Series Thread: Cardinals @ Giants

[OS]

RECORDS
Cardinals: 7-2 (1st Place, Central Division)
Giants: 3-6 (5th Place, Western Division)

SCHEDULE
Thursday - 9:15 CT
Friday - 9:15 CT
Saturday - 3:05 CT
Sunday - 3:05 CT

[stinkdified]

were gonna be so tired of lookin at their ugly faces by the end of next week...our next 7 of 10 games are vs SF. bleh.

The last time the St. Louis Cardinals won eight of 10 games to start a season, Adam Wainwright wasn't born.
The right-hander will try help the Cardinals accomplish that feat Thursday night when he takes the mound in the opener of a four-game set against the San Francisco Giants.
The Cardinals (7-2) defeated Houston 6-4 on Wednesday, their second consecutive win and seventh in eight games since an opening-day loss to Colorado.
Now, they have a chance to run their record to 8-2 for the first time since the strike-shortened 1981 season.
Strong starting pitching has been a major factor in the current Cardinals' success. St. Louis' starters have combined for a 1.99 ERA thus far.
Wainwright (1-0, 2.25 ERA), who was born on Aug. 30, 1981, looks to keep that trend going and follow up a terrific 2008 debut.
On Saturday, Wainwright allowed two runs and eight hits in eight innings of a 5-4 win over Washington. He also helped himself at the plate, going 1-for-3 with an RBI while batting eighth, which Cards manager Tony La Russa is accustomed to doing with Wainwright -- a .310 lifetime hitter.
One of Wainwright's two career homers came at AT&T Park on May 24, 2006, when he recorded his only career win against the Giants (3-6) out of the bullpen. He's 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in two relief outings against them.
Albert Pujols went 3-for-4 with his first two homers of the season on Wednesday, ending the longest home run drought of his career to start a season. The All-Star first baseman also added a season-high three RBIs, while increasing his batting average to .379 (11-for-29).
"I watched a couple of videos and I made some adjustments at the plate because of some things that I saw the last couple of games," Pujols said of a video session earlier Wednesday. "I knew what I was doing wrong and it's a good thing that I picked it up early and I felt good out there and had success today. Obviously it helped me out."
Pujols is 7-for-17 (.412) with two homers and five RBIs in his last four games at San Francisco.
The Giants hope Kevin Correia (0-1, 6.00) can help them win a third consecutive game after rookie Daniel Ortmeier's RBI double in the bottom the ninth gave them a 1-0 win over San Diego on Thursday.
Correia had difficulty in his season debut after enduring a stomach virus that caused him to drop 12 pounds. The right-hander, who has mostly been used out of the bullpen in his career, gave up four runs and six hits, including a home run, in six innings of a 5-4 loss at Milwaukee on Saturday.
"I thought he threw the ball really well, especially as sick as he was this week," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Correia is 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA in seven career games -- one start -- versus St. Louis.
Giants catcher Bengie Molina is 5-for-13 with two homers and five RBIs in the last three games -- a stretch which includes a walkoff homer in the bottom of the 11th on Tuesday to clinch a 3-2 win over the Padres.

Two Molinas! ahh!!

[dmiles2186]

You have to hope the Cardinals can take advantage of the Giants being the worst team the game has seen in awhile (probably since the '03 Tigers).

I'm surprised the Giants have 3 wins, to be honest with you.

[richtedm]

You have to hope the Cardinals can take advantage of the Giants being the worst team the game has seen in awhile (probably since the '03 Tigers).

I'm surprised the Giants have 3 wins, to be honest with you.

So far not so good. Cardinals players love to be downright awful in San Fran.

[dmiles2186]

Great...I say that and the Cardinals can't muster a rally until the 9th inning (thanks Cesar for trying to stretch that into a triple...ugggh). Wonderful.

You are right...San Fran seems to be one of those places where the team collectively struggles.

[stinkdified]

yesterday was trash...
pujols sucks in this stadium...
meh.

[cprice12]

Pujols didn't suck last night in SF. 1 HR and 4 RBI.

Cards win...now 8-3, in first place, and 1.5 games up on the Cubs.

[OS]

So... today's Cardinals game isn't on TV. Just weird...

[richtedm]

Pujols didn't suck last night in SF. 1 HR and 4 RBI.

Cards win...now 8-3, in first place, and 1.5 games up on the Cubs.

He sure didn't. He was dominant last night. They NEED to take 2 of 3 from the Giants.

I still am not sold on Wellemeyer.

[cprice12]

So... today's Cardinals game isn't on TV. Just weird...

Yeah, I didn't see this coming.
I thought all of the games were televised.
It's not even on MLB Extra Innings.

I guess FOX has the rights to it, but they decided to televise NY vs. Boston in the St. Louis area instead. Pfft.

And now we're down 5-0 all of a sudden.

[cprice12]

Wow...
Cards trail 5-0, then score two runs in the 7th and three runs in the 8th to come back to tie.

8th inning:
Home run Duncan.
2 run home run Ankiel.

Still no outs in the 8th.

[cprice12]

A walk to Izturus and then...
LUDWICK WITH A TWO-RUN HOME RUN IN THE 9TH!!!!

CARDINALS LEAD 7-5!!

Wow.

[dmiles2186]

Holy crap...what a comeback.

[stlmark]

THis team never gives up and has followed TLR's 'play a hard 9'.

[cprice12]

Now the Giants tie it up with two in the 9th.

Big lead, then a great comeback to take the lead late in the game, then a bottom of the ninth inning rally to tie it back up.

Great decision not to televise this.

What's stupid, is that when the NY-BOS game went into a rain delay, which game did they switch to? The last inning of a 10-1 blowout in Arizona. WTF?
Give is the game in our area at least during the rain delay. They have highlights, so it's being televised somewhere.

Stupid.

Cards have two on, two out in the top of the 10th.

[stinkdified]

yea, took the series!
GO CARDS!

[stlmark]

yea, took the series!
GO CARDS!

Not yet, we still got one more tomorrow with the Giants. Piniero going tomorrow.

[cprice12]

Game #4 of the series....

We're up 2-1 in the 4th. So far so good.

[richtedm]

Game #4 of the series....

We're up 2-1 in the 4th. So far so good.

No Pujols or Glaus, I see. If they can win with this lineup and Piniero pitching, then this team may really do well this season.

[cprice12]

Pinero can't get out of the 4th inning. He's given up 3 runs, and a bunch of hits...a few with two outs.
Washington missed a ball he should have had at 3rd as well.

4-2 Giants...2nd and 3rd, 2 out

Ugh.