Games » St. Louis Cardinals
Jun22Early fireworks
Lee Judge
The Kansas City Star
Someone must have read the schedule wrong — I thought the fireworks were going off after the game. Instead, they began right after the national anthem. The Cardinals started the game with a leadoff walk, a hit batter, a single, a double, a single, a walk, a double steal and four runs scored. The second inning didn’t get any better: a single, a single, a double, a pitching change, a single, a double, a single and a double produced another six runs.
Starting pitcher, Vin Mazzaro, was gone after an inning and a third and, once again, the Royals were into the bullpen way too early.
Game notes
Bottom of the first: Yuniesky Betancourt singles. Billy Butler follows with another single off the pitcher’s body. Joe Kelly is OK, but the ball caroms into short right field. Yuni sees there’s no one in the vicinity and goes first to third. That makes scoring the Royals first run easier, when Eric Hosmer hits a shot into left field.
With a run in and two on, Jeff Francoeur hits a ball for home run distance, but pulls it foul. When a hitter is getting the bat head out in front that quickly, throwing something off-speed away is often a good bet. Kelly does, and eventually Francoeur grounds out.
Top of the second: Carlos Beltran hits his second double in as many innings. Beltran’s squaring a lot of balls up and bears watching the rest of the series.
Bottom of the fourth: Salvador Perez gets a fastball in a fastball count and hits it 394 feet into the left field bullpen. When major league hitters get a fastball when they expect a fastball, they tend to hit them very hard. The pitch is a 94-mph two-seamer on the inside corner. The same pitch in a different count might be a great pitch. Thrown 3-1, it’s a souvenir.
Top of the fifth: Perez blocks a pitch in the dirt with Beltran at the plate and Matt Holliday on first. On the next pitch, the Royals turn a double play. No blocked pitch, no double play.
Jarrod Dyson finishes the inning by running a mile and making a catch against the fence. As Ned Yost once said of Alcides Escobar, his RBIs are in his glove.
Bottom of the sixth; Mike Moustakas singles and then breaks up a double play by taking out second baseman Tyler Greene. There’s nothing dirty about the play, just hard-nosed baseball that buys the Royals another out.
After the game Ned Yost said that Mazzaro just didn’t have it and praised Roman Colon for hanging in there for four and a third innings. A starter that leaves in the second inning can torch a pen unless someone steps up and takes the hit. Colon did.
When you’re down by that much, that early, the Royals manager said matchups go out the window. It’s more a case of survival — just trying to get through the game without burning anyone but your long reliever too badly.
Postgame notes
Whenever the Royals return from a road trip, I usually have a list of questions about plays that occurred in other cities. So I asked around and here’s what I learned about some of the events that took place in Houston:
Both pickoff throws from Jonathan Sanchez were well off-line, Billy Butler wasn’t responsible for either of them getting away.
Alex Gordon made the right throw on that ball that got away Mike Moustakas at third base. Carlos Lee advanced to second, but wasn’t going anywhere until the ball got away from Moose.
The wheel play (a bunt defense with a runner on second in which short sprints to cover third and third crashes the plate) is — as I suspected — a National League play because you rarely run it with position players at the plate. Once the hitter sees the shortstop break for third, he can pull the bat back and put the ball in play anywhere and get a hit. Short is covering third while the second baseman is covering first.
The double steal
(The Cardinals ran a double steal in the first inning, so I’m posting this piece I’d written a while ago.)
Chino Cadahia was talking about double steals with runners on first and second. I asked whether the Royals had gone for the trail runner on a recent play because the runner on first gets a bad jump. The trail runner has to make sure the runner on second is really going and that delays his start.
Chino said that could be part of it, but if fans pay attention to the infielders, they might provide a clue as to what the defense is thinking. Say there’s a right-handed pull hitter at the plate and the runners take off. The defense may not want the third baseman leaving to cover the bag and opening a hole for the pull hitter. Or the infielders may not cover at all because they don’t care about the runners and want to concentrate on the hitter.
Cadahia said he doesn’t mind a true base stealer beating them — the odds are with the runner — but you have to make it close enough to discourage everybody else. You don’t want the other team’s non-base stealers getting ideas.
Hitters talk
One of the reasons pitchers struggle in second or third at-bats is pretty simple: hitters talk. Someone comes back to the bench and says, “When he’s behind, he’s subtracting.” (When the hitter expects a fastball, the pitcher is taking a few miles an hour off its velocity in an effort to upset timing.)
The hitters are sharing information. The more information they have, the faster they adjust. Smart catchers and pitchers are also adjusting — changing their pitching patterns as the game progresses. They better, because hitters talk.
Perez
Betancourt
Moustakas
Joel Kallem
11 months agoUgly game for the Royals although it was nice to see Salvy back. We were due one of these, so not a big surprise. Hopefully, we can come back and win the next two as we were doing in series awhile back.
Jim Fetterolf
11 months agoNoticed that Hosmer went opposite most of the time tonight and got a couple of fly balls, those are good signs.
On the blow out, seems a trend, big melt followed by some more reasonable performances. Saw another commentator wondering how the Royals could be winning so much lately while having a fairly negative run differential. Games like this are why, lose one by 7 runs, win three by a run each. Offense at least had a good night, beating their 3.88 rpg average.
“AND acquire an actual starting pitcher from another organization?”
Myers for Joe Saunders? Hosmer for Edwin Jackson? Yankees would probably take Sal Perez for Mike Pineda:)
Jim Fetterolf
11 months agoJaKKKe Odorizzi, on everyone’s mind, pitched tonight; 6 innings, 3 runs, 10 hits, 2 walks against the Memphis Cardinals’ club. Been having some control issues the last few games, may be working on something.
Chris Dwyer went 7 innings for the Naturals, 2 hits, 7 Ks, 0 BBs.
Info courtesy of Jen Nevius.
Darral VanGoethem
11 months ago2 walks in 6 innings and 12 walks overall in 39 innings is not “having some control issues…” He seems fine. I think they want to get him 3-5 more starts since it is a notorious hitters league.
What is your fascination with Joe Saunders?? However I get your point. The Royals are not trading for starting pitching. They are going to pay one this off-season. It just makes too much sense. The money is worth it when you are forced to send ticking time bombs to the mound like Mazzarro. Unless some other team comes through and blows them away I think it will be Greinke at about 5yrs and $17mil. I don’t believe in giving any FA more than 5yrs. Front load the deal too so that as they age they aren’t paying out the butt for him
Jim,
See the importance of a solid SPer now that can get into the 7th inning??
Darral VanGoethem
11 months agoOne more thing, it will be Teaford that gets call from Omaha first. Maybe even Doug Davis. Who has years of major league pitching experience.
Joel Kallem
11 months agoDarral, what has changed with Greinke? He forced a trade when he was here and was a negative in the clubhouse. He will also get a lot more than 17mil per. That’s the trouble with fantasy trades - they eliminate real world considerations. That’s what Jim is trying to show with his “fascination” with Saunders. I agree that it would be nice to sign a “horse” to lead the staff. However, it is easier said than done in the real world.
Jim Fetterolf
11 months ago“I think it will be Greinke at about 5yrs and $17mil.”
Everything I see has 5 yr/$25 mil. 5/17 would be closer to doable, sign him, then trade him after two or three.
“See the importance of a solid SPer now that can get into the 7th inning??”
Of course, also see the advantages to putting together a fairly cheap total staff.
“One more thing, it will be Teaford that gets call from Omaha first.”
Of course. Assume Colon goes down, Teaford, the original swing man, comes back up. He has been pitching well in his rehab start.
“What is your fascination with Joe Saunders??”
He is one of the few specific names suggested that we should trade for to bring an SP to KC. Easy to say, “See the importance of a solid SPer now that can get into the 7th inning??”, much more difficult to find and afford one and even figure out how a National Leaguer will perform in the American League.
Thayne Griffin
11 months agoBueno got the call - I believe Teaford threw two days ago in AAA.
I don’t know if this is true (a hunch), but Mazzaro didn’t look like he trusted his pitches early last night. Was it Perez behind the dish for his 14-run meltdown? Could have been part of the reason if he was.
Regarding Perez, I forgot how massive of a man he was. He squats and he is as big as the batters.
In more eternal optimism, how about someone talking about Collins being our all-star? He has been lights out most of the season and made Furcal look absolutely foolish last night.
Tom Roesler
11 months agoI only got to see the first couple innings last night before we shifted into a family night, and didn’t even get to se Perez go yard, but it’s amazing what just his presence does.
Physically, seeing him behind the plate just fills you with confidence. Emotionally his demenor and smile does to. And, for being so young, he seems to have a true leadership quality that everyone respects and responds too.
Seeing the stats from last night, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ignites something and the team starts to hit. It’ll be interesting to watch over the next couple weeks. Let’s hope he pulls others up rather than them pulling him down.
When a team stinks, it’s really hard for one guy to make that much of a difference. But, when a lot of pieces are in place, it’s almost like they just need something (or someone) to give them a nudge and push them over the top. Hopefully Salvy being back and starting strong can do that for Hos, Alex and maybe Frenchy (although I’m not as confident about that one).
Go Royals!
Darral VanGoethem
11 months agoAs far as Greinke is concerned. I don’t give a damn if he was a negative in the clubhouse. The dude can flat out pitch. I believe their are enough strong personalities in the Royals clubhouse that won’t let any negativity he MIGHT bring to the team affect anything. He did demand a trade and he was negative of management and ownership. Was he AT ALL wrong about what he said though???? He said the same things that MANY, MANY, MANY diehard Royals fans have said for the last 15 years. He NEVER bashed the fans, he even has been over the top grateful of the fans!! As far as I am concerned he has a clean slate with me. As far as the contract it would take to sign him. The 5yr/$17mil that I said is exactly the figures that I have heard Jason Stark say on at least 5 occasions throughout this baseball season on not only local radio stations but nationally syndicated ones. He says the combo of Texas probably not looking for another arm, The Phillies not spending more money on another arm, The Yankees and Red Sox going with different philosophies about handing out mega deals combined with Greinke’s history of social anxiety that will keep him away from larger markets as reasons why the country may not approach $100mil and alot of years. Stark said he had what he felt was very reliable intel from executives about Greinke. He said the only way it doesn’t is if some owner gets crazy like Arte Moreno did with Pujols. Honestly, the only team I think that may “overpay” for Greinke is the Florida Marlins. They need to keep interest in that new park and Greinke is from Florida. At the end of the day though it will be Greinke they go after.
Mark VERY well said!!