StLouis6

The St. Louis Cardinals have had some highlights in 2010. They spent the first two months in first place in the National League’s Central Division, but have been trailing the Cincinnati Reds by a margin of one to three games the past couple of weeks.

The long-term signing of Matt Holliday over the winter was supposed to make this an offense that would blow opponents away. There have been glimpses of such a team, but the Cardinals have been inconsistent at the plate. The score six or seven runs for a couple of games, but then they go four games without scoring more than a couple of runs an outing.

Albert Pujols has not been as dramatic a hero as usual, perhaps, but he is having another great season and he will be fine. Much like last year, Holliday has begun scorching the ball after a slow first two-and-a-half months. 

The pitching has been good. The starting pitching was superb the first six weeks, including rookie Jaime Garcia. Injuries have shelved starters Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse, but still the starters have been steady. Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright have been stellar, as usual.

Defense, long a Cardinals domain, has been less than sparkling this year, however. Skip Schumaker, a surprise success in 2009 in the first year of his switch from outfield to second base, has had spurts of inconsistency and Brendan Ryan, with his amazing glove and a surprise .292 bat, won the regular shortstop’s job a year ago. This year, Ryan can’t hit and with his goofy, fifth-grade mindset has let it affect his fielding. He has splashes of brilliance, but has had games where he acts like he’s never played at the big-league level.

Plenty of time is left on the schedule. Right fielder Ryan Ludwick and third baseman David Friese, among the leaders in clutch hitting and run production, are on the disabled list and should be back soon. But, if the Cardinals don’t tighten the defense, it could be a disappointing season in which they watch a less-talented team go to the postseason instead of them.   

The Cardinals scored one run, but blew a good chance to score a lot more in the top of the first inning. When the Dodgers came back and scored two in their half of the first, the complexion of the game changed.

Chris Carpenter battled, but he didn’t have his good stuff tonight.

Quite simply, the Cards still are not hitting when it counts.

The game set a MLB postseason record for combined men left on base with 30. Clearly, there were runs to be had. The Cardinals just didn’t get them home.

Los Angeles 5, St. Louis 3. The Dodgers lead the series 1-0.

Game 2, 5 p.m. Central time today (Thursday, Oct. 8) on TBS.

We have just signed a sponsorship for the Baseball-Reference.com page of Hal Smith, a Barling, Ark., native who played six years (1955-60) with the St. Louis Cardinals and was a three-time All-Star.

Mr. Smith, now 78, will appear at the Butler Center’s Legacies & Lunch program today (Oct. 7) at noon in the Darragh Room at the Central Arkansas Library System’s Main Library on Rock Street in downtown Little Rock. Appearing with him will be Billy D. Higgins, author of “The Barling Darling: Hal Smith in American Baseball.”

The program is free, but participants are asked to bring their own sack lunch.