Too busy. Must hurry. Quick sentences (or, not sentences at all). Go!
Kyle Lohse, ace so far, expect excellence. Injured? Evidently not.
Pujols' bat will awaken after Monday slumber. Ferocious blows will deposit balls in distant stands.
Jo-Jo Reyes, first name starts with "J" and he shares it with a female American pop singer, doomed to fail. Dude has also sucked against Cardinals in past (0-2 in 3 starts, fewer than 6 IP per), and sucked so far this season (surrendered 5 runs @Pit in 5 IP). Taste failure, Jo-Jo. Taste it.
(This is the finest blog post that I have ever written.)
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Atlanta. GO CARDS!!
Showing posts with label Kyle Lohse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyle Lohse. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Break It Down! April 23rd Edition
Going for the sweep!
The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse has had mixed results against the Mets in the past, but I think he's probably good for a win Thursday afternoon. What makes me say that? (1) Lohse hasn't lost yet this season and he has a pretty low ERA and WHIP. (2) I only had one thing. I shouldn't have numbered that list. Check my in depth Mets lineup analysis below to understand my concerns.
- Mets: In 16 career starts against the Cardinals, Livan Hernandez is 5-5 with a 4.33 ERA. This guy has been the very definition of mediocre for the better part of a decade. Long gone are the days he was an ace for the Marlins. Anyways, nothing about this guy concerns me.
The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols (surprise!) is always a safe bet. Also, Ludwick's bat will be back in the lineup. Tony promised 4 straight days of Ludwick, in fact.
- Mets: A bunch of Mets have sort of owned Lohse. I don't care. The Cards will not lose to a team who starts this loser. If his appearance and general demeanor weren't reason enough to root against Jose Reyes, consider this. I am not saying the Cardinals players are saints, I think a lot of traveling athletes cheat on their spouses, but Reyes apparently did so very shortly after marrying his wife. Classy.
Prediction: First to 4 runs wins. Read: The Cardinals.
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!
The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse has had mixed results against the Mets in the past, but I think he's probably good for a win Thursday afternoon. What makes me say that? (1) Lohse hasn't lost yet this season and he has a pretty low ERA and WHIP. (2) I only had one thing. I shouldn't have numbered that list. Check my in depth Mets lineup analysis below to understand my concerns.
- Mets: In 16 career starts against the Cardinals, Livan Hernandez is 5-5 with a 4.33 ERA. This guy has been the very definition of mediocre for the better part of a decade. Long gone are the days he was an ace for the Marlins. Anyways, nothing about this guy concerns me.
The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols (surprise!) is always a safe bet. Also, Ludwick's bat will be back in the lineup. Tony promised 4 straight days of Ludwick, in fact.
- Mets: A bunch of Mets have sort of owned Lohse. I don't care. The Cards will not lose to a team who starts this loser. If his appearance and general demeanor weren't reason enough to root against Jose Reyes, consider this. I am not saying the Cardinals players are saints, I think a lot of traveling athletes cheat on their spouses, but Reyes apparently did so very shortly after marrying his wife. Classy.
Prediction: First to 4 runs wins. Read: The Cardinals.
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Break It Down! April 18th Edition
The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse has been awesome so far this season. Just so you don't think I am being a total homer, the stats back me up. Lohse is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings of work. This includes his shutout last week against Houston. All that having been said, I must note that Lohse was pretty mediocre against Chicago last year in three starts. To be precise, 18.1 IP and 13 runs for a 6.38 ERA. Conclusion: cautiously optimistic.
- Cubs: Something about Ryan Dempster just pisses me off. I don't know what it is. Anyways, he is 1-0 so far this season in 2 starts. 4.50 ERA. If Reed Johnson hadn't robbed Prince Fielder though, Dempster's ERA would be much higher. In three starts against the Cardinals last year, however, Dempster was 2-0 with a 2.90 ERA. That's pretty close to his 2.86 home ERA last season too. Ultimately I don't know what to expect from Dempster, but I assume will be 6-8 innings, 2-4 runs. Middle of the road.
The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Ludwick, Schumaker, LaRue, Molina, Duncan, and Pujols (surprise!) have all enjoyed some degree of success against Dempster, but I wouldn't say anyone has owned him. Then again, the Cardinals have scored more runs per game than any other team in the NL so far this season (6 per game). I feel alright about the Cardinals' ability to score runs against right-handed pitchers.
- Cubs: Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee, and Aramis Ramirex have all enjoyed some success against Lohse in the past. I guess all these guys will start. Geovany Soto has sucked so far this season, but he has 3-for-8 against Lohse, so I assume he won't sit Saturday.
NOTE: This game is on national television, FOX, in theory. I am sure I will get stuck watching some friggin' AL East game. Whatever. Enjoy it if you get to see it.
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Chicago. GO CARDS!!
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse has been awesome so far this season. Just so you don't think I am being a total homer, the stats back me up. Lohse is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings of work. This includes his shutout last week against Houston. All that having been said, I must note that Lohse was pretty mediocre against Chicago last year in three starts. To be precise, 18.1 IP and 13 runs for a 6.38 ERA. Conclusion: cautiously optimistic.
- Cubs: Something about Ryan Dempster just pisses me off. I don't know what it is. Anyways, he is 1-0 so far this season in 2 starts. 4.50 ERA. If Reed Johnson hadn't robbed Prince Fielder though, Dempster's ERA would be much higher. In three starts against the Cardinals last year, however, Dempster was 2-0 with a 2.90 ERA. That's pretty close to his 2.86 home ERA last season too. Ultimately I don't know what to expect from Dempster, but I assume will be 6-8 innings, 2-4 runs. Middle of the road.
The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Ludwick, Schumaker, LaRue, Molina, Duncan, and Pujols (surprise!) have all enjoyed some degree of success against Dempster, but I wouldn't say anyone has owned him. Then again, the Cardinals have scored more runs per game than any other team in the NL so far this season (6 per game). I feel alright about the Cardinals' ability to score runs against right-handed pitchers.
- Cubs: Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee, and Aramis Ramirex have all enjoyed some success against Lohse in the past. I guess all these guys will start. Geovany Soto has sucked so far this season, but he has 3-for-8 against Lohse, so I assume he won't sit Saturday.
NOTE: This game is on national television, FOX, in theory. I am sure I will get stuck watching some friggin' AL East game. Whatever. Enjoy it if you get to see it.
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Chicago. GO CARDS!!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
"That's a Winner!" - 5
Kyle Lohse was by all accounts "superb" today, beating the Astros with a 3-hit shutout. It was arguably Lohse's finest start of his career. Offensively, Greene, Ludwick and Duncan did the damage.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Break It Down! April 12th Edition
The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse battled with the Pirates early last week, allowing 2 earned runs over 7 IP. Lohse won, but struggled at times, allowing six baserunners and throwing 108 pitches. Still, Lohse was 3-0 against the Astros in 4 starts last year with a 2.42 ERA. I generally have luke warm feelings about Lohse. I expect 6 or 7 innings, 3 or 4 runs allowed. Hopefully that will be enough.
- Astros: Wandy Rodriguez, a pitcher that throws the ball with his left hand, was 1-2 against the Cardinals last year in four starts. Great, right? Only problem: he had a 1.11 ERA over those four starts, allowing a mere three runs over 24 1/3 innings. That is not good news for the Cardinals. In his first start this season, Rodriguez allowed 1 run in 6 IP, with 4 hits and 3 walks given up. This is also not good news for the Cardinals. Personally, I hate it when the Cardinals face this guy for one simple reason: His name is Wandy. Losing to a guy named Wandy is like getting beat up by a girl.
The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols has been pretty dreadful against Rodriguez (actual surprise!). Pujols only has 3 singles in 18 ABs against Rodriguez. I am NOT saying that we should sit Pujols, expecially since he is a MAN who hits MAN-SIZE homeruns, but Tony might give it some thought since the Cardinals have so many consecutive games to start this season. Pujols' defense should keep him on the field, in my mind.
- Astros: Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence and Geoff Blum have hit pretty well against Lohse. Berkman hasn't been so bad either. These happen to be the Astros off to the best starts (Pence and Blum) and the Astros that are most fearsome (Lee and Berkman). Still, these guys haven't been very good this season, and I am pretty confident they won't be very good Sunday.
UPDATE: Bernie had a great piece on Pujols in today's paper. His point: Pujols is an Indescribable Winner. The point is well taken. I have only been writing this blog for a week, and I have to agree, Pujols makes it hard to not feel like you're repeating yourself. Anyways, read the article, it is written MUCH better than anything you'll find here.
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse battled with the Pirates early last week, allowing 2 earned runs over 7 IP. Lohse won, but struggled at times, allowing six baserunners and throwing 108 pitches. Still, Lohse was 3-0 against the Astros in 4 starts last year with a 2.42 ERA. I generally have luke warm feelings about Lohse. I expect 6 or 7 innings, 3 or 4 runs allowed. Hopefully that will be enough.
- Astros: Wandy Rodriguez, a pitcher that throws the ball with his left hand, was 1-2 against the Cardinals last year in four starts. Great, right? Only problem: he had a 1.11 ERA over those four starts, allowing a mere three runs over 24 1/3 innings. That is not good news for the Cardinals. In his first start this season, Rodriguez allowed 1 run in 6 IP, with 4 hits and 3 walks given up. This is also not good news for the Cardinals. Personally, I hate it when the Cardinals face this guy for one simple reason: His name is Wandy. Losing to a guy named Wandy is like getting beat up by a girl.
The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols has been pretty dreadful against Rodriguez (actual surprise!). Pujols only has 3 singles in 18 ABs against Rodriguez. I am NOT saying that we should sit Pujols, expecially since he is a MAN who hits MAN-SIZE homeruns, but Tony might give it some thought since the Cardinals have so many consecutive games to start this season. Pujols' defense should keep him on the field, in my mind.
- Astros: Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence and Geoff Blum have hit pretty well against Lohse. Berkman hasn't been so bad either. These happen to be the Astros off to the best starts (Pence and Blum) and the Astros that are most fearsome (Lee and Berkman). Still, these guys haven't been very good this season, and I am pretty confident they won't be very good Sunday.
UPDATE: Bernie had a great piece on Pujols in today's paper. His point: Pujols is an Indescribable Winner. The point is well taken. I have only been writing this blog for a week, and I have to agree, Pujols makes it hard to not feel like you're repeating yourself. Anyways, read the article, it is written MUCH better than anything you'll find here.
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Break It Down! April 7th Edition
The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Last season Kyle Lohse anchored our rotation. People tend to forget that. Wainwright was great, but an injured finger limited his innings. Lohse, on the other hand, had 15 wins and 200+ innings. Some of his good work was against the Pirates. Lohse was 1 - 0 against the Pirates in 2 starts with a 2.57 ERA. Lohse also pitched better at home last season, and at night. All things considered, I'd bet you a sawbuck Lohse is going to have a quality start tonight. 7 innings, 2 or 3 runs allowed. As for the bullpen, Bernie has convinced me to not get all panicky about our closer, for now, but I would like a bigger lead anyway, just to be sure.
- Pirates: Ian Snell was 1 and 1 against the Cardinals last season in six starts, with a 7.20 ERA, with an average of 5 IP per start. I kind of love it when the Cardinals face this guy, but after Monday's game, I feel less confident that the Cardinals' bats are alive. Still, Snell's stats against the Cardinals in '08 tell me one thing: he's not going to shut us out. Right? *GULP*
The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Colby Rasmus will make his major league debut tonight and the ballpark should be all abuzz. Pujols (surprise!) and Molina have both had success against Snell, as has Shumaker who should get his first start of the season at second. Ludwick and Ankiel have been, for lack of a better word, shit against Snell (both are 1-for-11, .091 AVG), so I expect Duncan will get the start even though Snell isn't a lefty (.973 OPS against Snell).
- Pirates: No one on the Pirates has had a lot of success against Lohse, but I wouldn't be surprised if Craig Monroe got a start in light of his .966 OPS and 2 dingers in 22 ABs against Lohse, more than any other Pirate. Him aside, the Cardinals need to figure out how to keep Nyjer Morgan off base, and need to keep McLouth and the other bats from making too much noise.
UPDATE: Tonight's lineup:
1. 2B Skip Schumaker
2. RF Colby Rasmus
3. 1B Albert Pujols
4. LF Chris Duncan
5. SS Khalil Greene
6. CF Rick Ankiel
7. C Yadier Molina
8. 3B Joe Thurston
9. SP Kyle Lohse
Russ likes.
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!
- Cardinals: Last season Kyle Lohse anchored our rotation. People tend to forget that. Wainwright was great, but an injured finger limited his innings. Lohse, on the other hand, had 15 wins and 200+ innings. Some of his good work was against the Pirates. Lohse was 1 - 0 against the Pirates in 2 starts with a 2.57 ERA. Lohse also pitched better at home last season, and at night. All things considered, I'd bet you a sawbuck Lohse is going to have a quality start tonight. 7 innings, 2 or 3 runs allowed. As for the bullpen, Bernie has convinced me to not get all panicky about our closer, for now, but I would like a bigger lead anyway, just to be sure.
- Pirates: Ian Snell was 1 and 1 against the Cardinals last season in six starts, with a 7.20 ERA, with an average of 5 IP per start. I kind of love it when the Cardinals face this guy, but after Monday's game, I feel less confident that the Cardinals' bats are alive. Still, Snell's stats against the Cardinals in '08 tell me one thing: he's not going to shut us out. Right? *GULP*
The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Colby Rasmus will make his major league debut tonight and the ballpark should be all abuzz. Pujols (surprise!) and Molina have both had success against Snell, as has Shumaker who should get his first start of the season at second. Ludwick and Ankiel have been, for lack of a better word, shit against Snell (both are 1-for-11, .091 AVG), so I expect Duncan will get the start even though Snell isn't a lefty (.973 OPS against Snell).
- Pirates: No one on the Pirates has had a lot of success against Lohse, but I wouldn't be surprised if Craig Monroe got a start in light of his .966 OPS and 2 dingers in 22 ABs against Lohse, more than any other Pirate. Him aside, the Cardinals need to figure out how to keep Nyjer Morgan off base, and need to keep McLouth and the other bats from making too much noise.
UPDATE: Tonight's lineup:
1. 2B Skip Schumaker
2. RF Colby Rasmus
3. 1B Albert Pujols
4. LF Chris Duncan
5. SS Khalil Greene
6. CF Rick Ankiel
7. C Yadier Molina
8. 3B Joe Thurston
9. SP Kyle Lohse
Russ likes.
Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!
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