INSIDE PITCH
After
manager Mike Matheny challenged his team to play with the urgency that "the sky
is falling," the Cardinals put together a modest two-game winning streak.
Their 1-0 and 5-3 victories over the
Chicago White Sox on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, had a lot to do with
starting pitching.
Right-hander Lance Lynn worked 7 1/3
innings, fanning 12 on Wednesday, and then right-hander Jake Westbrook worked
five scoreless innings before giving up a three-run homer to Chicago left
fielder Adam Dunn in the sixth inning on Thursday.
Nonetheless, Westbrook gained his
first win in his last seven starts. In his previous six, he had allowed 59
baserunners -- 47 hits and 12 walks -- in 31 innings. He was perfect through
four innings Thursday, and he didn't walk a batter in his six-inning
outing.
Twelve of Westbrook's 18 outs (eight
in the first three innings) came on grounders.
Matheny said, "In the first inning, he
tried to find what the umpire's lowest zone was going to be."
Westbrook was yanked after just 67
pitches, but Matheny admitted he was concerned by what he saw in the
sixth.
"The balls were getting hit pretty
hard that last inning," the manager said, "and we had a fresh
bullpen."
The previously rocky bullpen has been
spotless the last two nights, with right-hander Jason Motte gaining his 12th and
13th saves. Over 4 2/3 innings in the two games, the Cardinals, employing six
relievers, didn't give up a run.
The offense lately had consisted of
right fielder Carlos Beltran, who had had all three of the Cardinals' homers on
the current homestand and was 12-for-26 (.462) in a seven-game hitting streak.
However, Beltran was bothered by a stomach virus and didn't play
Thursday.
Third baseman David Freese stepped in
to hit a two-run homer and drove in another run with a double. Freese homered to
right-center, doubled to right-center and lined to right.
"That's where he needs to be," said
Matheny, knowing full well that Freese's best power is to the opposite
field.
NOTES,
QUOTES
RF Carlos Beltran, after
making a great catch and getting three hits while sick on Wednesday, did not
play on Thursday because of a stomach virus that required him to spend part of
Wednesday night in a hospital emergency room. "It was a great lesson for a lot
of the young players," manager Mike Matheny said of Beltran's play on Wednesday.
"I said, 'I want you guys to realize that this guy was so sick we could hardly
get him off the (trainers') table.' … You could see them shaking their heads a
bit."
3B David Freese hit his
13th home run, a two-run shot in the third inning Thursday. Manager Mike Matheny
said he could tell something was afoot by watching Freese's batting practice
before the game. "He found something," Matheny said. "You could see that
translated into the game. He had an easy stroke (in batting practice) and the
ball was carrying over our bullpen (in right field)." Freese is 7-for-15 in a
four-game hitting streak.
Rookie 1B Matt Adams had
been 1-for-14 with seven strikeouts, including two K's on Thursday, before he
singled home two runs in the fifth inning. Manager Mike Matheny said, "I applaud
his adjustments. The first two at-bats, it looked like he wasn't seeing the
ball. But he'll have at-bats (like that) and then look completely different the
next time he comes up. That is not typical for a young player." Adams said, "I was pressing a lot, trying to do too much.
I told myself to relax and see the ball as good as I
could."
SS Rafael Furcal singled
in the eighth innings, snapping an 0-for-23 skid that had dropped his average
under .300. Manager Mike Matheny already had planned to give Furcal, one of the
Cardinals' best and most consistent players this season, the next game off and
probably two in the series with Kansas
City that begins Friday night.
RHP Victor Marte, who was
sent out late in the spring only to be brought up one day into the season, is
getting more and more work later in games, even appearing in the eighth inning
of Thursday's win. He has been the Cardinals' top reliever against left-handed
hitters.
By the
Numbers:
5 - Before Thursday,
consecutive games in which the Cardinals had scored two or fewer runs. That was
the team's longest such stretch since 1997. The drought ended with a 5-3 win
over the White Sox.
Quote to
Note:
"You can't go through a
season without having spurts like that. It's too long of a
season."
- Manager Mike Matheny,
commenting on the Cardinals scoring only seven runs in the first five games of
their homestand before they got five in Thursday's game.
MEDICAL
WATCH
RF Carlos Beltran
(illness) did not play June 14.
2B/OF Skip Schumaker
(strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May
31.
LHP Jaime Garcia (left
shoulder strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 6. After
further examination, it was determined that he has tearing in his rotator cuff.
He won't throw until at least late July and is out until at least
mid-August.
CF Jon Jay (separated
right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list May 15. He was told to not
swing a bat for a week in early June.
INF Matt Carpenter
(strained right oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list May
23.
1B Lance Berkman (torn
meniscus in right knee) went on the 15-day disabled list May 20. He had
arthroscopic surgery May 25, and no ACL damage was found. He might return in
mid- to late July.
RHP Kyle McClellan
(strained right ulnar collateral ligament) went on the 15-day disabled list May
18. He won't need surgery but likely will be sidelined at least late
July.
RHP Chris Carpenter (weak
right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26, and he
was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 10. He threw for the first time since
March on June 13. He probably won't pitch until at least
mid-July.
Link to boxscore: St. Louis 5, White Sox 3