The Cardinals have won 10 of their last 17.
The offense is scoring plenty as Pujols, Edmonds, and Rolen have been their usual All-Star / MVP / HOF-type selves.
Reggie Sanders has been a little disappointing but nothing too bad. John Mabry has been a part-time superstar, hitting 0.412 / 0.474 / 0.588 with seven hits and three extra-base hits in his last nineteen plate appearances.
Edgar Renteria (0.231 / 0.254 / 0.338), Tony Womack (0.250 / 0.276 / 0.268), Mike Matheny (0.234 / 0.280 / 0.362), Ray Lankford (0.209 / 0.292 / 0.302), and Marlon Anderson (0.182 / 0.286 / 0.182) have all been eating the wrong cereal for breakfast. Renteria has back pain. He'll be a free agent at the end of the season, too, and it seems like there might be some anxiety or additional pressure on the young man to play well for his agent's commission. Womack has been the regular old Tony Womack after he had some elbow soreness a month ago. A hitting streak has masked Matheny's pathetic production. Lankford has been in a slump I guess. Marlon Anderson isn't impressing anyone either.
No one in the Redbird rotation is striking out a ton of guys. Chris Carpenter has been their closest thing to unhittable these last three weeks, and Morris, Suppan, and Williams have been able and average. Jason Marquis has scuffled.
Tony LaRussa has got the most out of his lefties, King and Kline, and while Julian Tavarez has not been overpowering, he has been effective in late innings. Jason Isringhausen has been a little wild with six walks in his last eight innings, but he's still been hard to hit. Kiko Calero has been average and Cal Eldred has been getting pounded. Hitters have gone 0.280 / 0.357 / 0.680 off Eldred since May 10th. Ouch.
The Cardinals have been pretty all-around solid. It's feast and famine with their hitters so I'm sure McClendon plans to empty the bullpen night after night as he attempts to neutralize Pujols, Edmonds, and Rolen with whatever thing in the bullpen looks most suited to do the job.
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