Sept. 4: Can the Cardinals Handle LH Pitchers?
Good day…
Just one topic for you today, and as always your thoughts are welcome…
I find it interesting that the Cardinals got 2 first-inning runs Thursday against Milwaukee’s horrible LH starter, Manny Parra, only to be largely frustrated the rest of the way.
Coincidence? I don’t think so. The refurbushed lineup still has some problems against lefties.
There’s been improvement since the trades that brought in Mark DeRosa, Julio Lugo and Matt Holliday. The fellows were in the same lineup together for thee first time on July 24 in Philadelphia. The Cardinals had a big night offensively, winning 8-1 and strafing Philly’s LH starter J.A. Happ for 6 ER and 10 hits in six innings.
Before July 24, vs. LHP: .223 / .304 / .355
Since July 24, vs. LHP: .251 / .320 / .379
But it’s been a little quiet since that July 24 breakout. The OBP against lefties is still an issue, and the slugging is mediocre. Since July 24 the Cardinals have hit only 9 HR in 375 at-bats against lefties. And since Aug. 5, they are batting only .234 vs. LH.
A few Cardinals are happily blasting lefthanders since July 24. Albert Pujols is batting .410, Holliday .400. Rick Ankiel is 7 for his 24 against LH, which is a nice change for him. And Brendan Ryan is just under .300 vs. LH since July 24.
But here’s the list of guys struggling against the lefties since July 24:
Since the Phillies added Lee in late July, righthanded hitters are batting only .234 against their pitching staff. RH bats are hitting only .239 against Happ. After his switch to the NL, righthanded batters are hitting ony .168 vs. Lee. And Hamels – improving after being off form earlier — has allowed RH batters a .240 BA since July 6.
The Phillies in general have been pitching out of the minds as of late; they just won 2 out of 3 games from San Francisco despite scoring only three runs in the series…The Phillies are known for their potent hitting but they can pitch, too. They rank sixth in the league with a 4.10 ERA, and they have the league’s best ERA, 3.12, since the All-Star break. Since July 11, the Philadelphia rotation has cranked out a 2.91 ERA.
What about other potential postseason foes? The Dodgers have one lefty, Clayton Kershaw, in their rotation, and RH batters don’t harm him much. They’re batting .208 against him, with only six homers (and 102 Ks) in 413 at-bats. LA also has Randy Wolf in the rotation. He’s given up 19 homers to RH batters this season, but he’s holding them to a .254 BA and .308 OBP. The Giants have lefties Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez; RH batters are hitting .248 against Zito and .218 vs. Sanchez. Colorado has one rotation lefty, Jorge De La Rosa, and RH batters are beating him up for a .359 OBP and a .471 SLG.
Despite the modest improvement since the lineup additions, the Cardinals are at the bottom (or near it) in the MLB rankings against LHP:
BA: .231, 30th (last) in MLB.
OBP: .309, 28th in MLB.
SLG: .362, 30th in MLB.
OK, finally, here is where the Cardinals rank in these categories since July 24:
BA: .251, 19th
OBP: .320, 20th
SLG: .379 22nd
Better? Yes. Is the problem solved? No.
Thanks for reading …
-Bernie
Bernie,
We hear all the time about the Cardinals struggles with LH pitchers. How do they compare versus other MLB teams? Do they rank at the bottom in batting against LHPs?
Great analysis as always Bernie. You are confirming what many already thought. The Phillies have always hit (much more consistent than the Cardinals, even after the additions), but now they are getting outstanding pitching as well (best ERA in the National League since the all-star break). They are a scary team, and the Cardinals will have their hands full should they meet in the playoffs, hopefully not in the first round.
Addendum: I found on Baseball Reference that the major league average is .261 / .333 / .419. Cannot find the breakdown by team.
One more question, should I be posting comments here or on the forum?
I went back in and added where the Cardinals rank against LHP.
last in BA, 28th in OPB, last in SLG.
-B
Nice job as usual, Bernie. We don’t see enough of you anymore since you’re immersed in your local duties. We out-of-town fans suffer as a consequence!
Your points are why I hoped the Cards would do something to neutralize Philly’s LH bats. I get nightmares thinking of Reyes facing Howard with the game on the line. Would’ve been good to see what Garcia had down the stretch at least.
Thanks Bernie. It’s always interesting to see the relative rankings. I knew they didn’t do well but I didn’t realize it was that bad.
It would interesting to see how the Cardinals have hit lefties since Mitchell Paige left as batting coach. It seems they did ok with him. How much gets laid onto the batting coaches when hitters are baffled by certain type of pitchers. I do like your analysis on the new pitcher without scouting report. Al stated the same, and wondered why unlike the good old days, hitters couldn’t adjust during the game. It seems they pitch and bat much better at the minor league levels than at the MLB level. Is there a system breakdown at the top? Seems to be.
Bernie,
I haven’t read much analysis on why the Cards are struggling gainst LH pitching…Any thoughts?
The Mad Hungarian insists that lefty batters are “natural” low-ball hitters. I say that’s an old-wives’ tale. I also say Ludwick and Glaus (among countless other tendentious low-ball hitters) bat right-handed. What, pray tell, do anatomists, trainers, and — most important — SPORTS COLUMNISTS say???
LaRussa preaches aggressiveness not patience. Taking pitches, drawing walks, and establishing high OBP is not part of Tony’s philosophy.
The Phillies hitting, and pitching is stronger than the Cardinals. If I recall Blanton (their 3rd or 4th lefty) has handled the Cards impressively as well. Without a good lefty starter the Cardinals will be at a distinct disadvantage against them. I’m hoping the Giants get the Wild Card and knock them off.
DeRosa’s injury is one of wear not a sudden tear. He would have been tender and sore for some time before suffering a tear. My point is that this is not bad luck, but poor diligence on the Cardinals part as this was almost certainly pre-existing condition prior to the trade.