TOWER GROVE — St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan believe not all pitches are created equal. That is why La Russa often bats away questions about a pitcher being on a short-leash with a pitch count or a pitcher being allowed to blow by the mythical (and misleading) labrum-barrier of 100 pitches.

There are high-stress pitches. There are breezy innings. They do count the same.

Both are part of the internal…

TOWER GROVE — The St. Louis Cardinals have developed their own way of celebrating a walk-off home run, too. When the hero for the moment steps foot on home — sometimes taking a cannonball-like leap onto the plate — the Cardinals overwhelm their teammate and attempt to land some kidney shots with playful uppercut blows. There’s punching. There’s some grabbing.

You get the sense that it’s not unlike the bottom of a dog pile in the…

TOWER GROVE — In his office after Tuesday night’s loss, Milwaukee Brewers manager Ken Macha told a group of us reporters that the “second-most important” at-bat of the Cardinals’ 7-6 victory was by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

Apparently, Molina was the first to recognize that.

Of course, the most important at-bat of the game was Matt Holliday’s immediately after Macha opted to “pick his poison” and walk Albert Pujols ahead of the Cardinals’ cleanup hitter….

TOWER GROVE — When the Milwaukee Brewers last visited Busch Stadium, way back in May, outfielder Ryan Braun made a diving catch in left field that left him sprawled on the warning track. He fought the urge to do a snow angel in the track, but couldn’t repress his personality when he got to the dugout.

Manager Ken Macha told reporters afterward that Braun trotted down the steps and told his teammates that it just may…

TOWER GROVE — What Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel wrote earlier this week about the National League Central being a logjam in the standings is even more true to today.

A win last night at Miller Park against the St. Louis Cardinals put those pitching-poor Milwaukee Brewers — OK, so those were “deputy” GM Ryan Braun’s exact words — within a game of the division leaders. This afternoon the top teams in the NL…

TOWER GROVE — The premeditated celebration began the moment Bill Hall’s 10th-inning single landed Monday and winning run Casey McGehee crossed home plate. Immediately the Milwaukee Brewers bolted for their clubhouse, turning, as Tom Haudricourt wrote at the Journal-Sentinel, a walk-off into a run-off and again stoking the discussion about those brash and bold Brewers and their post-win ways.

Untucking. Posing. Behind closed doors. Or otherwise.

A rivalry that has its roots in Milwaukee’s public compliments and…

TOWER GROVE — When the Milwaukee Brewers held their meetings to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals’ hitters for this series at Busch Stadium, they invited a pitcher who wasn’t originally scheduled to throw in this series. But, the coaches figured, Braden Looper might have something to offer about his former teammates.

Now they’ll see what he has to offer against his former teammates.

Friday’s rainout forced both teams to reset their rotations. The Cardinals recalled Friday’s starter,…