Losing two out of three is never fun. Having a starter pulled for an injury is even worse, but through it all there are some good things to take away from this series.
1. Close Games
All three games in this series were decided by one run. The last five Cardinal losses were by 3,8,2,2,3 runs. They were down early in a couple instances but showed resolve and made each game at least interesting. They lost a heartbreaker in the first game but still took one of three. They never gave up and I like that.
2. Bullpen
None of the starting pitchers got past 5 innings of work this series. Mikolas got stung with 4 runs in the first inning, but managed to work through 5 after dialing it in. Weaver struggled through 5 as well while Wacha only managed 3.2 and suffered an oblique strain. That being said the bullpen for the most part was effective. Bowman struggled in the game one defeat but many have also shifted the blame on Ozuna’s diving attempt. Regardless… It is what it is. How do we talk about this without Greg Holland. After returning from the DL he has been very good working 2 innings and striking out 4. His velocity was back and he was commanding his pitches. If Holland can be effective he is a dangerous piece to have in the bullpen. Guys like Brebbia and Mayers seem to be cementing themselves as regular guys to count on.
3. Timely Hitting
Tying into the close games segment, the offense was able to get back into the game with timely hitting throughout the series. The Cardinals had 4 home runs in which the tied or took the lead. They seem to ride or die on the home run ball this season but they do have a knack of hitting them at the right time. A couple more hits and this series ends in a sweep.
This team isn’t done yet. I saw a lot of things this weekend that gives me hope. The bullpen is starting to turn around and the offense is clicking from a number of guys. The rotation was due to have some struggles but they still keep us in games. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and looking forward to the Cardinals visiting Milwaukee tomorrow. This is a crucial series for the Cardinals and one that should show what this team plans to do at the trade deadline.
Thanks for Reading
Aaron M
Follow me on Twitter @AaronArchCity @SuspectsMusial
Listen to my Cardinals Podcast – The Musial Suspects
The Musial Suspects S1 Episode 7
In this episode, Aaron talks about Star Wars, Brad complains, and the Musial Suspects discuss the 9 game stretch against the Marlins, Reds, and Padres.
