GRAND CENTER — There were only eight games scheduled Monday around the majors, and not one had the look of must-see TV.

Once San Diego Padres righthander Jake Peavy was scratched from his start against the Cardinals, the day lacked a bona fide ace — though Tampa Bay’s James Shields would qualify if he had the Q-rating to match his ERA. Only two of the eight games featured two teams with winnings records pitted against…

TOWER GROVE — One thing about a player being on base all the time: he gets loads of practice running them and has plenty of opportunity to excel — and fail. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols showed this past week that he can pound out the headlines with more than just his bat; carrying a big stick does not require always walking softly.

In the span of a few games, Pujols showed the plus and minus of…

TOWER GROVE — A day after watching on television as Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen riddled the Houston Astros with sinister curveballs for his fourth save of the season — another in a line of what were no-sweat saves — I was in Houston and asked Isringhausen why so many curves?

“I think it was only five,” Isringhausen said. “Not that many. But now if it jinxes me, I know who to blame. If it’s going…

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…

DENVER — Not too far from where Coors Field is now, just down the Boulder Turnpike headed toward Boulder Valley and the mountains is the “Scenic Overlook” that was a landmark of my youth. It’s a quick pull off Highway 36 and it offers a panaromic view of the signature Flatirons and the valley.

It’s also high enough to be one of several places you could tune in KMOX.

Had the phrase existed years ago…

DENVER — Even after the game, in the Cardinals clubhouse, there was quiet discussion about which of Rick Ankiel’s two lightning bolts from deep center field to third base were the best.

The first one beat one of the fastest runners in baseball by at least a stride to third base. The second, well, it, Larry Walker joked, traveled further from the outfield than Ankiel’s home run had traveled over the outfield in that same…

DENVER — With all of the hairpin turns and high jinks that the Cardinals and Colorado crammed into tonight’s riveting game at Coors Field, there was one pivotal player whose role was obscured.

Good thing he got the win.

It was hardly the prettiest inning of the game for a Cardinals’ pitcher, but Randy Flores’ eighth inning took on added importance, especially after Albert Pujols’ 180-foot sprint on Rick Ankiel’s game-winning groundout.  Flores faced six batters, allowed one run,…

TOWER GROVE — The Cardinals jet off on their first road trip of the season having let so few of their opposing hitters take flight at all this season. Much has been made of the Cardinals rotation’s sub-1.00 ERA through six games and the staff as a whole has an ERA of 1.83, better than every team in baseball save the LA Dodgers and their 1.70.

That’s the macro picture. The micro is even more…

DOWNTOWN — His convertible just pulled up last, the tail end of today’s ceremonial player introductions. Clearly the order was not selected by Opening Day performance.

Cardinals infielder Aaron Miles will make the third Opening Day start of his career today, and he brings an uncanny streak of performances into it. He’s yet to make a start on the first afternoon of the season and not get at least five hits. A couple doubles? Sigh….

DOWNTOWN — Manager Tony La Russa either pulled off a great bluff, or a few of us totally ignored his tell. Probably it’s more of the latter than the former, as the Cardinals manager sided with experience, service time and the obvious when he made out his lineup for Opening Day.

With a caveat that he could flip-flop two hitters before tomorrow’s first pitch, La Russa planned to post the following lineup for the Cardinals’ opener against NL…