sputter. kaff. psshhhhhhh . . . . . . . . .
and so escapes a routine win. a lot of little scabs to pick at in this one, and in a tighter race i would have done so compulsively. but under the circumstances i'll let them go and pick instead at the cardinals' gaping wound. last night the cardinals started an outfield of rodriguez, taguchi, and luna. we've seen some grisly combinations out there in the la russa era, but this may well have been the worst. walker took a prescribed geriatric rest day, and edmonds (per the p-d) sat with a gimpy wheel --- which means we may be subjected to more of the same, possibly even this weekend v chicago. the scrubs went 4 for 11 with 3 runs scored last night; let's just say my expectations remain low.
but my confidence is high that help is forthcoming; there are too many outfielders on the market, and the need is too glaring, for jock to sit on his hands. that is just not his style. it is his style, though, to shop with patience, wait for the market to get antsy and asking prices to come down. just before or just after the trade deadline, he'll pick up some bench help for nothing; but for the next week and a half -- including the chicago series this weekend -- the memphis platoon's gonna have to be at the hustings.
re my other pet trade project: ray king has yielded hits to 7 of the last 9 batters he's faced, stretching back to july 5. mercker, guardado, and wagner all still available. . . . .