GM says Cards “Can’t Just Keep Giving Games Away Like That.”
DOWNTOWN — Had one groundball turned out differently, had it not slipped through his hands as rapidly and frustratingly as the save did a few moments later, maybe the questions would have been different.
But Tuesday is another blown save for the Cardinals’ bullpen — No. 27, for those keeping score — and means another inquisition for the club’s closer, Jason Isringhausen.
Isringhausen entered his second save opportunity since returning to the role with a three-run lead and the bases empty after Andruw Jones’ solo home run to open the ninth. No need to repeat the play by play here. (Senior baseball writer Joe Strauss has it covered in the game story.) With the bases loaded, James Loney hit a dribbler down the first base line. There was a clear play at first base, but Isringhausen mishandled the ball. A run scored. The bases remained loaded. There was still one out.
That grounder goes differently, and GM John Mozeliak may not be meeting with manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan today to discuss the recurring concerns about how the Cardinals are going to close games.
Isringhausen declined to talk to the media after the 6-4 victory.
Mozeliak did. In a brief, but telling, interview — from which the end quote in Strauss’ game story came — Mozeliak said the team “can’t just keep giving games away like that.”
The transcript of his late-night Q & A with a handful of media:
Q: Mo, what was your take on what you saw in the ninth inning tonight?
Mozeliak: It was disappointing. Obviously to get a game pitched so well up until the ninth and to have the outcome go the way it did, in terms of a home run, hit, walk — it was tough. I think it’s something that Tony, Dunc and I will talk about tomorrow, strategize and see what makes the most sense. You can’t just keep giving games away like that.
We’re not in a situation where we can go out and necessarily find somebody to close. We’re very supportive of Izzy, and we’ve stood by him. but at some point we have to get some results.
Q: Would rookie Chris Perez be considered as an option?
Mozeliak: Everything is an option right now. We have to be open-minded and just try to make the best decision for this club. You look at how (Chris Carpenter) pitched today and how outstanding he was. He gave this team more than a chance to win. And it got down to the ninth and we just couldn’t put it away.
For many reasons, the ninth inning has become a quagmire for the Cardinals this season, not the least of which is the kind of games this team has been prone to play — and there’s every reason to believe will continue to play. Having a runner on base for Ryan Ludwick’s home run Tuesday night is the difference between that win and the Cardinals’ 42nd one-run ball game of the season. That leads the majors, and is already five more than the Cardinals had total last season.
The Cardinals 21 one-run wins are the fourth-most in the majors, second in the National League.
But in a tightly bunched wild card race and an NL Central division stacked with three contenders for playoff berths, the more glaring wins are the ones the Cardinals haven’t cinched of late. The most blown saves in the majors is one thing — because Ryan Franklin got tagged with a blown save Tuesday that was hardly his doing. The more telling stat is the Cardinals have now led 64 of their of their 115 games after the seventh inning.
They have lost 12 of those games.
After a game that was almost No. 13, Mozeliak said another audit is needed.
Q: Are you going to discuss (how to use the current) roster differently, or are you going to look at doing something roster-wise?
Mozeliak: I just want to listen to Tony and Dunc and hear what all of our available options are. Someone brought up Chris Perez. What may be the kind of change in strategy which might be a different formula that might work? We’re not going to be able to go out and necessarily trade for someone to be that closer. Izzy may get that opportunity. That’s for Tony and Dunc to let me know. I’m not ruling that out at all right now.
I think right now people are answering things with more emotion than real thought. It’s just something that regardless of how you look at it’s a frustrating situation when you can think of how we’ve lost a lot of these games late in the game. A lot of them come to mind. It’s unfortunate.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting 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 in between. 
It doesn’t take Brian Barton (aka a rocket scientist) to figure out that the bullpen needs help. Look at the stats! I know that Mo’ loves to horde all of his young players, but he has to ask himself the question, “Do we want to win when it is completely possible for us to win? Do I want to help DeWitt earn more money by giving the fans a team that they wouldn’t mind paying too much to go see?”
I know he is thinking about the future. But as it stands right not, the future is not looking so bright for the Cards. Rasmus is injured (after all he seems to be the diamond in the rough) and the rest of the minor league pitchers are so-so. It sounds to me that you can trade for a decent reliever now that would benefit the future down the road! Tie a reliever up for awhile. Every team in the MLB knows that a decent reliever is worth their money. They can even use the money freed up by Izzy whenever he leaves at the end of the season.
Start looking at the roster with more reason, Mo’. Then you may have something to get excited about!
I’ve been worried about Franklin for awhile now…closer or set-up guy. He got off to a fantastic start, which is why he was given more responsibility. Now Izzy, a human being with a big heart, has to face a very tough decision. What’s best for the team. As Bernie so ardently points out, an apparent lack of objectivity is why Jason backed himself out last time. HE stepped up, with class, and said take me out. Sadly, it shouldn’t be up to him to make the right decision, he’s not the manager, but he did it awhile ago, and we brought him back.
I’m one for letting Izzy go out on top, with, perhaps, one more save. But, we can’t sacrifice the efforts of the rest of the team… not anymore. It’s clearly upsetting and emotionally wrenching for all, Tony, Dunc, the fans and Jason’s teammates. I don’t see a way to make 300 happen, not now. We are just too tight, and it’s plain not fair to all of us to keep trying. I like Perez’ stuff…needs some more opportunity, but right now, Wainwright gets my nod in the clsoer role, as the surest chance to get us back on track. Good day.
If you insert Waino back into the rotation, that does create a surplus. In my mind that creates a surplus in Starting Pitchers. Waino in the rotation pitching 6-7 innings is very valuable. 1-5 should be: Waino, Lohse, Carp, Looper, then your quandry begins. If Piniero should stay in the rotation, perhaps Wellemeyer would be a decent option in the 9th.
At the risk of “piling on”, we’ve been calling Isringhausen “Thrill Ride” at our home for years–and NOT in a complimentery way! He hasn’t been “lights out” for way too long!
I’d keep Wainwright as a starter and consider taking Looper out of the rotation and sending him to the pen. He’s been a closer before.
What about picking up Joakim Soria from the Royals. That guy has been clutch all year, played in the All-Star game, and we all know the Royals aren’t doing anything as far as postseason is concerned.
There obviously is a typo somewhere in the two sentences “…the Cardinals have not led 64 of their 115 games after the seventh inning. They have lost 12 of those games.”
Of course, losing 12 of 64 games in which you’re trailing after the seventh inning would be sensational–superhuman in fact. So how are these sentences supposed to read? I don’t think the Cardinals have come back to win 52 times when trailing in or after the seventh inning.
The best bullpen pitcher all year has been McClellan. He mowed through the Mets lineup and struck out all three of their big guns recently. His stuff looks good. This reminds me of Waino two years ago and TLR was against putting him in the closer role. Looked how that turned out. To me the obvious choice is McClellan.
We’ve tried everyone else, why not give Brad Thompson a shot? He can’t be worse than what we’ve seen so far. I like Mo, but so far his strategic plan of hoping for the best has failed. In Spring Training I remember he made a comment to the effect that it was their business plan to sign guys like Matt Clement to try to catch lightning in a bottle. That’s failure waiting to happen. I see 2 disturbing parallels: 2003, when the Division was there for the taking but nothing was done (Estaban Yan doesn’t count) to stabilize the bullpen. Also the end of the Dal Maxville era when he wouldn’t (or more likely couldn’t) do anything to improve a poor team and organization.
Izzy, Thanks for the memories, so long, goodby.