10 reasons the Cardinals found their groove
Scoring runs apparently helps win games. St. Louis has won 12 of 15.
The St. Louis Cardinals entered a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 12 with a flat 15-24 record, losing eight of nine to start the month. Fire sales were being planned and John Mozeliak sounded ready to walk off the plank first, but then they won that finale against the Brewers.
Since then, the Cardinals have won 11 of their last 14 games, winning five series against teams that don’t suck in a row, sweeping two of those teams. In the process, they’ve climbed off the National League Central canvas, rising from last place to sharing a piece of second place with Chicago Cubs, whom they took both games against over the rain-soaked holiday weekend. Suddenly, after winning the series in Cincinnati today, they’re a .500 team again at 27-27.
A third of the way into the season, just about, is a good time to turn back and find out what started going right for the Cardinals. In other words, who gets a pat on the back? Let’s run down ten of them.
#10 The return of Goldy’s boom stick
More importantly, he found power. Goldschmidt went from a guy whiffing on straight fastballs to a guy smashing four home runs in a week. He’s smacking doubles and pulling pitches for power again. Rumors of his demise were exaggerated… thank goodness.
Goldschmidt hits for power, and the other team has to pitch the Cardinals differently. Other hitters see better pitches, and runs keep coming. It’s good for business.
#9 Welcome back, Andre Pallante
You should have seen the angst and overall anger at the team using the rehabbed pitcher for today’s rubber game. Pallante was being used primarily as a reliever when he went down with an injury earlier this season. In 62 games last year, all in relief, he saw his numbers balloon from something special to something that resembled a stomach ache. That trend continued this season, up until April 20 when he last pitched. He came back today, reworked as a starter and threw six scoreless innings.
If Pallante can contribute a few more starts until the team finds an answer in the fifth slot, or maybe more, the team may carry some rotation stability. Or, we can rush Steven Matz along. It’s just one start with Pallante and maybe he shouldn’t make the list, but that start Wednesday allowed the team to stay hot into Philadelphia. For the first time in weeks, Oli Marmol won’t have to worry about a less-than-full rotation.
#8 Marmol may not be a bad manager after all
His getaway lineups, especially in rubber games, are still questionable. Nolan Arenado cracks a home run Tuesday night, and he sits the next day. Last week, Nolan Gorman smacked a winner against Baltimore around lunch, and then found himself on the bench for the second game that day. However, Marmol is managing better during the streak. He has stuck with Goldschmidt, has worked his bullpen more strategically, and hasn’t tossed a player under the bus to the media in a few weeks. Progress is made with pillars slowly wedging themselves into the ground.
There are things he does poorly, and that stems from a lack of experience or a need to do too much at times. But he’s staying with the lineup for the most part, hanging with players, and getting out of his pitchers’ way. Also, few managers in baseball get more money’s worth out of an ejection, which is more for the sake of standing up for your players when they can’t. A little fire goes a long way with a fan base. The extension was still unnecessary, but Marmol’s improvement is very necessary for this team to keep climbing.
#7 Carp isn’t finished yet
Fans were about as pleased about this contract as they were about Pallante starting today. Through a patch of games, Matt Carpenter has affected baseball games in a positive way without overstepping. He gets on base in each start, and knows his job. He helped the team tie a game against Chicago on Saturday, and staked them to a 1-0 lead Wednesday with a solo home run. He’s proven that there’s some lightning left in that bat, and the eyes can still wear a pitcher down.
I never bought into the leadership angle with the Carp signing; you can either produce or you can’t. Brandon Crawford hasn’t produced anything. Carpenter has helped win a few games. Good for him and for the team that needs all the power they can find.
#6 Reliable Gibson
Kyle Gibson didn’t arrive to St. Louis with much fanfare. Certain fans questioned why the front office would get a guy with this high of an ERA, and not someone flashier. How could they? Gibson makes starts, usually at least 30 of them. That’s why. Michael Girsch told a radio show recently that “starts” were more important than mere starts in their offseason pursuits. Gibson, outside of three rough starts, has been terrific for the team.
Quality starts to this team are like sugar to your kid at an event that you’re having fun at, and Gibson provides them steadily. He’s lasted at least five innings in ten of his first 11 starts. He works fast, keeps his head down, and does the job. He’s not a star or ace, but just as ordered, if not better.
#5 Ace Sonny
I’ve said it before, but completing this formal comeback list without mentioning the ace starter would be shameful. Sonny Gray was the big time signing of the offseason, a wise acquisition that gathered universal appeal because of how good he still was in his mid-30s. He’s not a two-time top five Cy Young voting finalist for nothing; Gray punishes the strike zone and doesn’t give a shit who is hitting when he does it.
He stops bad streaks, extends good ones, and gives his teammates something extra to hope for before first pitch. Proclaiming a guy of his age untouchable in trade talks is odd, but I would hold onto Gray the tightest this July.
#4 Rocket Man, Mr. Helsley
Every good team needs a closer who holds the line. Sure, they will be dinged and allow runs at times, but the certainty of a happy finish never strays too far from reality. Ryan Helsley will make a good starter someday, but now he is a great closer. His 18 saves are a big reason the Cardinals lead the National League in that department, and his dialed-up fastball still can’t be properly handled. He can only be touched when hitters hammer his backup pitches.
He was the lightning rod who secured the games that were brought to him when the team stunk; Helsley is still that guy in the good times, just savored more often.
#3 Burleson steps up
He’s not cranking homers or slicing four hits every start, but Alec Burleson has become a steady hitter and fielder. The .300 caliber hitting bat has pop in it and few holes, which helps a strikeout prone team.
Most importantly, he does whatever the team needs him to do, and does it well. He can hit anywhere in the lineup, and isn’t afraid to let his passionate emotions fly.
#2 A steady Winn helps
How many years have the Cardinals waited for a starting shortstop who could field terrifically and hit as well? Too long to count, or a very long time. Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan can play thr position, but Winn is a top shelf defensive talent. His error total may be high, but that’s the usual for a first year shortstop who isn’t afraid to let it rip.
The more impressive thing is that he’s still slashing .308/.348/.440 through 50+ games, a sign of pitchers failing to make adjustments to him. The power is coming, but the ability to hit big league pitching already arrived for a guy who will own multiple shortstops.
#1 RUNS, BABY!
It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure it out. The Cardinals started winning baseball games when they started scoring more than three runs on the regular. They also got out to leads instead of having to climb up a hill every game, something that takes some pressure off the bats. Goldschmidt turning it on helped, but a lot of guys taking smarter at bats helped the most. Swinging for the fence every time is fascist anyway.
Philadelphia will be a test, a good one. I like three weeks ago, I think the Cardinals have a shot of not getting swept. They could even steal the series. Baseball is great for a simple reason: they play a lot of games, and the really good ones keep it going late.
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