An Explosive Start

Those that look for omens in the tea leaves had to be excited about Albert Pujols--yes, the Hero of yesterday's contest--going yard in his first at-bat.  That has to portend a strong season, doesn't it?  (Ignore those people that talk about Tuffy Rhodes' three-homer Opening Day, because obviously things are different when it happens to the Cardinals.)  Pujols also went yard twice in the '06 opener, and look how that season turned out.

What was really wonderful to see was the offense already clicking.  I'm not sure if there was something in the air yesterday, since there were four long balls by St. Louis and two by the Reds (which would have been three except for Colby Rasmus), but seeing the offense click on so many levels was gratifying to see.  It wasn't get people on for Albert, everyone had a hand in it.

Give some credit to Rasmus for a great game as well.  If Albert hadn't been quite as locked in, Colby would have gotten the Hero tag for sure, since he did it all.  He showed patience with a walk, took one out of the yard, drove in another one later and made a spectacular catch.  What else can you ask for out of the guy?  It makes all of us who expected a big season out of him feel pretty good about ourselves as well.

Well, except Skip Schumaker, who went 0-5 in the leadoff slot, continuing what had been a weak spring.  Skip is going to have to put up some offense to stay in that slot, because while most of the offense is working, it's still very, very good to have people on for Albert.

If it hadn't been for that big ninth inning (and wasn't it nice to see the Cardinals scoring all the way through a game, rather than just one big inning and going quiet the rest of the way?), Ryan Franklin probably would have pulled the Goat tag.  I saw the 6-4 score going into the ninth and really got worried, and Franklin's performance didn't help me feel better about the next time he comes into a game.

Really, the bullpen concerns on the whole weren't alleviated at all with yesterday's outing.  It's somewhat hard to judge, since for the most part they were pitching with solid leads, but you would still like to see zeros put up on a day like that.   Jason Motte and Franklin especially need to turn in some better games this week before we really start getting worried.

If you want to read a good plus/minus breakdown of yesterday's game, check out the newest UCB blog, Redbird Insider.  Blake's done a great job of hitting the high points of yesterday's opener.

Off day today, unfortunately, so we'll pick it up tomorrow talking about Adam Wainwright's first start of the season.