Cards keep pace with Cubs and Brewers

I haven´t had a chance to watch the Cards game from yesterday yet, but I´ve watched some highlights and read the recap.

It´s nice that the Cardinals didn´t stay down after dropping the series at Chicago.  Instead, they came in fighting and won a come from behind game against the Marlins.  That has to provide some momentum for the Cards going into the next two games against the Fish.  And although the Marlins can be a scrappy bunch, the Cardinals are playing at home, where they have played well, especially lately.

I also noticed that Pujols went deep AGAIN.  That´s his 4th dinger in as many days and 29 on the year.  The bad news is that also for the 4th time he only got 1 RBI for his efforts.  Come on guys......you need to get on base ahead of Pujols.  With 4 home runs, the most RBIs that Pujols could have right now is 16 and the least is 4.  Somewhere in the middle would be nice, but instead he only has the minimum.

The young kids also continue to tear up the competition.  Brendan Ryan, playing in order to rest Scott Rolen, went 2 for 3 to raise his average to .349 and Ryan  Ludwick, who came in on the double switch, hit a 2·run shot for his 11th homer this year.  In just a little over 200 at·bats, Ludwick is the 3rd highest Cardinal in terms of home runs.  Ludwick´s home run was huge for several reasons.

• It came at the exact right time, in the 8th inning, when the Cardinals were running out of at·bats.
• He also did it with two outs and two strikes on him. We´re going to continue to need that kind of clutch hitting from him if the Cardinals are going to be a legitimate post·season threat.
• He made the Marlins paid dearly for their mistakes.  Juan E. should have been out at first for the last out of the inning.  Instead, an error by the Marlin shortstop allowed him to move to 3rd and kept the inning alive.  After base hits by Molina and Miles, Ludwick continued to pour salt on the wound by delivering the 2'2 pitch into the left field stands.

Also big props to Adam Wainwright.  He keeps the good stretch of pitching the last couple of weeks going by allowing only 2 runs in 6 innings.  He also had 7 Ks on the night.  Springer, Percival and Izzy combined for the last 3 scoreless innings.  And how good has this bullpen been?  Once, a huge question mark, the Cardinal bullpen has been a huge force in keeping opposing teams at bay.

The only thing that put a damper on this great day was that the Cubs and Brewers also won.  So the Cardinals remain 3 games back in this very tight division race.  A lot hinges on this next week of baseball.

Going for the series win tonight,

Tiffany