Matt Carpenter may be hitting .185, but he won another game for the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night at the hallowed-and frozen-ground of Wrigley Field. It was Carpenter's second game-winning hit from the past week, and truth that numbers can merely be a state of mind and quite deceiving.
This was a huge win, because I think a year or two ago the Cardinals lose this game. Something goes wrong, a run scores here, an error follows, and chaos cracks the bridge. Somehow, the Birds kept it together on a night where there were more walks (16) than hits (13) allowed by the two teams combined. As Harry Caray used to say, "holy cow!"
Here are five things I'll take away from the 5-3 win that gave the Cardinals a record of 10-7 and a five-game winning streak.
5) This may be a small part of the puzzle, but Tommy Pham's plate discipline is quite underrated. He struck out 117 times in 2017, but he also walked on 71 occasions. This year, he's closing the gap, with 13 walks and 15 strikeouts. The man can swing for power, average, and reach base. Did I mention great defense and stolen bases? That too. Did I mention the confidence? That as well.
4) Greg Holland may be broken. The seasoned closer looks like a toy with a battery inserted upside down, which is affecting the functioning of the product. Once again, he got just a few appearances in Peoria against minor leaguers. He needs a spring training to completely loosen up. There are no options to send him to Memphis, but a sore back *wink wink* could work wonders. Holland will be fine, but he needs time. I will say his walk rate was higher in two of the past four seasons.
3) Bravo, Adam Wainwright. He gutted out five innings in cold conditions against a lineup that smelled blood all the way to the airport. Regardless of Wainwright's stellar history at Wrigley Field, opposing teams know he is older and relying on different weapons to get out these days. For the second straight start, he restricted Father Time. A big moment came in the third when he struck out Kyle Schwarber looking on a curve. He may still have it.
2) Matt Carpenter isn't having a great season, but his bat isn't dead. Remember, his BABIP, aka batting average on balls put in play, is quite low. The infield shift is also taking away hits. Carpenter is hitting the ball well, but not seeing much luck. I will admit his inability to pull the trigger on pitches close to the heart of the strike zone is aggravating, but he went 2-4 last night with three RBI and a walk. I wouldn't move him to the leadoff spot yet.
1) Bud Norris will make a new fan every day in St. Louis. Once again, he had to rescue the appointed closer in Holland from catastrophe. In six of his nine appearances this season, Norris has recorded at least two strikeouts. He has 17 on the season and now four saves. Norris has a wise mix of pitches that keeps a hitter off guard, another starter who found a late season home in the bullpen. When Holland gets up to speed, things will be elite. For now, with an improving Dominic Leone and electric Jordan Hicks, Norris is giving the Cardinals bullpen an identity. It's called "hit it if you can."
Why was this the best win of the season? When you take into account the conditions, opponent, and things went wrong or could have gone wrong, this was simply a well-played game. If they lose, the momentum comes to a halt and the sad song from last season keeps playing.
The Cardinals were 6-15 against the Cubs in 2017, a dichotomy that doomed their season along with their other failures in the division. Seeing them win a close battle over the alpha of the Central Division right now was impressive and encouraging.
Now, Luke Weaver needs to take care of business today and create a recipe for a happy flight.
Thanks for reading,
DLB
