Cardinals-Pirates: St. Louis Uses New, Old, Surprising Ways To Win

That was much better, wasn't it?

The Cardinals shook off the emotional debris of the Opening Day loss to come out and pound the Pirates last night. The offense clicked on just about all cylinders, Kyle Lohse threw a pretty good game, and everyone went home happy.

Lohse put together a solid line, allowing only two runs in seven innings, and staying around the plate with only one walk vs. four strikeouts. That's the kind of line we'd like to see him put up a majority of the time this season. 

However, since it was against the offensively-challenged Pirates, it's hard to know exactly if he's back on last year's track.

The Cards had a little mix of everything going on. Just when Ian Snell thought he had a handle on Albert Pujols, the man smashes another home run off of him. Pujols went two for three and reached base the other time on a two-base error by Andy LaRoche, who couldn't handle the high popup.

Snell should have been relieved because the cut Pujols took would have been another home run if he hadn't been just under the ball. Of course, the result was the same once Khalil Greene drove in the two runs.

Pujols is just on fire to start the season.

He's five for seven, walked three times, and, as noted, has only not been on base once this season. That gives him a line (not counting the ROE in his OBP) of .714/.800/1.286 for the first two games.

I checked the career numbers for his first two games. Counting this year, he usually starts the season at .369/.500/.646. However, he's never started off quite this hot—though in 2006 he did have three home runs by this time. (Interestingly, he only has four, those three and this year's.)

His highest average before this year? 2003, when he hit .429.

The newest Cardinal made his presence felt as well. Colby Rasmus is hitting .500 for his career with a couple of singles and scoring a run on Pujols' blast. Rasmus used those wheels of his as well to leg out an infield single as well as reaching third on Pujols' "popout."

He didn't make any mistakes in the field, either, and I'm looking forward to his next outing.

The most surprising part of last night's game, though, was from game hero Yadier Molina. The home run was nice, but the triple? Really? I watched Yadi get around the bases and told the kids, "Hey, that's the way daddy runs!" Anybody that can do that and still play the rest of the game gets a hero nod from me.

Every game has to have a goat as well, though, and it really came down to two players. Rick Ankiel left five men on base, including a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the eighth—but he did get a hit in the contest.

That leaves Skip Schumaker, who not only went 0-4 in the leadoff slot, but committed an error. I didn't see Skip's play in the field, though I do want to note that Derrick Goold Tweeted Skip had a fairly solid night in the field. Still, someone's going to get the nod and this time, it's him.

Cards and Pirates mix it up again tonight. Todd Wellemeyer takes the hill for the Cardinals, looking to shake off the spring training numbers and continue his trend from the past couple of years.

The Colonel was 3-0 with a 3.45 ERA against the Pirates last year. Zach Duke takes the mound for the Pirates. The Cards beat him twice last year and he had an ERA over five to show for it.

If trends hold, it could be a good night for St. Louis!