Game # 13

CARDINALS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 2

It doesn't look like they're quite there, but the Cardinals' offense seems to be coming around.  We saw that the "all or nothing" trend with the Cardinals relying almost solely on the home run early in the game when Matt Holliday turned a 2-0 deficit into a 2-2 tie with a line drive two run home run in the fifth inning.  Meanwhile, the Cardinals continued their struggles manufacturing runs and coming up with timely hits.  They were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position tonight and left 11 men on base.  However, Colby Rasmus and company showed a glimmer of hope in the eighth and ninth innings.  

In the eighth, Rasmus led off the inning with a double, and after being moved over on a sacrifice bunt, Rasmus scored on a hard hit ball to first by Yadier Molina that ate up Adam LaRoche, who was charged with an error on the play.  Though it was on an error and thus scored as an unearned run, I felt that the run was well earned by the Cardinals as they were finally able to manufacture a run in a well executed manner.  The woes with runners in scoring position officially snapped when Rasmus singled in Albert Pujols with two outs in the ninth, adding a insurance run for Ryan Franklin, who pitched another encouraging inning.  Franklin successfully recorded his fifth save of the year.

Brad Penny cruised today in route to his second win of the season.  Though it's early, I can safely say that the Cardinals have the most reliable starting rotation in the National League and possibly the majors.  I'll just leave it at that.  

It was a big win today too.  As I said in my last post, the Cardinals are about to face a tough test with a line of suberb starting pitchers, and that line starts tomorrow with former Cardinal Dan Haren going for the Diamondbacks against Kyle Lohse.  The Cardinals could have been looking at an ugly road trip if they managed to lose tonight's game.  But now, a series win in Arizona should be the expectation. And as for San Francisco... well, let's take it one series at a time, shall we? ;)

What a bland post compared to my last one.  Compared to the eventful weekend, tonight's game was just routine.  These days happen in a season of 162.

Boxscore courtesy of mlb.com.