UCB Progressive Game Blog: Wrapup

(Be sure to see the ninth inning here and a list of all the participating blogs can be found over here.)

So the Cards continue their amazing pitching run, posting another 5-0 win against the Royals.  The On The Run people can breathe easier for another day, as the Cards have now gone two weeks without hitting the serious number.

Kyle Lohse will get the nod as the Hero of the game, as so many of the starters have done this time around.  Eight innings, no runs, four hits, six strikeouts.  As I wrote in the pre-game post, Lohse had a terrible start to last May and turned it around in his fourth start.  Could it be that history will repeat itself?

The starters' ERA for the last five games is a minuscule 0.25.  Heck, the total staff has only allowed two runs in that span for a 0.40 ERA.  Most of us have seen this before, but it's when we are playing Playstation.  This is the best stretch of pitching since 1973, according to the post-game show on FSN.  While this can't last forever, count me as one that wants to see it run as long as possible.  If Joel Pineiro can give another performance like his last outing tomorrow, then you get back to Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.....

If it wasn't for Lohse's presence on the mound, Skip Schumaker might have gotten the call with two hits, including a home run.  Or maybe Nick Stavinoha, who again put the first runs for the Cards on the board and gave the starter something to work with.

The goat will have to be Colby Rasmus.  An 0-5 day with four left on is tough to deal with, even though three of those were left in the last inning when he came up with two outs.  He did get an RBI when he was robbed on a great play by the Royals second baseman, so it wasn't a total loss.

As they said at Viva El Birdos this week, dominating starting pitching gives us as fans a boost more than some good hitting performances. If you are like me, the first time the Cards give up a run before the sixth inning, you are tempted to write off the game as a waste.  Logically, we know it can't keep up indefinitely.  Doesn't mean that we won't get a little disappointed when the 0 comes off the board.

So the Cards wait to see if Milwaukee will lose tonight and, if so, they'll move into a tie for first in the NL Central.  Amazing what a week of winning will do for a team, huh?  Tomorrow, Pineiro tries to keep it going against Brian Bannister.

Thanks to all the blogs that participated and to all that read our descriptions!