Set the Cards' rotation for the next month

Time to pretend you're TLR/Dave Duncan and play "Set The Rotation For the Next Month."

My original interest in this exercise was selfish. I'm taking the family to one of the four Cards-Nats games on 8/26 - 8/29; the last two times I saw the 'Birds in DC, I got Jeff Suppan ('05) and Todd Wellemeyer ('08).  This time, if I'm shelling out $$ to take the whole family to the park, I'd really like to see Adam, Carp, or Jaime.

So I've tried to determine how Tony will set up the rotation for the next month, starting with the Florida series. This has given me a new appreciation for how tricky this aspect of a manager's job can be.  There are three big challenges here:

1. Limit the starts by our dicey #5 -- whether it's Suppan, Lohse, or Hawksworth;
2. Try to give Jaime some extra rest to re-charge his batteries and keep his arm from falling off next year (and maybe also try to get Carp and/or Adam some extra days to help them for the stretch run);
3. Put our best pitchers on the mound for the two pivotal series against the Reds (August 9-11, and Sept. 3-5).

Here are my two scenarios, after the jump:

Scenario A (which I guess would be the more conventional one, since it keeps our #1, Wainwright, on the most regular schedule), has these advantages:

• Limits Suppan/Lohse to just 3 starts;
• Jaime, Adam, and Carp all get an extra day of rest before a tough stretch of 13 straight games beginning with the Giants on Aug. 20.

Disadvantages? Wainwright wouldn't pitch in the last series against the Reds (but they would have to face Garcia twice). A pretty big disadvantage, I would say.

What about Scenario B? Advantages:

• Adam and Carp would bookend both series against the Reds, which strikes me as ideal;
• Jaime still gets an extra day of rest; meanwhile Adam would get TWO extra days of rest before facing the Brewers on the 18th, and an extra day of rest before leading off the series against the Reds on Sept. 3 (dude is on track for a career high in IP, we need to keep him fresh); and Carp would get an extra day's rest before his starts against both the Cubs and the Giants.

Disadvantages of Scenario B? Well, you'd have to run the fifth starter out there one more time (against the Cubs on Friday the 13th, no less) -- but I think the extra rest you'd give your two horses, Carp and Wainwright, before the final month (which has just one off day) might be worth it.

Thoughts? Anything I've missed? Ways to improve upon either of these scenarios? Let me hear you, fellow VEBers.

I'd probably opt for Scenario B. Meanwhile, it looks like I'll be buying tickets for either the 26th or 27th.  :-)