PHOENIX — St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa pledged that in the long term All-Star outfielder Ryan Ludwick, who hasn’t started in three of the Cardinals first nine games this season, will emerge as an every-day player. But in the short-term he elected not to bat Ludwick with the chance to drive in the winning run Tuesday.

As the Cardinals staged a ninth-inning rally against the Arizona Diamondbacks and reliever Chad Qualls, La Russa had a tremendous trump on his bench in the Silver Slugger-winning outfielder. Four singles, including an RBI chopper to right field by Albert Pujols to drive in the tying run, and a walk created two runs for the Cardinals, knotted the game at 6-6 and then gave La Russa his opportunity. Ludwick was warming up in the on-deck circle as Pujols took his at-bat.

But with the bases loaded, one out, a tie score, and only a sacrifice fly away from taking a lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, La Russa called Ludwick back to the dugout.

He felt Brendan Ryan was a better option to pinch hit.

I asked him after the game (and after deadline for today’s edition of the paper) about the choice. He explained: “I thought it was a better matchup for Brendan. I felt good about him putting the ball in play, he wasn’t going to be doubled. He missed that one fastball and he chased some sliders.”

Ryan struck out. Rick Ankiel followed with another strikeout and the Cardinals left the bases loaded, unable to squeeze out the go-ahead run from a bases-loaded, one-out situation. They would go on to lose, 7-6.

All of the possible reasons for calling Ludwick back were explored and asked about. Ludwick, when asked, said he was healthy and nothing was wrong that would make him anything more than a decoy in the ninth inning. The initial thought that maybe Brendan Ryan was up there to lay down a bunt was lost when he swung away at the first pitch. Either could have explained the motivation for keeping Ludwick’s bat holstered. But something about La Russa’s answer didn’t compute. Doubled? As in double-play? Ludwick, throughout the past couple years, has been among the hardest players to double-up in baseball.

Last season Ludwick grounded into eight double plays in 617 at-bats. Some of the other players in that range:

• Shane Victorino … 627 PA, 8 GDP
• Adam Dunn … 651 PA, 7 GDP
• Matt Holliday … 623 PA, 9 GDP
• Randy Winn … 667 PA, 6 GDP
• Hanley Ramirez … 693 PA, 5 DP

The players are a blend of speed (Victorino, Ramirez), three-true outcome players (Dunn) and flyball hitters like Ludwick (Holliday). Ludwick, at bat, hits into few double plays because he most often puts the ball in play in the air or he strikes out. And it’s not he hasn’t had his opportunities to hit in double plays. Last year Ludwick had 111 plate appearance with a runner at first base, and he grounded into a double play five times. Presented with the fact that Ludwick rarely hits into a double play La Russa repeated his reasoning: Ryan gave him a better matchup.

Understandably with Chris Carpenter’s injury looming over every thought and leaving La Russa to say it was a real “piece of (crud) day”, the manager wasn’t going to suffer many questions about not hitting Ludwick.

Brendan Ryan “offered the better chance, I thought, to put the ball in play and then, at least, we get one there, and we see where it goes,” La Russa said. “It didn’t work. Wrong again.”

On with the 10@10:

1. The Cardinals are going to make a roster move as early as before today’s game to replace Carpenter on the roste and replenish a bullpen that was taxed in last night’s extra-inning loss. The most likely move is bringing Chris Perez up from Memphis, though general manager John Mozeliak left open the possibility of a second move as well. Mitchell Boggs could get the call to help cover innings, as well. Early this morning post-game quotes from Carpenter and others was available at Cardinal Beat. The news of any roster moves, when confirmed, will be posted there this afternoon.
2. Carpenter’s absence leaves the Cardinals with a start to fill — Sunday night, on national TV against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Nice assignment. That’s the poll.

   Who should get Sunday’s start at Wrigley Field?

   • Mitchell Boggs
   • Kyle McClellan
   • Brad Thompson
   • P.J. Walters
   • Other (please specify in comments)

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3. Entering Tuesday’s game the Cardinals were the hottest team in baseball according to a metric available at Bill James Online. According to the quirky stat, every team starts the season at “room temperature” (or 72 degrees) and their Fahrenheit rises or falls depending on their day-to-day performance. Before losing Tuesday, the Cardinals topped the charts at 99 degrees. This morning, the Florida Marlins and San Diego Padres are at 99 degrees. The Cardinals slipped to just 88 degrees, three behind the Cubs.
4. This much we know: Greg Maddux won’t win. In 18 of the past 19 years, Maddux, the Hall of Fame-bound righthanded starter, has won the National League Gold Glove at his position. He has had a stranglehold on the award that is given to the finest fielder at each position. Maddux retired this offseason, meaning the seat is open — there is no incumbent for managers and coaches to write into their ballot maybe even before the season begins. A deserving candidate for the award could be today’s starter for the Cardinals, Joel Pineiro. Even beyond his aggressive shagging of fly ball during batting practice, Pineiro has displayed a slick ability in the field since coming to the Cardinals late in the 2007 season. Highlights? He’s got a few, including the kick-save-and-a-beauty in Pittsburgh. (I planned to put video of that play up here, but MLBAM has recalled all of the clips off YouTube.) But is fielding the position well enough? Not likely. Gold Gloves tend to go to players who have other statistics that attract eyes. Like, batting average for a catcher. Or, wins for a pitcher. Asked before Tuesday’s game if he thought Pineiro could merit consideration for the first Gold Glove since the Maddux Dynasty, La Russa said: “He’ll have to get the attention. That’s all. He’s a cat out there.”
5. Is the love affair over? One of the most gregarious and outgoing ballplayers in the game — who comes complete with his own radio show and TV show — gave the cold shoulder to the locals last night after delivering the game-winning single in the 10th inning for Arizona. Outfielder Eric Byrnes came into his 10th-inning at-bat in a 1-for-17 start to the season. In his previous two at-bats in the game, the fans pelted Byrnes will boos when he didn’t get a hit. After the game, Byrnes blew by a request from the TV rights’ holder (the station where he has a show!) and he was out of the clubhouse and gone by the time the pens-and-lens set was let in. It was “out-of-character,” per MLB.com.
6. On Monday, Ryan Franklin got the save for the Cardinals in their 2-1 victory. It was the Cardinals’ 100th victory that involved the reliever since he came to the club at the start of the 2007 season.
7. FARM REPORT: Class AAA Memphis dispatched New Orleans, 8-3. The top three hitters in the lineup — Tyler Greene, Jon Jay and pride-of-LSU Nick Stavinoha — combined to go 6-for-12 with two hits apiece. Allen Craig went 3-for-4 with a home run. He’s hitting .444 so far this season. Matt Scherer pitched two scoreless innings and struck out three. … Joe Mather continues to struggle. He went 0-for-5 in the game, dropping his average to .059. … Class AA won 8-7 against Midland. Steven Hill, starting in this game at catcher, went 3-for-5 with a couple doubles. Mark Hamilton went 2-for-5 with a couple doubles and three RBIs. … Francisco Samuel got the save with an inning of work. He struck out three but gave up a run on two hits. That lowered his ERA to 27.00. … High-A Palm Beach won, 6-3, against the Reds’ Sarasota team. Outfielder Adron Chambers went 4-for-4 with two triples. Jermaine Curtis scored three runs. Eduardo Sanchez got a two-inning save with no hits, no earned runs and a couple strikeouts. … Low-A lost 10-7 to Beloit. Osvaldo Morales was 2-for-5 with four RBIs with two strikeouts. Shortstop Niko Vasquez went 0-for-3 with two runs scored. He’s hitting .182.
8. All of the players on the field today and coaches in the dugouts will be wearing the No. 42 today to honor Jackie Robinson. New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes has another tribute in mind, according to Jack Curry of The New York Times. Reyes wants to steal home. Straight up. A couple years ago this blog discussed a way for the Cardinals to honor the player who was the first to integrate their lineup, Tom Alston.
9. This past Friday, the Cardinals won their 700th game with Albert Pujols in the lineup, according to research done by the team’s media relations staff. The Cardinals are 703-544 with Pujols in the lineup since 2001. That’s a .564 winning percentage. He is one of eight active players to appear in 700-plus victories for their original team, and his winning percentage ranks up there. The others: Chipper Jones 1,194-833-1 (.589) … Derek Jeter 1,192-798-2 (.599) … Todd Helton 773-894 (.464) … Jorge Posada 863-625 (.580) … Lance Berkman 727-650-1 (.529) … Jason Varitek 757-549 (.573) … and Eric Chavez 735-549 (.573).
10. Some light lagniappe to close today. There isn’t a Booche’s or O’Connell’s anywhere in sight, but as MLB.com Cardinals beat writer Matthew Leach pointed out a few days ago, Phoenix is the confluence of two great burger joints — the West Coast In-N-Out Burger and Whataburger. They’re both within an enticing drive. Help me choose. 

    What burger joint should we hit for lunch?

    • In-N-Out Burger
    • Whataburger
    • Get a garden burger, tubby

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Off to report. News updates from the ballpark will be up over at Cardinal Beat.