Bah

Brewers 3, Cardinals 2

Not even close. Lucroy tags Greene to end it. (AP photo)

They let the sweep get away. The Cardinals’ offense, which produced 20 runs in the first two games this weekend, drove in only 2 this afternoon, and, after one crummy inning for starter Jaime Garcia, it wasn’t enough.

They had their chances, the last one in the bottom of the 9th, with runners on the corners and nobody out. Brewer reliever John Axeford got David Freese to strike out, then Yadier Molina. But with Molina’s third strike, runners Tyler Greene on third and Carlos Beltran on first took off. Brewers’ catcher Jonathan Lucroy pumped as if to throw, freezing both of them, then they got Greene at home.

Sad way to end an otherwise great weekend. Come Tuesday, Adam Wainwright hopes for better things against the Bucs.

Later,

Happy Birthday, Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy Ellington, born this day in Washington, D.C. in 1899. Composer, bandleader, genius.

The Great Man in action:

One reviewer called Ellington’s autobiography, “Music is My Mistress,” “the story of jazz itself.”

Here are some observations by his friend, music and social issues critic Ralph J. Gleason, at the time of his passing in 1974.

If you’d care to keep this legend’s spirit alive in our young people, consider a donation to the the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

Later,

Yadi puts on a show

Cardinals 7, Brewers 3

Molina heads around the bases after homering in the 6th. (AP photo)

Starter Kyle Lohse may not have been at his best this afternoon, but catcher (and my own MVP) Yadier Molina sure was. Molina went 4 for 4 with a 2-run homer in the 6th and 2 RBIs as well as 2 runs scored.

Lohse got his 4th win, but he had to work for it. In 6 innings, he gave up 6 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 home runs, and 4 walks, while striking out 5.

David Freese also homered, and John Jay went 3 for 4 with an RBI.

Leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal still bothers me. He was 0 for 5, although he managed to reach first on an error and later score in the 3rd. Matt Holliday also wore the collar, although he drove in an RBI.

Garcia tomorrow as we go for the sweep at home.

Later,

Boom!

Cardinals 13, Brewers 1

John Jay had a big night. (AP photo)

Well, my complaints about the Cardinal’s recent lack of offense have been laid to rest, at least for tonight.

13 runs, including an 8-run explosion in the 3rd inning. 15 hits. Every starter save pitcher Jake Westbrook scored at least once, and everyone save Westbrook and leadoff hitter (!) Rafael Furcal had a hit, although Furcal walked twice.

John Jay, back from resting the shoulder he hurt crashing into the center field wall last week, went 3 for 5 with a run and 3 RBI. Matt Holliday was 3 for 3 with a run and 2 RBI. Even Skip Schumaker went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.

One thing that really made me happy, beyond the fact they gave the Brewers another shellacking (they’ve out-scored Milwaukee 39-9 in four games) is that they did it all without a single home run. I have long felt homers were way over-rated. Most people like them for the sheer excitement of the power they represent or the thrill of a timely-hit dinger changing a game with one stroke. A walk-off homer gets some of the biggest applause of anything in the game.

It has always irritated me that teams who win without sluggers driving the ball over the fence are referred-to as playing “small ball.” Tonight, at least, the Cardinals sneered at that insulting characterization.

Westbrook had another quality game. 7 innings. 7 hits. 1 earned run. 5 Ks. 20 first-pitch strikes to 27 batters, and when a ball went into play, it was more than twice as likely to be on the ground rather than in the air.

In fact, the whole rotation, save Adam Wainwright (and we’ve already covered that) is performing very well, as Derrick Goold writes in the Post-Dispatch.

In other circumstances, I might be tempted to ask, “how’s the view from the cellar, Albert?” But that would be petty, and doubtless premature, at this point.

Lohse goes for number 4 tomorrow.

Later,

Late Night Listening with the B-52s

Okay, in this live version, they obviously have, well, gotten older. But this song, and the band, still rocks like nobody’s bidness . . . .

Later,

Happy Birthday to Me

Well, not me, personally, but this past week marked the third anniversary of this blog.

I’d have asked by friends at Birchgrove Baking to make me a cake, but I’m betting they’re rather busy. Maybe next year.

Thanks for reading. Tell your friends!

Later,

Whew

Cardinals 5, Cubs 1

David Freese watches his homer. (Getty Images)

Some offense supporting strong starting pitching usually makes for a winner, and David Freese made sure of that this afternoon.

Freese went 2 for 4 with a home run, a double, and 3 RBIs. Carlos Beltran was 1 for 3 with an RBI double. Matt Holliday, though, returned to his slump, going 0 for 4. Freese’s homer and Beltran’s double both came in the 6th, which ended starter Chris Volstad’s game.

Lance Lynn pitched 8 innings, giving up 6 hits and 1 earned run, with 7 Ks.

Back home to face the Brewers and the Bucs.

Later,

Another . . .

. . . night at Wrigley.

Another strong performance by the starter.

Another 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the 9th.

Another blown save.

Cubs 3, Cardinals 2

Soriano’s turn. (AP photo)

Adam Wainwright, facing the team that shelled him in the Birds’ home opener, pitched very well this evening. Six innings, 6 hits, 1 earned run, 7 Ks, and he kept the ball on the ground. Down 1-0 when he was lifted, Wain-O hopefully felt okay about this performance, especially after three very rocky starts before. The offense, which hasn’t done much for him yet this season, finally roused itself when Matt Holliday launched a 2-out, 2-run homer to give the Birds the lead in the top of the 8th.

Then came the 9th.

Manager Mike Matheny called in Marc Rzepczynski, who served up a home run with his very first pitch to Bryan LaHair, last night’s Cubs’ hero, to tie the game. Various other embarrassments threatened to end the contest then and there, but the Cardinals managed to take it into extra innings.

Bottom 10, with Fernando Salas on the hill, 2 on and 2 out, Alfonso Soriano worked the count to 3-2 and then handcuffed 2nd baseman Tyler with a ground ball that took a sharp hop.

The Cardinals have now lost their first series of the season, and their record is 11-7. They’ve lost 4 out of their last 6. The team that scored 70 runs in its first 12 games has scored 9 in its last 6. The bullpen that looked so reliable has now blown two 9th-inning leads in a row.

Lance Lynn tries to salvage something out of this trip to Wrigley tomorrow.

Later,

Copenhagen

Brookings’ Bruce Katz has a a commentary in the Guardian about this city, which is a model for sustainable development. We could take a hint, and some places, like Portland, OR, do.

Later,

(Animal noise of pain and frustration)

Cubs 3, Cardinals 2

Mather ends it. (AP photo)

Jason Motte was one strike away from nailing it down, but he couldn’t get it done.

He took the hill as the Cardinals held onto a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the 9th at Wrigley. He struck out Soriano, then walked two, then got pinch-hitter Steve Clevenger to ground out to first, the runners both advancing. Up comes former Cardinal Joe Mather, who works the count to 2-2 before driving a Motte slider into center, bringing both runners home, and the Cubs win it.

Argh.

Always bad to lose, but a particular shame to waste a good effort by Jaime Garcia. 7 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 1 earned run, and 4Ks. Cubs starter Matt Garza made it a pitchers’ duel, with an equally impressive effort – 7 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 5Ks, although he wasn’t nearly as efficient, needing 108 pitches to get through 7, while Garcia threw only 85.

Neither offense did very much, at least not until Mather stepped in in the 9th. Matt Holliday finally had a good night, going 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

Adam Wainwright starts tomorrow, hoping to turn things around.

Later,