Rotten series, at the wrong time. The club was bad at pitching, baserunning, batting, and real bad in centerfield defensively whenever Bader wasn’t out there. Honestly, during Spring Training, who among us thought we’d ever again see Dexter Fowler attempt to play center field in the majors? Honestly, based on the bizarre events of last year I knew than Shildt had a thing for Fowler, but I didn’t know how far it might extend. Now, I understand, he’s got a great head-to-head hitting record against Quintana.
So start Fowler in right field! Bader has to be in CF as long as he’s healthy. That’s how much better his glove is than anyone else on the team. And of course, re Jose Quintana, Bader murders southpaws. His whole life. At every level including MLB. Will someone please tell the manager all about that?
And yet, despite Mike Shildt’s highly questionable managerial notions the Cards are 1/2 game out, and on pace for 95 wins, despite also having played one of the four or five roughest schedules in the sport. (The easy stretch is from mid-June to the Midsummer Classic, when the Birds will play the Marlins 7 times, and have another 18 games all of which could be against teams with losing records by then. The best of the bunch are Seattle, San Diego, and the Mets. Okay teams, but not too daunting. I see a 17-8 or 18-7 run to finish the season’s first half.)
—————————-
It’s really stupid that the series was a sweep. I mean, think about it.
Yesterday the Cards led by four runs early but the Cubs had the bases loaded. Lucky for the Birds, there was one out already, and due up were an aging journeyman non-hitter whose name I have already forgotten, barely a quad-A player, and then the pitcher’s spot with his career sub-.100 average — and it was early enough in the game that very likely neither one of those awful non-hitters would be pinch-hit for. So there was an 80-90% chance that the Cards would leave the inning with at least a 2-run lead. And probably a better than even money chance they’d retain the entire 4-run lead.
And based on all the events that followed, if they leave the inning with a multi-run lead, they almost assuredly win the game. And if they win the game, they’re 1 1/2 games in front of the cubs now, and on pace for a 100-win season.
So if not for the capricious and malicious gods of baseball interceding on behalf of that journeyman cipher yesterday, the Cards would be sitting very pretty indeed right now. Good for whatshisname. He got a grand slam he can tell his grandchildren about some day. Right after asking them if they want fries with their Big Mac.