Desperate for some home cookin'

Team News: 11-12, 2nd place NL Central (2 games behind Chicago)

After losing six of their last eight games, the Cardinals are back home in Busch Stadium where they'll host the Mets and Expos over the next week. The road was especially cruel to the Cardinal bullpen, which blew three late-inning leads against the Braves and Marlins, and desperately needs Jason Isringhausen to return. Yesterday's 20 inning marathon with the Marlins could be a turning point for the 'pen, although the game would have been over in the standard nine innings if they could have just held a five run lead going into the 9th.

Turning Point?

After watching Garrett Stephenson throw eight brilliant innings of one-run ball, Jeff Fassero and Russ Springer seemed to hand Sunday's game to the Florida Marlins by allowing five runs in the ninth as the Marlins rallied from a 6-1 deficit to send the game to extra frames.... or did they?

The rest of the Cardinal bullpen thought otherwise. Kiko Calero, Cal Eldred, Dustin Hermanson, and Steve Kline would follow with eleven scoreless innings, giving the 'pen a little hope before their off day Monday. Calero walked four, but didn't allow a hit in his two innings of work. Eldred and Hermanson didn't exactly look stellar in their three innings each, but got themselves out of trouble each time.

Both teams loaded the bases multiple times in extra innings, and each team squandered constant opportunities with runners in scoring position and less than two outs. At one point, the Cardinals even failed to convert after Miguel Cairo hit a leadoff triple. Finally, in the top of the twentieth inning, Fernando Vina got his first hit of the day (he was 1-10), plating Edgar Renteria with what would stand as the game-winning run. Steve Kline stabilized a bullpen that bent but didn't break after the ninth inning with three perfect innings for the victory. Kline had two strikeouts.

Rotation Starting to Come Together

While most of the team struggled through the recent six game road trip, the starting pitching was fantastic for the Redbirds. Matt Morris and Woody Williams continued to throw spectacular ball, and allowed just four runs in 13.2 innings of work in Atlanta. As good as Morris was in his start, Greg Maddux just outpitched him, but Williams left as the winner before the bullpen blew one of three leads that they blew throughout the week in the ninth inning.

Perhaps more importantly, the three starters behind Morris and Williams finally stepped up. Garrett Stephenson had a disappointing outing in Atlanta, but was stellar against the Marlins on Sunday and stood to win big if the bullpen could have just held a five-run lead in the ninth. Jason Simontacchi dazzled the Marlins with five innings of one-hit ball before exiting stage left with a 3-1 lead in the seventh (the bullpen would allow an inherited runner to score as all hell broke loose in the seventh). Brett Tomko was the lone Cardinal starter to win a game, and he proved to be huge in giving the ailing bullpen some rest in the Redbirds 9-2 victory on Friday. Tomko went the distance, scatterring nine hits and allowing two runs.

Outfield Getting Healthy

J.D. Drew returned to the Cardinal lineup just over a week ago, and it appeared to be just in time, as Albert Pujols was supposed to be limited to pinch-hitting duty for up to three weeks. Pujols, however, returned to the starting lineup two and a half weeks earlier than expected, and has filled in at first base for Tino Martinez as well as playing his usual position in left field. He has left each game that he has played since returning, although he's still getting two or three at bats per game.

Drew is still being babied back into the lineup, and has yet to start on consecutive days. Look for the Cardinals to continue treating him like this until the middle of May. J.D. hasn't really gotten it going offensively yet, with just three hits in fifteen at bats, but he did hit his first extra base hit of the season in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Marlins. Drew hit a one out triple in the first inning, and seemed to have no problem with his knees as he zoomed around the bases.

Jim Edmonds is starting to play deeper into games, which would indicate that his calf problem isn't affecting him anymore. Edmonds is off to a terrific start this season, and leads the club with a .379 average so far. He's also tied with Scott Rolen for the team lead in home runs (5) and Edgar Renteria for the team lead in RBI (17).

Also of note.... Eli Marrero made his second start behind the plate on Sunday in a game where the Cardinals expected to give Mike Matheny, who has played in every game this season, a rest behind the plate. Unfortunately, as the game wore on, Matheny had to catch a full game's worth of work because the game went twenty innings. Look for Marrero to continue to get the odd start behind the plate, and probably keep his eligibility at catcher in most fantasy leagues for the 2004 season.

Player of the Week: Tino Martinez

A day after Martinez' twelve game hitting streak ended, he went off with a 5-for-8 performance in the Cardinals 7-6 victory over the Marlins. Tino was 9-for-23 on the week with a homer, four runs, and three RBI. He also hit his first triple of the year and nineteenth of his career. Martinez is starting to look more and more like the player that the Cardinals thought they had acquired after the 2001 season.

The Walking Wounded

Albert Pujols - Pujols' situation is still up in the air, and he will probably only start about three times a week for the next few weeks. He's recovering from pain in his elbow.

J.D. Drew - Drew is still not 100% after arthroscopic knee surgery in the offseason. He will continue to start every other day until he's fully recovered.

Jason Isringhausen - Izzy threw long toss on Sunday and reported no pain in his throwing shoulder. He's still expected to need more time to recover. While there's no return date set, he should be back around the middle of May.

Quick View

Add/Acquire

J.D. Drew
Eli Marrero
Tino Martinez

Drop/Deal

Mike Matheny
Fernando Vina
Orlando Palmeiro

Hold

Jim Edmonds
Albert Pujols
Scott Rolen
Edgar Renteria
Matt Morris
Woody Williams
Steve Kline

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Feel free to send me any specific questions or comments at royalcards@fantasyinfocentral.com or post your questions in the Cardinals Forum.