What a weekend in Queens the Cardinals had. While it was still a lost series, more disappointment for the bullpen, and was the middle of one of the harder roadtrips of the season, not all was lost on the Redbirds at Shea Stadium this weekend.

Negatives

Pitching Staff

What could have gone more wrong for this pitching staff this weekend? Ryan Franklin's most notable blown save has to have been on Saturday night, with the Cardinals looking set to get to bed early with a win and head out for the rubber match the next day.

Kyle Lohse even got lit up, as was bound to happen sooner or later to this wonder-boy. However, don't expect it to happen to Lohse again soon. He is way too stable to let one bad outing ruin his near All-Star-esq season.

Needless to say, the Mets' starters and pitching staff really shut this team down. While they allowed ten runs on Saturday, it was all due to three rocky innings. Knight, who hadn't seen a start since '02 made the Cardinals look like Little Leaguers, and except for one mistake to Albert, were near perfect in extra innings.

However, this weekend does show that management needs to do something, fast. Whether it's pull the old switcheroo like Tony La Russa did in Oakland (having starters relieve and relievers start, though I don't recommend it), sending a starter (Adam Wainwright?) to the 'pen to regain that staffs confidence and ability, or trade for a closer (maybe Sherill or elsewhere), something has to be done.

While the ownership can play the "rebuilding" card and say that there are prospects in the farm system, this team is much too good to let this year get away. Action, now. Relievers, please.

(Out)fielding

What the crap happened out there this weekend? I did notice, especially on Saturday night that balls were bouncing funny into left field. However, I don't feel like Schumaker was the one struggling. Usually an outfield who plays deep flies so well and always has pinpoint accuracy was unusually sloppy.

Chalk it up to unfriendly bounces, exhaustion, or whatever, but this was a very uncharacteristic weekend out there. While Rick Ankiel has been known to overrun his share of fly balls, it was very uncharacteristic to see as many mistakes out there as there were.

Positives (yes, there were some)

Offense

Many people have called this offense streaky. Who hasn't? However, this offense is literally riddled with talent. When a team scores eight runs, they really shouldn't be losing. Especially when the starting pitcher is given a four run cushion before he ever takes the mound.

The offense this weekend was not the problem. Yes, on Sunday when they got blown out 9-1 they could have scored more runs, but this offense has consistently produced when they've needed to. Every team in sports across the world could use more offense, but this was not the issue this weekend, or has it really been an issue since the All-Star break.

Pitching (Again? I thought this was a negative?)

While all in all, the bullpen showed its inability to close a game, a few members of the 'pen showed why they still belong in the big leagues, most notably Kyle McClelland, and Brad Thompson. These two guys have been very under-appreciated on this staff.

While McClelland cleared the Cardinals of the biggest jam of the series (maybe even the week), Thompson came in at midnight to begin relief and was outstanding.

Even Izzy showed some signs of life as a middle reliever, although he still struggles with a bat, but since when have pitchers who have been closers for ten years had to bat?

Albert's on His Way Back

This is perhaps the most important part of the weekend for this club. Albert Pujols, who since he began being watched for his 300th home run, finally appears to be back in the swing of things. Between Skip Schumaker and him, they had the vast majority of Cardinal runs and even had two deep flies. More than he's had since the All-Star break.

Albert appeared to be getting back to old form and doing what he does best, giving the club the opportunity to win.

Hopefully whatever psyched this team out for last week is gone, and tonight in Atlanta the Redbirds can show why they still belong.

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