..:Official 2008 NL Central Thread:..Congratulations Chicago Cubs...:

[arog27]

The season is over.

 

[wildkycat]

Cordero made it interesting at the end, but we definitely didn't need to lose that game.

Cueto had a nice outing coming off that terrible performance his last time out.

 

[vick5]

Originally Posted by Mw2889

Originally Posted by THE SAUNA

Originally Posted by AM 1 FIEND

Nike God smells like someone who used to be a regular in this thread

exactly what I was thinking...

Is Vick5 his name for Suns post?

whoa whoa, no. I never even touch these baseball posts.. Nike God is a different dude.

 

[am 1 fiend]

There are actually quite a few Cardinals / Suns fans I have come across. Scrubs lost today, hopefully Cards can get the win against Colorado.

*EDIT*

Pujols' mad dash gives Cards win

Slugger scores winning run from second on groundout in ninth

By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com

DENVER -- On a night when manager Tony La Russa admitted his bullpen was vulnerable and predicted the Cardinals would need to score some runs, his starting pitcher proved vulnerable in an extended at-bat that resulted in a crucial, game-changing two-run double.
Joel Pineiro's offensive contributions may have outshone his pitching Monday night, but it was the kind of game the Cardinals refused to lose, bouncing back time and again with any number of heroes stepping up with both the bat and the glove, on the pitcher's mound and on the basepaths.

Ultimately, Albert Pujols had the final act of heroism in the Cardinals' 6-5 victory, not so much by his one-out double in the top of a tied ninth inning off Rockies All-Star closer Brian Fuentes, but in his savvy baserunning, breaking for third with Rick Ankiel at the plate and storming on to home when Ankiel tapped a soft grounder to second. Rockies rookie second baseman Jonathan Herrera threw to first for the second out, and Gold Glover Todd Helton fired for home, missing Pujols by a hair.

"I knew I had the [third base] bag pretty easy, I got a good jump," Pujols said. "I heard the sound of the bat and I looked back and I was already on third base. I saw the second baseman, and I kind of hesitated, but I saw him not even look at me and I just took off."

It was a gamble, with no time for calculations, but Pujols let his feet think for him, earning a hard-fought win in the opener of the four-game set.

"I got my mind set," Pujols said of his break for the plate. "It's something that you don't practice. It's something that just happens. I'm not a fast runner, but I take advantage of the situation when I'm on base. I know how to run the bases."

Given Pujols' under-the-radar speed, it wasn't hard to cut the Rockies rookie second sacker a little slack for going to first with the play.

"You have to give him credit,'' Herrera said. "He took the chance and made it. He surprised everybody. I was thinking he wasn't going to go. I heard everybody yelling 'four' [to throw to home], but I already was making my angle to throw to first base.''

There wasn't a lot of fault La Russa could find on a night that saw his team showing the relentless resilience that has them sitting atop the NL Central, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Cubs. The roll call of key contributors was longer than the lineup, and it started with the starting pitcher.

Pineiro entered the game with a question mark by his name, as a result of back spasms he'd experienced between starts. But it was a swinging strike on the first pitch he saw in a 10-pitch at-bat in the fourth that proved most disruptive to the Cardinals' early rhythm. After missing the pitch with his bat, the pitch hit Pineiro on the right forearm, and though he finished the at-bat by hitting a two-run double, he was unable to retire a batter in the bottom of the inning, giving up three hits, two runs -- one earned -- and the lead in the frame before leaving the game.

"We were in tough straits," La Russa said of his limited options. "We took our best shot to win, and it worked out."

Ron Villone and Mike Parisi, making his Major League debut, pitched a pair of scoreless innings each to keep the game close from the fourth to the seventh.

"My heart started going a little bit, and I just had to tell myself to relax," said Parisi, who pitched a perfect sixth then put two on with two out in the seventh before escaping unscathed. "I got a little bit jacked up, but I recovered and tried to just step back and make some pitches and get out of it. I put up a zero, and we got a win. It was great."

The Cards broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth, converting a leadoff walk into a run for the second time in the game. Yadier Molina kept the rally going with a single to left and pinch-hitter Ryan Ludwick doubled home the go-ahead run. The lead was short lived, as Colorado rallied to tie the score in the bottom of the inning.

After reclaiming the lead in the ninth, closer Jason Isringhausen benefited from a brilliant play from defensive replacement Cesar Izturis, who ranged far to his right to rob Matt Holliday of a hit, barely nipping him at first.

"If that ball gets by him, it's a double," said La Russa. "This was really a team effort -- a lot of guys did something."

With Pineiro getting his first hit of the season -- and just the third of his career -- for extra bases and a pair of RBIs and Pujols making his impact showing his smarts on the basepaths, guys got out of their zone to secure the win.

"My job is not to just come here and drive guys in or hit balls out of the park," Pujols summed up. "My job is to do whatever I can to help my team win. It's running the bases or playing defense or with the big hits, whatever I can do."

Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cards win and Scrubs lose, great day in baseball.

 

[am 1 fiend]

double post

 

[wisconsin 4 life]

The Brewers need to stop playing like doo doo or it could be really disappointing season.

 

[arog27]

Big Z was dominant tonight. 8 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits.....nice. Cubs win 3-0.

 

[am 1 fiend]

Looper saves 'pen, delivers victory

Cardinals righty shows off bat, Ankiel shows off arm

By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com

DENVER -- Call it a throwback game. Back to the days when starting pitchers stared down hitters in a duel for the game's final outs and players patrolled the outfield grass with cannons cocked, hanging from their shoulders.
The Cardinals went into Tuesday's tilt with the Rockies ready for a challenge, their bullpen worked weary and manager Tony La Russa cautioning that starting pitcher Braden Looper might have to accept an inflated ERA while eating innings for the Redbirds.

Looper feasted on innings, pitching into the ninth for the first time in his career and holding the Rockies to four runs on 10 hits in the 6-5 victory, with his final two runs coming after he left the game with one out in the ninth.

"It was exactly what we needed and more," La Russa said. "We were so thin out there, and to take it into the ninth inning. Outstanding. That's a real rise to the occasion, because he knew we were thin. He gets extra credit for that."

The Cardinals took the pressure off Looper from the get-go, knocking out 15 hits, including six for extra bases, giving the starter plenty of breathing room and offering the 'pen a welcome sense of relief.

St. Louis built an early lead on Albert Pujols' two-out double to center in the first and Ryan Ludwick's RBI single to left. Looper himself added to the offense in the second, sparking a rally with a two-out double, followed by three more run-scoring hits from Cesar Izturis, Brian Barton and Adam Kennedy. Looper knocked home another two-out run in the third, the fifth two-out RBI of the game, and Rick Ankiel offered insurance with an eighth-inning solo shot over the right-field scoreboard.

But the real insurance Tuesday night came in the defense playing behind Looper, who missed barrels rather than bats and let his defense make the plays behind him.

"You can't pitch that deep in the game without the defense being outstanding," Looper said. "They were outstanding today."

Ankiel was a one-man highlight reel, making his first outfield assist of the season to end the first inning, catching the speedy Willy Taveras trying to advance to third after a deep fly to center from Todd Helton.

The capper was his inning-ending play in the eighth, chasing down a double from Omar Quintanilla to the deepest part of the park and nailing the Rockies second baseman as he tried to stretch it into a triple.

"I seen him rounding for third, and I thought if I could get a good clean throw off, you never know what could happen," said Ankiel. "What if he trips?

"I was pumped," Ankiel added. "You don't make that throw all the time, no matter how many times you practice. For me tonight, it was better than the home run. Those throws just don't happen all the time."

Ankiel's arm showed an uncanny accuracy that had the Cardinals clubhouse summoning the legacy of Roberto Clemente. Third baseman Troy Glaus said that on both throws, if he hadn't caught the balls, they would have hit the bag.

Reliever Ryan Franklin had a good view of the eighth-inning play from the bullpen, marveling at Ankiel's footprints left in the warning track a shade deeper than the 415-foot mark.

"We were going crazy, especially after the second one," Franklin said. "We were right there. Me and Villone tried to jump out on the field, and we couldn't get through the chain-link fence.

"I played with Ichiro over in Seattle, and Ank, his arm is hands down the best."

Ludwick's 4-for-4 night with a walk, an RBI and a run would have been highlight enough on most nights, but Ludwick took a back seat to the arms of Looper and Ankiel. His perspective on Ankiel's eighth-inning assist came from being right beside the center fielder as the two converged on the ball off the wall.

"The wall was kind of slanted, so I knew it was going to come towards me, but I was letting him have it all the way," Ludwick explained. "I was yelling at him, 'Three, three, three,' the whole time. I know I had no shot to throw him out. He picks it up and makes the best throw I've ever seen in my entire life."

But even with his respect for Ankiel's arm, Ludwick honestly didn't think his teammate had a chance on the play either.

"[Quintanilla] was at second base when Ank picked it up," Ludwick marveled. "You do the math. That's, what, 300 feet compared to 90 feet? You couldn't make a better throw. You really can't. It's unreal. I've never seen anything like it. Ever."

The Rockies couldn't mount a convincing rally in the first eight innings against Looper, scoring a pair of isolated runs sparked by a Clint Barmes double to open the third and a solo homer to left from Chris Iannetta to lead off the fifth. Colorado finally broke through in the ninth, driving Looper from the game with a pair of one-out singles from Helton and Garrett Atkins.

"I was more mad about the last base hit I gave up than anything all night long," Looper said. "I had the game in hand. I had the guy 0-2, and I knew if I could get the ball in there, I could hopefully get a ground-ball double play. I just left it up a little bit, and he got enough of the barrel to get a base hit there. I was really wanting a ground ball."

Maybe his thinking was off, considering Tuesday night there were more double plays initiated from center field than the infield.

Franklin came on to strike out Brad Hawpe for the second out, and after flirting with disaster as Colorado stroked back-to-back doubles by Iannetta and Barmes to pull within a run, Franklin closed the deal as he induced Jeff Baker to fly to Ankiel, earning his first save and Looper his fifth win.

Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Another great game by the Redbirds

Hopefully we can keep playing like this all season.

 

[curtiscarter23]

Originally Posted by aRog27

Big Z was dominant tonight. 8 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits.....nice. Cubs win 3-0.

Kid "K" gettin the save as well!

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by vick5

Originally Posted by Mw2889

Originally Posted by THE SAUNA

Originally Posted by AM 1 FIEND

Nike God smells like someone who used to be a regular in this thread

exactly what I was thinking...

Is Vick5 his name for Suns post?

whoa whoa, no. I never even touch these baseball posts.. Nike God is a different dude.

Damn man, you start all the way from page one and get to this?

You probably gonna quote this some time in June, talk to ya then.

 

[tylerdub]

Hopefully the Cubs can turn in a sweep of the Reds, we sure could use it. 4 wins in the last 12 games isnt so fun. at least i think that number is right. Istill think the Cubs are the most talented team in the Central though.
Lou is a crazy man if he doesnt give Cedeno more starts. The guy is hot right now.

 

[truthmain]

Good job Lieber. 4 HRs in one inning, way to solidify your chances of keeping a rotation spot.

Freakin' bum.

 

[curtiscarter23]

man what an annoying start to this game! !%%% Paul Bako( i dont think he hit 1 hr while he was with the cubs), !%%% jerry hairston (never did anything positivewith the cubs, unless he was out of the lineup) I dont mind the Dunn and Votto HR's as much cuz they are def. power hitters. Votto is an annoying guy, hesstarting to become a cub killer.

 

[pacmagic2002]

who is this votto dude? 3 home runs???? wow. I like him

killing the cubs softly

 

[bkmac]

What did Votto have for breakfast this morning? 3 HRs

 

[CP1708]

Well that was fun watching home run derby.

Things change quickly round here.

We need to get that mojo back.

 

[pusha x vinsanity]

Just wanted to say that I caught last night's win vs. the Rockies.

And Ankiel's plays were INCREDIBLE.

I didn't care how many times I saw the replays, every time it was amazing. He's got a freakin' cannon.

That 8th inning throw was from the damn warning track of center field. Absolutely insane.

Franklin's lucky he escaped that 9th inning jam, though...

 

[wildkycat]

Originally Posted by tylerdub

Hopefully the Cubs can turn in a sweep of the Reds, we sure could use it.

sweep? we won the series opener.

Joey Votto

Edison Volquez

2 of 3 from the Cubs

 

[vick5]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by vick5

Originally Posted by Mw2889

Originally Posted by THE SAUNA

Originally Posted by AM 1 FIEND

Nike God smells like someone who used to be a regular in this thread

exactly what I was thinking...

Is Vick5 his name for Suns post?

whoa whoa, no. I never even touch these baseball posts.. Nike God is a different dude.

Damn man, you start all the way from page one and get to this?

You probably gonna quote this some time in June, talk to ya then.

Yea, uhh I was just searching my name and I saw that there. Just thought I'd make it clear that it wasn't me.

 

[pacmagic2002]

izzy does it again.....how long do yiu think this will go on before they pull his $!%, this is rediculous!!!!!!!

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by vick5

Originally Posted by CP1708

Originally Posted by vick5

Originally Posted by Mw2889

Originally Posted by THE SAUNA

Originally Posted by AM 1 FIEND

Nike God smells like someone who used to be a regular in this thread

exactly what I was thinking...

Is Vick5 his name for Suns post?

whoa whoa, no. I never even touch these baseball posts.. Nike God is a different dude.

Damn man, you start all the way from page one and get to this?

You probably gonna quote this some time in June, talk to ya then.

Yea, uhh I was just searching my name and I saw that there. Just thought I'd make it clear that it wasn't me.

All good man, we know who Zo is.

You're alright.

 

[am 1 fiend]

Originally Posted by pacmagic2002

izzy does it again.....how long do yiu think this will go on before they pull his $!%, this is rediculous!!!!!!!

I think Izzy has dirt on Dewitt, LaRussa or Duncan. Izzy is probably the worst closer in baseball besides Gagne. How the Cards march him out to the moundeach game is downright terrible. I remember a couple seasons back Izzy had a career threatning injury, damn I wish it would have ended that worthless piece of *%$$% career.

 

[mrprince757]

Originally Posted by AM 1 FIEND

Originally Posted by pacmagic2002

izzy does it again.....how long do yiu think this will go on before they pull his $!%, this is rediculous!!!!!!!

I think Izzy has dirt on Dewitt, LaRussa or Duncan. Izzy is probably the worst closer in baseball besides Gagne. How the Cards march him out to the mound each game is downright terrible. I remember a couple seasons back Izzy had a career threatning injury, damn I wish it would have ended that worthless piece of *%$$% career.

 

[am 1 fiend]

Cards got that +%! handed to them today

 

[truthmain]

Woody: 9 pitches, 9 strikes, 1 K, three outs.

Darn good job finally. Nice win against the best team in the Majors right now.