Good morning. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
Let’s get started:
1. KHALIL GREENE: It was an eventful weekend for the Cardinals in KC. In a three-game sweep, the visiting team erupted for 29 runs, 37 hits, 8 homers, and a .327 batting average. Cardinals fans took over Kauffman Stadium. Their beloved Cardinals moved into first place in the NL Central, leaving KC with a 1.5-game lead over Milwaukee. Albert Pujols went berserk, with 3 homers and 10 RBIs. Chris Carpenter pitched another gem. Ryan Franklin made it 17 saves in 18 opportunities. Manager Tony La Russa notched career victory No. 2,500.
But was there anything more profound or potentially special than Khalil Greene swatting a homer in each game, going 4 for 7 in the series, and playing fine defense at third base? And did you see how his teammates reacted to Greene? He has the entire clubhouse pulling for him, supporting him. La Russa has been compassionate in dealing with Greene’s anxiety disorder. The entire organization has worked with Khalil to help find a solution to his problem. It’s been only three starts since Greene returned from the DL — way too early to declare anything — but this is a promising re-start for him.
Here’s what I liked best: all three HRs came after Greene put together an excellent at-bat. And determined at-bats, too. Friday, he got behind in the count and won a six-pitch battle to bang a 91 mph fastball for the homer. Saturday, he fell behind 0-2 in the count, fought off a strikeout, and pounced on a hanging curve on the sixth pitch to drive another homer. Sunday, he got down 0-2 in the count, stayed alive, and on the fourth pitch hit another hanger over the wall. In other words, these weren’t lucky swings. It wasn’t a guy who went up there just hoping to connect. Greene had a plan. He stayed calm even when the counts went against him. He waited to see his pitch, and got the HR payoff.
The four-game series in New York is the next challenge. Greene will encounter razzing Mets fans in a hostile ballpark. But every game will a challenge for Greene. The biggest test will come when he goes through an inevitable 1 for 14 stretch. But this weekend in KC can only help.
2. DAVID WRIGHT’S UNUSUAL SEASON: The Mets’ third baseman will certainly be a visible presence over the next four games, and the Cardinals will try to cool off Wright, who leads the NL with a .349 batting average.
Wright is having a strange season at the plate. Let me try to explain.
- Wright is batting .464 on balls put in play. This is absolutely nuts. And absolutely rare. That’s the highest BABIP in the majors since Ichiro Suzuki hit .399 in the category in 2004. The next-highest BABIP in the majors this season belongs to Boston’s Kevin Youkilis (.392).
What does this mean? The sabermatricians will declare that Wright has been lucky, because balls in play frequently find a glove. But Wright’s striking balls that are eluding the gloves in the field. It doesn’t mean that he isn’t a good hitter; it just means that the .464, which isn’t a number that can hold up, has inflated his batting average. (If you want to look at an opposite example, of a hitter who has been on the unlucky side, that would be Pujols, who has a .275 batting average on balls put in play). Anyway, if Wright’s batting average begins to drop, watch out for the howling in NY because …
- Wright isn’t hitting homers this season (so far). He has only 4 in 252 at-bats. From 2004-2008, Wright homered once every 20.3 at-bats. This year, his HR rate is one for every 63 at-bats. That’s a steep drop. (At least he’s lashing doubles; 21 of ‘em.) If Wright’s batting average starts to fall, and the homers don’t come, you don’t suppose he’ll hear about in New York, do you?
- Wright is striking out more than usual: one K every 4.19 plate appearance. That’s the 16th-highest K rate in the majors. Until this season, Wright’s K rate was one for every 6.11 plate appearance.
- Wright is hitting “only” .311 at home, at the new Citi Field. And he has only 12 RBIs at home.
- Wright’s road splits: .385 BA, .481 OBP, .523 SLG, … and 27 RBIs.
- And yet … 3 of his 4 homers have come at home.
Go figure.
3. MILWAUKEE’S SEARCH FOR A STARTER: The Cardinals are looking for a bat. The Brewers are desperate to add a starting pitcher. The team that gets their man may be in the best position to win the NL Central … provided, of course, that the Cardinals and Brewers can hold off the Cubs, who are finally heating up, having won five of their last six.
Here’s the deal with Milwaukee’s rotation: There’s the splendid Yovani Gallardo, and then there’s … boom!
Gallardo is 7-4 with a 3.00 ERA.
The other Milwaukee starters have combined for a 16-20 record and a 5.60 ERA.
Overall, Milwaukee’s rotation’s ERA of 5.00 ranks 26th among the 30 MLB teams. And only six teams have received fewer innings from their starters than Milwaukee.
Since May 22, Milwaukee starters have an ERA of 6.40, which explains the team’s 11-17 record during that stretch.
Cardinals starters are ranked second (to the Dodgers) in the majors with a 3.74 ERA, are tied with Boston for the most wins (31), and are third in the majors in innings pitched.
Finally, here’s a stat that I would not have expected: the Brewers are averaging 4.8 runs per game; the Cardinals are averaging 4.7 runs per game. I thought there would have been a larger gap between the two.
4. CHRIS CARPENTER (5-1, 1.53 ERA) vs. JOHAN SANTANA (8-5, 3.22 ERA): That matchup of Cy Young contenders is set for 12:10 p.m. (St. Louis) time on Thursday at Citi Field in New York. Wow. You don’t want to miss that one. If you’re at work Thursday and can’t watch the game live, don’t forget to set those DVRs.
5. BERNIE BYTES: David Wright is 7 for 10 against tonight’s STL pitcher, Todd Wellemeyer … The Cardinals are 33-9 when they score first in a game this season but only 6-22 when the other side scores first … Cardinals prospect Brett Wallace is batting .353 in his last 10 games at AAA Memphis … exciting new download of the weekend: the latest (”Farm”) by Dinosaur Jr. is outstanding… where’s Bill McDermott when I need him? I’m an idyit; I forgot to set the DVR to watch the USA’s 3-0 victory over Egypt in the Confederations Cup match Sunday. I can’t believe the U.S. advanced to the semifinals … Cardinals’ starting pitchers have a 3.11 ERA over the last 32 games … of course I’ll be rooting for Phil Mickelson in the final round of the U.S. Open … given his yack jobs on Friday and Saturday at Wrigley Field, Cardinals fans still have every reason to be hating on Kerry Wood, even though he pitches for the Indians now… the Dodgers are 25-16 without Manny Ramirez; yes, Joe Torre can manage… as you can see by reading this notebook item in the Kansas City Star, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has been generous in giving advice to Royals manager Trey Hillman. Apparently La Russa neglected to advise Hillman to pitch around Albert Pujols … next to the new Citi Field, where Shea Stadium once stood, the Mets have marked out spots in a parking lot to identify the exact location of the pitching mound and home plate at Shea. It’s weird to think that this marked-off sliver of an asphalt parking lot is where Adam Wainwright threw one of the greatest pitches in Cardinals history…. Pujols may be one who misses the old Shea; he helped tear the place down by hitting .365 with 9 homers and a .719 slugging percentage in 96 at-bats in the old dump.
As always, thanks for reading …
-Bernie