It would have been hard to believe, as Paul Goldschmidt circled the bases that afternoon in Cleveland, that it would be 19 innings before a Cardinal would touch home again. Goldy’s home run was the third of that fifth inning against Guardians’ right-hander Hunter Gaddis, and gave the Birds a momentary 3-1 lead. This is […]
Archives for May 2023
Doing Some Bashing at Busch
The Dodgers spent the entire weekend coming back. There was never a point where we could relax. Things began last Thursday, when a flood of home runs drove LA starter Julio Urias from the game after just three innings. After four innings that night, the Cardinals had already sent five pitches screaming into the seats, […]
Sixth-Inning Mojo
It was the sixth inning, actually, when the season turned. From April 28 through May 6 the Cardinals spun their wheels through an eight-game losing streak. On Sunday, May 7, St Louis sat 10-24 and ten games behind in the division. And, for five innings that Sunday, it looked like the ninth consecutive loss was […]
The Contreras Faux Pas and Other General Observations
In the Post this morning, Ben Frederickson volunteered some observations for the sluggish start of the Cardinal season. Let me toss a few more into the mix. As the calendar has turned from April to May, the offense is showing a slight turn toward more consistency. In 2022, the Cards were held to three runs […]
The Tragic, Enviable Life of Mike Shannon
Mike Shannon’s last game as a professional baseball player was August 12, 1970. He had been trying to play all season under the shadow of a devastating spring diagnosis. During the routine annual exam, it was discovered that Mike was afflicted with glomerulonephritis -a potentially life-threatening kidney disease. Trying to balance treatments and playing, his […]
On the Short Life-Expectancy of the One-Run Lead
The first time the Cardinals took a one-run lead last night, it lasted two batters. After Miles Mikolas struck out Hunter Renfroe leading off the second inning, he threw a 2-2 fastball to Brandon Drury. The pitch rode in about a foot higher than the strike zone. It was, I would imagine, the kind of […]