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 In the past 25 games, the St. Louis Cardinals are batting a paltry
.224 with a .299 on-base percentage and a .340 slugging percentage.
They are averaging just 3.5 runs per game, a stat not enhanced by a
pitiful .183 average with runners in scoring position.
A 4-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night only turned up
the heat on general manager John Mozeliak to an extent. With less
than 72 hours until Friday's 4 p.m. EDT trade deadline, the
Cardinals need a bat, preferably one that can loft a baseball over a
fence from time to time.
However, to opine that the addition of a player via trade can cure
what ails the offense is to miss the point. The bats that are here
simply aren't providing enough.
Third baseman Matt Carpenter is in a two-month slump. Left fielder
Matt Holliday is not 100 percent but is playing through a quad
injury that cost him more than a month. St. Louis doesn't hit enough
homers and doesn't manufacture enough runs in other ways to make up
for it.
As presently constituted, the Cardinals are a postseason contender
because they have the game's best pitching and a criminally
underrated defense. Even so, a wobbly offense leaves them vulnerable
in any series.
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MLB Team Report - St. Louis Cardinals - NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 64-36
STREAK: Lost one
NEXT: Reds (RHP Anthony DeSclafani, 5-7, 3.98 ERA) at Cardinals (RHP
John Lackey, 9-5, 2.88 ERA)
PLAYER NOTES:
--LHP Jaime Garcia (groin) came off the 15-day disabled list to
start Tuesday night and sailed through the first 5 2/3 innings
before one mistake led to a three-run homer for Reds 1B Joey Votto
and a loss. While Garcia dropped to 3-4 after his six-inning outing,
it hasn't exactly been his fault, as St. Louis has been blanked in
all of his defeats. Garcia fell to 10-3 in his career against
Cincinnati.
--RHP John Lackey will take the mound Wednesday night for the series
finale with Cincinnati. Lackey is coming off a 4-3 win Thursday
night against Kansas City that saw him give up two first-inning runs
and then shut down the Royals for the next six innings in his eighth
consecutive quality start. Lackey got a no-decision in an April 10
start against the Reds, a game that St. Louis lost 5-4.
--RHP Sam Tuivailala was optioned to Triple-A Memphis to make room
for LHP Jaime Garcia on the 25-man roster. Tuivailala pitched
effectively in some pressure situations during his second major
league stint of the year, recording eight consecutive scoreless
outings that saw him fan seven over eight innings. On the season,
Tuivailala is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings.
--CF Randal Grichuk (groin) sat out a second consecutive game.
Grichuk was injured running the bases Sunday in a 3-2 loss to
Atlanta, leaving that game after the sixth inning. It is not known
when Grichuk will return, but neither he nor the team anticipates
this being a long absence.
--1B Mark Reynolds (sore left hand) returned to the lineup after
missing the previous two games. Batting sixth and playing first
base, he went 1-for-3 with a double. Reynolds was injured in the
third inning Saturday in the Cardinals' 1-0 win over Atlanta when he
was plunked by a 94 mph fastball from RHP Shelby Miller. Reynolds
was going to pinch-hit in the eighth inning Monday night, but the
inning ended before the pitcher's spot came up.
--C Yadier Molina (illness) was back in the lineup Tuesday night
after leaving the Monday game for a pinch hitter in the bottom of
the fifth inning. Molina was drilled in the mask by a foul ball on
the game's second pitch Monday and was nauseated when he departed.
He passed concussion tests, though, and felt well enough to talk
with media after the game. He went 0-for-4 Tuesday.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "You look back at the home run pitch, (LHP Jaime
Garcia) made a lot of good pitches up to that point. (Reds 1B Joey)
Votto's swinging the bat well, and he's not going to let a lot of
mistakes go by." -- Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, on the
sixth-inning, three-run homer Votto hit Tuesday. The blast powered
Cincinnati to a 4-0 win over St. Louis.
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MLB Team Report - St. Louis Cardinals - ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
--C Yadier Molina (illness) left the July 27 game. He was back in
the lineup July 28.
--1B Mark Reynolds (sore left hand) was hurt July 25. He didn't play
July 26-27, and he was back in the lineup July 28.
[to top of second column] |
--CF Randal Grichuk (sore groin) left the July 26 game. He didn't
play July 27-28. The injury isn't considered serious.
--RHP Matt Belisle (right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list
June 26, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 24. He
experienced a setback in his rehab in July, and the club shut him
down.
--CF Jon Jay (stress reaction and bone bruise in left wrist) went on
the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 1.
--1B Matt Adams (strained right quadriceps) went on the 15-day
disabled list May 27, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on
June 5. He underwent surgery May 29, and he is out until at least
late August.
--RHP Jordan Walden (right biceps inflammation) went on the 15-day
disabled list retroactive to April 30, and he was transferred to the
60-day DL on June 30. He began a rehab assignment with Double-A
Springfield on July 23.
--RHP Adam Wainwright (sore left ankle and left Achilles tendon)
went on the 15-day disabled list April 26, and he was transferred to
the 60-day DL on April 30. He underwent season-ending surgery April
30.
ROTATION:
RHP John Lackey
RHP Michael Wacha
RHP Carlos Martinez
RHP Lance Lynn
LHP Jaime Garcia
BULLPEN:
RHP Trevor Rosenthal (closer)
LHP Kevin Siegrist
LHP Randy Choate
RHP Seth Maness
RHP Carlos Villanueva
RHP Miguel Socolovich
RHP Steve Cishek
CATCHERS:
Yadier Molina
Tony Cruz
INFIELDERS:
1B Mark Reynolds
2B Kolten Wong
SS Jhonny Peralta
3B Matt Carpenter
INF Dan Johnson
INF Pete Kozma
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Matt Holliday
CF Randal Grichuk
RF Jason Heyward
OF Peter Bourjos
OF/INF Stephen Piscotty
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