When Garcia returned in the spring, he seemed to be pitching well again. At the time, I literally begged for the Cardinals to trade him at that time to get a shortstop. Instead, Mozeliak and the team unwisely leaned on Garcia to handle his normal workload in the rotation. His usage in the first month of the season demonstrated a shocking lack of comprehension by Matheny of Garcia’s condition; Garcia was allowed to go deep into games in most of his starts, pitching eight innings twice in recent weeks. All the while, the mild tear in Garcia’s shoulder was ripping more and more with every inning and every pitch, much like a constant stream of water carves riverbeds through the hardest stone.

Today the Cardinals announced that Garcia is going to the disabled list, and will most likely see surgery very soon. We will now probably not see Garcia on a mound until the summer of 2014. He might never recover. I hate to say “I told you so,” but I really, really did.

By not acting swiftly last summer or this spring, the Cardinals have put a large investment at risk and have thrown a cruising rotation into chaos just as the tough summer days approach. What a disastrous case of mismanagement by Mozeliak, Matheny, Garcia, his agent, and the Cardinal medical staff. If a simple writer can see the mechanical problems putting Garcia and the team at risk, why were they so careless in addressing the situation?

Regardless, the team now faces an interesting dilemma in replacing Garcia’s spot in the rotation. Their first response – the call-up of Mitchell Boggs from the minor leagues – indicates that the team will likely move one of the three starter-quality arms currently in the bullpen into the rotation. So the three choices are Joe Kelly, Carlos Martinez, and Seth Maness.

Kelly likely gets the call based on his solid work last summer. However, Kelly has been less than effective this season, showing a surprising lack of control and a failure to keep the ball down. Even when Kelly was at his best, he still had a dangerously high WHIP that indicated the constant possibility of failure.

The intriguing possibility is Martinez. Unlike Kelly and Trevor Rosenthal, Martinez has been a starter until he was called up to the major league a couple of weeks ago, so he’s physically prepared for the job. Also, Martinez has shown some overpowering stuff in his brief time with the big club, and he doesn’t rattle. The team has been eager to shove Martinez into tough situations, and tonight allowed the kid to throw more than one inning. Their use of him so far indicates that they trust him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Martinez gets the call.

Some have suggested Maness. He throws strikes, but I do believe that his stuff is hittable in multiple turns through a decent lineup. A Maness start would require the ability to adjust his game throughout each start, a subtle art that might be beyond the experience level of Maness at this point.

Some fans are, of course, clamoring for the debut of Michael Wacha. While he has been incredible this season, I would be surprised if the team chose to start Wacha’s arbitration clock so soon. However, they already did that with Martinez this season, so anything is possible.

One thing is sure: the Cardinals have an amazing array of arms to fill Garcia’s vacated spot. It’s just a shame that the situation was allowed to reach this critical point. The extended damage to Garcia’s arm caused by this overwhelming mismanagement might prevent him from ever recovering, destroying his electric promise and wasting a wonderful, team-friendly contract. It also forces the team to rush certain untested assets into service sooner than they’d like.

This could’ve been avoided had they listened to rational voices like ours in the first place. What a frustrating development!

Lance Lynn was less than impressive tonight, lasting just 5 innings and surrendering four runs. More disturbing than his lowered strikeout rate tonight (just three strikeouts, unusual for him) was Lynn allowing eight hits in that span. Out of nine starts, tonight’s aborted performance was his third non-quality start. I tend to wonder what Lynn’s record might be without the cornucopia of runs he’s received this season.

But what can you say about the yeoman job by the bullpen yet again? Fernando Salas, Carlos Martinez, Trevor Rosenthal, and Edward Mujica held the Brewers to just two hits and no runs over three innings while the offense went to work. I generally don’t feel terrified when Matheny goes to the bullpen these days – what a difference from earlier this season!

The offense was the real star tonight, though, never surrendering as they pecked away at an early Brewers lead. The inspirational moment came in the sixth inning, when consecutive hits by Pete Kozma, Ty Wigginton, Matt Carpenter, and Jon Jay came with two outs to dramatically tie the game.

But then came the ninth. With two outs, Matt Holliday doubled and Allen Craig walked, setting up a perfect situation for one of the greatest contact-hitting Cardinals of all time – Yadier Molina. The Brewers wisely pitched around Molina, loading the bases for Daniel Descalso. And despite the fact that demoted Brewers closer John Axford was unable to throw a strike, an overeager Descalso went after every ball out of the strike zone for a demoralizing, rally-killing strikeout.

So, of course, the Brewers immediately loaded the bases against Joe Kelly in the tenth. Then what followed was a rare misplay by Molina. Pinch hitter Logan Schafer grounded a ball to Pete Kozma, who had to field the ball in front of Aramis Ramirez running off of second, which delayed him. Kozma went home to get the lead runner. However, Molina chose to look to first base to get the double play, rather than throw to third to get the delayed Ramirez as the lead runner. The misplay allowed the inning to continue, which led to a two-run single by Jeff Bianchi (who?) to lose the game.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jay with the clutch, game-tying RBI in the sixth, his 14th in May for a new personal record.

CONCLUSION: A frustrating regression by Kelly and some late-inning mental lapses lost this one. A lot to think about from today’s action, both on and off the field.

When the Cardinals signed Beltran to a two year, $26M contract after unceremoniously dumping Albert Pujols at the end of 2011, Beltran was only supposed to be a stop-gap player. At the time, they were simply two willing parties with needs to fill; the Cardinals needed a right fielder with enough power to replace some of Pujols’ output, and Beltran needed a place to re-establish himself as an everyday player.

But something funny happened during this two-year one-night stand: a love affair blossomed. A revitalized Beltran carried the Cardinals to the brink of another World Series appearance, and the St. Louis fans showered Beltran with the kind of affection he never enjoyed while playing in inhospitable places like New York or Kansas City. Beltran has embraced the city, showing up at hospitals to encourage the sick and generously giving of his time for charities. In the clubhouse, Beltran’s presence mirrors his on-field persona: steady, serene, and personable.

The Cardinals were willing to walk away from the high-dollar demands and diva attitude of Pujols, opting instead for a humble and extremely talented player in Beltran who wanted a championship more than he wanted an enormous contract. What the Cardinals received in return has been better-than-advertised production on the field, and an inclusive and encouraging presence off of it.

So can the Cardinals really walk away from Beltran at the end of this season?

According to the plan calculated by Mozeliak and his array of supercomputers, Beltran was just an affordable two-year bridge to the phantasmagorical wonderland known as Oscar Taveras. We all know Mozeliak isn’t sentimental; he sees baseball players like Neo sees the Matrix, green ones and zeroes streaming across the computer screen. He’d decline to offer a contract to his own mother if he thought he could replace her with a cheaper model and a new bow tie.

I felt the same way last season. I kept waiting for the inevitable injuries that have plagued the second half of Beltran’s career, predictable collapses that might devalue that two-year contract. And while Beltran did tail off in the second half of the season, he generously made up for it with yet another of his trademarked postseason explosions. He played 151 games despite some pain in his knees, never complained, and represented the organization with the kind of class that has typified his career. He’s doing it all over again this year, only now he’s mentoring younger players and becoming an even more integral part of this transitional team.

In my mind, Beltran is now a true Cardinal. In just a little over a year, it feels like Beltran has ALWAYS been a Cardinal. Can we really let him go? Must it really come to that?

Reality can sometimes be harsh, and it will always rear its unforgiving head in situations like this. After this season, Beltran will be a 36 year-old right fielder with knees held together only by Matheny’s Bible study prayers on Sunday morning. The Cardinals can presumably replace Beltran with Taveras for $12.5M less. Nothing seems to indicate that the Cardinals would be inclined to keep Beltran as a part-time player at that price point.

For the Cardinals to keep Beltran, some events probably need to happen:

1. Beltran accepts a salary similar to (or less) than his current contract. His willingness to do so probably depends on how badly he wants to finally see the World Series. The Cardinals represent his best shot to achieve that final career milestone. However, Beltran’s production has been so impressive that I cannot imagine (or advocate) such a move on his part.

2. The National League transitions to the DH. If this happens (it’s rumored to be in the works), then Beltran would make an incredible DH/fourth outfielder on a powerhouse team that would also include power-hitting Matt Adams in the mix.

3. The Cardinals trade Jon Jay. We don’t have enough evidence that Taveras can handle center field, but the Cardinals have been playing around with the idea anyway. The unanswered question here: Which outfield gives you the best bang for your buck – Jay/Taveras or Taveras/Beltran?

4. The Cardinals simply don’t care about the cost to keep Beltran. We know this isn’t true, of course, but occasionally a player performs so well that they actually deserve the money. I believe that is why the Cardinals walked away from Pujols – his surly, divisive personality wasn’t worth the cost to keep him around. Beltran’s overwhelmingly positive contributions in all areas of the organization might be worth the added investment.

This is a delicious problem to have – so many talented players to fit a limited number of roster spots and within a limited budget. I imagine that, if the Cardinals could walk away from Pujols and Lance Berkman, they can walk away from Beltran, too. It’s just a very difficult situation filled with too many variables at this point in the season.

Still, if there is one player on this team that I would love to keep until his retirement (obviously not including Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina – they already have long-term contracts), it’s Beltran. He’s no longer just a hired gun here for the easy money. Beltran’s part of the fabric of a developing dynasty; he’s an integral member of the Cardinal family now. He looks great in Cardinal red – let’s keep him in it for good.

UNFROZEN: The struggles of Freese – on and off the field – are well-documented. But all of the broken ankles, back strains, and car crashes in the world are not as frustrating as the miserable offensive start Freese has endured to open the 2013 season. With nearly 100 at-bats in the young season, Freese had hovered around a .200 average and a slugging percentage (.242) that more closely resembled a terrible batting average. He had ZERO home runs, and just three extra-base hits altogether. But Freese came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the first inning, and he did not miss a high fastball from Wily Peralta. It was a line shot that landed in virtually the same spot in the center field batter’s eye as his legendary Game Six homer. The grand slam was his second of his career, but probably the most emotionally-important homer ever for the struggling third baseman. The weight of the world has finally been removed from his slumping shoulders.

DOWNWARD SLIDE: Look out for Garcia. The enigmatic lefty, who seemed so brilliant earlier this season, has suddenly hit a wall. After taking a loss with five earned runs in his last start, Garcia coughed up a huge lead by surrendering two three-run homers to Aramis Ramirez. As I’ve discussed in detail before, Garcia’s mechanics have a tendency to alter quite a bit from start to start. Tonight, Garcia seemed to be “pushing” the ball rather than throwing it, as if he didn’t have confidence in his pitches. Is there something wrong with him? I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that after his performance tonight.

MR. CLUTCH: Matt Holliday continues his blistering 2013 with RISP and two outs. Since his arrival in 2009, Holliday has NEVER hit this well in the clutch. He’s hitting an incredible .462 with RISP and two outs, more than .200 points higher than he did in each of his first three years here. Tonight Holliday padded the lead with two clutch RBI singles, including one with two outs in the fourth inning. What is the difference this year? Luck? Whatever the reason, the difference has been eye-opening and definitely changing Holliday’s perception among Cardinal fans.

MARP: Hey, remember when TLR refused to give Matt Carpenter any at-bats in 2011? I wonder if La Genius watches in wonder as Marp continues to tear up the National League. With his 3-4 night, Carpenter’s average has risen to .307. His 15th double in the fourth (which led to the game-winner) ranks him fourth IN BASEBALL. I know Yadier Molina, Carlos Beltran, and the pitching staff have gotten all of the press, but Carpenter is my secret MVP. He’s solidified this lineup and given it the spark it has lacked for the last few years.

PROPS: Can we please stop citing small sample sizes and start giving Pete Kozma a bit of credit? He’s not on many fantasy lineups, but Kozma has given the Cardinals a bit of stabilization at shortstop. Gone are the days of Ryan Theriot rolling balls at second base, as evidenced by the gymnastic play Kozma made into the hole near third to end the seventh inning. He also had a 2-4 night to boost his average to .260 – nothing flashy, but a solid contribution nonetheless. He’s not the shortstop of the future, but he’s also not Khalil Greene, either.

HEATING UP: April was a slow month offensively for the Cardinals, but things are changing. Look at this: the everyday lineup now features four hitters at .300 (Matt Carpenter, Carlos Beltran, Yadier Molina, and Allen Craig), and two others (Holliday and Jon Jay) hitting with increased authority. Can you imagine what June might look like with that offense at full tilt? Scary stuff.

KILLER ENDING: The Brewers looked like they were going to hack their way back to tie the game in the final three innings. However, the reformed bullpen squelched the rally. Seth Maness stopped them cold in the seventh, notching a strikeout in the process. Then came Trevor Rosenthal for yet another appearance; a hit by Ryan Braun was erased in a dramatic strikeout/caught stealing sequence by Yadier Molina. After that, Edward Mujica slammed the door with an uneventful ninth for his 12th save in 12 chances. What a difference the bullpen changes have made in our late-game chances!!

PLAYER OF THE GAME: For the first time this season, Freese.

CONCLUSION: The grand slam was a morale booster for Freese and the team, but Garcia’s disturbing downward trend requires increased scrutiny. This game should’ve been a laugher. They won it because of our amazing new bullpen.

THRILLER: What a disappointment that Shelby Miller is, eh? He gave up FOUR HITS tonight! What’s WRONG with that guy?!? Seriously, though, Miller struggled a bit more in this, his fourteenth major league start. He got himself into trouble in the second (a single and a walk) and in the sixth (a Daniel Murphy double caused Miller to be pulled), but one of his six strikeouts helped squelch the Met rallies. The 2013 Rookie of the Year continues to dominate; Miller lowered his ERA to 1.40, tying with Clayton Kershaw for the National League lead. His 57 strikeouts place him just outside the top 10 in the league.

ONE LITTLE QUIBBLE: Miller has been impressive, but he seriously needs to improve his ability to hold runners on-base. The Mets were running wild on an inattentive Miller, stealing two. Yadier Molina and Tony Cruz have fine, accurate arms, but even the best catchers will have trouble throwing out runners who are allowed to dance off the base like the Mets did tonight.

CRUZING: No, the rumors of Tony Cruz taking a month-long vacation to a Tibetan monastery were apparently false. Cruz received only his second start of the season tonight. I really like Cruz; he’s a miniaturized version of Yadi. Cruz has had only 8 at-bats and two hits, but he’s driven in two runs with that meager output after an RBI single in the fourth. Cruz is the kind of selfless role player that often proves incredibly valuable on a pennant-winner.

WRIGHT DOES WRONG: The Cruz RBI was set up by a weird play involving Jon Jay. After Matt Holliday singled, Jay slashed a double into right field to score Holliday with the first run. Jay, trying for third, was caught between the bases. As David Wright went in to tag Jay, the ball was dislodged when his glove rapped Jay on the shoulder. Jay scampered to third base as the ball bounced harmlessly away. It became an important error for the All Star third baseman later in the game.

MATHENIUS: I guess hindsight is 20/20, but I had a peculiar nervousness when Matheny pulled Randy Choate after he retired lefty Lucas Duda to open the seventh inning. While the next batter (John Buck) was righthanded, the batter following him was lefthanded power threat Rick Ankiel. I could understand the move if Choate was struggling against righthanded batters, but Choate has actually been BETTER against righties this season. Choate has a 1.59 ERA. Choate had coaxed two outs on just three pitches at that point. It felt like bullpen micromanaging at the time. Sadly, I proved to be correct.

HOME RUN RICK: As a major league outfielder, Ankiel’s offensive output consists of two modes – strikeout or home run. He’s the Rainman version of Adam Dunn. The free-swinging Ankiel was offered rookie righthander Seth Maness to abuse with a runner on in the seventh, and he didn’t miss. Ankiel rocked Maness for a two-run homer, putting an instant dent in his pristine ERA (now 3.60). It was the first home run Ankiel has hit against his former baseball family, and given his prodigal son relationship with us, it had to feel pretty good.

KOZMAINTENANCE: No, Pete Kozma hasn’t matched his insane September numbers from 2012, but he has been acceptable and occasionally surprising. It was Kozma’s deep single in the seventh that pushed Daniel Descalso to third, setting up the Cardinals’ third run on a wild pitch. Nothing flashy, just solid baseball. It’s exactly what I hoped for when Mozeliak put his faith in the scrappy infielder.

ROSIE PALMING IT: So many superlatives have been sputtered to describe Trevor Rosenthal‘s air-igniting fastball, but the curve he threw to strike out David Wright in the eighth gave Carlos Beltran post-traumatic flashbacks. If he keeps throwing that, he will be untouchable.

IN A PINCH: Yadier Molina came out of the dugout to a standing ovation with two runners on and two outs in the eighth leading by just one tenuous run. And of course Yadi slapped a bouncing single through the right side to score a scrambling Holliday from second with a huge insurance run. THE MAGIC NEVER STOPS WITH YADI!

CHIEF IN RELIEF: Don’t look now, by Edward Mujica is rapidly overtaking the saves leaders in the National League. Jason Grilli still leads with 16, but Mujica’s 11 saves came in many fewer games. Since April 12, Mujica has been neck-and-neck with both Grilli and the legendary Mariano Rivera in saves, posting a perfect 11-11 so far. He’s one of the best stories of this season.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Giving it to Kozma, whose clutch single set up the winning run and answered a Mets comeback.

CONCLUSION: We’ve learned some things tonight. Miller can pitch despite adversity. Maness isn’t perfect. Rosenthal is Rosenthal. The little guys continue to contribute big moments. This team is running on all cylinders now. Isn’t this fun?

I’m not arguing against the method, of course; La Russa’s time with the Cardinals produced an astonishing amount of success. However, the handwriting was on the wall when owner Bill DeWitt fired Walt Jocketty in 2007 and began to steer the organization toward a prospect-heavy makeup. Old-school, veteran-hungry managers like La Russa would eventually be phased out.

While watching last night’s game, I couldn’t help but marvel at the transformation in attitude that has occurred under Mke Matheny and John Mozeiak. Certain flaws notwithstanding (fundamentals, signing Ty Wigginton), this is a team of exciting possibilities, led by an incredible array of stunning rookie talent. I feel confident saying that this wonderful team and its major league-best record would not exist had La Russa stayed with the club.

Here are some facts: the 2013 Cardinals have already used 9 rookies. And these aren’t just fill-in rookies, either; many have had prominent roles in the success of the team. Shelby Miller took over the fifth spot in the rotation after having just one major league game on his resume, a roster move virtually impossible under La Russa. Trevor Rosenthal and his high-octane fastball would’ve been the only player to force his way into a La Russa alignment.

By comparison, the 2011 Cardinals under La Russa used 9 rookies throughout the season, and none of them had any major role on the team. Do you remember the 22 at-bats given to Andrew Brown that year? Or what Matt Carpenter was allowed to do in the SEVEN games he played that year? Only Daniel Descalso (148 games) was allowed to play with any kind of frequency that season, primarily due to Descalso’s attitude rather than convincing statistics.

Going back even farther, the 2000 Cardinals under La Russa (with GM Jocketty) used THREE rookies all season, and only one – the ill-fated Rick Ankiel – played in more than six games that season. There has been a major shift in philosophy within the Cardinals organization.

And it’s not just the use of rookies talent that is exciting. These kids are THRIVING, and they’re carrying the team along for the ride. Miller is fourth in the NL in ERA (at 1.58) and WHIP (at an incredible 0.88). Pete Kozma, finally given a shot at shortstop, ranks SECOND in the NL in fielding percentage and is in the top 10 in OBP. Matt Carpenter, dismissed under La Russa, has thrived in just his second year, leading NL second basemen in WAR (2.1), OBP (.386), and doubles (12). Rosenthal ranks SEVENTH out of all major league rookies in strikeouts (27) despite being a reliever (everyone above him is a starter).

Last night’s game showcased the sea-change that has overtaken the improved Cardinals organization. John Gast made his major league debut and pitched admirably, dominating the Mets for five innings (just two hits) before being nicked on a bad pitch in the sixth. Then entered two rookies fresh from the minor leagues. Seth Maness, who had pitched just 25 innings in AAA at Memphis, buzzed through the Mets in the seventh. After Maness, Carlos Martinez made just his fourth appearance in the major leagues following a call-up from AA Springfield. Martinez was vicious, striking out the side with his explosive stuff. Let’s not forget that rookies Maness and Martinez were the primary components of a bullpen makeover that essentially saved the season from blown-save hell.

Unlike the La Russa years, the 2013 Cardinals under Mozeliak and Matheny are willing to lean on untested players or rookies. They are unafraid to damage the egos of veterans or upend traditional chaste systems choking the development pipeline. They want energy, enthusiasm, and talent. They want to win, but they also recognize that winning doesn’t necessarily equate to high-priced free agents or prospect-laden trades for older players. We can grow the talent here, but then we also need to have the willingness to give that talent a shot when the time is right.

And the time is right. When veterans fail (like Mitchell Boggs) or are inevitably injured (like Rafael Furcal or Chris Carpenter), talented rookies infuse health and energy to a flailing club. That is what we’ve seen thus far in 2013.

This might be the most exciting Cardinal team I’ve seen in DECADES. A spigot of talent, stifled for so long under Jocketty and La Russa and the misdirection of the nineties, has finally been re-opened. Do you remember the effect Willie McGee‘s rookie season had on the 1982 Cardinals, or what the emergence of Vince Coleman and Todd Worrell meant to the 1985 team? That is what we’re seeing this season with this blended and talented team.

This is the scary and most thrilling aspect of it all: we haven’t even seen the best rookie yet. The future, both immediate and long-term, is bright indeed.

BUTTERFLIES: If Gast was nervous in his debut, it never showed. The only butterflies came from his left hand, as Gast twirled a tantalizing assortment of off-speed pitches that frustrated the free-swinging Mets lineup. Gast challenged the Mets constantly, inducing them to pound the ball into the ground for outs (9 of his 18 outs were grounders). Even better, he produced one of the most efficient starts of the season, using just 71 pitches through his six innings. While not an overpowering pitcher like many of our recent prospects, Gast has impressive control and a John Tudor-like ability to paint corners. He’s going to be an important future rotation fixture.

TRUE LEADOFF: Once again, Matt Carpenter‘s fingerprints are all over a huge offensive night. He went 2-3 and was on-base four times with two walks; his OBP crested .380 after tonight’s performance. His batting average also rose above .300 for the first time this season. It’s been a LONG time since this team has enjoyed a real leadoff hitter, but I think we’ve finally found him. His uniform is dirty every night, and he’s just the pesky on-base guy we’ve lacked.

CLUTCH: Matt Holliday has really rehabilitated his image in St. Louis with his scorching start this season. It’s not that Holliday is exactly “hot” right now – he’s batting just .270, which is low for him – but almost every hit has been significant. He roped a breathtaking double into the center field wall to plate the Cardinals’ first run in the first inning, yet another moment this season when he has produced with RISP (.433 BA, .600 SLG in those situations).  Who knows what he’s going to do when he really heats up.

THE WRENCH: Allen Craig is the tool that fixes this Cardinal offense. We are about one-fourth of the way through this season, and Craig is tied for the league lead in RBIs with 30 after his single plated two in the first. Our best pure hitter had two hits to raise his average to .307, an unusual amount of success for a cleanup hitter. He’s such an advantage to have in the center of this talented lineup!

THE BELTRAN PROBLEM: A huge problem is developing for the 2014 season – what do you do with Carlos Beltran? Yeah, he’s 36 years old, but the guy has been INCREDIBLE again this year. With his eleventh home run tonight (into Big Mac Land), Beltran took over sole possession of second place among National League home run hitters, and his four RBIs give him 26 on the season (second on the team behind Craig). Yeah, Oscar Taveras is going to be great, but I’d hate to see Beltran leave the team next year. He hasn’t been here long, but, in my mind, he’s a Cardinal through and through.

THE ROOKIE PARADE: Following Gast, the Cardinals unleashed a devastating preview of their powerful young arms out of the bullpen. Seth Maness, Carlos Martinez, and Joe Kelly each handled scoreless innings of virtual perfection. Martinez was particularly vicious; essays could be written about the swagger and intensity shown by Martinez as he struck out the side using 100 mph fastballs and 87 mph changeups in the dirt. If tonight is any indication, the National League should be very concerned about the stockpile of arms on the Cardinal pitching staff.

LOWER IS BETTER: Look at Jon Jay! After dropping in the lineup and tinkering with his mechanics, he’s suddenly hitting with authority again. He’s hitting over .300 during the last week, and .378 in May. Tonight he crushed a home run to straightaway center, his fourth of the season. I think he’s really responding to less pressure and more RBI chances.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gotta give it to Gast, but Beltran is just a whisker short.

CONCLUSION: Gast had an impressive debut tonight, but I’m trying to keep calm about his success. Unlike our many power arms, Gast is a finesse pitcher with a truckload of hittable pitches; he’s going to need to be careful to be successful. Still, Gast showed a lot of poise out there on the way to his first ML victory. Overall, it was a dominating win – our bullpen was terrifying, and our offense once again came through in the clutch. We’re getting on a roll, now. It’s going to be a fun summer.

RICK THE STICK: A defeated and lonely-looking Rick Ankiel stepped out onto the field at Busch Stadium tonight wearing a brand-new Mets jersey. Frankly, I thought he looked a bit embarrassed. He has no reason to feel ashamed. Baseball can break someone much more easily than it can make someone, and Ankiel has done everything humanly possible to make the game work for him. He will always be welcomed in St. Louis.

CONTROL: When Lynn is off, you can spot it immediately. The first two innings saw Lynn contorting his delivery like a snake charmer; the four walks and three runs are evidence of that. Despite having lost his control in those first frames, Lynn never lost control of himself. It’s the very problem that dogged the second half of his season last year – Lynn would let adversity disintegrate a start until the game was lost. This time Lynn hung in and focused in the third, notching five of his seven strikeouts after the second inning. In total, Lynn threw seven innings without his best stuff and reached a career-high of 124 pitches. It wasn’t his prettiest start, but it was a gutsy and inspirational performance.

RUNNING INTO OUTS: It’s likely that Lynn’s early pressure could’ve been avoided with a big first inning from the Cardinal offense, but that was short-circuited (again) by another boneheaded baserunning mistake. With the bases loaded and one out, Jon Jay laced a sacrifice fly into medium left field. Matt Holliday, the runner at third, tagged and sprinted home to score the second run of the game. For whatever reason Allen Craig – not the speediest guy on the team – decided to also tag and attempt to take third base on the play. He was, of course, caught in a rundown to end the threat. I totally appreciate aggressive baserunning, but it’s much more effective when there is some logic involved.

GETTIN’ WIGGY WITH IT: Ty Wigginton has been mostly the butt of jokes in the first 1.5 months of his Cardinal career (oh no … he’s actually going to have a CAREER here?). The descriptive phrase “clubhouse presence” has been used by the club to paper over Wiggy’s anemic batting average and bland versatility and give some justification to the two-year deal the club made with him last winter. There were laughs in the stands when Wigginton came in to pinch hit for Lynn in the seventh inning of a 3-3 game. But then Wiggy roped a fly ball into center that eluded a diving Ankiel; Wiggy never stopped running on the play and easily turned that missed out into a double.  Matt Carpenter came up next and slashed a line drive off of the ankle of Mets reliever Scott Rice. The ball deflected away into foul territory, where Rice and catcher John Buck gave chase, leaving home plate unguarded. Wigginton raced around third and bellyflopped home safely to the delight of a standing crowd at Busch. In my mind, it’s yet another example of a little guy doing something gutsy to win a ballgame – think Glen Brummer stealing home in 1982. I’m guessing Wiggy had a few more fans after his game-winning seventh-inning heroics.

IMPROVED OFFENSE: After a Colorado series that saw the offense sputter again, it was nice to have solid contact up and down the lineup. Matt Carpenter, Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, and Daniel Descalso each had two hits. The most important hits (aside from Wiggy’s noted contributions) came from Holliday with a two-run homer to dead center in the seventh, and Craig’s RBI double in the first.

BULLISH: The eighth and ninth innings are going to be really rough for our opponents if Trevor Rosenthal continues his improvements. Tonight was the second consecutive appearance in which Rosenthal mixed that time-warping fastball with an effective high-eighties changeup. There was a 13 mph difference between two pitches in his eighth inning sequence tonight; that’s downright evil. With a better changeup, Rosie’s already-dominating 97 mph fastball suddenly looks 197 mph. Combined with Edward Mujica‘s table-dropping off-speed stuff, the pair are quickly becoming a brick wall in the late innings.

NEW SUTTER: As for Mujica, tonight’s save was his tenth in ten attempts. Mujica is fifth in the National League in saves, which is remarkable considering that he didn’t have the job in the opening weeks of the season. Also important is this fact: Since Mujica took over the closer role, the Cardinals are 16-7. Their winning ways closely correspond to Mujica’s ascendancy to the role.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Wiggy.

CONCLUSION: A game with just about everything you’d want to see: tension, drama, frustrations, and glorious heroics. Big guys stepped up, but the little guys helped win it. It was a team win in the best sense.

ALMOST PERFECT: Aside from a questionable walk to Todd Helton, Wainwright was perfect today. His curveball was tighter today, and Wainwright was throwing it for strikes at will. The Rockies finally reached Wainwright in the eighth with a solid single to center from Nolan Arenado – no regrets. Here’s an indication of Waino’s dominance: usually great starts like this are supported by tremendous defensive plays behind the pitcher, but Waino needed nothing to help him. The Rockies lineup, flattened by Shelby Miller last night, flailed helplessly at Waino’s superior weaponry. Major baseball publications have been predicting a Cy Young for Wainwright, and performances like today’s indicate that this might just be his year.

A THOUGHT: This Rockies lineup is no slouch – it’s filled with All Stars and batting champions. Yet Miller and Wainwright combined for an 18 inning three hitter against them. The Cardinals now lead the National League in ERA (2.89), complete games (4), and shutouts (7). What a terrifying run of starting pitching!! And we haven’t even added Chris Carpenter into the mix yet!

BAD START: If one believes in omens, then the disastrous second inning by the Cardinals indicated bad things for the rest of the game. Allen Craig led off the inning with a triple. After Yadier Molina walked, Matt Adams grounded a dribbler to third base. Craig took off for home late on the play (not a great idea with nobody out) and was gunned down easily by Nolan Arenado at home. David Freese followed that botched play with a single to load the bases (but should’ve scored the first run). Pete Kozma and Wainwright both struck out to end the threat. Once again, the Cardinals run themselves out of an inning. It’s becoming a nuisance this season, a pebble in the shoe much like the bunting fiasco of 2012.

BIG CITY LIGHTS: Adams absolutely blistered a fastball to score Jon Jay with the Cardinals’ second run in the fifth; it’s like he was never injured at all. How do we get Adams into this lineup everyday?

WHEN YOU’RE HOT: Right now Yadier Molina could hit the baseball blindfolded and using only his sense of smell. During streaks like this, the baseball looks to be the size of a human head and luck helps every piece of contact. Today, Molina’s second hit was a dunker into center field produced when Molina tossed his bat at the pitch. It was pure luck, but it scored Matt Holliday with an insurance run in the seventh. Molina’s “you gotta be kiddin’ me” smile on first base said it all.

BIG SUPPORT: Matt Carpenter has been incredible thus far as our converted second baseman. He’s hitting well, and he’s committed ZERO errors while manning second base. Today, with Waino’s no-hitter hanging in the balance, Carpenter ranged into shallow right field to smother a grounder, rolled over, and fired quickly to Adams to get the first out of the eighth. While Waino’s no-hitter was lost on the next batter, Carpenter’s effort earned special mentions from his teammates after the game. Lil’ Carp has been much better than anyone expected this season.

DUMB INJURY: Injuries happen in this game; they’re unavoidable. However, you hate seeing players go down with stupid injuries that occur due to carelessness. After grounding out in the bottom of the eighth, Holliday casually stepped on first base without looking and turned his ankle. That type of injury can be surprisingly damaging, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Holliday sits for a few days. This is trouble for the Cardinal attack (still not 100%) given that Holliday has been terrifyingly good with runners in scoring position (batting .444). Any game without him will be tough.

LOUD CROWD: I’m really proud of the Cardinal fans today. I’ve often thought that the crowds at Busch Stadium have been quieter in recent seasons, but they really supported Waino and the team today. How could they not respond with an inspirational win?

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Do I really need to name names here?

CONCLUSION: Baseball’s greatest rotation continued its dominance of the 2013 season. Incredible back-to-back complete game shutouts – are you serious?!? Every start produces new wonders and jaw-dropping statistics. I have no idea how long these five pitchers can continue this level of brilliance, but it’s one of the greatest runs of starting pitching in my lifetime. I don’t want it to end.

HERE TO STAY: In a season of tremendous starting pitching, Miller has been a revelation. Tonight was his best start thus far. Miller completed a 113 pitch game with 84 strikes and 13 strikeouts. Amazingly, the rookie starter finished the nine innings without giving up a walk. Miller pitches with a hunger and intensity rare for his age, and I like his cockiness on the mound. He’s confident. A masterwork like this, just a leadoff single away from a no-hitter, should do wonders for that confidence. Just think: this is only the beginning.

FIRST PLACE ROTATION: The Cardinals now have six shutouts to lead all of major league baseball. Can they keep up this kind of dominance all season?

GREATNESS CONTINUED: Every day is another highlight from Yadier Molina; he never stops. Tonight, his 2-4 night extended his hitting streak to ten games. His double in the fifth was his tenth of the young season, placing him among the league leaders (Matt Carpenter has 12). When people doubted his hitting ability, Yadi perfected his contact rate. When people mocked his footspeed, Yadi improved his extra base power. He’s the perfect baseball player.

SINKING FAST: I guess I could look at the positives about David Freese‘s night. He did manage a hit in three at-bats with a walk, which are good things (on-base 2-5). But it’s difficult to overlook the downward offensive slide Freese has taken in the last month. Freese looked terrible in two at-bats made worse by leaving four runners stranded on base. Freese responded when he was given a couple of days off recently; perhaps it’s time to give him a week off.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE: Carlos Beltran‘s 9th homer of the season in the third boosted him into fourth place among National League leaders, and his 22 RBIs also place him in the top 15 in the NL. Last year was no fluke, folks. While Beltran has yet to ignite with the same kind of intensity that he showed in the first half of last year, his numbers are consistent and similar. What a savvy two-year deal for Beltran, one of the steadiest and classiest players in baseball.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Miller, of course.

CONCLUSION: It looks like Miller is intent on nabbing not only Rookie of the Year honors, but also the Cy Young Award as well. The bar has now been raised by Miller tonight, which is clearly the best of the season for the Cardinals. Now if only someone can pitch a no-hitter to top him.