Cardinals at Pirates Open Thread, 22nd September 2010

"We just ain't got no mojo right now."

-Colby Rasmus, 9/21/2010

I really hated to bump a Borowsky post down the page, and I didn't have much of anything good to say this morning anyway, so I decided to just skip it. I'm sure we all saw the loss to the Pirates coming, after playing so well against first-place San Diego.

On the season, the Cardinals now have a .622 winning percentage at home and .408 on the road. They're 44-50 against teams with losing records, 33-23 against teams above the .500 mark. They have gone 12-6 against the Cincinnati Reds, 6-2 against the Atlanta Braves, and 5-10 against the Houston Astros. They are currently underperforming their Pythagorean record by six games. It has been a season in which inexplicability is very much the rule.

I'm sure the Baseball Prospectus people Lb referenced this morning did their homework; there was plenty of research and spreadsheets and calculations, I'm sure. But to be honest, I think Colby may have said it better, and more succinctly, than BP ever could: the Cardinals just ain't got no mojo right now.

I wish I could say I have confidence in the Cards' ability to at least make a representative showing for themselves against the bottom-dwelling Pirates the last couple times they meet up, at least close things out with a good feeling. Sadly, I don't have that confidence; I fully expect the Cards to lose two of every three games the rest of the way, then close out the season with a rousing, meaningless four-game sweep of the Rockies.

The only really good news I have to bring you this afternoon is that the Cardinals are facing Charlie Morton, against whom they have been surprisingly successful. You would expect such a mediocre pitcher to dominate El Birdos, but he's 0-3 with an 11.70 ERA in three career starts versus the Cardinals. Oh, and his WHIP against the Cards is 3.00. So there's that. Feel free to blame me if he throws eight shutout.

Of course, the Cards counter with their favourite (and handsomest), mistake, Kyle Lohse. Kyle enjoys Mexican cooking, long walks on the beach, and finishing the season with an ERA under six. I wonder if clapping to show our belief in Lohse will bring him back to life the way it does with Tinkerbell. Hmm.

Enjoy the game tonight. We don't have many left. so savour these last bitter dregs. They may taste awful, but you'll still need something to keep you warm in the months ahead.

The Baron's Playlist for the 22nd of September, 2010

"Biophelia" - Deastro

"Stranded" - The Walkmen

"Envelopes Another Day" - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

"In Response" - Peter Wolf Crier

"Recent Bedroom" - Atlas Sound

"Pedals" - The Love Language