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Buffa: 5 things we learned in Cardinals 4-3 win over the Reds

He had to battle, dig down deep, and he did so in getting his first Major League win. Bravo, kid. He may be able to start someday, but the Cardinals have plenty of those. Let Hicks bring fire out of the pen.
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY SPORTS

Jordan Hicks faced adversity in the eye on Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, and he won.

Every young athlete goes through a series of tests as they settle into the Majors. The first strike, the first out, the first inning, and finding a level of efficiency. Then, there's the day where things don't go as planned and you have to battle.

On paper, Hicks is pure electricity on a pitching mound. He can throw 101 mph and break off an 84-mph pitch while supplementing in a 95-mph cutter. Oh, and everything he throws moves. Saturday, he put runners on base, didn't get calls, and still saved the day.

Let's talk about that and a few other takeaways from the 4-3 win over the Reds that put the Cardinals at 12-8 on the season.

5) I'd like to pass a law that say the Cardinals play the Cincinnati Reds once every two weeks. They are like pain meds for a struggling baseball team. The Cardinals have beat them in ten straight games and the first six this season. They are off to the worst start in their franchise history, the new punching bag in the Central.

4) Remember all those people who were mad when Yadier Molina got a three year/$60 million extension last year? Since Carson Kelly won a gold glove in the minors and was seemingly touched by the baseball gods, Molina could go. They weren't paying attention during last season's hitting seminar Molina put on, or the effectiveness shown behind the plate. It's going to be a little while before Molina is ready to walk away, and what's not to love? He's still hitting. The man needed a new hobby and picked home runs. Molina hit his sixth of the season to give the Cardinals their fourth and game-winning run.

3) Kolten Wong is a maddening talent. He is rolling over on everything at the plate, going 0-4 to lower his OPS to below the .400 mark (for context, Jose Martinez's OBP is above .420). He is inconsistent in the field as well. In the fifth inning, he had a mental lapse on a double-play grounder that screamed two outs. The next inning, he makes a running catch in shallow right field and doubles off a runner at first base.

He makes zero sense. Since he hit extremely well in 108 games last season, some minds seem to think he's untouchable. They are wrong. Jedd Gyorko is arguably better and should play most days. Other emerging players will make it hard for Wong to find the kind of time he's found in previous seasons. Too bad.

2) Carlos Martinez dazzles again, going six innings and striking out seven Reds to lower his ERA to 1.42. At 91 pitches, he could have stayed in to pitch the seventh, but April is a time to ease off the gas pedal. Since a bumpy start in New York, Martinez has allowed ONE run in over 27 innings. He's a legit ace, folks. Did I mention he's 26 years old? Just wait. A Cy Young and no hitter are in his future.

1) While I'd like to talk about Hicks more, I'll complain about Mike Matheny. Six years in and he's learned nothing about bullpen management. Pulling Martinez was fine, but why yank Luke Gregerson after two quick outs and a broken bat single? This was your presumed closer in January!! Come on. Why go back to Tyler Lyons, who got four outs last night? He went to Hicks and the day was saved, but Matheny is clueless. He's the kid who doesn't read the textbook and is somehow mad when he fails the test. Somehow, superiors are changing his final grade to A... for the time being.

Bonus takeaway: HICKS! The kid passed a test because Joey Votto had great plate discipline and Billy Hamilton makes every pitcher nervous on the bases. Both played a part in Hicks throwing 26 pitches and going 2.1 innings today. He didn't have to go that long, but Matheny doesn't know any better. The kid wasn't getting squeezed. Votto wasn't going to try and overpower a 101-mph fastball with movement, and the umpire wasn't believing Molina's slick pitch framing. He had to battle, dig down deep, and he did so in getting his first Major League win. Bravo, kid. He may be able to start someday, but the Cardinals have plenty of those. Let Hicks bring fire out of the pen.

The Cardinals have won six of seven and look great. They are taking care of bad teams, padding their record before the tougher teams arrive. I'm cool with that. You should be too.

Thanks for reading,

DLB

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