Cards versus Cubs at Wrigley Field – does it get much better than that? Well, assuming a Cardinal victory anyway…
The United Cardinal Bloggers again undertake our progressive game blog, and you can find the previous and following innings here.
I’m covering the fourth inning today, and here we go with the heart of the Cardinal order:
Top of the Fourth
Ryan Ludwick versus Carlos Silva
Tim McCarver calls Ludwick Eric Ludwick. Tries to correct himself, saying “sorry, I said Ryan, I meant to say ERIC Ludwick.”
What a boob.
Ludwick grounds out to Mike Fontenot, manning third base for the Cubs today.
Silva has been his strange, useful 2010 self today – and the Cardinals have been their strange 2010 striking out selves.
Albert Pujols versus Silva
Pujols smokes a ground ball toward Starlin Castro, who gets almost completely spun around by the ball, making a sort of ole’ play and firing a one-hopper to first base to nab Albert.
Matt Holliday versus Silva
Holliday had a hit the other way earlier in the game, the only one so far for the Cardinals. FOX provided an interesting stat earlier in the game, that Holliday has only knocked Pujols in once twice this season. Once Twice. Ouch.
Holliday works the count full, forcing Silva to throw some extra pitches. The Cards have had a couple strong at-bats seeing a lot of pitches today, but still lots of strikeouts.
Holliday succumbs to the uber-Silva, grounding out to Fontenot at third.
Bottom of the Fourth
So one of the things I was hoping for today, knowing I was covering the fourth inning, was that Adam Ottavino would still be pitching for the Cards. So far so good. Ottavino hasn’t done anything really flashy, and got into a jam with Fontenot at third base on a one-out triple, but has done what it takes to get outs. He’s hitting his spots well and getting good tail on a mid-nineties fastball.
Adam Ottavino versus Derrek Lee
Ottavino has gotten behind a lot of hitters today, and Lee is no different. Ottavino runs to 3-0 before pumping the first strike into Yadier Molina‘s mitt, then inducing a – wait for it – ground ball for an out.
Ottavino versus Alfonso Soriano
Soriano has been a much improved hitter in 2010, actually giving the Cubs a bit of what they’re paying for.
Ottavino falling behind again – count to 3-1 – before walking the Fonz.
Ottavino versus Marlon Byrd
I was admittedly one of the folks kind of snickering a bit when Byrd was the Cubs’ big off-season signing. He has played well for the north-siders though, locking down their otherwise nondescript-in-past-years center field position.
Once again Ottavino falls behind, 2-0. Great time for another ground ball here, but instead it’s ball three.
Count is run to 3-2 when Soriano takes off for second base. Molina makes a throw a bit up the line, and Skip Schumaker tries to make a swipe tag. I say he was out, how ’bout you?
Meanwhile, the next pitch goes into center field, scoring Soriano when the throw from Colby Rasmus gets past Molina. Byrd circles all the way around to third base.
McCarver proceeds to ramble on about Rasmus not playing fundamental baseball, missing the cut-off man – but it appeared to me that Pujols chose not to, or was told not to, cut it and the ball took a weird hop past the catcher. Just shut up McCarver.
Ottavino versus Mike Fontenot
Fontenot triple that was almost identical to his previous three-bagger scores Byrd.
Ottavino versus Starlin Castro
Castro single up the middle scores Fontenot.
The rookie is rattled.
Ottavino appeared to have extremely good control of his pitches early on, hitting his spots, painting corners – that has all gone by the wayside.
Action in the Cardinal bullpen now – and we still only have one out.
Ottavino versus Koyie Hill
Hill grounds to Schumaker, only strong enough to get one out to Felipe Lopez at second base. Lopez has to make a tough play to even get a throw toward first base, and McCarver (shock! awe!) makes a good point – lots of stress on that previously injured elbow of Lopez’ to make that throw.
Ottavino versus Carlos Silva
Silva winds up behind in the count 1-2, one of the few hitters I can remember in the last inning or two that Ottavino is ahead of – then Silva winds up punched out by the first base umpire on a checked swing on a fastball up and in.
End of the Fourth
So maybe I shouldn’t have opened my mouth about “Ottavino still being around,” eh? How’d I get stuck with the flood-gates inning?
Head on over to The Cardinal Virtue to see if the Cards can put up a crooked number in the fifth!
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I believe they said he has driven Albert home twice. Not that it’s much better.
Thanks John, I was trying to keep up with updating the UCB site and typing out my post, etc – maybe should’ve been paying better attention to the game itself. 🙂
Still an UGLY stat.
No doubt about that. For both of them, really.
However, I’ll also say that there’s a big difference between paying attention to the game and listening to the endless drivel of Tim and Joe.
For me, it’s lesser of two evils. For instance, today I will have to listen to Len and Bob on the Cubs broadcast. Hopefully it’s a Cards blowout, that way they have to whine the whole time. I do enjoy that.
How do you confuse Eric and Ryan? It’s one thing when someone messes up the Brewers closer by calling him Charlie Villanueva instead of Carlossince there is a basketball player by that name, but who is Eric Ludwick?
Er, he’s Ryan’s brother that also played big-league ball. 🙂
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/ludwier01.shtml
And also in the Cards organization, at that. He was part of a trade for a certain red-head that is back in the Cardinal dugout these days…
Love when the Cards play against the Cubs. Living in Iowa most people in this area are Cubs fan so it’s nice when the Cards beat them in a series, so I can see the down looks on their faces 😉
Try living in the Chicago suburbs!
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