QUESTION: After seeing last night’s complete-game performance, do you believe Chris Carpenter still has the “stuff” necessary to lead this pitching staff in the season’s second half?
JOE STRAUSS
It’s probably better to look at his last 3 starts than to adopt the Cooler’s reflexive micro approach. Carpenter has looked like himself in that span, winning twice and pitching much better than his line indicated in the third outing. Even as the rotation struggled to go deep in games the last several weeks, Carpenter’s durability appeared to be improving, perhaps because of modified conditioning to strengthen his lower half. To a man, this team is excited about what Carpenter now delivers. Monday’s start against the Reds will offer a big test. Working on four days’ rest, Carpenter must shoulder a huge emotional load opposite Johnny Cueto after throwing 382 pitches his last three starts. Good stuff. The Cooler may now return to the Cartoon Network.
DERRICK GOOLD
Last night was a continuation, not a revelation. Carpenter remains the ace of the staff and any argument otherwise that is based on his win-loss record is foolish. He’s improved his command of his fastball and had better luck and defense (for the most part) behind him. His stuff wasn’t a question, and neither was his role in “leading” the staff.
RICK HUMMEL
Carpenter was very impressive Wednesday, especially in the later innings, but the Cardinals need to be careful about running his pitch count over 120 every game. He is 36. But he will get four days off very soon at the All-Star break. At that point, there are only 70 games left. He will have to be the staff leader down the stretch but he still is more than capable of being that.
JEFF GORDON
He’s had the velocity all along, but not the command. The Carpenter you saw late in that game was a lot more like the old Cy Young Award-caliber Carpenter. While he may not get all the way back to that lock-down form, his toughness and leadership ability could make him a solid No. 1 for the stretch run.
LARRY BOROWSKY (Founder of Viva El Birdos and editor of “Maple Street Press Cardinals Annual”)
He has always had the stuff. What he’s lacked for the past year or so is command. Last night was vintage Carpenter – he got ahead of hitters (1st-pitch strikes to 24 of 36 batters faced) and pitched off his fastball (1st-pitch two-seamer or cutter to 33 of the 36 batters). Carp struggled to command those two pitches for 20 or 25 starts, getting into too many hitter’s counts and/or leaving too many balls up and over the plate.
But he has been sharp for the last month or so. In June Carpenter had a K/BB above 4.00 and an opponent OPS below .600 – the first month in which he achieved either of those things since his near-Cy Young season of 2009. His velocity is fine, he’s got a healthy swing-miss rate, and he has climbed into the NL’s top 10 in K/BB ratio. To me, he still isn’t quite the same pitcher he was in 2004-2006 and 2009 – he’s inducing significantly fewer groundballs than he did at his peak, while yielding more hard contact. He’s more reliant than ever on his home ballpark, where would-be gopherballs often turn into outs; his FIP is a run and a half higher on the road than at home. But Carpenter’s last few starts have been very encouraging. I hope the trend continues. The Cardinals need him.
