Two Series, Then A Break

Tuesday (12-9 loss at Colorado)

Hero: Matt Holliday.  Three-run homer should have been the icing on the cake.

Goat: Ryan Franklin.  Pretty obvious.  Dennys Reyes gets consideration.

Notes: No, we aren't talking about this game anymore.

Wednesday (8-7 loss at Colorado)

Hero: Matt Holliday.  Two home runs in a game.  Again, should have taken care of it.

Goat: Trever Miller.  If he gets his out, maybe it's a different story.  Jason Motte is a close runner-up.

Notes: These two games are the difference between momentum and excitement at the break and just a general optimistic feeling.

Thursday (4-2 loss at Colorado)

Hero: Jon Jay.  Two for three and kept the game alive in the ninth.

Goat: Chris Carpenter.  When you are going up against Ubaldo Jimenez, you can't afford to be at less than your best in the first.

Notes: More about Carpenter in a bit.

Friday (8-0 win at Houston)

Hero: Adam Wainwright.  Love his toughness and the quote that Norris was going to tie if he threw a shutout.  That's why he's going to be a top pitcher for a long time to come.

Goat: Yadier Molina.  Another 0-4 in a half-season that has become depressingly full of them.

Notes: Liked seeing Holliday and Albert Pujols going yard in the same game.  Just about makes you think there is offense in this team after all!

Saturday (4-1 loss at Houston)

Hero: Albert Pujols.  Two for four and just missed a home run.

Goat: Tyler Greene.  0-3 and his first inning miscue didn't help Jeff Suppan's cause any.

Notes: And just when you think the offense is back.....

Sunday (4-2 win at Houston)

Hero: Matt Holliday.  Will he be Player of the Week again?

Goat: Nick Stavinoha.  0-3 and his tumbling dive trick in the first didn't work this time.

Notes: Nice to see Blake Hawksworth battle out of his first inning troubles and get into a better groove and the bullpen did a great job as well.

As always, more at Baseball Digest when that post goes up.

I feel better about the Cardinals after Sunday than I would have if they'd lost that game.  A 1-5 record on that road trip and a two game gap in the standings would have me really despairing whether this team can come together.  A series win against Houston--even as weak as they are--and only being a game behind the Reds makes me think that maybe there can be some good come of all of this.  The bats were working this week, but I think this team goes only as far as the rotation takes it.

Having Hawksworth and Suppan in the back of the rotation can't be good for long term success.  Right now it seems like the Cardinals are focusing on the offensive side of the equation, as the Blue Jays scouts were in Houston and Joe Strauss thinks the teams might be talking about Alex Gonzalez.  However, either Brad Penny or Kyle Lohse (or, preferably, both) is going to have to make a successful comeback and soon or the pitching situation may spiral out of control.

Gonzalez is definitely having a powerful year and his .250 average would be miles ahead of what the Cardinals are currently getting in their middle infield situation.  He's posting the highest OPS of his career this year and, most importantly, would come cheap in the payroll department, with only roughly half of the $2.75 million for this year necessary.  There's an option for 2011, but even that's just at $2.5 million.

Apparently, Toronto has liked Brendan Ryan in the past and, being that Ryan is now looking like he might be just a little longer-lived and slightly-better version of the Stubby Clapp/Joe McEwing/Bo Hart middle infield mold, I wouldn't be opposed to that.  Ryan is a great guy and I love seeing him goof around on the Fox Sports Midwest videos, but with him being out of options, he isn't going to get to play much here, I don't think.  Of course, this means that in 2012 he'll be a thorn in the Cardinals' side when he's playing in Cincinnati.

Still, they have to be looking for some sort of pitching option.  Cliff Lee was never a serious consideration, as much as I'd have liked to see it.  I don't think they could get Roy Oswalt and I don't know if Dan Haren's contract status is a major issue.  Still, something has to be done on that front.

There will definitely have to be something done if Carpenter can't get back to form.  Duncan says that it's just a mechanical thing, not an injury, but remember that Dizzy Dean altered his mechanics when he broke his toe and that subsequently sent him on the path out of the game.  Not that Carp is to that level, just saying that non-arm injuries can lead to problems as well.  Then again, most of Carp's problems in the last game were in the first inning, which seems to have been a trend on the road trip.

Got to watch some of the Futures Game yesterday, but got pulled away before the Cardinal prospects made their entrance.  Sounds like Eduardo Sanchez did well, but Shelby Miller was a bit better.  Also sounds like some adjustments Miller has made have been working out, so we'll see if he has a strong second half.

A few links to wrap up this rambling and I'll try to be better about writing, though this week might not be the time!

--Bill Dewitt gives his opinion on the state of the team.  Since he writes the checks, it's an important one.  Not much here save the fact that there is payroll flexibility and apparently the Post-Dispatch is going to make the Musial statue an issue this summer.

--Bernie Miklasz compares Pujols to LeBron James.  Just hopefully it's not that close of a comparison.

--More Hardball talks about the Molina brothers.

--Do your planning now.  Ozzie Smith will be at the Cards' A ball affiliate, Quad Cities, on August 22nd to do some speaking.  Speaking of Ozzie, be sure to keep an eye on both Redbird Rants and Cards Diaspora for interviews with the Hall of Famer.  (And you can always relive one of my personal highlights, his appearance on a special UCB Radio Hour last year!)

--Finally, you have to check out i70baseball as it has its grand opening today.  Bill and the gang have put together a sharp looking site full of great content.  Go ahead and bookmark it!