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Breakin my cherry on the GDTs:
Cardinals look to improve on the road
ST. LOUIS -- Normally, a team tries to right itself out when it comes home. The Cardinals, however, will have to try to do that on their first West Coast trip of the year, when they play the Padres and the Dodgers.
The Cardinals are 4-8 in their last 12 games, and won only three out of six on their recent homestand. Up until that point, home was the place to be for the Cardinals, as they entered the homestand with a 14-6 record at Busch Stadium.
Having won their last two games before heading onto the road trip, the Cardinals will try to carry over their winning ways to San Diego on Monday. The Cardinals have a 9-10 road record on the year.
Needing a little luck to continue their recent success, the Cardinals already got a little for Game 1 against the Padres, as San Diego ace Jake Peavy will miss his scheduled start due to a sore right elbow.
"Almost always when that's happened to us, it's worked against us," manager Tony La Russa said. "We'll have to pretend it's Peavy."
Infielder Brendan Ryan shared his manager's sentiment.
"Why not?" Ryan said. "Go in with the mind-set that it's going to be a battle."
Peavy is 4-3 on the year and is second in the Majors in strikeouts (60) and has a 2.91 ERA, easily making him the best pitcher on the Padres staff.
In addition to Peavy sitting out, if there is any team the Cardinals want to face to get back on track, it's the Padres. San Diego has the worst record in the Majors, and has a sub-.500 record at home -- quite the turnaround from a team that finished one game short of garnering the Wild Card for last year's playoffs.
"I wasn't aware of that," Ryan said when told of the Padres' record. "I don't think anyone was aware of that. Anyone can play a great game at any given time."
Pitching matchup
STL: RHP Todd Wellemeyer (4-1, 3.27 ERA)
By any measure, Wellemeyer has been one of the Cardinals' two best starting pitchers this year, a remarkable achievement for a man who entered the year with 11 career big league starts and a 4.98 lifetime ERA. The right-hander has solved his biggest problem from the early going, which was the long ball, and has gone four straight starts without allowing a home run. Wellemeyer is one of the great stories of the season so far, and his peripheral numbers indicate that he could keep it up.
SD: LHP Wilfredo Ledezma (0-0, 2.63 ERA)
Peavy was the scheduled starter until Sunday, when he was scratched because of a sore right elbow. Ledezma will start in his place. Tidbits
Aaron Miles continues to thrive during Interleague Play. Last year, Miles hit .418 against the American League, and went 2-for-5 with two RBIs against the Rays on Sunday. He finished the series with a .600 batting average (6-for-10). ... Jason LaRue got the start at catcher for the first time since May 12. LaRue went 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored on Sunday. ... Ryan Ludwick homered for the third time in two games on Sunday. ... The Cardinals left 16 runners on base against the Rays on Sunday, and stranded a total of 27 during the series.
ST. LOUIS -- Normally, a team tries to right itself out when it comes home. The Cardinals, however, will have to try to do that on their first West Coast trip of the year, when they play the Padres and the Dodgers.
The Cardinals are 4-8 in their last 12 games, and won only three out of six on their recent homestand. Up until that point, home was the place to be for the Cardinals, as they entered the homestand with a 14-6 record at Busch Stadium.
Having won their last two games before heading onto the road trip, the Cardinals will try to carry over their winning ways to San Diego on Monday. The Cardinals have a 9-10 road record on the year.
Needing a little luck to continue their recent success, the Cardinals already got a little for Game 1 against the Padres, as San Diego ace Jake Peavy will miss his scheduled start due to a sore right elbow.
"Almost always when that's happened to us, it's worked against us," manager Tony La Russa said. "We'll have to pretend it's Peavy."
Infielder Brendan Ryan shared his manager's sentiment.
"Why not?" Ryan said. "Go in with the mind-set that it's going to be a battle."
Peavy is 4-3 on the year and is second in the Majors in strikeouts (60) and has a 2.91 ERA, easily making him the best pitcher on the Padres staff.
In addition to Peavy sitting out, if there is any team the Cardinals want to face to get back on track, it's the Padres. San Diego has the worst record in the Majors, and has a sub-.500 record at home -- quite the turnaround from a team that finished one game short of garnering the Wild Card for last year's playoffs.
"I wasn't aware of that," Ryan said when told of the Padres' record. "I don't think anyone was aware of that. Anyone can play a great game at any given time."
Pitching matchup
STL: RHP Todd Wellemeyer (4-1, 3.27 ERA)
By any measure, Wellemeyer has been one of the Cardinals' two best starting pitchers this year, a remarkable achievement for a man who entered the year with 11 career big league starts and a 4.98 lifetime ERA. The right-hander has solved his biggest problem from the early going, which was the long ball, and has gone four straight starts without allowing a home run. Wellemeyer is one of the great stories of the season so far, and his peripheral numbers indicate that he could keep it up.
SD: LHP Wilfredo Ledezma (0-0, 2.63 ERA)
Peavy was the scheduled starter until Sunday, when he was scratched because of a sore right elbow. Ledezma will start in his place. Tidbits
Aaron Miles continues to thrive during Interleague Play. Last year, Miles hit .418 against the American League, and went 2-for-5 with two RBIs against the Rays on Sunday. He finished the series with a .600 batting average (6-for-10). ... Jason LaRue got the start at catcher for the first time since May 12. LaRue went 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored on Sunday. ... Ryan Ludwick homered for the third time in two games on Sunday. ... The Cardinals left 16 runners on base against the Rays on Sunday, and stranded a total of 27 during the series.
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