INSIDE PITCH
As the Cardinals prepare to meet
the New York Mets on Tuesday, the only National League team they have not year
played this season, they are looking for some semblance of order in their
rotation.
Only right-hander Chris Carpenter and left-hander Jaime Garcia really have pitched well and won in the
last seven weeks. On the other hand, since the end of May, right-handers Jake Westbrook, Kyle Lohse and Kyle McClellan have earned a total of only four
victories.
Lohse, who has had 10
days to rest an arm which might have been tiring after he had complicated
forearm surgery last year, was the Cardinals' best starter for parts of the
first half and they will need him to regain that form beginning Tuesday at
New
York.
In Lohse's last seven
starts since May 29, he is 1-4 with an earned run average of
5.62.
McClellan, who will pitch
on Wednesday, is 0-5 in six starts since May 24 with an ERA of
5.03.
Westbrook, who will start
on Thursday, is a deceiving 2-1 since May 27. His ERA in that time is
5.36.
NOTES,
QUOTES
LHP Jaime Garcia, who had
a strong, though losing game on Sunday, has pitched at least seven innings in
seven of his first 20 starts. Protected last year, his first as a major league
starter, Garcia went that long in only six of 28 starts.
3B David Freese has
tailed off after a good start when he returned from spending two months on the
disabled because of a broken left hand. Freese is 14- for-54 (.259) with only
three extra-base hits.
The Cardinals have only
three games remaining with division foe Cincinnati, on Sept. 2-4 in St.
Louis, but they have 13 left with suddenly contending Pittsburgh and 12 with Milwaukee among National League Central
Division opponents. The Cardinals haven't been to Pittsburgh yet, but will appear there in every
month the rest of the way, beginning this weekend.
RHP Jason Motte, though
he rarely is used in the eighth or ninth innings any more, has put together a
stretch of eight scoreless outings covering five outings. He has scattered seven
hits and struck out five while walking nobody in that
span.
1B Albert Pujols still
has a shot at an 11th consecutive season of at least .300 average, 30 home runs
and 100 runs batted in. His easiest target should be the home runs. He already
has 20. To reach 100 RBI, he will have to knock in 45 in the next 67 games. To
reach .300, Pujols will have to average about .328 the rest of the season, if he
gets 250 more at-bats in the remaining games.
BY THE NUMBERS: 7 - Games
the Cardinals have left with NL West teams: three with Colorado and four with Los Angeles. St.
Louis is through with San Diego,
Los Angeles and San Francisco.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He knows
me. He knows that I'm going to throw there, and he hit
it."
- RHP Lance Lynn, an Ole Miss
product, after giving up a homer to Reds SS Zack Cozart, his former college
teammate, the first time the two met in the big leagues
Sunday.
ROSTER
REPORT
MEDICAL
WATCH:
INF Nick Punto (sore
right elbow) left the July 16 game, and he will be placed on the disabled list.
Punto missed the season's first 16 games after having abdominal surgery in
February, then missed 36 games from mid-May to late June due to a right forearm
strain.
LHP Brian Tallet
(strained right intercostal muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive
to July 4. He was injured while sneezing.
RHP Eduardo Sanchez (mild
right shoulder strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 13.
He began a rehab assignment with Class AA Springfield on July 7 but had renewed
soreness soon after and was shut down until late August or early
September.
OF Allen Craig (broken
right kneecap) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 8. He might
return in late July.
RHP Adam Wainwright
(Tommy John surgery in February 2011) went on the 60-day disabled list March 25.
He will miss the entire 2011 season.
NEXT
GAME
Tues.,
July 19 vs. METS: Kyle Lohse (8-6, 3.32) vs. Dillon Gee (8-3, 3.76) 6:10 p.m.
(FOX Sports
Midwest, KMOX Radio and Cardinals Radio
Network).