St. Louis Cardinals Continue to Roll Despite Offense
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds Friday night thanks to 7+ strong innings from John Lackey. Lackey came into the game with an ERA of over five with the Cardinals, but was able to keep the Reds guessing after an RBI single by Zach Cozart in the 2nd.
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Lackey was relieved in the eighth inning after just 87 pitches, a move that almost backfired in the ninth when Trevor Rosenthal walked Todd Frasier to lead off the inning and left with runners on first and third and just one out. Matheny’s move was eerily similar to the move Brewers manager Ron Roenicke just two nights before against the Cardinals when he lifted starter Kyle Lohse, resulting in a change in momentum and allowing the Cardinals to come back and win.
Lackey was replaced by Sam Freeman, who faced one batter and struck him out, and was pinch hit for to start the next inning. After removing Rosenthal, Matheny chose Choate to face lefty Jay Bruce and Seth Maness to finish the game against Ryan Ludwick.
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The Cardinals are now 6-3 over their last nine games despite scoring just 25 runs. The pitching has obviously been nothing short of amazing during the stretch, as it has been most of the season, but the offensive inconsistency is a glaring issue heading into the playoffs.
Friday’s two runs came from back-to-back homeruns by Randall Grichuk and Matt Holliday in the first and the Cardinals were able to muster only three more hits in the next seven innings off of David Holmberg. Holmberg came into the game with a 5.25 ERA, although he had pitched well since being put in the rotation.
Besides the Rockies series, in which the offense managed 14 runs in a three game span, the Cardinals have averaged less than 3.5 runs per game, ranking near the bottom of the majors in runs scored.
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The September struggles can be attributed to the struggles of four main contributors in the Cardinal lineup. Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina, Matt Adams, and Jhonny Peralta are all batting at or under .230 for the month. Carpenter is still maintaining a lofty OBP for the month, but the middle of the lineup must produce if the Cardinals are to have any real chance in October.
The Cardinals have just over a week to improve offensively and find a lineup that works. With two games left against Cincinnati and series against the Cubs and Diamondbacks to finish the season, the Cardinals magic number to take the central stands at seven games, while their number to make the playoffs is down to just two. No matter what position they find themselves end at the end of the season, they’ll need to find a way to score runs and support a pitching staff thats performed unbelievably all season.