St Louis Cardinals baseball team

ST. LOUIS — For every time that Colby Rasmus is described as an exciting young talent or one of the National League's most promising young players — and rightly, it happens a lot — it seems that he's also called something like enigmatic or inscrutable.

At 23, Rasmus is a hard young man to figure. Asked about his interests, he ticks off a list of two: he likes to play baseball, and he likes to go home and play with his daughter. Yet on many occasions in his still short Major League career, it has appeared that he doesn't even especially enjoy playing ball.

He's aiming to fix that. Rasmus said recently that on too many occasions, the game had ceased to be enjoyable for him, so he's out to change his outlook. Rather than letting a bad at-bat or result bring him down, he's working to keep things in perspective more. He's trying hard to have more fun on the field, rather than worrying about people's perceptions of him.

"I've never really been myself out there on the field," he said. "So that's what I've been trying to do lately. Just be myself out there. I think that will carry over and make me a better player, instead of trying to be something I'm not."

For players with Rasmus' prodigious talent, the game can appear to be easy. They can receive the reputation as "gliders," players who don't go at full effort because they don't have to. Rasmus heard those descriptions, so he tried to make it clear they didn't apply to him. He fears it had the opposite effect.

"Last year I went through some struggles and this year, I'm seeing what I think that it might be," he said. "I get upset over some things that I can't control. Being out on the field, there's a lot of eyeballs on you out there. Especially being in center field. I think sometimes, in my head, I felt that acting like I was mad about it was the way to be — showing that I cared.

"But obviously that wasn't what people were seeing. People were thinking I was down, and not caring. So I think it was having the reverse effect to what I was thinking was happening. So that's why for me now, when I go out there, I try to think about when I played when I was younger. Just try to make the game fun like what I did back then."

It's not a secret that the 2009 season was a tough one for Rasmus. Some of his teammates in the outfield felt threatened by his arrival as a top prospect and wunderkind, and he wasn't always warmly received. The clubhouse is friendlier for him this year, but he lost a friend and supporter with the trade of Ryan Ludwick to the Padres.

So he's still trying to find his way, and he seems to have found an unlikely new ally.

After all, a first glance suggests that Rasmus and Brendan Ryan would be unlikely friends. Look a second, third and fourth time — and one probably would come away with the same impression. Rasmus is a man of few words, a soft-spoken Alabama native. Ryan is all energy, a non-stop talker, always on the move.

But he shared Rasmus' challenge: how not to let the challenges of a Major League season get him too down. So they started to help each other out.

"I've been frustrated for most of the season," Ryan said. "Things were going well, then a bump in the road, and he can see how frustrated I was getting. So we started getting real positive with each other, and just finding ways to not beat ourselves up so much. I felt like maybe this was a huge step forward for him. I think he's just taken a real positive spin and found the fun things in the daily routine and held onto them."

Lately they've both had more to smile about. The two up-the-middle youngsters are playing more and playing better lately, helping spark a St. Louis offense that needs the help. Rasmus is 11-for-29 with four extra-base hits and three walks in his past eight games. The new outlook surely isn't the only factor — Rasmus has shown himself to be a streaky player in his two big league seasons. But it can't be hurting.

"I'm just going to go out there and try to relax and not put any pressure on myself," he said. "Just play the game and have fun. As everybody can see, me going out there and not having fun and putting pressure on myself isn't helping. I don't play good. So I'm just going to try to be relaxed and play like I'm in a Little League again. Have fun and let it all hang out on the field."

ST. LOUIS — Losing by 14 runs to the Astros Tuesday, embarrassing is really the only word that fit for Cardinals players and coaches. Manager Tony La Russa admitted as much after the game, when he said he wished a 10-run mercy rule had been in place to end the game earlier.

Still, from humiliating losses, positive by-products can come about. After suffering the drubbing, the players were focused on washing the bad taste from their mouths.

And Astros starter J.A. Happ was the unlucky recipient of the Redbirds' fresh resolve.

The Cardinals poured it on immediately Wednesday, scoring four runs in the first inning. It didn't stop there, however, as St. Louis followed up with another crooked number in the second. Staking starting pitcher Chris Carpenter to seven runs in the first two frames, the Cardinals cruised to an 8-4 win Wednesday night, preventing a series sweep and keeping a half-game back of the Reds for first place in the National League Central.

It was just the kind of response La Russa and All-Star first baseman Albert Pujols expected.

"Look at the kind of ballclub we have," Albert Pujols said. "There are not to many ballclubs that can respond the way we did. Getting beat last night 18-4. We scored four runs in the first inning and we scored three in the second inning. That is huge."

"We have shown over and over again. The heart of this club is fine," La Russa added. "This shouldn't have surprised anybody that has been watching us all season."

Felipe Lopez walked to lead off the opening frame, and after a Colby Rasmus strike out, Happ was stung for four consecutive hits. Pujols doubled and Matt Holliday, Allen Craig and Yadier Molina belted RBI singles to open an early lead. Carpenter helped his own cause, driving in Allen Craig with a ground-ball single of his own.

Carpenter gave up a two-run blast to Chris Johnson in the second for his only runs allowed in the game, but the differential was quickly made up in the bottom half of the inning. Happ walked Lopez and Rasmus to start the frame, before grooving a fastball that Pujols deposited in the opposing bullpen. Happ was driven from the game after one-plus inning, with seven runs and six hits against him, a victim of the Cardinals determination.

"It was good to answer back," Pujols said. "I got a really good pitch to hit and I was able to put my best swing of the night to put it out of the ballpark."

Carpenter went on to do what any former Cy Young Award winner does when gifted a five-run lead: He poured in lots of strikes for quick outs.

Saving a shortened bullpen, Carpenter worked through the 95 degree heat for 7 1/3 innings, giving up just four hits along the way.

It marked the fifth straight start for Carpenter going at least seven innings pitched.

"We put a bunch of runs on the board which was nice," Carpenter said. "I did what I had to do to get outs and there was some nice defensive plays. It was really a nice overall game."

Coming off several games where defensive miscues were highlighted, the glove work behind Carpenter saved the right-hander several outs on the night.

Holliday highlighted the web gem display with a leaping catch at the wall to save extra bases and a run for the last out in the seventh inning. Brendan Ryan flashed his leather several times as well, ranging into the hole for a nifty stab and getting tough outs at second base instead of the routine play to first. Molina showed off his arm in the eighth, when he picked off National League stolen base leader Michael Bourn trying to take second.

With much angst in Cardinals nation about who will handle third base with David Freese out for the season, it was a welcome change of pace behind the pitcher.

"He is playing really well defensively," La Russa said of Holliday. "With a lot of intensity and concentration."

"You look around at our defensive club, and the majority are plus defensive players."

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals finally figured out a way to close out a three-game sweep: have Adam Wainwright start at home. Oh, and facing the flailing Pirates didn't hurt, either.

Wainwright remained absolutely untouchable at Busch Stadium, tossing seven superb innings as the Cardinals swept away the Pirates, 9-1, on Sunday afternoon. In addition to his mound exploits, Wainwright added a pair of hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the Cards' five-run fifth inning. St. Louis had tried unsuccessfully to close out a three-game sweep on eight prior occasions in 2010.

But in none of those eight games did Wainwright get the ball at Busch Stadium, where he has dominated in a way rarely seen before. Sunday marked the right-hander's 27th straight quality start at Busch Stadium, and he has not lost a decision in his past 15 home starts. This year, Wainwright is 11-0 with a 1.22 ERA in St. Louis.

"I can't explain it," Wainwright said. "I feel exactly the same at home as I do on the road. I think our team just, for whatever reason ,is playing better ball behind me, behind our pitchers, at home.

Admittedly, to some extent the sweep counts as little more than holding serve. The Pirates have now been swept in 13 different three-game series this year, and they're 18-46 since a respectable 18-22 start. Moreover, the Cardinals caught them at the best possible time, as Pittsburgh dealt several players at the non-waiver Trade Deadline and had to scramble to fill out a full roster over the weekend.

Still, a sweep is a sweep, and it was welcome.

"It's bigger that we keep [climbing further] over .500," manager Tony La Russa said. "But you don't want that to be some kind of [hangup]. It's already gotten enough attention, and rightfully so. But more important, plus-three in a series is better than plus-one."

The Cardinals are 10-1 at home since the All-Star break and have won 13 out of 18 overall, dating back to shortly before the break. They remain one-half game ahead of the Reds in the National League Central, with the Astros, another second-division club, coming to town Monday.

Wainwright was coming off a frustrating outing against the Mets in New York, where he was dinged for six runs in five innings. He righted the ship quickly, though, and was rarely troubled on Sunday.

The first two Pirates hitters singled on ground balls, but a dribbler and two strikeouts got Wainwright out of the inning. A leadoff triple led to a run in the top of the second, and after that, the right-hander cruised. After Ronny Cedeno's RBI single in the second, Pirates hitters went 2-for-19 against Wainwright.

The fact that manager John Russell was pleased with how his hitters attacked Wainwright may say it all about just how good the Cards ace is these days.

"We worked him pretty well, just didn't get the big hits we needed," Russell said. "The guys made him pitch a little bit. If we had kept the score closer, it might have, obviously, been a different story. But I think the guys had pretty good at-bats against him."

The early deficit was no real hurdle to the Redbirds. Aaron Miles' sacrifice fly tied the game in the third, and two innings later the home team's offense erupted. Colby Rasmus led off the fifth with a double on a bloop to shallow right, and Brendan Ryan reached on a bunt to put men on the corners. Wainwright singled to break the tie and Miles singled in another run.

After Felipe Lopez hit into a double play, Jon Jay beat out an infield single and Albert Pujols cranked a two-run homer that put the game firmly in the Cards' control. Rasmus was 2-for-4 with a double on the day, his second straight two-hit game after a 4-for-31 slump.

"I could say [I'm heating up], but I could go right back into another slump and be back where I started," Rasmus said. "I feel like for me to be good, [I just need to] go out there and play the game and relax."

The Cardinals scored 20 runs over their last two wins over the Bucs, further signs of an offense coming to life. The Cardinals have scored 82 runs since the All-Star break, second most in the NL.

"We've been doing a lot of things," La Russa said. "We're putting the ball in play. We're doing a better job of not chasing. And once we're on the bases, we're active. But I know who's pitching against us — we've got [Brett] Myers tomorrow. He's been really tough. That's what's happened. Let's see if we can maintain it. "

Westbrook ready to get going with Cards

Lohse feels good after latest rehab work

Cardinals place Greene on disabled list

ST. LOUIS — With one of their key bats in Ryan Ludwick sent off in trade Saturday, the Cardinals are close to returning another key contributor from the season's first half off the disabled list. David Freese passed his final test Sunday morning — running the bases — and will be sent to Double-A Springfield on a rehab assignment Monday.

The third baseman said he is beyond excited to finally get back on the field.

"I am ready to rock," Freese said.

Freese went on the 15-day disabled list in late June after a bone bruise in his right ankle was slow to heal. Freese tried to play through the injury, but may have worsened its effects, causing the club to be cautious this time around.

Although he said no concrete timetable has been set, Freese believes he will rehab for around a week before returning to the Cardinals.

"We took the [rehab] pretty seriously this time," Freese said. "They are probably not even listening to me too much. They will watch me and make a decision, and I showed them today that I am ready to go."

"[They're] talking about a little less then a week. … When I come [back] up here, all cylinders have to be running."

Freese has hit .296 with four homers and 36 RBIs this season.
Westbrook ready to get going with Cards
ST. LOUIS — Cardinals newly acquired starter Jake Westbrook went to one word early and often Sunday in his first interviews with the local media: Excited.

Westbrook is excited for his first chance to pitch for the Cards in front of their fans Monday. He is excited the Redbirds coveted him so much they were willing to part with slugger Ryan Ludwick. He is especially excited about the opportunity to work with pitching coach Dave Duncan.

And yes, he is excited to go from the American League Central's struggling Indians to the National League Central-leading Cardinals.

"That is the exciting part," Westbrook said. "Pitching in games that actually mean something. You can get out there and competing to make the playoffs is what it is all about, that is why you play the game."

Coming off 2008 Tommy John surgery, Westbrook has had his share of inconsistencies this season, joining St. Louis with a 4.65 ERA and 1.386 WHIP in 21 starts.

Westbrook is hoping Duncan will be able to work the same magic that has given so many starters career years after coming to the Redbirds.

"I have heard so many good things about what he brings to each pitcher and how he helps guys out, so I am looking forward to working with him and seeing what he has for me," Westbrook said.

"I have heard I am the type of pitcher he works well with, and I am excited about that. In this game, you are always trying to get better, and any time you have a guy that can help you out like that, that is what I am excited about."

Lohse feels good after latest rehab work
ST. LOUIS — Although Kyle Lohse got tagged for three home runs in a four-inning start Saturday night with Triple-A Memphis, the Cardinals right-hander was satisfied with his performance in his second rehab game.

Lohse threw 61 pitches, didn't walk any and struck out two batters. He estimated 40 went for strikes.

"The arm felt good and it came out feeling as I wanted it to," Lohse said.

"I was looking to throw quality pitches, stay strong throughout the whole outing. I did that."

Lohse did give up two home runs to Royals top prospect Mike Moustakas, but the right-hander wasn't concerned with the results. Lohse said Moustakas second home run came on a low fastball "that was way in off the plate."

"I must have faced the best hitter ever," Lohse joked.

Cardinals place Greene on disabled list
ST. LOUIS — With third baseman David Freese set to come off the disabled list shortly, the Cardinals sent infielder Tyler Greene onto the 15-day DL on Sunday with a right-hand contusion.

Greene has been playing with the injured hand since July 17, when he was struck during an at-bat. He had played in eight games since suffering the injury, but the hand was kept heavily wrapped the whole time.

Moving Greene onto the disabled list allowed the Cardinals to place newly acquired Jake Westbrook on the active roster.

Greene was hitting .265 with a .359 on-base percentage and .412 slugging percentage this season in the Majors while filling in at third base, shortstop and second defensively.

Westbrook ready to get going with Cards

Freese set to start rehab assignment

Lohse feels good after latest rehab work

ST. LOUIS — With third baseman David Freese set to come off the disabled list shortly, the Cardinals sent infielder Tyler Greene onto the 15-day DL on Sunday with a right-hand contusion.

Greene has been playing with the injured hand since July 17, when he was struck during an at-bat. He had played in eight games since suffering the injury, but the hand was kept heavily wrapped the whole time.

Moving Greene onto the disabled list allowed the Cardinals to place newly acquired Jake Westbrook on the active roster.

Greene was hitting .265 with a .359 on-base percentage and .412 slugging percentage this season in the Majors while filling in at third base, shortstop and second defensively.

Westbrook ready to get going with Cards
ST. LOUIS — Cardinals newly acquired starter Jake Westbrook went to one word early and often Sunday in his first interviews with the local media: Excited.

Westbrook is excited for his first chance to pitch for the Cards in front of their fans Monday. He is excited the Redbirds coveted him so much they were willing to part with slugger Ryan Ludwick. He is especially excited about the opportunity to work with pitching coach Dave Duncan.

And yes, he is excited to go from the American League Central's struggling Indians to the National League Central-leading Cardinals.

"That is the exciting part," Westbrook said. "Pitching in games that actually mean something. You can get out there and competing to make the playoffs is what it is all about, that is why you play the game."

Coming off 2008 Tommy John surgery, Westbrook has had his share of inconsistencies this season, joining St. Louis with a 4.65 ERA and 1.386 WHIP in 21 starts.

Westbrook is hoping Duncan will be able to work the same magic that has given so many starters career years after coming to the Redbirds.

"I have heard so many good things about what he brings to each pitcher and how he helps guys out, so I am looking forward to working with him and seeing what he has for me," Westbrook said.

"I have heard I am the type of pitcher he works well with, and I am excited about that. In this game, you are always trying to get better, and any time you have a guy that can help you out like that, that is what I am excited about."

Freese set to start rehab assignment
ST. LOUIS — With one of their key bats in Ryan Ludwick sent off in trade Saturday, the Cardinals are close to returning another key contributor from the season's first half off the disabled list. David Freese passed his final test Sunday morning — running the bases — and will be sent to Double-A Springfield on a rehab assignment Monday.

The third baseman said he is beyond excited to finally get back on the field.

"I am ready to rock," Freese said.

Freese went on the 15-day disabled list in late June after a bone bruise in his right ankle was slow to heal. Freese tried to play through the injury, but may have worsened its effects, causing the club to be cautious this time around.

Although he said no concrete timetable has been set, Freese believes he will rehab for around a week before returning to the Cardinals.

"We took the [rehab] pretty seriously this time," Freese said. "They are probably not even listening to me too much. They will watch me and make a decision, and I showed them today that I am ready to go."

"[They're] talking about a little less then a week. … When I come [back] up here, all cylinders have to be running."

Freese has hit .296 with four homers and 36 RBIs this season.

Lohse feels good after latest rehab work
ST. LOUIS — Although Kyle Lohse got tagged for three home runs in a four-inning start Saturday night with Triple-A Memphis, the Cardinals right-hander was satisfied with his performance in his second rehab game.

Lohse threw 61 pitches, didn't walk any and struck out two batters. He estimated 40 went for strikes.

"The arm felt good and it came out feeling as I wanted it to," Lohse said.

"I was looking to throw quality pitches, stay strong throughout the whole outing. I did that."

Lohse did give up two home runs to Royals top prospect Mike Moustakas, but the right-hander wasn't concerned with the results. Lohse said Moustakas second home run came on a low fastball "that was way in off the plate."

"I must have faced the best hitter ever," Lohse joked.

NEW YORK — A frustrating road trip for the Cardinals ended with a perfunctory loss. R.A. Dickey shut down the Redbirds offense while Blake Hawksworth never really got going, and the Cards fell to the Mets, 4-0, at Citi Field on Thursday.

It was the 10th time that St. Louis has been shut out this year, with nine of those coming on the road.

St. Louis finished a six-game road trip with a 2-4 record, taking both wins in extra innings. On Thursday, the Cards went quietly, managing four base hits against the Mets knuckleballer. St. Louis put pressure on Dickey in the ninth, forcing New York to turn to closer Francisco Rodriguez, but through eight innings, Dickey had faced two batters over the minimum.

Four baserunners were erased on double plays as Dickey induced 17 outs on the ground.

"He was on today," said Jon Jay, the only Cardinal who reached base twice. "His knuckleball, it was anywhere from 72 to 83 [mph]. He did a heck of a job keeping us off balance. He pitched a heck of a game today."

A day after the Cardinals jumped all over former Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, they could do absolutely nothing against Dickey. Not that they're alone in that, as Dickey has been the Mets' best starter for much of the season. Reinvented as a knuckleballer in his 30s, Dickey has been a revelation for the Mets.

"I think any time you face a knuckleballer, it's a different challenge, because you don't see a lot of them," said Ryan Ludwick. "He had good movement on the ball and every once in a while, you'd think you'd square it up and it would have late movement. He threw a lot of strikes with it."

Meanwhile, Hawksworth wasn't terrible, but wasn't especially effective, either. He allowed seven hits and three walks in six innings, including a mammoth three-run homer by Ike Davis in the third. Hawksworth had trouble getting the ball on the ground, and paid for it when Davis went deep.

Hawksworth threw a first-pitch changeup to Davis that was higher and more over the plate than he intended, and it left the yard.

"I was kind of set in the middle of fastball/changeup, just because all I needed to do there was hit a fly ball and get a run in," Davis said. "I kind of just set it up, and I wanted to make sure I stayed through it and not roll it over and hit a fly ball to center field."

Hawksworth considered Thursday's outing a step forward after a rough one in Chicago over the weekend, but the fact remains that he's allowed at least four runs in three straight starts. He was excellent in his first four starts upon being moved into the rotation, but things have been more difficult lately.

"I threw a few [changeups] to [Davis] the first at-bat I faced him," Hawksworth said. "It just stayed up a little bit and he put a good swing on it. Just one mistake. If I could have that pitch back, I'd love to. But I threw it with the right mindset, and that's all I can do. Sometimes they make you pay for it."

The second-year right-hander worked in more curveballs on Thursday than in some recent starts, but still leaned heavily on a fastball-changeup combination in the early going. It's possible that as more scouting and video gets out on Hawksworth, the two-pitch bread-and-butter approach may need to expand.

"It's one of my strengths with guys on," Hawksworth said of his changeup. "We got [Carlos] Beltran to fly out with one. It was feeling good today. I'm sure he was looking for something out over the plate, especially with guys on. He's got kind of a long swing, and it stayed in his wheelhouse and he crushed it."

The Cardinals have lost five out of seven since an eight-game win streak, and they have dropped 16 of their last 24 road games. St. Louis has not had a winning road trip since its first trip of the season, when it went 4-2 in Cincinnati and Milwaukee. The Cards trail the Reds by a half-game in the National League Central.

No rest for weary, ailing with short turnaround

Baby Birds

Tidbits

NEW YORK — The Cardinals maintain interest in a starting pitcher, but the options may be dwindling.

With Roy Oswalt apparently off the market, reportedly on his way to the Phillies if he approves the deal, the top-line starting pitchers are now off the market. And the most appealing second-tier starters may not be available either.

Jake Westbrook has long interested the Cardinals, and Cleveland teammate Fausto Carmona has the kind of power sinker that always intrigues the St. Louis brass. But it appears that the Indians may not be dealing between now and Saturday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro said Tuesday that his club is not a motivated seller.

"I would say that, compared to the past two years, there's no sense of urgency that we have to move anyone, there's no financial motivation or the need to create opportunities for anyone," Shapiro said. "We'll take a look at each individual case and the value we can get back, as well as alternatives that would get the playing time. Those things enter into the equation."

That's not to say that the Indians absolutely won't deal. But it does indicate that Cleveland won't be looking to sell veterans just to get rid of them.

St. Louis also holds interest in a potential offensive upgrade in the middle infield.

"Without getting into specifics about any one player or any team, you explore a lot of things," general manager John Mozeliak said. "You go down the road. Sometimes things work out and a lot of things, they don't."

Asked if the Cards have a bead on a pitcher, Mozeliak said, "[We've] got a bead on a lot of things."
No rest for weary, ailing with short turnaround
NEW YORK — Fully a third of the Cardinals' starting lineup is dealing with some sort of nagging injury, but all of the various wounded warriors are healthy enough to play.

Albert Pujols pulled up short on a ground ball in the 11th inning on Wednesday night with some calf discomfort. Yadier Molina continues to recuperate from a sore shin, the result of being hit by a foul ball. And Skip Schumaker is still sporting a welt on his left arm after being hit by a pitch in the 13th on Wednesday.

Yet despite the short turnaround from Wednesday night to Thursday's 12:10 ET start, all three regulars were in the lineup.

"This is a push game for a lot of people, including Albert," manager Tony La Russa said. "I don't think he's risking anything, but he's playing under control. You've got a lot of ouchy guys who are playing today, I'm sure, for both sides. … This is a day that we're scrambling."

Baby Birds
Joe Mather homered for the only run in Triple-A Memphis' 10-1 loss to New Orleans on Wednesday. … Andrew Brown hit a solo home run and Brian Broderick pitched 6 2/3 strong innings, helping Double-A Springfield beat Arkansas, 4-2. Broderick allowed two runs on seven hits, striking out five with two walks. … Charlie Cutler and Luis De La Cruz each had two hits in Class A Palm Beach's 4-3 loss to Daytona. … Joe Kelly struck out 11 in 6 2/3 innings, leading Class A Quad Cities to an 8-1 win over Kane County. Kelly allowed an unearned run on three hits, walking one. … Nick Longmire hit his seventh home run, driving in three runs in short-season Batavia's 10-3 win over Auburn. … Philip Cerreto drove in five runs, including the game-winner in the 14th, to help rookie-level Johnson City beat Burlington, 6-5.

Cerreto noses out Kelly for player of the day. He went 3-for-7 with a double, a home run, and the game-winning single. Cerreto, 22, was a 40th-round pick in last month's Draft. In 23 games for Johnson City, he's batting .361 with a .394 on-base percentage, a .670 slugging percentage, six home runs and 29 RBIs.

Tidbits
Manager Tony La Russa said Thursday that the team's field staff saw immediately on Wednesday night that new reliever Mike MacDougal was tipping his pitches, which explains a quick visit to the mound by pitching coach Dave Duncan in the 12th inning of the Cards' eventual win. … Thursday marked the 1,500th game of Albert Pujols' Major League career. … MacDougal will switch from No. 63 to No. 48 when the Cardinals return home on Friday. … Following Thursday's game, 27 of the Cardinals' next 36 games come against teams that currently have losing records.

NEW YORK — Adam Wainwright is unfortunately plenty familiar with a lack of run support when he pitches on the road. It's just that usually, it matters. On Tuesday, it didn't.

Wainwright's offense remained quiet behind him, but the right-hander scuffled through his worst start of the year in an 8-2 loss to the Mets at Citi Field. Wainwright spent most of the night searching for his command and never really found it, and the result was the Cardinals' fourth loss in five games. They are now tied with the Reds atop the National League Central, though St. Louis holds a very slight edge in winning percentage.

"I definitely got some bad breaks, but I certainly wasn't commanding the zone like I normally do," Wainwright said. "I got in some counts that you never want to get into. There were some bad breaks for sure, but I just didn't execute, and poor execution leads to poor results."

Wainwright, pitching in New York for the first time since his famous strikeout of Carlos Beltran in the 2006 National League Championship Series, was reached for six runs in five innings. He saw a 26-inning shutout streak come to an end in the second frame, and from there was scored upon five more times. Wainwright issued three walks and surrendered a three-run homer to Jeff Francoeur and simply didn't locate the ball well all night.

It was the second-shortest start of the year for Wainwright, and the second time all year that he didn't complete six full innings. His only shorter outing came on June 24, when he allowed five runs (four earned) in four innings in Toronto. The last time he allowed six runs was Sept. 4 of last year, when the Pirates dinged him for six runs in five innings.

"They got a couple bloopers, but he missed his location a couple, three times and they nailed them," manager Tony La Russa said. "So give them credit."

Wainwright issued a leadoff walk to David Wright in the second inning, and a double and a groundout brought Wright home. He cruised through the third, but got into trouble in the fourth, once again starting with a walk. After a free pass to Beltran, Ike Davis singled, bringing up Francoeur. Hoping to pitch around him, Wainwright instead left a cutter over the heart of the plate, and Francoeur crushed it.

"I'm trying to walk him," Wainwright said. "I'm basically pitching around him. Not basically, I am pitching around him. And that's probably why I made such a bad pitch. I had already kind of cashed that at-bat in. I was perfectly fine getting the next guy. … I was thinking too far in advance, and when you do that, big league hitters will make you pay."

Three singles and a sacrifice fly added two more runs against Wainwright in the fifth, and he was done.

"We know he's tough," Francoeur said. "We felt that we had to get a little luck on our side, and he made a couple mistakes that instead of us grounding into double plays, we executed."

Meanwhile, opposing starter Jon Niese got into plenty of trouble against the Cardinals' offense, but consistently got out of it. St. Louis managed 10 hits against Niese and the New York bullpen, but couldn't convert them. The Cards went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners on the night.

The only run against the Mets' starter came in the first inning, on an infield hit by Ryan Ludwick, despite a beginning that promised more. The first two Cardinals singled, but Wright made three slick plays on grounders to the left side to help keep the inning from getting out of hand.

"He's throwing that cutter in on everybody, so I'm sure Wright knows coming to the field that he's going to get a lot of action," said Brendan Ryan, who singled twice and reached on an error. "There's nothing you can do. You can hit that ball foul or in that direction. He's going to have his hands full with that."

The Cards added a second tally when Randy Winn grounded into a bases-loaded double play in the eighth, but by then it was far too late — and besides, it still counted as an opportunity squandered. It was the fifth time in 11 road starts this season that the Cardinals have scored no runs or one run while Wainwright was in the game.

Cards may acquire everyday player at Deadline

Cardinals shuffle starting rotation

Baby Birds

Tidbits

NEW YORK — Kyle Lohse pronounced his first Minor League rehabilitation start a success on Tuesday, a day after he lasted three innings for Triple-A Memphis.

Lohse threw 43 pitches, 29 of them strikes, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits. He struck out three and didn't issue a walk, but mostly he felt good the whole time. The forearm injury that plagued him for a year is gone, he said.

"I need to make sure I'm ready," Lohse said. "I'm not going to rush it, but everything felt good. I felt like I could keep going. It wasn't like I went out and got tired."

It appears that Lohse will make two more rehab starts, with the next one coming on Saturday. The Cardinals are excited about his progress but not getting ahead of themselves. Moreover, however well Lohse comes along, it does not appear that his return will affect the club's decision-making between now and Sunday's non-waiver Trade Deadline.

"He's only one pitcher," manager Tony La Russa said. "I think if we can do something, we'll do it. If we can't, we can't."

General manager John Mozeliak echoed those sentiments, saying that if the Cards can add a pitcher at the right cost, they'll happily do so — whether that starter would be a front-of-the-rotation type or merely someone who adds depth. A healthy, effective return from Lohse might seem to argue that the only really worthwhile addition for St. Louis would be a No. 1 or 2 starter, but in Mozeliak's mind, a less-prominent pitcher would still be worth adding — in the right deal, of course.

"I think there's a lot of ways you can improve this club, and that's still a viable option," he said.
Cards may acquire everyday player at Deadline
ST. LOUIS — General manager John Mozeliak said on Tuesday that the Cardinals probably will not add a bench player before Saturday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, but left open the possibility that the team could trade for an everyday player.

Given the Cardinals' preponderance of versatile, utility-type players, Mozeliak was asked if it would be redundant for St. Louis to trade for another such player, and he granted that was likely true. An everyday player, however, holds interest for the club. Mozeliak said that the return of David Freese from an ankle injury, whenever that happens, would not have a significant impact on the club's shopping list.

"I don't feel it's affecting it one way or another," he said. "Because we're not looking at just some short-term band-aid. If we really were going to go that route, we should have done it, in hindsight, a month ago."

That would indicate that the Cardinals have interest in adding a starting middle infielder, ideally one who would be with the club beyond just the 2010 season. Several such players are reportedly potentially available in this year's trade market, including Florida second baseman Dan Uggla and Arizona shortstop Stephen Drew.

Cardinals shuffle starting rotation
NEW YORK — The Cardinals shuffled their starting rotation a bit on Monday, moving Adam Wainwright up a day to pitch Tuesday night's series opener against the Mets at Citi Field.

Wainwright flipped with Jaime Garcia, putting him on his normal fifth day while Garcia receives two extra days of rest before his start Wednesday against New York. The move allows Garcia a little extra recovery time in his first full big league season. But it also puts Wainwright on track potentially to start the Aug. 11 series finale against the Reds, a series he almost certainly would have had to miss if he had pitched on Wednesday.

Additionally, St. Louis flipped Blake Hawksworth and Jeff Suppan. Hawksworth will start Thursday's series closer against the Mets on regular rest, while Suppan is bumped back to Saturday at home against the Pirates. Chris Carpenter stays on turn to pitch the game in between, Friday's homestand opener against Pittsburgh.

Baby Birds
Triple-A Memphis rallied for a 5-2 win against Oklahoma City on Monday. Kyle Lohse pitched three effective innings in a rehab start, and Evan MacLane followed him with five shutout innings of relief. … Double-A Springfield's game against Northwest Arkansas was rained out in the fourth inning and will be made up in its entirety. … Class A Palm Beach was off on Monday. … C.J. Beatty went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs in support of Shelby Miller as Class A Quad Cities beat Dayton, 5-0. … Patrick Biserta's three-run homer was all the offense that short-season Batavia needed in a 3-2 win against Williamsport. … Kevin Siegrist pitched five strong innings in Rookie-level Johnson City's 5-1 win over Burlington. Siegrist allowed a run on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Miller is the player of the day after his longest professional outing. The right-hander pitched seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks with five strikeouts. He's 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA this year, but more telling, he has 94 strikeouts, 21 walks and four homers allowed in 69 1/3 innings. Over his last five starts, Miller has 34 strikeouts against four walks in 25 innings. Miller, 19, was the Cardinals' first-round Draft pick in 2009.

Tidbits
NEW YORK — Nick Stavinoha began a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Memphis on Monday, going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk as Memphis' designated hitter. Stavinoha is recuperating from a shoulder injury. … Colby Rasmus was held out of the lineup for a third straight game on Tuesday as he battles a slump. Jon Jay got the start in his stead. … Yadier Molina was the overwhelming winner in a Sports Illustrated poll asking Major League players for the toughest catcher to steal against. Molina received 58 percent of the votes, with Gerald Laird rating second with nine percent. … In other SI news, the magazine will run a feature story on Stan Musial as its cover story next week. The article is by Joe Posnanski. … Derrick May, the hitting coach for Double-A Springfield, will serve in that same capacity for the Surprise Rafters of the Arizona Fall League this fall. … The Sports Business Journal reported this week that the Cardinals' ratings on FSN Midwest this year are the best of any team on a regional sports network.

CHICAGO — The Cardinals were finally able to halt their 21 consecutive scoreless innings streak on Saturday, but they weren't able to end their losing streak, falling, 6-5, to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Though they ended their scoreless innings streak, the Cards' offense left something to be desired. The team left the bases loaded in the sixth, but they were not done yet. They then were able to get just one run apiece after putting two on with no outs in both the seventh and eighth innings.

The Cubs scored the winning runs on a passed ball by Yadier Molina, who seemed to be crossed up by Mitchell Boggs' 2-0 curveball to Alfonso Soriano with the bases loaded.

After the ball squirted away, Molina ran it down and threw it to Boggs covering the plate, but it was a little late, as Starlin Castro upended Boggs on a slide into home. The ball bounced unencumbered down the first-base line, which allowed Aramis Ramirez to score as well.