...::::Official 2010 MLB N.L. Central Thread::::...

[jdcurt2]

Johnny Cueto's ERA is under 1 in his last 7 starts.

 and is only 4-1 during that time.

Anyways, back in first.

 

[tylerdub]

you are welcome, JD.

 

[Retroballer]

just checked, the Astros still suck

 

[tylerdub]

Dont worry, the Cubs are having a nice little run but they still suck too. I hope they make me eat my words.

 

[Retroballer]

it sucks for me. a kid i went to school was picked in 1st comp round by the Cubs in 08 so i want him to make it, but i dont want him to make the cubs any bigger

 

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by jdcurt2

Johnny Cueto's ERA is under 1 in his last 7 starts.

 and is only 4-1 during that time.

Anyways, back in first.

The future is looking great.

I've come to the realization we have to deal Bronson. He wants so much money but is so inconsistent. 

What's going on with Harrang?

 

[youngmoney]

gaining speed

 

[DownByLaw]

[h3][/h3]

[h3]Ryan's walk-off returns Cards to first place[/h3]Carpenter delivers eight shutout innings against Pirates


By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

07/31/10 2:44 AM ET
Box >
ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals waited a long time for a run, in more ways than one. It wasn't pretty when they finally got it, but it was awfully sweet.

Brendan Ryan's one-out RBI single in the 10th on Friday night ended an 18-inning runless streak and a 20-inning scoreless string at Busch Stadium for the Redbirds. But more importantly, it gave St. Louis a 1-0 win over the Pirates in the opener of a three-game series against the National League Central cellar-dwellers -- a division the Cardinals once again lead.

The winning run scored at 12:13 a.m. CT, nearly five hours after the scheduled start time of 7:15. The game was delayed by 2:20 due to heavy rain in downtown St. Louis, and it was even longer than that before the remainder of a sellout crowd of 44,534 saw a run cross the plate.

Ryan Ludwick led off the 10th with a pinch-hit double against Bucs reliever Javier Lopez, and Yadier Molina sacrificed Ludwick to third. With the infield in, Ryan hit a roller to second baseman Neil Walker, who couldn't corral it, and Ludwick scored. Ryan's ball was initially ruled an error on Walker but quickly switched to a base hit and an RBI.

"I didn't think I was going to get a good pitch to hit," Ryan said, "but I wanted to be aggressive on the first good one."

The run made a winner of closer Ryan Franklin, who pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings of relief to cap an outstanding pitching night for the Redbirds. Starter Chris Carpenter went eight strong, Trever Miller got two outs in the ninth and Franklin finished it off.

Carpenter was excellent once again but didn't get a decision to show for it. Carpenter allowed five hits, walked three and struck out six. Over his four starts since the All-Star break, Carpenter has allowed five earned runs in 31 innings -- good for a 1.45 ERA. The Cardinals are 4-0 in those games.

"I think my command of my fastball has been better, and that's probably why I might be getting a little deeper [in games]," Carpenter said.

Manager Tony La Russa left Carpenter in to hit with two outs and Ryan on first base in the seventh, but sent Ryan on a steal attempt early in the at-bat. Ryan was thrown out and Carpenter pitched the eighth. However, La Russa said that if Ryan had reached second, he would have hit for the pitcher.

Pittsburgh starter Jeff Karstens was nearly as good as his opposite number. He held down the fort for six shutout frames, allowing seven hits without a walk. The Cardinals didn't get a runner to second base until the sixth, when Jon Jay and Matt Holliday hit back-to-back two-out singles.

"It's just a solid game that went their way," said Pirates manager John Russell. "It was unfortunate. [Carpenter] threw the ball outstanding. So did Jeff. It's going to come down to that one play or one big hit and they got it."

Jay continued to thrive for the Cardinals, going 3-for-4 to improve his batting average to .396 on the year. Jay has a .447 on-base percentage and a .604 slugging percentage through his first 48 big league games. He also made an impressive play in the field, chasing down a ball hit by Jose Tabata deep into the gap in the sixth inning.

Jay and Colby Rasmus nearly collided, but both outfielders stayed safe and Jay came up with the ball on a sliding snare.

"I saw we were both there, and I just trusted my instincts and I went after it," Jay said.

The Cardinals moved a half-game ahead of the Reds following Cincinnati's loss earlier in the day. They are 35-16 at Busch Stadium, the second-best home record in the Major Leagues.

Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

It's a good thing we were able to pull last night's game off. We started the second half on the right foot and then hit a speed bump. I am starting to get the feeling that this division is the Reds to lose. Something just seems off with the Redbirds, maybe getting everyone healthy playing at the same time will be just what we need to runaway with this division though.

 

[philballa09]

nice debut for Happ

 Astro fans will love him. 

just needs to work on his control

 

[jdcurt2]

I really wish we could find an upgrade in center and right.

 

[youngmoney]

Originally Posted by youngmoney

gaining losing speed

 

[DownByLaw]

I am really glad we didn't get Oswalt.

 

[statis22]

Wandy, Myers, Lindstrom, trade em all lol.

 

[DownByLaw]

[h3][/h3]

[h3]Cardinals fire on all cylinders, down Bucs[/h3]Suppan earns first win; Pujols, Rasmus hit homers


By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

08/01/10 12:15 AM ET
Box >
ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals scarcely looked like a team that needed a starting-pitching upgrade on Saturday night at Busch Stadium. Then again, for one night, at least, they didn't look like they missed outfielder Ryan Ludwick, either.

Jeff Suppan, potentially making his last start as a Cardinal, turned in 5 1/3 outstanding innings, and the Redbirds kept up the pressure all night on the offensive side, in a convincing 11-1 win against the Pirates. St. Louis maintained its half-game lead over Cincinnati in the National League Central and has won 11 of 16 games since the All-Star break.

Earlier on Saturday, the Cards announced they had acquired right-hander Jake Westbrook from the Indians in advance of the non-waiver Trade Deadline, in a deal that sent Ludwick to the Padres. Westbrook debuts Monday, displacing Blake Hawksworth from the St. Louis starting five. Meanwhile, Kyle Lohse made his second Minor League rehabilitation start on Saturday out of an expected three. Thanks to off-days, the Cardinals will not need a fifth starter again until Aug. 10, which sets up perfectly as a return date for Lohse.

Thus, Suppan may not have even been pitching for his job. It may be too late. But to the extent that his performance on Saturday will influence how he is used for the rest of the year, it only helped him.

"That is definitely the reality," Suppan acknowledged, "but my job is to be ready to pitch when they ask me to pitch. ... I gave everything I could give. I felt that many games I kept the team in the game. But those things, decisions like that, are out of my control. All I can do is go out and pitch. I've prepared and tried to make the necessary improvements to go out to give the best, every time I've gone out there."

The right-hander struck out five Pirates in 5 1/3 innings, didn't issue a walk and permitted five hits, four of them singles. He was fairly efficient, as well, throwing a total of 74 pitches before handing the game over to the bullpen.

"We were impatient tonight against Suppan," said Pittsburgh manager John Russell. "We got jumpy and really didn't be as patient as we probably could. We tried to make things happen, which is a sign of a young team. They wanted to get aggressive against him out there. He's a veteran pitcher, saw that and threw a lot of offspeed to us."

In his 10th start of the year, and his eighth with the Cardinals, Suppan finally recorded a win. It was his first victory since Sept. 19, 2009, when he was pitching for the Brewers against Houston.

Offensively, the Cardinals did a little bit of everything. They hit for power, with homers by Albert Pujols and Colby Rasmus. They also turned two singles and two walks into a run in the second inning, then parlayed two walks, a stolen base and an error into a tally in the fourth. And in the eighth against a short-handed and beleaguered Pittsburgh bullpen, the Cards racked up six hits, two walks and five runs to turn a comfortable win into a laugher.

Pujols went 3-for-5 on the evening, stemming a 9-for-49 slide over his previous 13 games. The game may have been bigger for Rasmus, though, for whom the Ludwick trade presumably signals a return to everyday-player status. He had been buried deep in a 4-for-33 slump, and had only two extra-base hits and no home runs in 13 games since the All-Star break. His playing time had been dwindling somewhat with Ludwick's return from the disabled list and Jon Jay's torrid streak.

With Ludwick westbound, though, Rasmus should be reinstated as the everyday center fielder, with Jay playing regularly in right field. Rasmus turned in a superb game at the plate on Saturday, reinforcing that decision. He homered, singled, walked, drove in three runs and scored three times. His last home run had been on June 27, and he had not hit a home run at Busch Stadium since June 15.

Rasmus told reporters before the game about a desire to make sure he is able to relax and have fun on the field, and on Saturday night, he made it pay off.

"I felt relaxed, which is what I want to try to be," he said. "[The trade] might have had a little something to do with it. Not putting pressure, just going up there and remembering what I'm trying to do and going through with it. Not trying to reach for the stars. Just play the game like I can play it, and whatever happens, happens."

The Cardinals will attempt to finish off their first three-game series sweep of the year on Sunday.

Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Looks like that piece of worthless monkey $#%% Jeff Suppan finally won a game

Serioulsy the Cards should of waived this guy already. I wonder if adding Westbrook will make a significant difference. I am still shocked that Pujols only has 24 homers as of August 1st. This is probably his worst season all around

 

[dmxfury]

Went to the Cards game on Friday, sucked with the rain but was in the box with free beer/food so all in all pretty solid night. Too bad the Pirates didn't pull that win out (we did not stay the whole game), that was their chance to take one in this series. Oh well. Reds sticking around, should be a great race all the way to the end. Next year, I think Cincy could go without Harang or Bronsen and be fine in all honesty

 

[DownByLaw]

[h3][/h3]

[h3]Cards cruise to sweep behind Wainwright[/h3]Right-hander now 11-0 at home; Pujols, Holliday homer


By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

08/01/10 7:35 PM ET
Box >
ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals finally figured out a way to close out a three-game sweep: have Adam Wainwright start at home. Oh, and facing the flailing Pirates didn't hurt, either.

Wainwright remained absolutely untouchable at Busch Stadium, tossing seven superb innings as the Cardinals swept away the Pirates, 9-1, on Sunday afternoon. In addition to his mound exploits, Wainwright added a pair of hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the Cards' five-run fifth inning. St. Louis had tried unsuccessfully to close out a three-game sweep on eight prior occasions in 2010.

But in none of those eight games did Wainwright get the ball at Busch Stadium, where he has dominated in a way rarely seen before. Sunday marked the right-hander's 27th straight quality start at Busch Stadium, and he has not lost a decision in his past 15 home starts. This year, Wainwright is 11-0 with a 1.22 ERA in St. Louis.

"I can't explain it," Wainwright said. "I feel exactly the same at home as I do on the road. I think our team just, for whatever reason ,is playing better ball behind me, behind our pitchers, at home.

Admittedly, to some extent the sweep counts as little more than holding serve. The Pirates have now been swept in 13 different three-game series this year, and they're 18-46 since a respectable 18-22 start. Moreover, the Cardinals caught them at the best possible time, as Pittsburgh dealt several players at the non-waiver Trade Deadline and had to scramble to fill out a full roster over the weekend.

Still, a sweep is a sweep, and it was welcome.

"It's bigger that we keep [climbing further] over .500," manager Tony La Russa said. "But you don't want that to be some kind of [hangup]. It's already gotten enough attention, and rightfully so. But more important, plus-three in a series is better than plus-one."

The Cardinals are 10-1 at home since the All-Star break and have won 13 out of 18 overall, dating back to shortly before the break. They remain one-half game ahead of the Reds in the National League Central, with the Astros, another second-division club, coming to town Monday.

Wainwright was coming off a frustrating outing against the Mets in New York, where he was dinged for six runs in five innings. He righted the ship quickly, though, and was rarely troubled on Sunday.

The first two Pirates hitters singled on ground balls, but a dribbler and two strikeouts got Wainwright out of the inning. A leadoff triple led to a run in the top of the second, and after that, the right-hander cruised. After Ronny Cedeno's RBI single in the second, Pirates hitters went 2-for-19 against Wainwright.

The fact that manager John Russell was pleased with how his hitters attacked Wainwright may say it all about just how good the Cards ace is these days.

"We worked him pretty well, just didn't get the big hits we needed," Russell said. "The guys made him pitch a little bit. If we had kept the score closer, it might have, obviously, been a different story. But I think the guys had pretty good at-bats against him."

The early deficit was no real hurdle to the Redbirds. Aaron Miles' sacrifice fly tied the game in the third, and two innings later the home team's offense erupted. Colby Rasmus led off the fifth with a double on a bloop to shallow right, and Brendan Ryan reached on a bunt to put men on the corners. Wainwright singled to break the tie and Miles singled in another run.

After Felipe Lopez hit into a double play, Jon Jay beat out an infield single and Albert Pujols cranked a two-run homer that put the game firmly in the Cards' control. Rasmus was 2-for-4 with a double on the day, his second straight two-hit game after a 4-for-31 slump.

"I could say [I'm heating up], but I could go right back into another slump and be back where I started," Rasmus said. "I feel like for me to be good, [I just need to] go out there and play the game and relax."

The Cardinals scored 20 runs over their last two wins over the Bucs, further signs of an offense coming to life. The Cardinals have scored 82 runs since the All-Star break, second most in the NL.

"We've been doing a lot of things," La Russa said. "We're putting the ball in play. We're doing a better job of not chasing. And once we're on the bases, we're active. But I know who's pitching against us -- we've got [Brett] Myers tomorrow. He's been really tough. That's what's happened. Let's see if we can maintain it. "

Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Glad we got the sweep, too bad the Braves couldn't take care of business with the Reds. Albert & Matt both going yard, Wainwright remaining undefeated at home

 

[sickickz23]

*wishes MLB grants the Cubs to end their regular season now and forfeit the rest of the games* (even though I'm going to tomorrow nights game. Below face value ftw. $15)

 

[dacomeup]

Originally Posted by RKO2004

Originally Posted by jdcurt2

Johnny Cueto's ERA is under 1 in his last 7 starts.

 and is only 4-1 during that time.

Anyways, back in first.

The future is looking great.

I've come to the realization we have to deal Bronson. He wants so much money but is so inconsistent. 

What's going on with Harrang?

Bronson is 11-6.. Def no complaints from me. You know he'll be great some days, and then every once in a while he'll get rocked. Harang on the other hand is done. I can't wait until the season is over so he can be gone. I don't want him to go back in the rotation either.

 

[turboman]

Harang definitely needs to go. 2-3 years ago, he was solid. I think the Reds pay too much for him. I kinda wish Jocketty traded him for some prospects, but the team is good enough for now.

 

[wisconsin 4 life]

 

[stringer bell 32]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin 4 Life

 

[jonfarr]

Originally Posted by Stringer Bell 32

Originally Posted by Wisconsin 4 Life

 

[CP1708]

Dreadful. 

There's really nothing else to say besides that. 

 

[tylerdub]

The only good thing about this is buying really really good tickets for half of face value.

 

[DownByLaw]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin 4 Life