With his team riding a three-game losing streak, their first of the season, St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Mitchell Boggs was given the ball for his third start in 2009 and his ninth in his two years as a major leaguer. His Wednesday evening opponent was the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
Following an Albert Pujols home run in the first, Boggs coughed up the lead on a pair of singles bookending three free passes. Only a double play kept the score tied in the top of the second.
The Cardinals offense picked up three more in the bottom of the fourth on a Chris Duncan triple off the top of the right field wall and a Khalil Greene sacrifice fly in which a daring Duncan surprised Pirates’ centerfielder Nate McLouth by tagging up.
Staked to a three-run lead, Boggs walked the leadoff man as the fifth got underway. After a fly out and a stolen base, an RBI double cut the lead to 4-2.
With the tying run coming up to the plate in the form of Bucs’ cleanup hitter Adam LaRoche, Tony La Russa pulled Boggs from the game. He was two outs short of having gone the necessary distance to qualify for a win.
In his post-game comments, Boggs took full responsibility. “I am not pleased with the way I pitched…. I didn’t want the bullpen to have to cover that many innings…. I didn’t have the command that I did before tonight.”
FOX Sports Midwest’s Dan MacLaughlin observed on air that Boggs would not have been taken out so quickly had he been a veteran.
I agree with Dan and have often been unhappy in the past with La Russa sticking with his starting pitcher too long, risking a chance for a team win in what appeared to be an effort to get his starter the “W”. I haven’t felt that way often lately, but it hasn’t been all that uncommon in past seasons.
Apparently, Boggs hasn’t yet secured the confidence of his manager.
La Russa’s eight-man bullpen may have played into his decision. In this case, both Trever Miller and Kyle McClellan were required to get out of the fifth, which they did without allowing further damage.
In the sixth, McClellan loaded the bases with the help of an error, but escaped his own jam. Dennys Reyes, Jason Motte and Ryan Franklin finished off the Pirates in the 4-2 victory.
After the game, La Russa had this to say about Boggs: “I think it’s a learning experience for him…. A guy tries to be too careful…. He walked the leadoff man and had struggled already, so I had to come and get him.”
Over half of Boggs’ pitches on the evening were out of the strike zone, 43 of 85. He walked five in his 4 1/3 innings of action, equaling the number of hits allowed.
It was a return to his past problems that had not appeared to date in 2009. Over his previous three outings totaling 13 2/3 innings including two starts, Boggs had walked just four opposing batters in total.
That represented a significant improvement over his somewhat disappointing 2008 rookie introduction. He had a walk-free outing in just one of his eight games, during his two-inning MLB debut. In performances reminiscent of Wednesday evening, Boggs issued ten free passes over his final two MLB starts last season.
Overall, Boggs walked 22 opposing batters in 34 major league innings in 2008, which is likely a big part of the reason he ended up back in Memphis, not to be recalled in September when rosters expanded.
So, what do you think? Was La Russa’s quick hook justified? If so, should he do it more often with other starters or does Boggs simply need to earn that trust?
That’s a good (and fair) question, Brian. I wasn’t able to watch as much of the early innings as I would’ve liked but I have a lot of trust in TLR making those decisions. There have been times when I disagreed, Matt Morris against Arizona back in, what, 2001? For the most part, I like a manager that tries to get a win for his starter.
I think the fact that he does stick with his veterans a little longer than some of us laymen is one of his strengths as a leader and helps the Cards be able to keep a few guys for a little less than they might have earned going somewhere else. He’s long been described as a “players’ manager” and I think his players respect him much more than many of the fans and media.
I hope and expect Boggs will earn that respect. He really looked shaky a couple of times when I was able to check in on the game. I think TLR was justified in his quick hook.
TLR wanted to send Boggs a clear message about coming after hitters. He made 85 pitches, 50 percent balls. He needs to throw a higher percentage of strikes.
I didn’t/don’t have a problem with it. Boggs was giving up too many baserunners and was walking the tightrope to that point already. One big hit from LaRoche in that spot and it was a completely new ballgame. Miller was able to do his job with LaRoche, of course, but then walked Young necessitation the use of McClellan for more than one inning.
Boggs has had what I would call historically unlikely control this year. He clearly didn’t have it last night, so Tony was a little more careful.
Regardless, I am still impressed by how well he has thrown this year.
I said it before the season and I’ll keep saying it now…our bullpen will be just fine. In fact, if roles continue to cement and people stay healthy, I think it will end up as a strength.
I agree with that as well, Beau.
A Tallahassee television station is reporting Shane Robinson’s call up to St. Louis.
I think it was the right time for the hook…you pat him on his back for getting out of all the early walks, but after getting that lead he should have calmed down a bit and gotten some better command, but he didn’t…just was an off night for him i guess (no pitcher 4 pitch walks another pitcher without his night being a little “off”)… we had the rested pen and didnt haveto extend any of the relievers too long…using Reyes 3 days in a row does probably get him the day off tonight…and McC for 2 probably puts him down on the RP list…but with long man thompson, perez and boyer untouched we shoudl be fine for tonights game…
Boggs looks so much more comfortable starting, it will be a shame if we have to move him to the pen and he flounders again… at some point if there is no room in the big league rotation for him we will have to probably move him in a trade or risk wasting his talent…still i have high hopes for the kid, andi think he is making good impressions on the coaches for a possible rotation spot next year…we could have as many as 2 openings (and i wont say 3 due to an injury)…he is definitely showing that he can pitch up here
2010 rotation:?
Carp
Waino
Lohse
?
?
options: (in order of my thoughts on the probability for the 2 spots)
-McClellan (obviously was labeled the #6 going into ST this year, and Jess Todd should be ready to take on his role)
-Boggs (looking like he belongs right now)
-Walters (seems like he can start up in the majors, the pen..not so much..at least now)
-FA-SP (who coudl argue with giving Piniero another short contract if he keeps up these sinkers)
-Hawks (pitching pretty good so far in Memphis this year (is the old Hawk back?…he does throw strikes!) (i know i may seem bias)
-Thompson (could be his last legit shot always seemed to look better as a starter)
-Garcia (if he is healthy he has every right to go after a spot)
-Mortenson (pitching good so far)
-Ottavino (woudl have to make some huge strides)
-MacLane (looked good in his first start)
-Parisi (could he be healthy?)
I think McClellan should stay in the pen, Boggs/Walters/Garcia/Morty/etc. should battle for the 5th spot, and that we should add a FA/trade SP with some upside to fill out the rotation.
Depending on how this season goes and how the FA rankings end up, I’d consider offering arbitration to Welle and/or Pineiro, but I don’t think I would outright re-sign either of them.
We’ll have some money to spend this off-season (I did the calculation including arbitration estimates a while back), but I don’t remember the number I came up with. I think our ability to add a SP with upside (by FA or trade) depends on how things shake out at third base and whatever we decide to do next year at short.
Shortstop is probably more of an unknown at this point.
In answer to the question, I think the answer is yes, LaRussa did the right thing. LaRussa needs to balance the long-term confidence of Boggs with the short-term necessity of winning the game. I think after a three game skid, winning last night’s game was of increasing importance as it sets the tone for the series and reverses a worrying trend. Boggs clearly did not have his best stuff last night. As jager pointed out, when you walk the opposing pitcher on 4 pitches, you don’t have it. Boggs had to know this, thus I don’t think that he would be too upset at anybody other than himself. Let him throw one or even two side sessions. If he doesn’t look good, we can skip his next start because of the off day on Monday. Plenty of time to work out any kinks. If he continues to look poor, bring up Walters and let him pitch vs. Milwaukee on the 16th. Then, you push everybody back because of the off day on the following Monday so that Walters doesn’t have to face the Cubs again.
Carpenter’s health is also a variable.
I’d really like to see Garcia in the rotation and I do think his long term future for us is there, but we might start him in the pen–at least in the pen–just to limit his innings post surgery. I really hope he comes back strong, because he is almost without question our best SP prospect.
good hook. liked boggs own assessment of his outing, thought it was “spot on”, of his performance.
that leaves me optimistic about his continued development.
the other starters? individual approach. if they have earned the trust of more pitches, ok, but CLUB first.
On an unrelated note, Manny Ramirez has been suspended 50 games for the use of P.E.D’s.
There was supposed to have been a horse laugh inserted after my previous comment about Manny. Hahahahahahaha
Good chance Boggs would have been the losing pitcher if he had been left in, lousy outing for him
compared to his past starts.
However the Cardinals are not gonna win anything if the starting pitchers can’t go 6/7 innings regularly.
Glad to hear Palm Springs gave up the tandem starter-it’s a neat idea as far as carrying more starters but can’t be good for a starters development.
You are right Brian, a veteran starter probably would have pitched longer last night with the same
lack of command .
Maybe Tony’s onto something-do I hear 14 pitchers??
Just kidding-
AB R H RBI TB BB K AVG OBP SLG
S. Schumaker, 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .264 .330 .322
C. Rasmus, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .257 .354 .357
A. Pujols, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .364 .467 .747
R. Ludwick, RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293 .340 .565
C. Duncan, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .284 .385 .523
K. Greene, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .217 .317 .348
J. Thurston, 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .280 .349 .453
J. LaRue, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .417 .500 .417
T. Wellemeyer, P
Its 5 to 2. This is a big game for the Cardinals. Attitudinally for the Cincinnati series, emotionally to bury these Pirates in perpetration for our visit to steel town. Its ugly but important.