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Sunday Night Baseball: St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves
Game: St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves
Line: Braves -115, 9 ½
Separate roads
The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to break even when they wrap up their current 10-game road swing tonight. They split the last nine games, including going 1-2 against the Braves, heading into Sunday Night Baseball. Following this four-game set with Atlanta, St. Louis returns home for the first time since July 8.
The Cardinals hand the ball to right-hander Brad Thompson, who has alternated roles of starter and reliever this season. He hasn’t won as a starting pitcher since June 19 and has a 6-4 record with an ERA just above 5.00. Thompson has allowed six home runs over his last four appearances on the mound.
The Atlanta Braves are on the other side of the schedule and finish a 10-game homestand at Turner Field tonight before hitting the road for seven of their next eight games. Atlanta is 6-4 during this current stretch and 9-8 for the month of July.
Young lefty Jo-Jo Reyes gets the honors tonight, making only his third major league start on the national stage. Reyes is 0-1 in his first two starts with an ERA of 8.68. Over his 9 1/3 innings of work, he has walked five batters and struck out only one.
Hot hitting or dead defense?
The Braves hung another double-figure pounding on the Cardinals this Saturday night, winning 14-6 as -145 favorites behind a seven-run explosion in the fourth inning. Atlanta has outscored St. Louis 26-11 over the past three games and has won five of the last seven meetings with the Cardinals, averaging more than 10 runs per game.
While you have to give credit to Atlanta's lineup (hitting .338 during this series), this trouble closing the flood gates is becoming all too familiar to the Cardinals this season. The loss on Saturday marked the fourth time during their current 10-game road swing in which the starting pitcher has allowed at least eight runs or failed to pitch at least three innings.
"If we had those pitches to hit, we would've scored in double figures," manager Tony La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We were just leaving too many pitches in the middle of the plate."
Saturday’s defeat was also the fourth time during this road trip that St. Louis has allowed double digit runs. The damage is being done early into games this year, leaving the Cardinals to get outscored 233-172 through four innings of baseball this season.
Braves bullpen bowing out
Atlanta has one of the best team ERAs in the major leagues since the All-Star break (3.21 ERA) but is only 5-4 during this stretch – most in part to a shaky bullpen.
The Braves relievers have blown two saves since the break and have a collective ERA of 5.24 over the past nine games.
"Relievers do have a tendency to go through spells like this, whether it be for a week or 10 days or whatever, when they just aren't throwing consistently," pitching coach Roger McDowell told MLB.com.
The majority of finger pointing is targeted at right-handed reliever Rafael Soriano, who has a 6.75 ERA over his last 15 appearances while allowing opponents to hit .345 off him. Soriano was lights-out to start the year, limiting batters to an average of .115 with an ERA of 2.20 in his first 29 efforts.
Trade winds are blowing
Both the Cardinals and Braves are contemplating moves as it gets closer to the July 31 trade deadline. Actually, Atlanta couldn’t wait until next Tuesday and snatched up old-as-the-earth first baseman/pinch hitter Julio Franco this past week.
Franco is 1-for-8 with two RBI so far with the Braves, starting at first in the first two games against St. Louis and pinch hitting on Saturday night. While he was a welcome addition, Franco is far from what Atlanta needs to make a push for the postseason.
The Braves could benefit from another tested starter in the rotation but must fill the gaps at first base and left field as well. Rumors are hovering around young catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who is one of the best prospects on Atlanta’s roster. There have been talks of sending him to the Texas Rangers for slugger Mark Teixeira.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, must assess the damage done by their 44-50 record, sitting 8 ½ games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. Do they make some deals and try to get back into the playoffs or write off the remainder of the season?
Up until last week, St. Louis could have made a legitimate push in the division but when the news that staff ace Chris Carpenter would not return and opt for Tommy John surgery, any wind that was in the Cards' sails was immediately taken out.
"Winning is relative," La Russa told reporters. "You can't lose sight of the fact that you have an obligation to go out and play as hard as you can and as good as you can. If you do that, then you're winning relative to what you have on your team."
Game: St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves
Line: Braves -115, 9 ½
Separate roads
The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to break even when they wrap up their current 10-game road swing tonight. They split the last nine games, including going 1-2 against the Braves, heading into Sunday Night Baseball. Following this four-game set with Atlanta, St. Louis returns home for the first time since July 8.
The Cardinals hand the ball to right-hander Brad Thompson, who has alternated roles of starter and reliever this season. He hasn’t won as a starting pitcher since June 19 and has a 6-4 record with an ERA just above 5.00. Thompson has allowed six home runs over his last four appearances on the mound.
The Atlanta Braves are on the other side of the schedule and finish a 10-game homestand at Turner Field tonight before hitting the road for seven of their next eight games. Atlanta is 6-4 during this current stretch and 9-8 for the month of July.
Young lefty Jo-Jo Reyes gets the honors tonight, making only his third major league start on the national stage. Reyes is 0-1 in his first two starts with an ERA of 8.68. Over his 9 1/3 innings of work, he has walked five batters and struck out only one.
Hot hitting or dead defense?
The Braves hung another double-figure pounding on the Cardinals this Saturday night, winning 14-6 as -145 favorites behind a seven-run explosion in the fourth inning. Atlanta has outscored St. Louis 26-11 over the past three games and has won five of the last seven meetings with the Cardinals, averaging more than 10 runs per game.
While you have to give credit to Atlanta's lineup (hitting .338 during this series), this trouble closing the flood gates is becoming all too familiar to the Cardinals this season. The loss on Saturday marked the fourth time during their current 10-game road swing in which the starting pitcher has allowed at least eight runs or failed to pitch at least three innings.
"If we had those pitches to hit, we would've scored in double figures," manager Tony La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We were just leaving too many pitches in the middle of the plate."
Saturday’s defeat was also the fourth time during this road trip that St. Louis has allowed double digit runs. The damage is being done early into games this year, leaving the Cardinals to get outscored 233-172 through four innings of baseball this season.
Braves bullpen bowing out
Atlanta has one of the best team ERAs in the major leagues since the All-Star break (3.21 ERA) but is only 5-4 during this stretch – most in part to a shaky bullpen.
The Braves relievers have blown two saves since the break and have a collective ERA of 5.24 over the past nine games.
"Relievers do have a tendency to go through spells like this, whether it be for a week or 10 days or whatever, when they just aren't throwing consistently," pitching coach Roger McDowell told MLB.com.
The majority of finger pointing is targeted at right-handed reliever Rafael Soriano, who has a 6.75 ERA over his last 15 appearances while allowing opponents to hit .345 off him. Soriano was lights-out to start the year, limiting batters to an average of .115 with an ERA of 2.20 in his first 29 efforts.
Trade winds are blowing
Both the Cardinals and Braves are contemplating moves as it gets closer to the July 31 trade deadline. Actually, Atlanta couldn’t wait until next Tuesday and snatched up old-as-the-earth first baseman/pinch hitter Julio Franco this past week.
Franco is 1-for-8 with two RBI so far with the Braves, starting at first in the first two games against St. Louis and pinch hitting on Saturday night. While he was a welcome addition, Franco is far from what Atlanta needs to make a push for the postseason.
The Braves could benefit from another tested starter in the rotation but must fill the gaps at first base and left field as well. Rumors are hovering around young catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who is one of the best prospects on Atlanta’s roster. There have been talks of sending him to the Texas Rangers for slugger Mark Teixeira.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, must assess the damage done by their 44-50 record, sitting 8 ½ games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. Do they make some deals and try to get back into the playoffs or write off the remainder of the season?
Up until last week, St. Louis could have made a legitimate push in the division but when the news that staff ace Chris Carpenter would not return and opt for Tommy John surgery, any wind that was in the Cards' sails was immediately taken out.
"Winning is relative," La Russa told reporters. "You can't lose sight of the fact that you have an obligation to go out and play as hard as you can and as good as you can. If you do that, then you're winning relative to what you have on your team."
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