Tag Archives: St. Louis Cardinals

Pitching matchup – game 158

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With just five games left in the regular season, the National League East remains the only division in the league without a clear-cut winner – odd when you consider the fact that the team leading the division is also tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the best record in baseball. But after an Atlanta Braves loss to the New York Mets, which came on a three-run home run from Mets outfielder Lucas Duda, the Washington Nationals’ (95-62) magic number finally fell to two.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals (85-72), who are fighting for the league’s second Wild Card, are looking for some combination of three wins or Los Angeles Dodgers losses to reach a one-game playoff with the Braves.

Both teams hope to take one step closer to clinching their respective playoff spots tonight in the second of a three-game series that will pit Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Lohse in a rematch of their September 1 meeting. Continue reading →

A look into the remainder of the Nationals’ regular season

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If you will, take a trip with me to September 2011. It was only a year ago that the Atlanta Braves entered September with an 8 1/2 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League Wild Card, while the Boston Red Sox held an even larger nine game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League Wild Card. It would take two simultaneous disastrous collapses, collapses that rivaled the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies and the 1978 Red Sox, for either of the leaders to fall out of playoff contention. Well, in 2011, the Cardinals and the Rays took the Wild Cards in their respective leagues.

Now, back in the pseudo present, the Washington Nationals took an 8 1/2 game division lead into Turner Field on Friday night to begin a three-game series with the Braves. The good news for the Nationals was that their worst-case scenario was taking a 5 1/2 game division lead back to the district. The bad news is that they will be returning to the district with a 5 1/2 game division lead after being swept by the Braves and leaving their magic number untouched.

Before you begin wondering when Positive Mental Natitude became Negative Mental Natitude, let me say that I am in no way suggesting that the Nationals are on the verge of suffering a collapse on par with those seen last year. To do so would undermine the talent that makes up the roster and would suggest that I have failed to follow the team closely at all this season.

I am suggesting, however, that baseball is anything but predictable. With 16 games remaining on the regular-season schedule, the Nationals are all but assured a playoff berth – needing only to go 3-13 for the rest of the season to ensure it. But for a division win, which is more desirable than ever considering the new playoff system, the Nationals have their work cut out for them.

Having said that, let us take a look at the remaining 16 games on the Nationals’ schedule. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 133

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After taking the first two games of a four-game set, the Washington Nationals (80-52) dropped the third by a score of 10-9 as a sleeping St. Louis Cardinals (72-61) offense that had scored one run in their last 40 innings finally came to life in the second inning. Unfortunately, it was at the hands of Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, who is in the midst of an unusual slump that has kept the pitcher from throwing six innings in each of his last four outings. And after giving up a career-high eight runs, Zimmermann was more than willing to take the blame for his team’s loss.

“I felt the way I normally feel,” Zimmermann said. “The offense did a great job. You have to tip your cap to those guys. They give you six runs and you do all you can to keep the team in the game and you can’t hold it down. This loss is totally my fault.”

The Nationals will have to put the loss behind them today when they face veteran right-hander Jake Westbrook. For the Nationals, it will be Stephen Strasburg, who will make the first of his expected two to three remaining starts before being shut down as part of his Tommy John surgery rehab plan. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 132

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It may have taken him 119 pitches to do so, but Washington Nationals (80-51) lefty Gio Gonzalez netted a career-high 17th win last night, which came on his first career shutout. The nine-inning effort saw Gonzalez allow just five hits and three walks while striking out eight. His stuff? Electric – and the St. Louis Cardinals (71-61) were not afraid to admit it.

“There’s a reason he’s so dominant,” Cardinals second baseman Skip Shumaker said. “He throws 96 [mph] with a really good curveball. He’s really good.”

This afternoon, a dormant Cardinals offense that has scored only one run through their last 39 innings will attempt to back right-hander Kyle Lohse and avoid falling victim to a five-game skid. The Nationals will send a struggling Jordan Zimmermann to the mound to try and extend a three-game winning streak. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 131

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The Washington Nationals (79-51) felt like bustin’ loose, which is exactly what they have been doing since snapping a season-high five-game losing streak. In the past two games, the Nationals have outscored opponents 16-5. The Nationals’ 19-year-old rookie Bryce Harper, who is 4-for-10 with three home runs and six RBIs during their modest two-game winning streak, produced more than one-quarter of those runs. Ladies and gentlemen, the slumps have been left behind. Now 5 1/2 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East, the Nationals will look to take down the St. Louis Cardinals (71-60) again in the second of a four-game series. Hot right-hander Adam Wainwright takes the mound for the Cardinals and will be opposed by Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez, who is still searching for his 17th win. Continue reading →

Nationals notes

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Washington Nationals right-hander Edwin Jackson deserves all the attention today.

Sure, Bryce Harper hit his third home run in two games and Jayson Werth hit his first since May 5, but Jackson was nothing short of brilliant as he led the Nationals to an 8-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals – their second straight after a five-game losing streak.

It may have taken 123 pitches, but Jackson finished the night having tossed eight dominant innings, allowing just one unearned run on four hits while walking two and striking out 10. It was the seventh time Jackson struck out 10 or more batters in his career and the second this year.

But as much as Jackson accomplished on the mound, his efforts elsewhere did not go unnoticed.

After grounding into a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the sixth, Jackson slid hard into second, breaking up a double play and allowing Danny Espinosa to add another run.

Yes, Jackson deserves all the attention. And he will garner much of it. But for now, here is a look at some of the bigger stories that developed this week and some that you may have missed. Continue reading →

Pitching matchup – game 130

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After losing five straight games to divisional opponents, a stretch during which the team was outscored 26-6, the Washington Nationals (78-51) managed to get back in the win column last night when they beat the Miami Marlins by a score of 8-4. It was a game that presented no shortage of theatrics, as 19-year-old rookie Bryce Harper netted two career firsts – his first multi-home run game and his first ejection. Tonight, the Nationals open an 11-game home stand, their longest of the season, with a four-game set against the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals (71-59).  For the Cardinals, it will be left-hander Jaime Garcia against his former teammate, right-hander Edwin Jackson of the Nationals. Continue reading →