St. Louis Cardinals starters have gone five innings or less in four consecutive games.
The St. Louis Cardinals’ last two series-ending games have been major disappointments. Co-ace Adam Wainwright’s uncharacteristically poor and brief four-inning start on Thursday to close the Toronto set began an unenviable streak of short starts. It is one that Chris Carpenter will be trying to end when he faces Arizona at Busch Stadium on Monday night.
Jaime Garcia also had his worst outing of the season on Sunday, going just two innings in Kansas City while yielding five earned runs.
In between the two unexpected bookends, Jeff Suppan and Blake Hawksworth went just five innings each on Friday and Saturday, respectively. That was more expected.
As such, the starting staff returns home hoping to end their unenviable run of going five innings or less in four consecutive games.
It is a stretch of rough pitching the likes of which has been seen by Cardinals fans just three times in the last three seasons – none last season, once in 2008 and twice in 2007. The worst streak was six such games, accrued in September 2007.
St. Louis Cardinals, consecutive starts of five or fewer innings, summary, 2007-current
| 5 IP or less | # 6 starts | # 5 starts | # 4 starts |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 1+ |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Braden Looper was the constant in all three prior stretches.
St. Louis Cardinals, consecutive starts of five or fewer innings, detail, 2007-current
| Starting Pitcher | Date | Opp | Rslt | App,Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
| Jaime Garcia | 6/27/2010 | KCR | L 3-10 | GS-2 ,L | 2.0 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Blake Hawksworth | 6/26/2010 | KCR | W 5-3 | GS-6 ,W | 5.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jeff Suppan | 6/25/2010 | KCR | L 2-4 | GS-5 ,L | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Adam Wainwright | 6/24/2010 | TOR | L 0-5 | GS-4 ,L | 4.0 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Kyle Lohse | 7/27/2008 | NYM | L 1-9 | GS-6 ,L | 5.0 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Joel Pineiro | 7/26/2008 | NYM | W 10-8 | GS-4 | 4.0 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Mitchell Boggs | 7/25/2008 | NYM | L 2-7 | GS-5 ,L | 4.1 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Todd Wellemeyer | 7/24/2008 | MIL | L 3-4 | GS-5 | 5.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Braden Looper | 7/23/2008 | MIL | L 0-3 | GS-5 ,L | 5.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Kip Wells | 9/13/2007 | CIN | L 4-5 | GS-5 ,L | 4.2 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Anthony Reyes | 9/12/2007 | CIN | L 1-5 | GS-4 ,L | 3.1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Mark Mulder | 9/11/2007 | CIN | L 2-7 | GS-4 ,L | 4.0 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Joel Pineiro | 9/10/2007 | CHC | L 3-12 | GS-4 ,L | 3.1 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Brad Thompson | 9/9/2007 | ARI | L 5-6 | GS-2 | 2.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Braden Looper | 9/8/2007 | ARI | L 8-9 | GS-4 | 3.1 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Anthony Reyes | 6/17/2007 | OAK | W 10-6 | GS-5 | 5.0 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Todd Wellemeyer | 6/16/2007 | OAK | W 15-6 | GS-4 | 3.1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Braden Looper | 6/15/2007 | OAK | L 3-14 | GS-5 ,L | 4.1 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Kip Wells | 6/14/2007 | KCR | L 8-17 | GS-2 ,L | 1.1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
If one expands the aperture to streaks of six innings or less, one more bad run in 2008 is added and two more in 2007, a very rough season for the defending World Champions.
St. Louis Cardinals, consecutive starts of six or fewer innings, summary, 2007-current
| 6 IP or less | # 6 starts | # 5 starts | # 4 starts |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 1+ |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Likely one of the reasons that the youthful Cardinals relief corps came into Sunday with the second lowest ERA in the National League at 3.09 was that they haven’t been overused. In fact, almost ¾ of NL bullpens, 11 of 16, have pitched more innings than St. Louis’ 210 this season.
Obviously, if the starters will continue to exit as early as they have over the most recent four games, the bullpen will surely suffer as well.
Then, there is the Cardnials’ inconsistent offense…
(Thanks to Tom Orf for providing the game detail.)
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Its odd that of the four starts, Hawk and Sup did their job and kept us in it, while Wainy and Garcia got blown out. Those latter two having witnessed startling offensive ineptitude. (In the Wainy start, which ended in the Cards getting shut out, we had hit two balls out of the infield by the time Wainy left. A lazy fly and a single which was subsequently lost on the basepath. One of the more lifeless performances of the year so far). In both cases, it would be accurate to say that the quality of the pitcher’s performance matched that of his teammates.
NYY vs LAD on ESPN is a great game. Yanks didn’t do much but won’t die, keep coming on. Both teams playing with post-season intensity, you can see it in their eyes. None of this stuff about how a loss now is ok cause its a long season. Both managers and both rosters playing like their life depends on it. Baseball can be such a great game, when its played like this. Top of ninth now, 6-5 NY, tying run on 3rd, lead run on 1st. 3-2, 1 out. Broxton pouring with sweat. Holy cow, a grounder to first, step on the bag and throw to the plate, the slide, he’s saaaaaaaafe and the game is tied. Lead run to second. Yanks walking a rookie to set up force outs at any base. Hadn’t counted on Granderson’s speed at third and it cost them. Broxton at 46 pitches and out of gas but Torre stays with him. There’s the third out, and its on to the bottom of the ninth 6-6.
The great Rivera is in the game, even though its tied and not a save situation. The Yanks don’t care if it isn’t even the half-way point yet. Niether do the Dodgers. Now Anderson gets ejected, Torre’s out there. The crew chief steps in to break it up. On to the 10th. Comparatively, the game this afternoon had the intensity of a spring training game. The B squad. Cards fans deserve this, not that.
Well, its 8-6 bottom of tenth, tying run at the plate. Rivera in his second inning, Girardi is burning him, he smells the win. Rivera strikes out the first two, another Dodger ejected, Joe says nothing this time, needs to stay in the game. Infielders hugging the line, and there it is, the final out. Yankees win 8-6. It hardly seemed posible with Broxton coming on in the ninth with a 4 run lead, but there it is. Got my baseball fix. I feel better now.
Thanks BB……………………I needed that !!!
Bad news is………….it looks like C has spread to other organs now…… the Molina……it appears to be taking it toll on the brain too (Tony) …………………… the way Garcia was bending over at one point, I thought he was going the puke………didn’t seem like he was feeling well.
That brings up an interesting point……….I wonder if Molina’s game calling is a little depressed? Haven’t been watching much to say…………but I have noticed it a t times in the past.
‘Twas the very last game of the Interleague season and I couldn’t miss it. When I tuned-in, the first thing I saw was the smirk of satisfaction on Joe Torre’s face that he was going to take the series from his former team. Yeah… when big bad Broxton strode to the mound, the Dodgers had won the game 6 to 2 and it was his to seal-up! As I watched him gaze menacingly at the Yankee dugout, I could hear the three announcers discussing their consensus that only the very best of seasoned batters could possibly hit his fast ball. Indeed, there was very little doubt that the game was over!
Three outs, 48 pitches and 4 runs later, a very sullen Broxton could be seen on the Dodger bench watching a REAL closer give him a lesson on how to turn the lights out…
The Yankees are scary! I’d love for my Cardinals to do to them what I watched them do a year after The Man retired, in 1964. But, alas… Westy brings us back to reality (“C has spread to other organs now…); how that the “new world order” is being effected by the contaminent which seems to be invading the brain in the dugout, the brain behind the plate and perhaps even the brain trust itself…
I have been hearing a rumor that the Cardinals are interested in Cliff Lee and may be willing to trade Shelby Miller for him. Is there any truth to this?
Welcome, crdswmn. Please feel free to stay around.
Yes, that rumor is getting a lot of play today. No one is going to confirm it though, let alone be accurate on players that might be discussed. Yet, Miller is a pretty easy guess. It is most logical that Seattle would want the top prospect(s) from every team that asks about Lee. Wouldn’t you?
Yes, I would, though I heard the Twins were the likely team to get him. I was just surprised to hear the Cardinals may be in the running.
Glad to be here. I have been a Cardinals fan since 1964.
It does make one wonder about the level of optimism for Penny and Lohse to come back. I have no inside info, but I bet it won’t be the Twins that get Lee, just because the rumors are more often wrong than right.
After the long-term acquisition of their franchise player, Mauer, the Twinks surely must be just as strapped as we are. I would like to think that the prospect of playing for the Cardinals is just as pleasant for Cliff Lee as it purportedly was for Brad Penny. In consideration of giving-up a golden prospect such as Shelby, I am sure that the brain trust is also considering the fact that Lee is 32 years of age (capable of giving us 4 or 5 quality seasons).
By the way, when it comes to big swingin’ bats, you are probably already aware that the two longest homers in the Major Leagues were hit yesterday and the one in California was only two feet further than our Colby’s…
The right field stands at Busch have an extra 4th deck, while there are only three in left. I’m quite sure nobody has hit that upper deck yet. Not in fair territory I mean. That would be a clout like no other.
Lee would be the fill in for Lohse I assume. Penny is expected back is he not? Also, doesn’t Miller have a sore arm? Elbow?
Well, as mentioned in the paper today, Brendan, Yadi, Freese and Lopez are not hitting, and Luddy is hurt. The good news is Wynn and Miles have been getting on some. The really bad news is that’s the good news. Let’s see what Tony comes up with against Haren.
I agree that Brendan and Yadi are in an offensive slump. But isn’t Freese still batting over .300 or close to it? I like Brendan, but at least Yadi’s defense makes up for his offensive problems (in my opinion). But Brendan has been struggling defensively too. I hope that whatever it is that is causing it can be corrected.
I believe Freese is having an ankle problem.
I didn’t know the ankle was still a problem. He has been playing regularly.
Welcome, crdswmn! Notice the manner in which Brian replied to your query. Kahlil Gibran once wrote, “The true teacher does not impart his knowledge and wisdom, but leads the student to the threshold of his own mind”. Brian is such an “instigator”: He furnishes just enough information to cause some sort of reaction; be it debate, controversy or consensus. With regard to David Freese, he just descended below .300 (he’s presently at .296) and if his slump is not due to “an ankle problem”, I am hoping that it is nothing more than a brief mid-season swoon.
Freese is hitting .220 since June 5 when he tweeked his ankle. Around 4-5 RBI’s. I’ve heard it theorized that his ‘slump’ started about the time teams had seen him and gotten a book on him and made the adjustments. All I know is he hasn’t done diddly lately.
Glad to see CR 5th and PHE, Wynn 9th. Skip seems to have won back the leadoff spot. Lopez at 3rd base where lack of range is less of an issue.
I ain’t got the line-up yet, blingboy: Can you type it in for us?
Thirteen minutes later…
Ya musta parked your carcass in front of the TV and away from your computer, blingboy.
Her ’tis:
2bSchumaker
3b Lopez
1b Pujols
lf Holliday
cf Rasmus
c Molina
ss Ryan
p Carpenter
rf Ludwick
It’s great to see Ludwick back in the line-up and I’m hoping that he’s back to do some damage.
blingboy: Noticing that you have Randy Winn at the 9 hole, I am puzzled by the line-up I received from ESPN. I am assuming that yours is more up-to-date…
Winn is in RF tonight.
With a 12 pitch inning and the inducement of a doubleplay, Chris is looking sharp tonight!
Skip has now gotten on base at the very outset of the third consecutive game!
All RIGHT! Credit ol’ Dan Haren with an RBI (..of sorts)!
Did Albert just do his job, or what?
Already, with two runs in the very first inning, Chris has gotten more support than he normally gets in an entire game!
Swinging 3/0 with no outs? ……………………………….superstar ……………….or?
Haren treated Colby like a punk. “So you like the ball down and in eh”………………… You can’t go after a guy like that with two strikes……….Colby never defended the “at bat” , just to his rips and sat down……………… that won’t get you to 300……….
It doesn’t take guts or a great deal of daring skill for anyone to swing with 3/0 and no outs. I was just bein’ my rah-rah self, Westy.
I love Colby, but he’s a sucker for the “down and in”. All of his 15 homers were golfed in that way. But, you are right, he occasionally exercises absolutely no patience or discipline!
Give Chris a two run lead and what does he do? He follows a 12 pitch inning with a 24 pitch inning and loading ‘em up! He damned near gave me a heart attack!
Two outs in the outfield, a hit to the outfield and a hit batter! Where’s Mr. Ground Ball? What’s going on here?
Good lineup from Tony tonight. Rest Luddy and Freese, get the lefty swingers Winn and Lopez in their steads.
Ryan and Molina are unlikely to get many hits, but contribute on defense. Now we are safely home we can eke out a win.
A great 7 pitch inning! The preceding must have been some sort of quirky anomalous aberration…
TLR likes Pujols to bat in the first inning. It worked out again.
Five of those pitches were “down and in” and I’ll be damned if Haren didn’t punk him again!
Molina got a hit! Molina got a hit! Molina got a hit!
Brendan got a hit! Brendan got a hit! Brendan got a hit!
Three of the seven balls hit to the outfield were very deep: Chris has been getting away with murder…
Those fly balls deep into the outfield finally caught up with him…
With 93 pitches after 6 innings, Chris will not be going the distance. But at least he’s gotten us broken out of the pattern of “Cardinals starters exiting games early”…
This team has a pattern of self interested efforts 57…………………. Harren isn’t pitching any more effectively now than earlier……….. Everyone goes to the plate looking to pad there stats riding Carpenter’s back………………. now the lead is gone…………..should we try to scratch a run…………na, lets work on our power numbers……………
Haren just took care of our three big boppers; three up and three down…
Don’t look now, but the Reds just beat the Phillies 7 to 3…
Well, Westy, our self-interested boppers just made Haren look like Koufax….
I tell you, those deep fly balls are killing Chris!
Since our big boppers can’t (won’t) do the job, lo! We now turn to our small ballers at the bottom of the line-up…
Now come the killing floor…………….. Carp at 106…………does not what to book a loser…..he .will try to stay in……………if Tony lets him………….he is an idiot…………….
Brendan can’t break away from the Mendoza line by grounding into doubleplays, damn it!
“Mr. Ground Out” must have morphed from Chris into Haren…
Well that’s that…………….I feel terrible for Chris Carpenter…………………. Is the 4th going to go of’er?
Chris might not even make the All start team at this rate.
Now that Chris cannot notch a win, I wonder if our guys have sufficient heart tonight to prevent him from getting another loss…
Out of sheer self-interest, I can’t believe our 4th will allow himself to go “Oh, for…”. I should expect that he will at least muster a single.
Young almost took Trevor deep… Now, after walking a man, he is facing the deadly LaRoche…
Cancel all of that; we’ve got Hell n’ High Water on the mound now!
Deadly Reynolds just took Hell n’ High Water to a place he did not want to go…
The guy says its going to be that type of night for the Cardinals??????????????????
Incredible……………………………………………. what kind of night is that? 2 Last place in the division teams working our new batting order……………. its embarrassing.
Turned on the game. Saw Winn throw a ball over the fence. Turned off the game.
Nutlaw has the right idea: I feel like a glutton for punishment!
Westy, it’s true! We ARE having “another of those kinda nights”, following TOO MANY such kinda nights.
We are about to see if our big boppers can work the magic for which they are being so richly paid…
Just think; if our boppers manage to pull it off, Hell n’ High Water will be the winning pitcher!
Count Albert out tonight…
“Oh, for…”! Count Matt the Clean-Up out tonight…
Wow! A first pitch punk out!
Our Murderers’ Row is simply terrifying!
HOw ’bout that? Colby caught that ball at the same exact spot where he just put one!
Colby was so thankful to touch a pitch…………………….
Albert never considered hitting behind the runners……….. Holiday took a flawed at bat…….in which his masculinity was seriously challenged by Haren………………
What is the ball off the glove crap……………… its going to score two runs instead of three………is that it………..is that what they’re whining about………….
Tony’s pitcher bats eight blows again………..mainly because it pushed Molina up to 6……….
Since our big boppers are impotent to do the job, lo! We now turn to our small ballers at the bottom of the line-up to work some walk-off magic. Jason has a chance (the proverbialo snow ball’s chance in Hell) to win this game yet!
There is something good that will come out of this game……………………… someone will eventually be held accountable…………………. this team has serious competitive flaws………we couldn’t win a playoff series in a million years………….
This is not the only time that Brendan has shocked us with late inning clutch hits…
Harren pitching outside was a gift……………..he forces Brendan to do the right thing…………that was a miracle pitch………. what, none of the bull pen guys have legs to run for Molina?
Oops. Interesting again. Better turn it back on…
You are one hundred percent correct, Westy (both with respect to the accountability issue and with respect to the ability to enter playoff competition)
Er, fortunately Heilman is even worse than Qualls and makes a pitcher pinch hitting and one pinch running successful.
This has turned into a nail-biter!
I have never seen so many runs scored on error on such a short period of time. Does that actually count as a win?
Hitters can win for the Cardinals, Nutlaw: We need pitchers to bat in place of our impotent boppers….
By hook or by crook, Jason Motte was made the winning pitcher! Arizona served this one up on an error-laden silver platter!
Did we win……………..or did they just blow it…………… Haren is snakebite……..Tony’s icing maneuver pays off……………… and AP doesn’t have to choke again. All good………….
Think about it/////Garcia is running………if it’s Molina, the pitcher just jogs over himself…a key substitution.
The Cards win again, despite a few cancerous fans!
Obviously we “won”, neither because of Tony’s “genius” nor because of the timeliness of our heavy-hitting boppers, but only because of Arizona’s errors… Like I said, Arizona served this one up on an error-laden platter! Hell, they FORCED us to take the win!
Tell it like it is 57…………… You’ll never get of the bench with that attitude Mr. Prawn………….
I’ve never been inspired by the non-competitiveness of prawns, Westy
A win spoils a great opportunity to whine. Come back tomorrow and maybe we can lose one and rejoice.
I had heard we’ve been precticing that walk-off fielders choice/E-3 play. Glad Tony decided to roll it out.
I guess that 6th spot batter didn’t get Westy’s memo.
That had to be one of the weirdest wins I’ve ever witnessed!
Jumbeau, there are no whiners on this blog. Bury your animosity!
I believe that “6th spot batter” just came forth from the shackles of his slump, blingboy!
He should always bat 8th BB………………… it just makes sense……..
The last time Willis threw a strike was the last time you made any sense water cooler. He is so wild, the Cardinals legends may find an acorn…………………. that’s my prediction.
Colby seems to have fallen back into the looking like crap and striking out all the time mode. Except when its a blowout and the pitcher is laying it in there to get it over with.
So, what will happen? Choose one:
A) a dastardly fan casually mention Colby is not out of options, a kindly relative springs into action, Colby steps out of a phone booth with a cape on and starts crushing the ball in the clutch
or
B) anything else
Well, its too bad Carp didn’t get the win. He still has 9 wins on the season, same as 99 year old Jamie Moyer. Halladay has 9, Lincecum 8.
None of the above BB…………………. Colby can be a great player…………. you have to realize, he’s going to the plate now with one thing on his mind………..power numbers. He has morphed his stance (again) to take everything out in front……..or not at all. He was floating his step in today trying to catch something off speed……………its a bad tactic when your not prepared to take the ball deep and to left field……………. he stopped pressing his hand back today……..so he would be quick to the front…………….he’s thinking anyway………………….it doesn’t work of course……………
I’m going to unload here in a few days, and remind everyone what the big picture is…………..This team is in big trouble right now.
Well that was the damndest thing I ever saw.
When I think of the times that Chris and Adam have been screwed out of well-earned wins by the non-productivity of superstars on a pennant contending team, I shudder to think of the frustration and animosity which must surely be mounting in the souls of world class pitchers who are stuck on doormat teams (such as Roy Oswalt and Zack Greinke). Although their greatness is unmistakably preserved in their ERA, the shine is nevertheless diminished in the losses forced upon them by those who are handsomely paid to complement their excellence…