As we hit the halfway mark on the 2010 schedule, this much is obvious: If the Cardinals want to overtake the Cincinnati Reds and win the NL Central, they'll have to upgrade their offense.
Let's quit pretending that the issue is pitching. The back end of the rotation, ripped by injuries to Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse, has been spliced together in a way that's given the Cardinals a chance to win.
No one is saying that Jeff Suppan and Blake Hawksworth are Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, but as fill-in No. 4 and No. 5 starters they've done a commendable job. The Cardinals were in position to win all four of Suppan's starts; same with the last two turns from Hawskworth.
Ryan Ludwick's probable move to the disabled list with a strained calf muscle is the latest setback and will make it even more difficult for the Cardinals to score runs.
More than anything, the inconsistent and frequently lethargic St. Louis offense represents the difference between the Cardinals and Reds to this point of the season.
Here's why — with all numbers through Thursday:
• Since winning 11-5 on opening day in Cincinnati, the Cardinals have won only one nine-inning game in which their pitchers have given up four or more runs. The Reds have won seven nine-inning games in which their pitchers gave up four-plus runs. When Cardinals pitchers have a rough day, which doesn't happen often, the lineup can't overcome it by winning a high-scoring shootout.
• The Cardinals have been held to two runs or fewer 27 times this season; the Reds have scored two runs or less only 15 times.
• The Cardinals have lost 24 times when they've scored two or fewer runs; the Reds have lost 13 times when they've scored two or fewer.
• The Cardinals have lost 29 games in which they've scored three runs or fewer; the Reds have lost 23 games when scoring three or fewer times.
• The Cardinals have lost 11 games when their pitchers have allowed three runs or fewer; the Reds have lost five when allowing three or less.
• The Cardinals have lost nine games when they've permitted only two runs or fewer; the Reds have lost four when allowing two runs or less.
You just can't continue to give away so many games when your pitchers hold the opposition to two or three runs. GM John Mozeliak had better search for a bat.
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Free Jon Jay.
St. Louisan David Lee, a free agent, is being courted by nine NBA teams and has visited (or will visit) with New Jersey, Miami, Chicago and Minnesota this weekend. Lee averaged 20 points and 11.7 rebounds for the New York Knicks this past season. ... St. Louisan Larry Hughes is also a free agent, but observers would be surprised if he didn't re-sign with the Charlotte Bobcats.
Brad Winchester? C'mon, I accept the reality that the low-revenue Blues won't be spending a bunch of money this offseason. But they've got to aim higher than that. ... I like the Blues' hiring of Dave Taylor as director of player personnel based on the strong drafts he conducted with the Los Angeles Kings. ... Highland, Ill., native Jake Odorizzi, a lefthanded pitcher, is doing well for Milwaukee's Class A team, the Wisconsin Rattlers. He's 4-1 with a 3.14 ERA and has allowed only one earned run over 18 innings in his last three starts. He was the No. 32 overall pick in the 2008 draft.
Former Missouri basketball coach Quin Snyder has been hired as an assistant by new Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins. In an interview with Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times, Snyder acknowledged his struggles in coping with the failure at Missouri. "You go from being very successful and, in a very fundamental way, from being very good, to being bad, and you feel like it's all gone," Snyder said. Snyder did a terrific job coaching the Austin Toros of the NBA Developmental League. Over three seasons he had the league's best winning percentage, won a Coach of the Year award and had more players called up to the NBA than any other NBDL coach.
Congrats to St. Louisan Brock Bond (Lindbergh HS and Mizzou), who has been named to the PCL All-Star team. Bond, a second baseman, is batting .297 with a .411 onbase percentage for the San Francisco Giants' Class AAA affiliate at Fresno. At 24, he's making good progress. ... Congrats to Rachel Diener, who runs the St. Louis U. basketball office for coach Rick Majerus; she recently married Mike Bechert. ... Former Rams quarterback Kyle Boller (now with the Raiders) is marrying former Miss USA Carrie Prejean this weekend.
The Blues could do a lot worse than to add free-agent veteran Mike Modano; he's obviously in the downside phase of his career. But he can give the Blues some minutes at center and fill the power-play role vacated by the retired Keith Tkachuk. ... This note from Bits contributor Andy Strickland: It was a Blues reunion at the wedding of former Blues winger Lee Stempniak last weekend; the list of current and former Blues in attendance included Jamal Mayers, Bryce Salvador, Jay McClement, Tkachuk and Mike Van Ryn. ... Former Oklahoma All-American D.J. Mathis (Roxana HS) has been hired as an assistant softball coach at Kansas U.
St. Louisan Steve Schlanger will be at St. Andrews in Scotland next week, working the British Open for ESPN. Schlanger is busy in his broadcasting career, calling a variety of sports for NBC, Universal Sports, ESPN and the Big Ten Network. ... Scott Vicker, a senior on St. Louis U.'s cross country and track and field squads, recently received the 2010 Walter Cronkite broadcasting scholarship from The Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis.
Condolences to family and friends of Bob Kriegshauser, who passed away earlier this week. Kriegshauser, a member of the Washington University Sports Hall of Fame, the school's all-time leading scorer at the time of his graduation, was the first player in Washington U. history to average more than 20 points a game (in 1953-54). "Otto" was drafted by the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1954.
The Nice Section
• The SLU women's soccer team is having a trivia night at 7p.m., Saturday, July 10 at at Chaifetz Pavilion. Cost is $250 for a table of 10. For more info, contact Kelly Ferguson at 314-977-2584 or fergusk3@slu.edu
• Ballin' For Kenya, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament to raise funds for Get The Word Out's summer mission trip, will be July 9-10 at Destiny Church, 1809 Des Peres Road. The organization built a Christian school in Kenya and is raising funds to build an orphanage. Contact Shaun Hoffeditz for information or to register a team: shaun_hoffeditz@yahoo.com or 270-589-0239.
• The 2010 annual Paul Savage Sr. Memorial Golf Tournament supporting the St. Louis Tom Lombardo Chapter of the National Football Foundation is set for Sunday, July 18. Cost is $70 per player or $280 per foursome. For information call Bill Bunton at 636-532-5976 or Scott Buehler at 636-947-7711.
