Quest for the Central: A STL Cardinals Franchise (MLB 2k9)

[therockstar2005]

Quest for the Central
A St. Louis Cardinals Franchise
MLB 2k9 (360)

Spring has finally arrived, and in St. Louis there is one thing on everyone’s mind: baseball. Much like Christmas for the Christians and potatoes for the Irish, Cardinal baseball is essentially what every Saint Louisian lives for. No matter how bad the team is, they can always win it all. No matter how good the team is, they can always blow it. Yes, the drama and anxiety that will soon envelop St. Louis is palpable as the season is about to begin.

The Cardinals surprised many who weren’t in St. Louis last season, pulling off a winning record in a surprisingly tough NL Central division, in spite of notable pitching problems, specifically from the left side and from the bullpen. Can the Cardinals pull it together and contend this season? Will Carpenter and Wainwright be enough to keep this rotation together? What of the rookies in the bullpen? Is this finally the Cubs year? Will Mike Shannon be able to avoid saying unbelievably stupid things in the radio booth this year? Probably not.

But make no mistake, no matter what happens, St. Louis will stick with them no matter what happens.

So come follow along, and guess how many times Chris Carpenter will get injured, how many home runs Albert Pujols will hit, and how many crazy ideas LaRussa will come up with.


---------------

By the way, I’m still really pissed that I can’t have my pitcher batting 8th. What the hell, 2k?

This is my first ‘chise, so here’s how I’m planning to do it. First off, I’m just leaving the game on Pro for now. I’ve been messing with sliders back and forth and I’m sick of it. I can’t deal with it anymore, so I’m just going to try and play the game the way it is. If I really can’t stand that I’ll try something else, but probably won’t. Plus, I suck.

The way I’m currently planning it is to play one game per week of the season (hopefully not only one game per week in real life). Why? Because I don’t have the time to play a full 162 game season but I don’t want to mess with the schedule too much. I will try to mix it up amongst starting pitchers and to try to not pick a game to play just because I need the win or want to clinch the rubber, we shall see. I will pick a game that I’ll play before I start simming for that week, and I’ll be sure to set which games are which.

Finally, I want to have some fun with this. I like writing, and I kept a personal blog for my Madden create-a-team and liked it, so I’m gonna try this out to see what happens.

[therockstar2005]

3-14-09 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“BREAKING NEWS: CARDINALS INK DEAL WITH LEFTY CHUCK JAMES”



With two weeks to go until Opening Day, the Cardinals, in a move similar to last year’s pickup of free agent pitcher Kyle Lohse, have signed free agent pitcher Chuck James to a 1 year, $1.21 million dollar deal. James was released in December by Atlanta. He had been effective at times for the Braves, but inconsistent, going 24-19 lifetime with a 4.48. However, this is not a fear for Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan, who have a long history of rebuilding pitchers and making them effective.

“We feel that Chuck [James] can really help this team out,” said LaRussa. “He gives us a reliable left hander who could start for us, and that’s a look we didn’t have last year, and at times I’m sure it hurt us. Dave will work real hard with him to help him develop some consistency in his mechanics, and we think he can be real good.”

Asked whether James’ presence means that Pineiro will lose his spot in the rotation, Tony had little to say.

“Joel has been good for us. I know it’s late in spring training, but we’re hoping to get James in there soon and we’ll see what he can do. Maybe he’ll start, maybe he’ll be in the pen. It’s spring. Nothing is set in stone yet.”

James was optimistic about his chance with his new team. “I just hope to be able to contribute. I was really kind of down after the Braves let me go, I wasn’t sure if I’d get another chance to redeem myself, but I can’t wait to get to work with Tony [LaRussa] and Dave [Duncan].”

When Joel Pineiro was asked if he thought his job was in jeopardy, “Right now, I’m just focusing on making this team. I’ve been in the bullpen before, and if that’s where I need to go that’s where I’ll be. I love being a starter, but right now I just want to do whatever this team needs me to do.”

[therockstar2005]

3-22-09 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“CLOSER BY COMMITTEE? STILL UP IN THE AIR”

Spring Training is coming to a close, but the battle for the closer role is still raging across Jupiter. Currently there are many pitchers trying to leave an impression, but there seem to be three finalists for the position:



Chris Perez would seem to be the incumbent, as he wound up finishing the season last year with the role. He has also performed well in spring training, and is working on improving the consistency of his mechanics so he can throw his fastball and slider from the same arm slot. His advantage lies in the experience and limited success he had as the closer last year. Perez is in line to be the closer of the future for the Cardinals, so the question remains as to whether the future is now.



Ryan Franklin seemed at the beginning of camp to be the strongest challenger for the role. In two years with the Cardinals he has excelled as a setup man and has the most experience out of all the relievers in line for the position. He struggled somewhat when he filled in as the closer last year; however, he has also said that he didn’t feel right stepping in for Isringhausen and taking his job last year. His experience and the freedom of someone standing over his shoulder for the job could make him effective this year.



The wild card in this equation has been Jason Motte. Motte has had an impressive spring, showing great command and velocity, and has managed to catch the attention of LaRussa, which always improves one’s odds. He has outperformed both Perez and Franklin this spring, and if the role is to be decided simply by performance in Jupiter, then Motte seems to be the front runner for the role. However, he has never pitched in a major league game before, and LaRussa is also hesitant about rookie pitchers in big name roles.



While there has still been no decision, it’s probably a safe assumption that this battle is realistically between Perez and Motte. Franklin has excelled as a setup man, and will probably stay with the role that he has grown comfortable in. LaRussa has yet to reveal his hand as to which pitcher he likes, but rumor has it that there might even be a dark horse candidate too. Local hurler Kyle McClellan impressed last year in his rookie season and looks as though he will be even better this season. While he might not start out the year as a closer, if the rookies fail to succeed as closer, don’t be surprised if Tony turns to the hometown favorite to close out games for him.

[therockstar2005]

4-5-09 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“LARUSSA PRESENTS OPENING DAY ROSTERS: PEREZ TO CLOSE”

The day before starting off the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Tony LaRussa finally delivered his Opening Day roster and answered two major questions for fans and players alike: Who is the fifth starter, and who is the closer?

Chuck James will begin the season as the fifth starter, while the incumbent Chris Perez will start off as the closer. However, LaRussa has warned that, based on performance, things can and will change.

Both Joel Pineiro and James have impressed during Spring Training, but because James is a lefthander he will get the first chance as the fifth starter.

“[Chuck] James is a lefthanded starter, and that’s something we don’t have a lot of around here. Joel [Pineiro] has been great for us, and I think it’s a great thing for us that we can have six starters on this team and have that kind of flexibility during the season.”

LaRussa has decided to unofficially annoint Perez as the closer, but warns that he will probably not be the only pitcher to receive save opportunities.

“Chris [Perez] is a great young pitcher, and I think he has a great future ahead of him. We don’t want to push him too much, too fast, and so there will be other pitchers who will certainly get save opportunities as well. You don’t want to ask too much of a young guy too fast.”

Other noteworthy news is the inclusion of rookies David Freese (3B) and Colby Rasmus (OF) on the roster. While Freese might feature more prominently as a backup for Troy Glaus, Rasmus should see some playing time in a platoon role in the outfield.


Rotation:



#29 Chris Carpenter
#50 Adam Wainwright
#26 Kyle Lohse
#37 Todd Wellemeyer
#38 Chuck James

Bullpen:



#34 Chris Perez
#31 Ryan Franklin
#60 Jason Motte
#46 Kyle McClellan
#43 Trever Miler
#35 Joel Pineiro
#52 Josh Kinney

Catchers:



#4 Yadier Molina
#21 Jason LaRue

Infielders:



#5 Albert Pujols
#55 Skip Schumaker
#11 David Freese
#8 Troy Glaus
#62 Joe Mather
#3 Khalil Greene
#13 Brendan Ryan

Outfielders:



#24 Rick Ankiel
#28 Colby Rasmus
#16 Chris Duncan
#47 Ryan Ludwick

[onlybygrace]

Wow...this looks great man.

Good Luck.

I can never usually get into simming franshises-because I usually play every game, but I'll follow this one.

[therockstar2005]

WEEK 1 (4-5-09 through 4-11-09)

4-6-09 - Opening Day (Played Game)

Mike Shannon - Ah, Opening Day. There really is nothing better then this blessed event. It has been a long, cold winter, but hey, it’s time to crack open a cold one and come watch some great baseball. We certainly have a great one today on hand here. Carp is back, and he is looking to throw the heat and turn back the clock to 2005. So kids, skip your classes. Adults, skip your jobs. Everyone, get a crisp, cool Bud Light. Sit down, listen in with us, and enjoy. It’s Pirates and Cards right here on KMOX.

(That’s right bitches. Long live 1120!!! If you’re from St. Louis, you’ll get it)




(PIT) Maholm (0-0)

VS



(STL) Carpenter (0-0)

Game Summary:
-Maholm is utterly filthy, as the Cardinals struggle to get a hit. The Pirates are able to get hits off of Carpenter early, scoring on a double in the second inning. However, Carp is able to count on his defense behind him as they account for three double plays, making it easier for him to cruise through 7 innings with just the one earned run.
-Meanwhile, in the fifth inning, Ludwick got tired of not having any hits and jacks his first home run of the year, tying the game up. Glaus manages to get a hit as well, but never gets a chance to score. But in the seventh, Pujols steps to the plate and sends his own solo shot into the left field stands, making the game 2-1 in favor of the Cards.
-The bullpen might have been a weakness last year, but it starts off to a great start this year as McClellan pitches a scoreless eighth and Perez finishes off the Bucs in the ninth for the save and the win.

PIT 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 1 8 0
STL 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 - | 2 3 2

W: Carpenter (1-0) 7 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 0 BB - Player of the Game
L: Maholm (0-1) 8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 0 BB
S: Perez (1)
H: McClellan (1)


HR: Pujols (1), Ludwick (1)
RBI: Pujols (1), Ludwick (1)

4-7-09 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“CARDS MAKE HITS COUNT IN OPENING DAY WIN”

The Cards manage to pull out a 2-1 victory over the visiting Pirates despite the masterful efforts of the Pirates’ ace, Paul Maholm. He proved to be especially difficult for Cardinal bats to hit, but when the hits came, the Cardinals make them matter. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ludwick hit a solo shot to tie the game up 1-1. Then in the seventh, Pujols hit his first home run to make it a 2-1 Cardinal lead.

Carpenter managed to pitch effectively, despite giving up 7 hits, as he kept the damage down to just one run. He also had excellent defense to thank, as three double plays helped to eliminate baserunners. Carpenter looked like he did two years ago, always able to find some way to get batters out, and was rewarded as the player of the game.

Said Carpenter, “It just feels great to be out there and be 100% percent again. My arm feels great, my shoulder feels great, and I just hope I can keep this up. The win also always helps.”

Commentary: Ok, I know that Paul Maholm came close to shutting out the Cards, and I know I’m a crappy hitter, but I’m not THAT bad. I really think he just had a good day, cause I did another Play Now game with the same matchup, and in one inning I had the same number of hits and runs without a homerun. If I see similar things in other games I play I will consider adjusting the sliders, I just think he got real lucky, save the loss.

Other Games of the Week:

4-7-09 Pirates 1, Cardinals 7 - WP: Wainwright 9 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 8 K, 3 BB
HR: Molina (1), Schumaker (1)

4-8-09 Pirates 2, Cardinals 3 - WP: Lohse 8.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 7 K, 3 BB; S: Perez (2)
HR: Lohse (1) Really???

4-9-09 Pirates 5, Cardinals 6 - WP: Wellemeyer 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 K; S: Perez (3)
HR: Schumaker (2)

4-10-09 Astros 2, Cardinals 9 - WP: James 9 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 3 BB
HR: Glaus (1)

4-11-09 Astros 1, Cardinals 4 - WP: Carpenter 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 3 BB; S: Miller (1)
HR: Pujols (2)


Clubhouse leaders: (Will post more stats as the season goes on and pitching stats even out)
-RBI: Glaus (6), Schumaker, Ludwick, Pujols (4)
-HR: Pujols, Schumaker (2), Glaus, Ludwick, Molina (1)

[therockstar2005]

WEEK 2 (4-12-09 through 4-18-09)

Simmed Games:

4-12-09 Astros 7, Cardinals 10 - WP: Kinney (Wainwright lasted 3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER); S: Motte (1)
HR: Ankiel (1), Duncan (1), Greene (1)

4-13-09 Cardinals 3, D-backs 1 - WP: Lohse: 8.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 1 BB

4-14-09 Cardinals 5, D-backs 3 - WP: Wellemeyer: 8.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 9 K, 2 BB; S: Perez (4)
HR: Ankiel (2), Greene (2)

4-15-09 Cardinals 7, D-backs 5 - WP: Motte (James lasted 2.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB; Pineiro made it through 5 IP, 3 H, 6 K); S: Perez (5)
HR: Glaus (2)

4-16-09 Cardinals 4, Cubs 7 - LP: Carpenter: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 ER
HR: Schumaker (3), Greene (3)


4-17-09 - Played Game

Mike Shannon - Well, hello Redbird faithful. Yesterday was a hard time for us in the Unfriendly Confines of Wrigley Field, but today is a new day, and certainly we’ll be kicking their dog back just as hard as they kicked ours yesterday. Wainwright will be facing the Cubbie lefty Sean Marshall, and it might just be me, but I’m pretty sure that the Cubs are going to lose today. It’s the greatest game in the world, right here. Cards at Cubs, coming up on KMOX.




(STL) Wainwright (1-0)

VS




(CHC) Marshall (1-0)

Game Summary:
-Pujols gets a great start with a single shot in the first off of Marshall to give the Redbirds a 1-0 lead. This lead would not last very long as Wainwright gives up a hit to Aramis Ramirez in the second and Geovanni Soto hits a 2-run shot in the bottom of the second to give the Cubs the lead.
-Then Pujols decides to own the game. He hits another solo shot in the top of the third, tying the game at two. Then David Freese, in his first major league start and his second at bat, gets his own solo shot to put the Cardinals ahead 3-2. This time, the lead would not falter.
-Pujols hits a 2-run shot in the fifth after Khalil Greene gets a single with two outs in the inning. Troy Glaus would later hit a double as a pinch hitter in the eighth to bring the lead up to 6-2, and that would be enough for Wainwright, who goes seven innings with seven strikeouts. Pujols hits three home runs, Wainwright throws seven Ks, and in Freese’s first major league start, he gets the game winning run.

STL 1 0 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 | 6 10 0
CHC 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 2 6 1

W: Wainwright (2-0) 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 7 K
L: Marshall (1-1) 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 K

HR: 3 Pujols (5), Freese (1)

Player of the Game:



Albert Pujols: 3-5, 3 HR, 4 RBI


4-18-09 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“PUJOLS UNLOADS ON CUBS AS CARDS WIN”

How many home runs are enough for Albert Pujols? One? No. How about two? Of course not. Pujols sent three balls out of the field, including one that left the park altogether as the Cards come back to even the opening series against the Cubs 1-1.

“I was just seeing the ball really well,” said Pujols. “We were hitting [the Cubs] really well that day, and I just got the pitches I wanted and got good hits.” Pujols was named the player of the game for his three home run effort.

Rookie David Freese, who LaRussa had put into the lineup at the last minute, also came through with the game winning home run in the third inning.

“Wow. I mean, it was just a great feeling to be able to start and help my team out. I hope I get more chances to perform for this club and to show up and help out.”

The Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright was pretty impressive himself. While he gave up a two-run homer to Cubs catcher Geovanni Soto, he settled down after that point and retired six straight at one point, ultimately striking out seven. Ryan Franklin got two innings of work and was able to keep the door shut on the Cubs.


Other Games of the Week:

4-18-09 Cardinals 3, Cubs 9 - LP: Lohse: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 5 K
HR: Ludwick (2)

4-19-09 Cardinals 4, Cubs 13 - LP: Wellemeyer: 1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER
(next week but whatever)

[therockstar2005]

4-20-09 - A Moment with Mike Shannon





Hey there everybody. Mike Shannon here. I’m not sure if you can read this or not. They told me to try and do this thing called a “bloog” or something like that. I’m not really sure. But they say that I can write whatever I want here and you good folks can read my every word. So here I am.

Where am I? Well, I believe I’m currently on a plane ride back from Chicago to St. Louis, but to be honest, I might have had a few too many Buds today, so I could be floating in the middle of the Mississippi right now. There’s no telling with these planes today, just falling out of the sky. Back when I played, you could count on an airplane staying in the air. I mean, that’s the point of an airplane!

What the hell was I talking about? Oh, yeah. I’m here to provide you, the fans, with my thoughts on how the season is going so far for our Redbirds. Right now, they are sitting at a comfortable 11-3, and I know it’s early, but as long as we play like this, I think we’re going to win the division. Our pitching is dynamite, Pujols is looking like he’ll hit 100 home runs this year, and it is good to be a Cardinal right now.

You know who’s been surprising me? This David Freese kid. Local guy, came over in the Jim Edmonds trade. I think he’s from somewhere around here. He’s really been showing Tony LaRussa a lot of good things, and then a couple of day ago he gets his first major league homerun against the Cubs in a Redbird victory. You really can’t ask for much more then that from a young kid. He reminds me a lot of a much younger me, when I was his age. Heh-heh-heh. I really hope we get to see more of the Freese-man.

And, boy, it sure is good to see Carpenter back and healthy for once. I mean, after not winning a game in two years and making three starts, you might as well just wrap it up. But not good ol’ Carp. He’s right back in the thick of things, and you can bet he’ll really look to pitch some more this year.

Alright, some light has come on our plane, and since I don’t see any lifejackets around, I guess we’re going to land. This has been Mike Shannon. Thank you for listening to Cardinals baseball on KMOX.

Ok, now how do I send this thing?

[therockstar2005]

WEEK 3 (4-20-09 through 4-26-09) (Think I’ll do Monday-Sunday from now on, since that’s how series tend to go)

4-21-09 Mets 11, Cardinals 9 LP: James: 2.1 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 2 BB
HR: Molina (2), Ankiel (3)

4-22-09 Mets 7, Cardinals 13 WP: Motte: 2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 K, 2 BB; S: McClellan (1)
(Carpenter 5.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 0 ER?)
HR: 2 Duncan (3), Glaus (3)

4-23-09 Mets 7, Cardinals 3 LP: Wainwright: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 6 K, 1 BB
HR: Schumaker (4), Pujols (6)


4-24-09 - The Rivalry Comes Home (Played Game)

Mike Shannon - Well Cardinal faithful, it’s time to welcome the Cubbies into town. There is not a hotter ticket in town unless Britney Spears shows up. The place is sold out and you can see a sea of red with some lakes of blue. Or maybe some islands in there. But we have got a great game today. Cubbies get ready to lose today in Busch. Hey, that sounds like a good idea. Everyone go grab a Busch, and keep your radio tuned here with us. It’s Cardinal baseball right here on KMOX.




(CHC) Zambrano (1-2)

VS



(STL) Lohse (2-1)

Game Summary:
-In the first things look good for the Redbirds, as Yadier Molina continues to prove why he is the best defensive catcher in the game with yet another thrown out attempt to steal in the first.
-However, Carlos Zambrano is determined to pitch better than his numbers have been showing, and he is on today, making it hard for the Cardinal hitters to hit anything.
-Kyle Lohse tried his best, but just couldn’t avoid running into trouble. Too many baserunners, too many runs, and a costly error by Duncan lead to the deficit, while the Redbirds bats were mostly silent, save for a bit of excitement in the sixth inning. But Big Z was on his game, and the Cards just weren’t.


CHC 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 | 6 14 1
STL 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 | 1 6 1

W: Zambrano: 9 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 K
L: Lohse: 6 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 6 K



Player of the Game: Carlos Zambrano



4-25-09 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“CARDS BATS SILENT IN FRONT OF BIG Z”

Yesterday the Cardinals put out the welcome mat for the rival Chicago Cubs. The problem? They were that welcome mat. The Cardinal bats were no match for the dominance of the Cubs ace, Carlos Zambrano, who despite only having three strikeouts, was able to effectively keep the Redbirds down. Even when they were finally able to capitalize on some timely hitting for a run in the sixth, the deficit was too much for them to come back from.

“Well, [Carlos] Zambrano was just good today,” said manager Tony LaRussa after the game. “He was good and we weren’t...just couldn’t touch him. We didn’t do what we’re good at. We didn’t make good swings, we didn’t make good pitch decisions, just not a good game for us.”

There have been some rumblings that maybe the rookie third baseman David Freese should be given more playing time, but LaRussa wouldn’t comment on them aside from standing up for Troy Glaus. “Look, Glaus is a great third baseman, and he’s producing for us. He’s gonna have off days, everyone did. Pujols didn’t get a hit today either. I don’t hear anyone calling for him to sit down.”

Lohse was unhappy after the game.

“I’m just disappointed in myself. I was able to make some pitches, but I made poor choices. I spent too much time thinking instead of just throwing and getting guys out.” When asked about how today’s start will effect him, “I just have to go and look over what went wrong today, and next start just focus on making my pitches and not get so overwhelmed with the thought process.”


Other Games of the Week:

4-25-09 Cubs 0, Cardinals 7 WP: Wellemeyer: 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 8 K, 1 BB
HR: Duncan (4), Molina (3)

4-26-09 Cubs 2, Cardinals 3 WP: James: 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 8 BB; S: Perez: 7

As of April 26th, 2009:
NL Central
-STL (14-6)
-MIL (10-8)
-CIN (9-10)
-HOU (9-10)
-CHI (8-10)
-PIT (7-12)

Quick Stat Leaders:
-BA: 1) Schumaker .404, 2) Ludwick .378, 3) Duncan .313
-HR: 1) Pujols 6, 2) Duncan, Schumaker 4
-RBI: 1) Ankiel 15, 2) Glaus, Schumaker, 14
-W: 1) Wellemeyer 3, 2) James, Carpenter, Motte, Lohse, Wainwright, 2
-ERA: 1) Carpenter 3.13, 2) Lohse 3.64, 3) Wainwright 4.13
-K: 1) Lohse, Wainwright 23, 3) Wellemeyer 22
-S: 1) Perez 7, 2) Miller, Motte, McClellan 1

[therockstar2005]

Sorry that I haven't updated in a few days. College gets busy when you're facing graduation in two weeks. But here we are:

WEEK 4 (4-27-09 through 5-3-09)

4-27-09 Cardinals 5, Braves 3 - WP Carpenter (3-1) 7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 8 K, 2 BB
S: Motte (2)
HR: Rasmus (1), Greene (4)
RBI: 2 Rasmus (4), Carpenter (1), 2 Greene (13)

4-28-09 Cardinals 11, Braves 7 - WP Wainwright (3-1) 6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 5 K, 2 BB
HR: Ludwick (3)
RBI: 2 Ankiel (17) , Pujols (10), 2 Ludwick (13), Greene (15), 3 Ryan (5)

4-29-09 Cardinals 0, Braves 8 - LP Lohse (2-3) 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 K, 2 BB

4-30-09 - Cards hit the Capital (Played Game)

Mike Shannon - Hey there, Redbird fans. Mike Shannon broadcasting here from our nation’s capital. And what a wonderful place it is. First they get Barack Obama, now they get the Cardinals. How lucky can a town get? We had a wonderful time in Atlanta these past three days, taking two down there, and now we’re looking to continue our series against the NL East. Today, we get Wellemeyer facing off against the ace of the Nationals staff, if they even have an ace in the traditional sense. Scott Olsen, southpaw, will be doing the pitching for the Natties. Nattie? Hey, Nattie Light! It’s no Bud but it sounds pretty good right about now. Coming up, Cards in DC, right here on KMOX!




(STL) Wellemeyer (3-1)

VS





(WAS) Olsen (3-1)

GameCast:

1st Inning: Cards bats take off after being shutout in their last game against Atlanta, with Pujols starting off the onslaught with his seventh home run of the season. Ludwick is able to get a single and then Glaus mashes his fourth home run out to right field. National hitters are not so lucky, as they go down in order.
3rd Inning: Wellemeyer gets into a bit of trouble after giving up a double to his counterpart, Scott Olsen. He gets Guzman to strike out, but then give up a hit to Nick Johnson, putting men on the corners for Ryan Zimmerman. But Wellemeyer pulls back and is able to get Zimmerman to strike out.
5th Inning: More trouble for Wellemeyer, as he gives up back to back singles to Belliard and Anderson Hernanadez to start the inning off. He is able to regain control as he gets Guzman to fly out, and then promptly strikes out Nick Johnson and Ryan Zimmerman.
6th Inning: Pujols hits a single and two outs later, Rick Ankiel hits a triple into right field which scores Pujols. In the bottom of the inning the Nationals finally get a run as Adam Dunn mashes an offering to center field for a home run. However, the inning then ends quietly as Wellemeyer sits them down.
7th Inning: Jason Motte comes in for Wellemeyer and proceeds to shut the door on the Nationals, only giving up one hit over the last three innings of work.
8th Inning: The Cardinals take advantage of pitcher Steven Shell as Ankiel hits a two run homer off him, followed by Colby Rasmus hitting his second home run of his career. Jason Motte give up one hit in the bottom of the eighth, but a 6-4-3 double play ends the inning.
9th Inning: Uneventful, no hits for either side. Cards win in a blowout, 7-1.

STL 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 | 7 10 1
WAS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 | 1 8 0

WP: Wellemeyer (4-1) 6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 9 K
LP: Olsen (3-2) 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER


Player of the Game: Wellemeyer


5-1-09 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“CARDS BATS LIGHT UP DC”

Thursday night’s game was a great one for the Cardinal hitters, who combined for seven runs on ten hits off of the Nationals pitching, while Todd Wellemeyer managed to keep the Nationals off their bats.

“[Todd] Wellemeyer just pitched a great game for us,” said manager Tony LaRussa after the game. “He got into a bit of trouble, but managed to get out of it. Got a lot of guys out on strikeouts, a couple looking at third strikes, and that’s always good. All of our guys seem to be settling down a bit, and Wellemeyer is starting to look real good.”

The power was on display for the Redbirds as well, as Pujols, Ankiel, Glaus, and rookie Colby Rasmus went deep. “It was great to see our bats doing so well,” LaRussa continued. “We’re really excited for Rasmus, hope he can continue to produce for our club.”


Other Games

5-1-09 Cardinals 5, Nationals 6 LP: Perez
RBI: Molina (6), Schumaker (15), Greene (16), Glaus (17)

5-2-09 Cardinals 8, Nationals 9 LP: Franklin
HR: Duncan (5), Ludwick (4)
RBI: Duncan (13), 5 Ludwick (18), Ryan (6), Glaus (18)

5-3-09 Cardinals 2, Nationals 7 LP: Wainwright (3-2) 5.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 K
RBI: Molina (7), Greene (17)