The Cardinals will skip rookie lefthander Jaime Garcia for a second consecutive start Thursday, choosing instead to send Jeff Suppan against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Manager Tony La Russa confirmed the move before Sunday's 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres, saying that concerns remain over Garcia's status this deep into the season.
"We're going to err on the side of caution," La Russa said. "He's a young pitcher with a bright future. If there is any uncertainty, we're going to play it safe."
La Russa left open the possibility that Garcia would reappear during the team's season-ending home stand against the Pirates and Colorado Rockies but made no promises. Garcia last started on Sept. 13 against the Chicago Cubs, allowing four runs (two earned) and seven hits in six innings. Pitching coach Dave Duncan noticed changes in Garcia's mechanics that suggested fatigue and a decision was made the next day to sideline the 24-year-old for the remainder of the season. La Russa revisited the decision after Garcia appealed.
La Russa recognizes Garcia's standing within the NL Rookie of the Year race but underscored that the lefthander's workload (1631/3 innings) two years after an elbow ligament transplant trumps all.
"Honors and awards are things that happen. He's a young pitcher with a great deal of talent. You keep the big picture in mind. We're not going to push him," La Russa said.
Suppan did nothing to hurt his standing Saturday when he allowed one run in five innings during the Cardinals' 8-4 loss to the Padres. Suppan left with a 2-1 lead and did not factor in the decision.
Franklin to the Rescue
Ryan Franklin converted his 25th save in 27 chances Sunday. The save was Franklin's third this month and only fourth since Aug. 13, the last day the Cardinals had sole possession of the NL Central lead.
"The goal was about 15 more," Franklin said.
Franklin made his 55th appearance Sunday, more than half in non-save situations. Last season he made 62 appearances, only 19 in non-save situations.
"I can't complain about the (conversion) percentage," Franklin said. "I'll take that. I think any other closer would, too."
Eight of Franklin's saves have come against playoff contenders Cincinnati, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Atlanta, an extension of a trend in which the Cardinals have fared better against better teams than lesser ones.
The Cardinals are 29-21 (.580) against the six NL teams with records superior to their own and 39-44 (.470) against the nine NL teams with inferior records.
Attendance Milestone
The Cardinals eclipsed 3 million attendance Sunday for the seventh consecutive season and the 14th time in franchise history. An announced crowd of 37,885 pushed the season total to 3,031,125. With seven home dates remaining, the Cardinals would reach 3,317,853 attendance should they match their average gate. The Cardinals set 3.2 million attendance as a baseline when projecting this season's budget. The Cardinals followed the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers to 3 million attendance this season.
Et Cetera
The Cardinals improved to 18-0 when scoring at least four runs behind starting pitcher Adam Wainwright this season. Wainwright threw 114 pitches Sunday, his second-highest total this season. He used 117 pitches in an Aug. 24 start against the Pirates. Wainwright has allowed only two runs in his past 22 innings after allowing 15 runs (12 earned) in his previous 19 innings. ... Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and Colby Rasmus have hit a combined 89 home runs this season, making them the National League's most prolific trio. Rasmus' blast Sunday broke a tie with the Milwaukee Brewers' threesome of Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun. The Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista, Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill entered Sunday with the major-league lead of 110 home runs. ... The Cardinals will make up their Aug. 8 rainout against the Florida Marlins today at 2:10 p.m. at SunLife Stadium. FSM will televise the game. ... La Russa gave Matt Pagnozzi his second major-league start, to rest Yadier Molina's sore right knee. Molina enjoyed five-for-seven career success against Padres starter Jon Garland, but La Russa said that by late Saturday it was apparent Molina's knee was becoming a bigger issue. Molina did work Sunday's ninth inning with Franklin, who threw two knuckleballs during his strikeout of shortstop Chase Headley.
