INSIDE PITCH
The
Cardinals managed to go through the back door into the playoffs early Wednesday
morning as the Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the San Francisco Giants.
Earlier, the Cardinals, who became the
second and final National League wild card, had lost to the Cincinnati Reds 3-1
as right-hander Chris Carpenter continued his unexpected comeback from July 19
surgery to relieve a nerve condition that affected his neck and right
shoulder.
Carpenter is 0-2 and the Cardinals
have lost all three of his starts, but he has given up a total of just six runs
in 17 1/3 innings.
On Tuesday, he appeared to have his
best stuff, fanning seven, but he allowed a home run to Reds third baseman Scott Rolen, a former Cardinals teammate, in the fourth inning and two runs in the
sixth, keyed by a double by left fielder Ryan Ludwick, another former
teammate.
"I thought I was better again," said
Carpenter. "Especially early on, I thought my command, my sharpness and my stuff
were better than it was my first two times out, which was good.
"Unfortunately, that inning got away
from me a little bit. Some of the pitches got out over the plate and they hit
them. That's what's going to happen. I've got to do a better job.
"Hopefully I'll get another
shot."
Carpenter would be a candidate to
pitch Game 3 or Game 4 in the Division Series, if the Cardinals get that
far.
The Cardinals managed only one run off
Reds right-hander Mat Latos, who had a previous ERA of 18.82 against them at
Busch Stadium. Then the Reds' bullpen shut down the Cardinals for the last four
innings. Over the last six innings, the Cardinals had just two singles and a
walk.
Unlike the previous night when the
Cardinals players stayed into the wee hours to see if the Dodgers would lose
(they didn't), manager Mike Matheny sent them home after this game to prepare
for the regular-season finale on Wednesday.
"They need to get some rest," said
Matheny. "We've got a game tomorrow and then we've got to make a trip some way
or the other (it will be Atlanta), so we need to get them out (of the
clubhouse)."
The Cardinals likely will bypass their
scheduled starter, right-hander Adam Wainwright, and go to right-handed rookie
Shelby Miller for the series finale. If Wainwright is scratched, he well could
pitch the wild-card playoff game Friday at Atlanta, with right-hander Kyle Lohse, 16-3 for the season,
on tap to start Sunday against either Washington or Cincinnati, depending on which team the
Cardinals would play if they win the wild-card game.
NOTES AND QUOTES
LHP Marc Rzepczynski, an
important man in last year's postseason but almost forgotten lately, has thrown
only one inning in the last two weeks but surely will get some action on
Wednesday as the Cardinals try to decide who will be on their roster for
Atlanta. Manager Mike Matheny said, "What Marc does bring is a lot of experience
in that situation—what was given to him last year and what he earned. He came
through big. We do need to get him going, but Sam (rookie LHP Sam Freeman) is
also throwing the ball well. We've got a couple of decisions to
make."
LF Matt Holliday, who has
struggled while battling lower back issues, is hitting with more authority over
the last four games. With two singles on Tuesday, he is 6 for his last
15.
CF Jon Jay, who has been
the consummate leadoff man since he was stationed there a couple of months ago,
had a double and a single in his first two times up, giving him 21 multi-hit
games since Aug. 6.
RHPs Trevor Rosenthal and
Joe Kelly, both of whom are apt to be on the postseason roster, worked the last
three innings in scoreless fashion Tuesday, and Kelly gave up the only hit in
his two innings. Rosenthal, hitting 100 miles an hour with one pitch, fanned
both 2B Brandon Phillips and 1B Joey Votto, the Reds' best two hitters, in a
1-2-3 seventh.
RHP Jason Motte has all
41 of the club's saves. That never has happened before in club
history.
By the
Numbers:
1,085 - Career strikeouts
as a Cardinal by RHP Chris Carpenter, who ranks third behind RHPs Bob Gibson and
Dizzy Dean. Carpenter had seven in six innings on Tuesday.
Quote to Note:
"We just want to go to
the dance. It doesn't matter exactly how you get there."
- Manager Mike Matheny,
before the game, on how the Cardinals would perceive their quest for the second
wild card.
MEDICAL
WATCH
LF Matt Holliday (bruised
left elbow) was hit by a pitch and had to leave the game in the sixth inning
Sept. 28. X-rays were negative and Holliday returned to the lineup Sept.
30.
RHP Jake Westbrook
(strained right oblique) was injured Sept. 8, and he probably is out for the
rest of the regular season. He encountered discomfort in a bullpen session Sept.
22 in Chicago
and had to stop throwing. "If I do get the opportunity to pitch (in
postseason)," he said, "I think it would have to be out of the
bullpen."
3B David Freese (sprained
right ankle) missed his fifth straight game Sept. 29 but returned Sept.
30.
1B Lance Berkman (sore
right knee) underwent additional surgery Sept. 14 and was thought to be out for
the season, but he said he still wants to try to play.
SS Rafael Furcal (torn
ligament in right elbow) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 31 and is
out for the season. He might need Tommy John surgery, but he got a platelet-rich
plasma injection on Sept. 4 in the hopes of avoiding having to go under the
knife, but as of Sept. 19 he still hadn't been able to do any baseball
activities. Furcal plans to meet with doctors the week of Oct. 1 to see whether
he can begin a throwing program.
RHP Kyle McClellan (torn
labrum in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list May 18 due to a
strained right elbow, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 30. He
threw on flat ground for the first time July 3, but he subsequently felt
shoulder pain. He had season-ending shoulder surgery July 10. McClellan will
begin a throwing program in early November.
Link to boxscore: Cincinnati 3 at St. Louis 1