When it comes to veteran starters, you know what you are going to get every 5th day. They have started over 300 games in their careers and have thrown over 3,000 pitches. It comes down to execution. The blazing fastball is gone, so they must work harder to get to their outs. John Lackey answered the call Friday night and helped put the Cardinals 18 games over the .500 mark and maintain their 2.5 game lead on the Pirates. Without Lackey’s work, the game could have been lost because the Cards only scored 2 runs on 5 hits. When the hitting is cold, the pitching must be that much more reliable on the bump.
Randal Grichuk and Matt Holliday went back to back in the first inning and that is where the scoring stopped for the Birds. After an RBI single by Zach Cozart in the 2nd inning, the scoring was complete. The game was left to the pitching and the Cards proved to be stronger than the Reds….again in winning 2-1.
Lackey was the anchor. He went 7.2 innings, threw 87 pitches and mixed his slider and fastball all night to keep the Reds off balance. The one thing you can appreciate about Lackey is that he wastes zero time on the mound. He gets the ball, sees the sign and slings it up there. Fastball over 60 percent of the time and mixing in the slider, curve and the occasional changeup. He is either in the zone or he is getting drilled. He doesn’t throw a lot of pitches and gets his outs quick. When he is walking people, he is off and that’s dangerous. When he is getting contact and racking up 5-7 strikeouts, things are normal in Lackey Land.
After firing 4 solid starts in his first five games, Lackey endured a rough patch. He wasn’t good, and got hit hard and often. He was beat up by the Cubs, Brewers and Reds. Earlier this week, Lackey complained about having a dead arm, which is common among starters who throw a ton of innings and pitch on playoff teams. It’s rust, old age and a lot of windups. Lackey is 35 years old but has thrown over 2,249 innings in his 11 year career. He’s not at the end yet but he is walking towards it. When it comes to active wins, only three active righthanded starting pitchers in baseball have more wins than Lackey’s 151.
There are people who hated the trade that brought Lackey here and I am not one of them. The minute I saw it, I loved it. A month and a half later, the results are there. Joe Kelly and Allen Craig aren’t playing well in Boston and Lackey is 3-2 as a Cardinal and the team is 6-3 in games that he has started. He was an upgrade over Kelly and the Craig contract being transferred sweetened the pot on an even deal. It only gets better when the calendar flips to October and Lackey’s postseason stout comes into play. That is what the Cardinals traded for. A proven postseason bulldog with some bite left.
After a brief detour, Lackey is back in the saddle. He could have finished the game tonight but was pulled by Matheny in the 8th. There have been 3 different occasions where he threw less than 100 pitches and was cruising only to be pinch hit for or yanked. One can only hope those innings are being saved for prime time. Lackey has a few bullets left in the tank.
His resurgence gives the Cards rotation a depth they haven’t tasted since June. If Michael Wacha looks decent tomorrow, the Cards have 5 weapons heading into the colder weeks of the season. The pitching is thriving at the right time. Shelby Miller and Lance Lynn have stepped up. Adam Wainwright has relocated his dominance. Lackey has answered the call and that creates a fierce set of options for Matheny to choose from come early October.
There are still 8 games to be played and the Cards magic number is down to 7. The Pirates are within striking distance but with the Cards pitching depth and strength, they have extra laps to do in order to catch up.
Thanks to John Lackey’s work tonight, the Cards have an ace in the hole come playoff time.
That’s all folks.
-D.L.B.
