1. Bud Norris would be so much more valuable if he would pitch against everyone else the way he pitches against STL.
Kinda obvious, but I just don't understand why he can't be more consistent. Maybe he hypes himself up more for games against the Redbirds, maybe he changes his preparation, maybe he just likes the color red. Who knows? But Norris always looks like the excellent young pitcher that he should be when he plays against our archrival. Wish he would do it more often.
2. Bill Hall and Carlos Lee have no business in the lineup right now.
Lee went 0 for 4 for what seems like the 20th time this season, and while Bill Hall was the hero of the game, let's not forget that that was only his first hit of the night, and one that would never have gotten out of the infield had the Cards been in any other formation defensively. The ball was lucky to have found a hole. But really Mills, why are we putting the two worst hitters in the order in the number 4 and 5 spots? You could maybe make a case for Lee, since he has always hit cleanup (and not to mention he's earning $19 mill a year....maybe that factors into this), but he's atrocious right now at the plate. Just witness what he did in the 9th with the bases loaded and no out: popped out to the pitcher's mound. Reprehensible.
And Hall in the number 5 hole? Sorry Mills, a .230/.288/.351 line doesn't cut it there. Hall strikes out all the time, and he's starting to remind me of Inglett with his early count hacking. Move Wallace up! I can't believe he's still stewing down at number 6.
3. Brandon Lyon still looks shaky in the closer's role.
I feel bad for the guy, because every save he's blown (or in this case, every run he's given up in the ninth) has been against the best part of the opposing team's lineup. Opening Day? He had to face Rollins, Howard, and Francisco. The other night against the Crew, in the game where he eventually got the win, he gave up just one run to the Counsell-Braun-Fielder sequence. And last night, he had to come in against Holliday-Berkman-Freese, and if he hadn't been scratched with a foot problem, the sequence would have been Pujols-Holliday-Berkman. Who wants to face those hitters every night with a one run lead? So I feel bad for the guy. That being said, I still believe that the closer's job is to come in with ice in the veins, and shut the door no matter who's at the plate, a la Billy Wagner. However, Lyon is no Wagner, and he isn't even a Lidge when Lidge was Lights Out. The bullpen is known to be shaky this year, but it'd be nice if we at least had a sure thing on the back end when and if we have a lead.
So everyone can cool their jets now that we've at least won one game in the series (frankly, I was looking at a sweep). Hopefully with a little bit of lineup shuffle, we can nab another win tonight against the hard-to-hit Kyle Lohse.
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