Trouble outside the division, though
The Washington Nationals stood three games over .500 in the rugged National League East before Tuesday’s games and this weekend’s visit to Busch Stadium.
This will be the Nationals’ first and last trip to this Busch Stadium, since it will bite the dust of 1,000 sticks of dynamite at season’s end.
Note to self: Check on early November hotel reservation for a room with high floor at a downtown hotel.
Manager Frank Robinson has the team playing at a high level and, in fact, higher than the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Redbirds put what seems like a bi-weekly thumpin’ on the Pittsburgh Pirates over the past three days, and the same will be true for the other NL Central teams when they return to town.
The Cardinals are flat-out dominant in their own division.
But the problem is that the Cardinals have to play other teams. Some of these teams have winning records, like the Nationals. Some of these teams are good, like the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves. Some don’t lose easy, like the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
The Cardinals have not distinguished themselves as the best team in the National League with a quarter of the season behind them.
Currently, Las Vegas would favor both the Marlins and Braves, and possibly the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks, in a seven-game series. Forget the fact that the Cardinals have the highest winning percentage in the league. The Cardinals are a shaky one game over .500 against teams from a different division or the American League.
While the Cardinals took two-of-three games at Kansas City, the pitiful Royals were a base hit or two from winning two games or even sweeping that series.
After sweeping Cincinnati on May 2-4, the Cardinals are 10-8. During that time, they played San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Pittsburgh (for one game).
Speaking of the Reds, you read here first that Danny Graves might find himself available to other teams before the trade deadline. The Cardinals have to be thinking about adding him to that thrill-a-minute bullpen. Graves could slide in as the solid middle relief man and would also be insurance in case Jason Isringhausen re-injures himself or runs out of luck during his heart-pounding relief stints.
Look for the Nationals (24-21 to start the week) to give the Redbirds a run for their money this weekend.
Following Monday’s loss to the Reds, the Nationals are 6-5 in their last 11 games, despite being outscored, 45-36, during that period.
In addition, Brad Wilkerson, the team’s early season MVP, has an ulnar nerve irritation in his right forearm. Wilkerson was not in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game during Monday’s loss, and there is no word if he will play in St. Louis.
But the Nationals’ Robinson enjoys matching wits with Cards’ skipper Tony La Russa and would love to sidetrack the home team’s express journey to the postseason n if just for one weekend.
The rotund Livan Hernandez, one of the league’s hottest and fattest pitchers, will probably pitch on Sunday, which gives the Nationals an excellent chance to take two of three games if they can find a way to steal either Friday’s or Saturday’s game.
See ya at the ballpark, and Happy Memorial Day.