Three Colorado batters.

Three knockout punches.

When the Cardinals won 3-0 Thursday at Busch, we were treated to the spectacle of Anthony Reyes, the most puzzling of all Cardinal curiosities, mowing down Ryan Spilborghs, Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton during a 21-pitch, 16-strike, three-K eighth inning.

I don’t know if Reyes has a future in the bullpen or not, but if he can throw strikes at that rate, he’s got a chance.

Maybe a term in the bullpen will alter his mindset.

It’s just a theory… but I wonder …

Does Reyes have too much time to think between starts? Do his headwires get tangled by too much analysis? Does he stress between starting assignments?

Maybe it’s mentally healthy for Reyes to sit in the bullpen and yuck it up with the joking, conniving, wingnut veteran relievers who keep it fun, keep it loose, until it’s time to quickly warm up for emergency duty. Maybe Reyes likes sitting around this baseball firehouse, keeping his mind off the game until he enters the fray. The uncomplicated mind can be a beautiful thing.

What we saw Thursday was an old flash of natural ability that once excited scouts: Reyes, raw.  

I don’t know if the Rey Gun can keep this up, but the three-strikeout binge was yet another fascinating turn in the Anthony Reyes story… a story that never seems to end.

–B