIs Wednesday afternoon in a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. The victory was a record 18th for the Cardinals in April, a month in which they lost just one of 10 series."

"The 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds rookie wasn't around long enough to be recognized by witnesses or immediate family — just 1 2/3 innings, the shortest showing by a Reds starter this season. In that short span, he was rockem-sockemed for seven runs (six earned) and eight hits by the St. Louis Cardinals on their way to a 7-2 victory."