Good evening… or morning.

I’m up late because I took a nap earlier and now I can’t sleep.

So why not blog? I’ll try to make it quick, then it’s onto bed …

Since April 21st, right around the time that Jason Isringhausen went on the fritz, the Cardinals’ bullpen has been in a steady decline.

The relievers’ ERA since then is 4.68, and they’ve combined to blow 15 saves in 31 attempts.

Moreover, since April 21 the Cardinals’ bullpen has allowed 15 of 37 inherited runners to score, or 44.3 percent.

Overall this season the Cardinals’ pen ranks 13th among 16 teams in preventing inherited runners from scoring (38.1 percent).

Some of this is understandable.

* The bullpen is logging a heavier load of innings during an increasingly helter-skelter time for the starting rotation.  

* Rookies have been given more responsibility, and while Kyle McClellan and Chris Perez are talented and impressive, they’ll take some lumps. It’s inevitable and part of their education. McClellan, for example, has suffered two losses in the last week (at home vs. KC, and Wednesday at Detroit). And he’s allowed 34.8 percent of inherited runners to score, the 13th-worst rate among NL relievers. Perez had a bout of wildness Sunday in Boston, and his slider hasn’t been as sharp.  But these kids will thrive. They’re good.

* Anytime the closer blows up, it generally leads to chaos in the bullpen… a new world order kicks in, roles change, and the adjustments aren’t easy. (Though it must be pointed out that manager Tony La Russa has kept Ryan Franklin in the closer role after installing him there following Izzy’s detonation. The skipper has tried for stability, but with so many innings being put on the pen, it ain’t easy).

No one is struggling more dramatically than lefty Randy Flores.

For the season, Flores is permitting 39.1 percent of inherited runners to score, the 11th-worst rate in the NL.

But it’s more extreme than that.

Flo’s ERA in his last 15 appearances is 9.72.

In his last five appearances, Flores has faced 14 batters and 10 have reached base. That total includes six walks, with only one K. And in those last five appearances, three of four inherited runners have scored against him. His ERA during the last five times out is 27.00.

Flores hasn’t been good in high leverage situations for a long time, but was usually good when he entered a game with the bases clear. But lately that’s become an issue, too. Flores has just lost it, and the Cardinals have a huge void in their bullpen, because they’re unable to get the best of it in late-inning matchups. Which is the entire reason why La Russa and PC Dave Duncan are carrying two lefthanded relievers.

The other lefty, Ron Villone, has done well when facing LH batters.

 They’re only  .159 / .278 / .250 against him.

But when La Russa exposes Villone to RH batters … oh my:  .349 / .461 / .476.

Back to Flores… let’s talk pitch patterns…

He’s been falling behind in the count, probably because he’s lost his feel for the slider. He throws it on the first pitch to LH batters around 56 percent of the time. When he’s ahead in the count, he throws the slider 72 percent of the time. But when he’s behind in the count, Flores predictably relies on his fastball against LH batters, throwing it about 67 percent of the time. If he isn’t getting ahead, it means that LH hitters can sit on his fastball.  Flores has got to fix that slider …

Perhaps the Cardinals can experiment with LH prospect Jaime Garcia, a starter, and use him in relief. But I doubt that will happen. And no LH reliever in their system warrants a big-league look. As for sifting through discards…. please don’t mention old friend Steve Kline. He’s toast.

Bottom line? Unless there’s a dramatic rally soon, GM John Mozeliak is going to have to go shopping for a LH reliever of some quality. Either that, or La Russa will have to abandon his preference for multiple lefties to use as pieces in those late-inning chess matches.

Thanks for reading.

That’ll do it for the late-night shift.

As we sign off, we turn you over to that relentless daytime serial blogger, D. Goold over at Bird Land….

-B