Home › The Cardinal Nation Forums › Open Forum › 2021 Cardinals MLB Game 18 thread – Wed, April 21 at Nationals
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April 21, 2021 at 6:35 pm #158858
I don’t see how this team can win over the long run! As constructed right now the Reds and Brewers are both better teams! I just think out front office has done such a poor job of evaluating talent that we are left with a number of players who are not major leaguers on a major league roster, kinda like the Pirates! I don’t know the answer but I am certain that continuing to play Carpenter isn’t it! We must get more production out on someone in the outfield! If we play these same guys all year this is gonna be one long year IMO! I’ve seen some really bad Cardinals teams and have a gut feeling this is gonna be a long year!
April 21, 2021 at 6:39 pm #158859Did not have the opportunity to watch or follow along today. I knew it would be tough and especially tough after I saw the lineup.
IMO, it is time to construct a more conventional lineup. For discussion sake I’d go with something like the below:
1. Edman 2B
2. Molina C
3. Goldschmidt 1B
4. Arenado 3B
5. Carlson CF or RF when Bader plays
6. DeJong SS or O’Neill LF
7. Williams RF or O’Neill LF when Bader plays
8. O’Neill LF or Bader CF or Dean LF
9. PitcherI know the first thing folks will not like is Molina in the two hole but he makes a lot of contact and can hit the ball to the right side which I like in the two hole. Plus it would give the Cardinals 4 straight RBI threats when the lineup flips over. Anyway debate away but something has to change and I think we all know Goldschmidt does not belong in the two hole.
April 21, 2021 at 6:39 pm #158860This team is at best a .500 team and i think they will be lucky to be that…
April 21, 2021 at 6:55 pm #158861I think this club will still be pretty good. We are strong at catcher, and three of the four infield spots (when Edman plays second). And I believe either DeJong will do well, or he will lose his job to Sosa because Sosa is playing well, which will shore up shortstop.
And I still think Carlson and Williams will be good players this year.
The bullpen should be pretty solid as well, although Gallegos’ lousy command yesterday was not encouraging. What Shildt may have to do for awhile here is in the close ones, keep someone ready in case the guy he calls on does not have it. Like yesterday, maybe have Hicks loosen up when Gallegos walked the lead off guy.
I am not real confident in Shildt’s player usage or batting orders. Sosa would be seeing a lot more time if I was making the calls, either at second or short. Carpenter would hit eighth. Goldy 4th, Molina 5, with Carlson or perhaps Sosa if he played, in the two spot.
The only way I use Goldy at 2 is if the DH is used. Then he sort of becomes your number 3 hitter after the first inning. At two he does not come up enough with runners on. But then, he is not doing much anyway, which is hurting us. When you have a guy that is one of your top run producers at .250 and an OPS+ of 86 your offense will feel it.
April 21, 2021 at 7:07 pm #158862Speaking of Goldy, just for the heck of it I checked Carson Kelly’s numbers. Holy cow, what a start!
He’s 12 for 32 with 3 homers, and a whopping 1.262 OPS. Plus a 244 OPS+. He’s already accumulated 1.1 WAR. The proverbial small sample size, but man, that is the kind of bat we need for a stretch of games. We need someone to go on a tear like that and carry the club to where we pick up a couple of wins just because of that one guy.
April 21, 2021 at 7:10 pm #158863Guys, with this roster, tinkering with the batting order is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It might tickle your fancy, but it’s futile nonetheless.
Some chairs need to be rearranged, but you’ll find those upstairs.
April 21, 2021 at 7:11 pm #158864Bicyclemike
I hope you are right and I’m wrong! I think there is still hope but major changes will have to be made! If this team makes the playoffs there lineup will look nothing like the one we are currently seeing!April 21, 2021 at 7:16 pm #158865TexasCard the 3 right handed swingers in a row should be avoided, especially there in the meat of the order. Not that I would really want to see Carlson, Williams or Carpenter up there. And if you did put Carlson at 2, then you likely have the same issue with 3,4,5.
April 21, 2021 at 7:29 pm #158868Bling I hear you but that’s how the roster is constructed. They don’t really have a left handed bat for that role. So it is what it is really. At least the three listed are veterans that have a history of hitting LH & RH pitching so there’s that.
April 21, 2021 at 7:33 pm #158869It’s early!!! lol
Unless another player just steps up out of nowhere. We need another bat in this lineup even if Dejong can hit .230 with bombs. Too many questions surrounding the position players on this roster.
April 21, 2021 at 7:35 pm #158870Goes without saying that I’ve never once rooted for the cubbies. But you know, I almost wouldn’t mind seeing them clip the Mets this evening, thus sending our floundering Birds straight to the NL Central Divisional cellar. Being in such a dark lonely location for a brief spell just might be the kick in the hinder that propels them to success.
April 21, 2021 at 7:54 pm #158872Almost wouldn’t mind is not the same as wouldn’t mind I hope, Pugs?
April 21, 2021 at 8:10 pm #158873Almost wouldn’t mind is not the same as wouldn’t mind I hope, Pugs?
You can’t try to make sense of Pugs. Years ago, after a meeting with Dizzy Dean in Austin, he carried around an Easton bat for months.
April 21, 2021 at 9:05 pm #158875I should be careful what I wish for, as the cubbies, with the aid of 4 NY errors, are bombarding the Metropolitans 10-4 in the 6th. A simple 4-3 cub victory would have been just fine tonight. I in no fashion wanted to see them totally lambaste their opponent. Thanks for the memories, ATripleShy! Three great people there in Diz, Austin and Easton. I miss those rascallions.
April 21, 2021 at 9:28 pm #158876Matt Carpenter is not going to be the answer for the offensive problems. He’s just bad at this point in his career and its sad people can’t speak the truth.
The Cardinals have played 18 games this season. Matt Carpenter has started ten of those games and has played in every one of them. He’s hitting .083 with a .376 OPS. #STLCards #STLFly
— Just Blew In From Stupid Town (@johnrabe) April 21, 2021
April 21, 2021 at 10:57 pm #158877Carpenter should be going back to the bench starting with O’Neill’s activation on Friday.
April 21, 2021 at 11:05 pm #158879Well, hopefully better days are ahead.
April 21, 2021 at 11:19 pm #158880Carp is struggling by most measures, but his FUBAR, SNAFU & TU are way up there.
April 22, 2021 at 8:39 am #158885I still think this team will win the division. As our rotation starts to stabilize and Shildt gets the right pieces on the field and in the right order we will start winning games. I agree with those that say Shildt is starting to look a little Matheynish. He seems to want to stick with certain guys no matter what and he needs to get away from that.
The big thing to remember is that we are in a bad division. There is no team in this division that is capable of running away. 85 to 87 wins is going to win it.
April 22, 2021 at 9:07 am #15888614NyquisTParticipantThe waiting game is on. I don’t know the inside politics of the organization but it looks like Carpenter will get every chance to break out of the funk that he has been in for two seasons (very unlikely at this point and very few fans believe in him)). How long will this go on?
With O’Neill due back tomorrow will he get every chance to prove his worth? With O’Neill’s return, does Carpenter still start? If so, the OF will remain the same with a platoon of Williams/O’Neill in LF? That will mean Edman stays in RF. Which won’t be detrimental to the team. Just thinking ahead.
CMart pitches by far his best game and that’s a big positive. Knizner started instead of Molina with today as an off day which means Yadi’s hand may be a temporary issue.
Oviedo has been named the sixth starter which should be welcomed. Is Kim going to pitch as expected to or regress and do the Cards want Gant back in the pen, if so, that will create an opening for Johan. If this is his breakout season we’ll be back in business. I don’t have much faith in Mikolas returning to be the pitcher he was in his first season here. And I’m not holding my breath.
The AAA is still scheduled to start play soon so we’ll get a chance to see who will become MLB ready and when. The difference in ’21 will be the composition of the taxi squad but seems to be less relevant for this season.
There’s some real talent at Memphis and hopefully some help for the big team.
April 22, 2021 at 9:16 am #158887Carpenter should be going back to the bench starting with O’Neill’s activation on Friday.
Sad part is it shouldn’t take another underperformer’s return for him being on the bench. It could further be argued he shouldn’t even have a spot on the bench to keep warm.
April 22, 2021 at 9:20 am #158889Well there are 18.5 million reasons why he is staying on the roster and we all know that.
With O’Neill back and Bader almost back Carp will go back to being a bench bat.
April 22, 2021 at 11:51 am #158895So far, that’s $6 million per hit.
April 22, 2021 at 2:16 pm #158896How will the worm turn when Bader comes back.
April 22, 2021 at 4:07 pm #158897bb asked:
How will the worm turn when Bader comes back.
Unless Williams gets hot in the interim, I predict he (as well as Dean) will play much less as the Cardinals return to the season-opening starting OF of O’Neill in left, Bader in CF and Carlson in right.
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