Boxscore

Whoever had chosen the number 3 has won the “How many games before Chris Carpenter’s injured again sweepstakes.” Congratulations.

The Cubs pretty much ended the Cardinals season on ESPN for all the world not watching the Olympics to see. Chicago won the 3-game series and dropped St. Louis to a distant 3rd place. Yes, the Cardinals, who have defied the odds all season, are now 7 games back. They’re now closer to fourth place than first, and I’m afraid that they’re magical run is nearly done.

Not even the amazing Felipe Lopez can save them now.

Chicago was pretty much awesome. Sure they got blown out in the second game of the series, but that happens. The Cubs, as difficult as it is to believe, are a very good team managed by a crazy, but very good manager.

You know, the Reds had the opportunity to get Lou Piniella. I believe they stayed pat with Jerry Narron instead. Good call, Castellini.

Boxscore

Okay, the title for this wrap isn’t exactly shocking, but it’s getting to the point that it’s difficult to describe how utterly dreadful the Reds are. Case in point: even reporters for the Reds are comparing the team disfavorably to the Pirates. That’s gotta hurt.

Of course, all sensible people know that the Reds are doomed, regardless of what moves are made until Dusty Baker is fired. But apparently all sensible people stopped paying serious attention to the Reds weeks ago and are now watching the Olympics in high definition.

As for the game, Aaron Harang returned too early and it showed. He gave up 8 runs in 4 innings to Houston, despite the Astros being without slugger Carlos Lee, who’s out for the rest of the year with a broken finger. “Magic Man” Gary Majewski also made an appearance and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) in 1/3 of an inning.

Beyond that, there was nothing of note. Same old, same old for a crappy team. The Astros swept the Reds and now likely have delusions of .500 dancing in their little heads, much like the Reds did at the All Star break.

When the Cubs were blown out by the Cardinals yesterday, my natural inclination was to proclaim it the beginning of the end; the first sign of the inevitable implosion.

As satisfactory as I found that kind of drama, it was a stupid idea. Every team gets blown out sometimes (even teams the Reds play), and the Cubs had won the first game of the series. They won that first game with the help of a couple homers from former Card, Jim Edmonds. I’m sure I’m not the first person to ponder the possibility that Edmond’s is just hiding his dyed-in-the-wool Cardinalness and is now just lulling the Cubs into a false sense of security before he unintentionally begins their inevitable implosion in a few weeks. Not like he’s a cheater or on the take or anything, but just that he’d suddenly look inside himself and find that he wasn’t able to do anything to hurt his former team.

I see the Cubs won again tonight. They’re a genuinely good team with a genuinely good manager. That must be nice. I still think the implosion is inevitable.

Boxscore

The Reds continued to display a complete lack of leadership and motivation yesterday as they lost to the Astros.

There was one thing about the game that stuck out to me that I think best exemplify why the Reds suck and what the solution is.

The Dusty-ball approach to batting does not work. After the Astros took a 5-0 lead, the Reds proceeded to swing at any and every pitch Astros ace Roy Oswalt tossed up to the plate. Oswalt had 3 consecutive innings where he threw fewer than 10 pitches. (6 in the 3rd, 8 in the 4th, and 6 again in the 5th.) He just missed a fourth in the 6th when it took a whopping 12 pitches to retire the haplessly managed Reds.

It seems to me that the better approach to coming back from a deficit might, just might, be to be more selective with what pitches you swing at. Make the pitcher work: he’ll get tired sooner and the chances of a mistake pitch increase. Or you can follow Dusty Baker’s wisdom and become the the 2006 Chicago Cubs.

You can see the frustration in the players. Jay Bruce fluffed a fairly easy fly-out to right field. (A play that was hilarious because it ended with Corey Patterson, a player who wasn’t even involved, flat on his ass.)

Hopefully, the Reds wise up before Bruce and the Reds other young talent, as well as the fans and blogger, give up hope.

Boxscore

New Pirates pitcher Jeff Karstens almost perfected the art of pitching yesterday. Thankfully, he didn’t because the come-down from that high would be particularly devastating.

“All right, I pitched a perfect game!”

“Oh, no, it was for the Pirates.”

Talk about a meaningless effort right there. Karstens was very good in his second start, though, and hasn’t allowed a run yet as a Pirate. Pittsburgh can only hope that competency continues from Karstens and all the other players they received.

The perfect game bid was broken up in the 8th by Chris Young. Karstens’ final line was 9 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts.