Bitterness runs easier after losing a 1-0 game on the road where the winning run scores on a fielder’s choice from the outfield. The Cards dropped the final game in Cincinnati and the series this week. A letdown after winning 9 of 10 coming into the game and manhandling the Central Division by 4.5 games and riding up to 16 games over .500. The Cards have thrived by beating up on their NL Central rivals all season, so it was shocking to see them get taken apart in a four game set. After dominating on Monday, the Cards’ bats went cold and the pitching wasn’t efficient enough to win or split the series. As I write this, the Pirates are 3 games behind the Cards, and the outcome of their game with Philly tonight will decide if that deficits grows or shrinks before Friday’s night game between the Cards and Rockies.
Without beating around the bush any longer, let me examine this tough loss today and wrap up the series.
Hat Tip
Johnny Cueto. He did what aces do. Come into a game that could spoil the fun of your rivals and take it. Cueto was marvelous in 8 innings and only allowed 3 hits. The Cards never got comfortable and their best hit off Cueto was caught at the top of the right field wall by Jay Bruce off the bat of Matt Adams. Cueto was uncomfortable, dehydrated and out of sorts against the Birds two weeks ago at Busch Stadium. It was an uncharacteristic start for the Cy Young caliber pitcher and part time “kicker”. Today, he righted the ship, shut down the Cards and stole one for the Reds. All one can do is pout.
Aroldis Chapman. The best closer in baseball is putting together a remarkable season and showed off his skills this week. He collected 3 saves in 2.1 innings, striking 5 and walking one while throwing only 41 pitches. It’s lovely to admire Trevor Rosenthal for his breakout season, but there were saves where he threw 32 pitches in a single save chance. Chapman was shutdown lethal this week. He has a blazing fastball that reaches 102 mph and a slider that is devilish and nasty. He is an even scarier version of Brad Lidge in his prime. He has the left hand of Zeus and doesn’t allow many hits. He has blown 2 saves in 35 chances all season. If he got more chances, he would easily lead the league in saves. He is pretty close to unhittable and the one closer nobody wants to face.
Lance Lynn. I enjoy watching Lance Lynn pitch. That is the greatest difference between 2014 and Lynn’s last two seasons. The enjoyment I find in watching him work. Lynn is emotional, on fire, and works relatively quick. He throws strikes and pitches to contact. He is becoming more democratic with his pitches. If he wasn’t facing Johnny Cueto today, he might win this game. Lynn isn’t a primarily fly ball pitcher either. He got 11 groundouts today, struck out 6 and walked just 1 batter. Lynn allowed 3 hits and the lone run. It’s September 11th, and Lynn is pitching as good as he has all season. If there is a takeaway for the Cards today, it’s Lynn’s spectacular performance.
Complaints/Grievances
Mark Ellis pinch hitting again in the 9th inning against Chapman, the most efficient and feared closer in baseball. I don’t get it. For the entire season, Ellis has been mostly a non factor. A stepping stone for Kolten Wong. A “stand here until Wong is ready” mannequin essentially. So why does he get three huge at bats against a guy throwing 100 mph? Matheny has to answer this question. Forget a quality at bat from Ellis on Tuesday. Those don’t count unless they result in hits. Three at bats by Ellis and the results were 2 strikeouts and a groundout to Chapman. Pathetic. Bad choice. Suddenly, Ellis is Matheny’s Babe Ruth off the bench. With options like Yadier Molina and Xavier Scruggs on the bench, Ellis shouldn’t have hit there.
I don’t care if Molina is 0-35(he is 0-5 against Aroldis) either. Yadier is a smart hitter and could potentially draw a walk or turn it around with a hit.
Pinch hitting for Jon Jay wasn’t a great call. Jay can work out a walk, get hit by a pitch or get a hit so why take him out against Chapman. Nobody can really catch up to Chapman’s fastball so let a guy who hits lefties well get a crack. Jay hits for himself and Randal Grichuk pinch hits for Matt Adams instead of Ellis. Maybe…
Culprit
The offense. The Cards stranded 19 batters on Tuesday and were shut out in the last 17 innings. Cueto or not, the Cards had their chances and missed out. They had Alfredo Simon channel his first half self on Wednesday. Mike Leake got the best of the Cards Tuesday. Sure, John Lackey was early last night but he was getting hit hard. The bullpen did a fabulous job last night to give the Cards a shot. The move to Motte on Tuesday was bad and the rocky start of Michael Wacha was expected at some point. All in all, the offense let the team down in this series where the pitching needed a helping hand.
It’s a series loss and it will stab at the nerves for a little while. Until the Cards take the field on Friday, a load of “what if” scenarios will race around the head. That’s part of the game. I warned earlier this morning about the division race being far from over and this series loss affirms it. There are 15 games to go. The Cards launch their final homestand tomorrow with Colorado, Milwaukee and these pesky Reds next weekend before finishing the season on the road in Chicago and Arizona.
The Cards, after a short break, are back to playing the heartbreaker game they have been so good at throughout this entire season.
