Izzy getting “back to basics”
DENVER - Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen, fresh off his fourth blown save of the season, said he’s trying to “get back to basics.” Which explains why he pounded the Colorado Rockies with fastballs and cutters Wednesday night, instead of showing a little off-speed.
That, and the altitude.
“If I get beat with a bad breaking ball here,” Isringhausen said Thursday morning before the Cardinals concluded the series at Coors Field, “I’d feel a lot worse than with a fastball.”
Called into Wednesday game with the tying run at first, a two-run lead and four outs to get, Isringhausen allowed an RBI single and a two-run triple in the eighth inning. The Cardinals closer has blown three of his past six save opportunities and seen his ERA balloon from 0.00 on April 9 to 6.06 a month later.
The first batter Isringhausen faced, pinch-hitter Ryan Spilborghs, chopped a grounder through the left side of the infield. Isringhausen got the groundball he wanted, just not to a fielder. He said “that’s how things are going right now.” After the game, the Rockies mentioned they were surprised Isringhausen didn’t throw anything off-speed. His curveball has been an asset this season.
Isringhausen said it had as much to do where he was a mile above sea level than where he was with recent performance. The first three games of this series were each decided by one run and when told this afternoon’s would probably be the same, Isringhausen invited it, saying: “I won’t quit. Get me back out there.”
“Going to the basics,” he said. “If people get beat here, you get beat with flares. If you get beat with a bad curveball because it didn’t break, then you feel real bad. I didn’t want to get beat on a bad breaking ball.”
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(3 votes, average: 2.33 out of 5)
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Derrick Goold told everyone he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but really after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was drawn to MU's primo location between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball inbetween. 
I’m in no position to evaluate J.I.’s firepower vs. previous years. I don’t get to see him pitch everyday. It is my observation that successful closers must have one overwhelming pitch they can throw for one inning 3 days out of 5. A pitch that, as J.I. says, you only get beat on with flares and bloops. When the other teams regularly start hitting liners, you can bet the killer pitch is no longer there.
So, regretfully, the results we are seeing dictate a move. Try a minor league closer for awhile, try someone already up for awhile, etc. When we regain a starter, perhaps Looper could also be tried. And, perhaps J.I.’s arm actually does need just a little rest (and his hips, and his legs, and his back. Closer is a tough job. None of us can do it, few do it exceptionally well. )
Another point is that the team isn’t scoring nearly as many runs as they should be, given the number of men on base. Things may average out, though.