Desert Rat
Veteran
The D-backs will head east to the Gateway Arch for a tedious four-game series against the Cardinals. The D-backs come off a series win against the Holliday-less Rockies to start their final week of the regular season. They trail LA by two and a half games (Dodger magic number is FIVE) and really must win every game since the Dodgers just have six against California patsies. Unless LaRussa shuffles his rotation again (I doubt Melvin will), the critical four-game weekday series goes something like...
Monday - Webb vs. Wellemeyer
Those three losses he recently had were killer. Bryan Price and he worked on the problem and Webb responded with two straight convincing wins. Webb has not pitched against the Cardinals this season, but lifetime he is 2-4 with a 4.42 ERA against them. Wellemeyer has never faced the D-backs, but has had a decent season, winning 12 games, giving up an average under four runs per game. The D-backs are catching Wellemayer at the right time, he has lost his last two starts and four of his last five.
Tuesday - Johnson vs. Loshe
Will he ever get career win #295? His last win came on August 12 and had the bullpen and offense done their jobs, he would be in the 300 club. Three weeks ago, the Cardinals knocked the future Hall of Famer around for four homeruns in under four innings. Johnson will try to keep his season ERA under 4. Loshe pitched one of his better games three weeks ago, keeping the D-backs off the board for six innings. In his last five starts, he won one with an era of 3 over those games. At 14-6, Lohse is enjoying the best season of his career, despite missing the playoffs.
Wednesday - Scherzer vs. Wainwright
Will he ever get win #1? His ERA is an impressive 3.00 and he strikes out at least one batter per inning. He has never pitched more than six innings in a start but in his last two starts, did just that, losing one of those games. Wainwright usually wins, he's 10-3 and the Cardinals have won 15 times when he started. He won four of his last six games after returning from the DL. One of those wins was against the D-backs, when he held them to one run in less than six innings. In Pittsburgh last week, he was rocked for six runs in four innings.
Thursday - Davis vs. Pineiro
Will he ever get a decision? Hopefully it will be a winning one. He has pitched marvelously in September, not getting a decision in four starts, but carrying a September ERA of 2.59. Davis allowed three runs to the Redbirds in six innings a few weeks ago and the lefty will make his final start of 2008 on Thursday. Pineiro will, as well, but he has lost his last two starts. He has a September ERA of 8.40. The last time he faced the D-backs was, like the others on the Cardinals staff, a few weeks ago. In that game he was hit hard for three home runs in five innings, but did not earn a decision.
The do-or-Diemondbacks continue to win road games as they did in Denver recently. Hot bats normally get cooled, unfortunately; in 2008, the D-backs averaged under four runs in games immediately following 10-run outbursts, scoring five or more in only two of them.
Monday - Webb vs. Wellemeyer
Those three losses he recently had were killer. Bryan Price and he worked on the problem and Webb responded with two straight convincing wins. Webb has not pitched against the Cardinals this season, but lifetime he is 2-4 with a 4.42 ERA against them. Wellemeyer has never faced the D-backs, but has had a decent season, winning 12 games, giving up an average under four runs per game. The D-backs are catching Wellemayer at the right time, he has lost his last two starts and four of his last five.
Tuesday - Johnson vs. Loshe
Will he ever get career win #295? His last win came on August 12 and had the bullpen and offense done their jobs, he would be in the 300 club. Three weeks ago, the Cardinals knocked the future Hall of Famer around for four homeruns in under four innings. Johnson will try to keep his season ERA under 4. Loshe pitched one of his better games three weeks ago, keeping the D-backs off the board for six innings. In his last five starts, he won one with an era of 3 over those games. At 14-6, Lohse is enjoying the best season of his career, despite missing the playoffs.
Wednesday - Scherzer vs. Wainwright
Will he ever get win #1? His ERA is an impressive 3.00 and he strikes out at least one batter per inning. He has never pitched more than six innings in a start but in his last two starts, did just that, losing one of those games. Wainwright usually wins, he's 10-3 and the Cardinals have won 15 times when he started. He won four of his last six games after returning from the DL. One of those wins was against the D-backs, when he held them to one run in less than six innings. In Pittsburgh last week, he was rocked for six runs in four innings.
Thursday - Davis vs. Pineiro
Will he ever get a decision? Hopefully it will be a winning one. He has pitched marvelously in September, not getting a decision in four starts, but carrying a September ERA of 2.59. Davis allowed three runs to the Redbirds in six innings a few weeks ago and the lefty will make his final start of 2008 on Thursday. Pineiro will, as well, but he has lost his last two starts. He has a September ERA of 8.40. The last time he faced the D-backs was, like the others on the Cardinals staff, a few weeks ago. In that game he was hit hard for three home runs in five innings, but did not earn a decision.
The do-or-Diemondbacks continue to win road games as they did in Denver recently. Hot bats normally get cooled, unfortunately; in 2008, the D-backs averaged under four runs in games immediately following 10-run outbursts, scoring five or more in only two of them.
poor webb
