The Cardinals have fallen 4 games in arrears of the Cubs for the NL Central division lead and stand on the precipice of moving below .500 as they approach the first 1/10th of the season mark.
The Cardinals are 0-3 against the Pirates and 0-2 against the Cubs in 2016. They have scored a combined 8 runs in those 5 games, 5 of which game in a single outing (APR 5th vs PIT).
The Cardinals have lost 5 straight games against the Cubs dating back to 2015. 3 of those losses were at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals are in trouble.
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We all knew the deal coming into the season: the Cardinals were going to win with pitching and hope that Randal Grichuk and Steve Piscotty would blossom into stars.
Here’s where we stand with that –
- Pitching: 7-7 | .236 BAA (11th in MLB) | .373 ERA (18th in MLB)
- Piscotty: .220 AVG | 11 H | 2 HR | 8 RBI | .328 OBP
- Grichuk: .200 AVG | 8 H | 2 HR | 6 RBI | .333 OBP
So far, those stats have bore out what appears to be a very fair record. 7-7 is about right for a pitching staff that has been middle of the pack and the core of the offense flirting with .200.
The pitching hasn’t been great. But it’s been passable, for the most part. Jaime Garcia deserved a better fate last night holding that Cubs lineup to 2 runs.
It’s the offense that has problems. And the offense starts with Piscotty/Grichuk.
You hate to put so much on 2 guys so early in their career. But the other guys in this lineup are what they are. Matt Holliday isn’t turning into 2007 Matt Holliday. Matt Carpenter is streaky. Yadier Molina isn’t going to bash 30 balls out of the yard. Matt Adams isn’t going to magically figure out left-handers.
Wong?
Well, that’s another topic for another time.
Point is, the Cardinals are ALL-IN on Piscotty and Grichuk. They hit and everything clicks. They don’t and you’ve got a very pedestrian offense that is littered with easy outs and prone to go days without putting up a crooked number.
So far…
- Piscotty: 2/16 against Cubs & Pirates in 2016
- Grichuk: 2/14 against Cubs & Pirates in 2016
If the Cardinals want to win a division and/or make the playoffs in 2016 – that simply won’t cut it. The NL Central is still the best division in baseball and it’s easy to be mediocre.
It’s cool if you tell me this is a rebuilding year. That the young outfielders need a chance to learn to play at the MLB level for a full year.
From what I can gather, though, it seems as if the plan is still to win now.
You can’t have it both ways. The games count the same in April as they do in September. And – at least so far – when the lights have been bright for the Cardinals, the team has played small.
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It’s a long season, true.
The Cardinals do have time to catch up to the Cubs, true.
But 5 out of the 38 ‘big’ games (against the Pirates and Cubs) have been played and the Birds have yet to post a win.
Will that change today?
Photo: MLB
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