Jump to content

2015 St. Louis Cardinals

OFFNY

By OFFNY
in MLB

Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Replies 64
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Migrant Redbird All-Star

Migrant Redbird

Posted
Posted

Since the Cardinals lost Wainwright during a game with the Brewers, they have won 6 of 8, including the last 5 in a row. They have 3 pitchers, Lynn, Wacha, and Martinez, who are capable of being top of the rotation starters. Lackey, the veteran, is capable of holding his own on any given day with any starter in baseball. The problem is filling Wainwright's spot in the rotation, and the Cardinals have several capable candidates for that.

The two best candidates are the lefthanders Jaime Garcia and Marco Gonzales. Garcia has the best stuff on the Cardinals staff, but the health of his shoulder is problematic. He was shut down in spring training and may be close to going out on a rehab assignment, but the Cardinals know that he's always going to be just one pitch from going on the DL. If he can stay healthy, he's potentially another "ace". We'll have to see if we get any game innings from Jaime this year.

Marco Gonzales is the best prospect in the Cardinals system. He competed very well with Garcia and Carlos Martinez for the 5th starter spot this season. The decision to go with Martinez (3-0, 1.72 ERA) was based more on his ML experience and "entitlement" than on spring performance. But Marco was placed on the minor league 7 day DL when he experienced some shoulder pain after his last start. The Cardinals are cautiously optimistic that he'll only miss the one start, but we'll have to see.

Until either Garcia or Gonzales can move into the rotation, the Cardinals have several other options. Carlos Villanueva, the 31-year-old journeyman and swingman/long relief guy in the bullpen, has pitched well so far this season and has started before in his career, so he could be an adequate 5th starter. There are also a couple other starters performing well at Memphis. The first of these, Tim Cooney, didn't fare well against the Phillies in the first of Wainwright's slots, but the Cardinals still won that game.

The Cardinals staff ERA is the best in the majors, but their hitting has a few gaps. Currently, the Cardinals are 3rd in the league in OPS, 4th in average, and 9th in runs scored. They've been hit or miss, but individuals have hit well enough to give the Cards the best record in baseball (17-6, 3-1/2 games better than the Cubs). They just frustrated the Pirates with 2 extra innings wins by 2-1 scores.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
Tryptamine Major Leaguer

Tryptamine

Posted
Posted
o

(MAY 25th)

Michael Joseph Wacha is one of the hottest starting pitchers in baseball.

In 9 starts so far this season, Wacha is 7-0 with an ERA of 1.87, and a WHIP of 1.040.

3.66FIP, 4.10xFIP, 85.1%LOB and .232babip all say regression is coming and it's coming in a big way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OFFNY Hangout Grand Counsel

OFFNY

Posted
  • Author
Posted

o

(JUNE 3rd)

At 35-18 overall (.660), the Cardinals have the best record in baseball.

For the time being, they have managed to sustain themselves in spite of the loss of Adam Wainwright.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OFFNY Hangout Grand Counsel

OFFNY

Posted
  • Author
Posted
o

(MAY 25th)

Michael Joseph Wacha is one of the hottest starting pitchers in baseball.

In 9 starts so far this season, Wacha is 7-0 with an ERA of 1.87, and a WHIP of 1.040.

Wacha continues to roll.

Last night, he pitched 7 innings of 1-run ball for his 8th W of the season.

He walked 0, struck out 5, and had an excellent strikes-to-balls ratio: O107 Pitches (76 Strikes, 31 Balls.)

His previous start against the Dodgers was interrupted by a rain-delay, and he had to warm up twice. Although he threw 5 shutout innings of no-hit ball before giving up 4 runs in the 6th, his command was lacking, and he uncharacteristically had walked 3 batters and had thrown almost 90 pitches in those first 5 innings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Migrant Redbird All-Star

Migrant Redbird

Posted
Posted
The Cardinals keep getting hit by the injury bug.

Holliday pulled up lame last night with a pulled quad.

And yet the Cardinals keep winning. The offense uses limp noodles for bats but the pitching continues to rule the roost. The starting rotation has the lowest ERA in the majors. Only the Royals bullpen has a lower ERA than the Cardinals bullpen. Some Cardinals think their manager is the worst bullpen manager in the game but they've only allowed one run so far in June.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
OFFNY Hangout Grand Counsel

OFFNY

Posted
  • Author
Posted
o

(JUNE 27th)

The Cardinals are 27-7 at home so far this season in spite of the loss of Adam Wainwright 2 months ago.

Very impressive.

The Cardinals won their 50th game of the season before losing their 25th.

The last team to do that was the 2005 White Sox.

The 2005 White Sox won the World Series for the first time in 88 years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...