It's weird. This has become so commonplace now, that it takes less and less time for me to get over these devastating losses. Honestly, I expect it to happen, and it's a pleasant surprise if it doesn't.

we had a big discussion over izzy
all i can say is he leads the league in blown saves.....

i still say if we started a team from zero he would be about my tenth choice as a closer
i put the list of the nine i would take before him in the chat

he has no shut down pitch anymore
looper looked way better tonight

sad sad game to lose, wasting 7 rbis by albert
he looked more disappointed than i have ever seen him walking off that field

..from this loss.  Sure, Albert hid the Cardinals 'weaknesses' as he was doing in earlier in the season...however, those 5 baserunners he knocked in didn't miracle their way onto base.

If you are looking for someone to blame, blame Oquendo (just for a change of pace ;P)  We'd have score 8 runs if he hadn't sent Belliard.

...hold up his glove and wait for a ball to be thrown to him after...the game ending home run?  Seriously, watch closely on any replay you see.

Hellllloooooo.  The game is over.  You just lost it, brah.  

Was he lookin' for a souvenir?  What the hell was that?

   

how about Reyes?  His 4-seamer won't be nearly as objectionable to DD in the 'pen,and they clearly don't trust him in the rotation--perhaps this'd kill two birds with one stone?

Would rather train Wainwright to be our closer than Reyes.

have garnered something like 500 comments.  If you go to the Blue Jay's equivalent of VEB (Bluebird Banter) you'll see they have about 15 comments over 15 games...and nothing about that fight last night.  Still good to be a Cardinal fan!  F it.

...like I mentioned earlier today, and...well...Damn it, Izzy.

Weaver's body language--I watched him really carefully, because I truly was curious.  He's a complete schizophrenic.  Half the time charging off the mound like "gimme the ball, gimme the ball," the other half all slumped shoulders and trudging off the field.  When he broke his bat during his second AB, he turned and tossed it like a spoiled child.  He needed to pick Duncan up after the drop of Reyes' pop, and he didn't.  After the good will engendered by his last start, this was one he needed to cement that confidence.  He blew it.  Both HR pitches to Delgado were tee-jobs.  Horrid.

I don't think So had a shot at LoDuca's single; I had a pretty good angle on it, and if he dove it ~might~ have been close.  But it also might have zipped by him.  I'm 80% sure his play on it--pulling up--was the right one.

Albert is a monster.  No outfielders budged on either blast.  (And I can say I was at the game where he hit 2 taters, drove in seven...and it didn't matter).  Scotty looked lost and overmatched by each Mets' pitcher, especially Maine (who lost it spectacularly once my girlfriend looked at this scoreboard picture, and said "he's hot."  I thought she successfully jinxed him and them.  No such luck).

Flores did a great job through the heart of the order.  Looper did great, too.  Came in (his reception was violently nasty) and threw strikes.

When Beltran came up in the 9th, the stadium was not as rockin' as I'd imagined it would be.  But the moment the ball left the bat, it was like an earthquake, and in the parking lot, it kept going.

Most of the fans I encountered (I wore my Birds on a Bat hat) were cool.  On the way up to the subway, there were a couple of doinks taunting an older (at least 70) Cards' fan.  Idjits.

Gut check tomorrow.  For me, I'm glad I went, but...man, I'd like a do-over...

Albert has to be pissed at IZZY for blowing it. Weaver too. He goes off for the first time this month, and our pitching once again let us down.

Face it everyone. The 2006 Cards are a .500 club. No better. We simply do not have the pitching to win ANYTHING. If we can not hold a 7-1 lead, when the greatest player of all time gives you all 7 runs. Then we DO NOT DESERVE TO WIN ANYTHING.

Yes, they had plenty of chances to add runs in the middle innings. But still, Weaver gives back 4 runs. And IZZY blows another one with a walk off.

What has everyone mad is all the back and forth, up and down bullcrap. They play well for a series, then bend over for the next two. I wish this team had the pitching to win 8-10 games in a row, then keep winning every series in a season like we had in 04 & 05. But we dont. And honestly if our offence can't do anything more than hit into double plays from the sixth inning on, then in all honesty with our pitching, once again, we do no deserve to win anything.

What happened to Rolen? I know he and Albert when back to back over the weekend, But,am I wrong, or has his bat completly vanished since the All Star break?

that when izzy gives up a homer, it's always wayyyyyy out of the park.  when people are teeing off like that, it's not a good sign.

Mets/Cards

Hitting: Mets
Both said it's not even close

Fielding: Split, Kruk took the Mets with Beltran in CF.  Olney said the Cardinals have great defense with Rolen, Pujols, Molina, Eckstein and even Edmonds not being as good as usual.

This one is the kicker:
Kruk: The Cardinals.  They have a deeper rotation.  Sure, the back end of their bullpen is shaky, but with Carpenter, Mulder, Marquis, Suppan and Weaver, the Cardinals have a better rotation.

At this point, I have to wonder if Olney could control his laughter, but he did:
Olney: I'm going to take the Mets.  They've got Glavine and Pedro and their bullpen is stronger.  Their pitchers are a whole half run better than the Cardinals and they've got Wagner at the backend of the pen who is clearly stronger.

I think we have to take the positives from this game, and there are a few:

-King Albert is back. Yeah, he's been hitting well lately average wise. But finally we saw his power triggered, and against a pitcher who's been having a strong season.

-Chris Duncan survived not only the NL player of the week honors, but a day off and kept up his strong play with a diving catch, and 2 walks and a double. Only got out once. If he keeps getting on, and Albert keeps up his power, that's big news.

We need to realize that while our pitching isn't improving, it isn't getting worse. Our hitting on the other hand is getting a lot better. Finally they're playing like they're alive. Finally there's some pop in our bat.

Remember - We're playing the best team in the league right now. And we were oh so close to put a stomping on them. Even if we do struggle this series, if our hitting keeps up, we're gonna rack up a lot of wins against the rest of the league. And if we rack up runs, maybe the pitching will gain confidence, and if the pitching gains confidence, maybe, oh just maybe, we'll see some ERAs under 5? Can we dream?

Made an error in the field, choked (again) with a runner on first, GIDP...man this guy needs to pick it up...

...awesome that he has 'MVP' stitched on them:

I missed out on the chatter during tonights game as I was with my niece's husband who was here in LA for business from STL and we were in a local pub in Santa Monica cathing the last few innings of the Cards game......oh my...
 I know there are a lot of reasons for the loss tonight... Weaver giving up two homers to DelGado ,who just owns him...lack of hitting by guys in the middle and bottom of the line-up...and of course Izzy...9th blown save to lead the majors I believe in that catagory.. but I'm just amazed that we could lose a game where Albert has SEVEN RBI's...but not ONE from anyone else..
 At the end of the Cards win on Sunday I mentioned that I was happy BUT Izzy AGAIN gave up a run...and someone responded yeah...but better get used to it , he's all we have got.. and you know?...He was right. He is all we have. Wainwright is not going to be a better closer at this point. We are stuck with Izzy and that is that. BUT..
I often wonder why ...when someone like Looper comes in and is pitching pretty well...that strike out to end the 8th was awesome, ...WHY doesn't Tony just let him continue into the 9th and IF he starts to get into trouble?..bring in Izzy then..but he NEVER does. Why can't you have him pitch longer in a game like tonights? ..Why? Would we have won if Looper had stayed out there?...I have no idea...but I can tell you this with all honesty?...when they showed Izzy warming up to come in ...my nephew and I looked at each other and both said at the same time..."He's not going to hold 'em"....and ...well...the rest is history.