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Time to start a winning streak and get the sour taste of last night loss out of their mouths.
I'm putting my unbeaten streak in GDT on the line. I'll add more in the morning.
Through his first three starts this season, Houston righthander Roy Oswalt, the foremost ace of the NL Central, had a 9.00 ERA, three losses and a slew of questions.
Good thing Lance Berkman was around to, as they said, "commiserate."
"The only thing harder than having success is maintaining success," Berkman said of the conclusion of a recent talk. "When you establish a level of performance — to repeat that in a division that has as much talent as ours does is difficult. Everyone knows your strengths and weaknesses, and it's just a matter of who can execute. That separates the guys who have consistent success and the ones who get worn down."
In the age of unbalanced schedules, with division rivals playing each other in the regular season as many as 19 times, Oswalt, now 2-3, has been successful despite becoming familiar to so many opponents. Of Oswalt's 226 career appearances in seven-plus seasons, 122 are against division foes. His 173 2/3 innings against the Cardinals — regular season and playoffs — would be considered a pretty good season for most pitchers.
And today he faces them again. Opposite him is a burgeoning ace who aspires to have a long, entrenched career in the division: the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright.
The two had a seven-inning duel last season. Both gave up one run, and the game was decided — a Cardinals' 8-1 victory — after the starters left. Typical Oswalt. In 25 starts against the Cardinals, Oswalt is 11-4 with a 2.79 ERA. Albert Pujols has 65 at-bats against Oswalt, his most against any pitcher in baseball. The righthander has held Pujols to a .292 average.
"I find the biggest thing is never to have a pattern," Oswalt said. "A lot of guys will develop a pattern, especially when you're playing at their home park and they can watch where the catcher is setting up. Video is real big today. So try not to get into a pattern where guys can sit on pitches late in a ballgame."
Wainwright, less than 230 innings into his career as a starter, is just starting to establish himself. Since signing his first multiyear contract this spring, Wainwright has talked about having longevity and success with the Cardinals. That only comes with having the latter against NL Central foes.
"I think the ultimate goal is to go into a home stand against a team that you've faced a lot of times and them knowing that they have to show up and play a great game to win," Wainwright said. "If you show up and guys are licking their chops to face you, something's wrong. I know that when you're going against Oswalt and (Cubs' starter Carlos) Zambrano, we have to show up ready."
Wainwright relishes such matchups. Oswalt has made a career of excelling in them.
Houston's righthander said there are no secrets left between him and many of the NL Central regulars, but the showdowns shift. Sometimes a hitter is on every pitch, even ones that once worked. Sometimes a pitcher is just off.
"Sometimes their weaknesses are not your strength, and you still have to attack them," said Oswalt, a two-time 20-game winner. "After you do this three, four years in a row, they start expecting it from you."
I'm putting my unbeaten streak in GDT on the line. I'll add more in the morning.
 Adam Wainwright (left) and Roy Oswalt |
Through his first three starts this season, Houston righthander Roy Oswalt, the foremost ace of the NL Central, had a 9.00 ERA, three losses and a slew of questions.
Good thing Lance Berkman was around to, as they said, "commiserate."
"The only thing harder than having success is maintaining success," Berkman said of the conclusion of a recent talk. "When you establish a level of performance — to repeat that in a division that has as much talent as ours does is difficult. Everyone knows your strengths and weaknesses, and it's just a matter of who can execute. That separates the guys who have consistent success and the ones who get worn down."
In the age of unbalanced schedules, with division rivals playing each other in the regular season as many as 19 times, Oswalt, now 2-3, has been successful despite becoming familiar to so many opponents. Of Oswalt's 226 career appearances in seven-plus seasons, 122 are against division foes. His 173 2/3 innings against the Cardinals — regular season and playoffs — would be considered a pretty good season for most pitchers.
And today he faces them again. Opposite him is a burgeoning ace who aspires to have a long, entrenched career in the division: the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright.
The two had a seven-inning duel last season. Both gave up one run, and the game was decided — a Cardinals' 8-1 victory — after the starters left. Typical Oswalt. In 25 starts against the Cardinals, Oswalt is 11-4 with a 2.79 ERA. Albert Pujols has 65 at-bats against Oswalt, his most against any pitcher in baseball. The righthander has held Pujols to a .292 average.
"I find the biggest thing is never to have a pattern," Oswalt said. "A lot of guys will develop a pattern, especially when you're playing at their home park and they can watch where the catcher is setting up. Video is real big today. So try not to get into a pattern where guys can sit on pitches late in a ballgame."
Wainwright, less than 230 innings into his career as a starter, is just starting to establish himself. Since signing his first multiyear contract this spring, Wainwright has talked about having longevity and success with the Cardinals. That only comes with having the latter against NL Central foes.
"I think the ultimate goal is to go into a home stand against a team that you've faced a lot of times and them knowing that they have to show up and play a great game to win," Wainwright said. "If you show up and guys are licking their chops to face you, something's wrong. I know that when you're going against Oswalt and (Cubs' starter Carlos) Zambrano, we have to show up ready."
Wainwright relishes such matchups. Oswalt has made a career of excelling in them.
Houston's righthander said there are no secrets left between him and many of the NL Central regulars, but the showdowns shift. Sometimes a hitter is on every pitch, even ones that once worked. Sometimes a pitcher is just off.
"Sometimes their weaknesses are not your strength, and you still have to attack them," said Oswalt, a two-time 20-game winner. "After you do this three, four years in a row, they start expecting it from you."
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