Hunt and Peck: Links of the Weekend

Prior to this weekend the past two weeks of the season could only be described as frustrating for our beloved Cardinals. I was frustrated. You were frustrated. Yadier Molina was frustrated (earning him some curious time off from catching). Watching a team scuffle that, on paper, should be flourishing, was not enjoyable by any means. But the game is not played on paper, nerds! The offense was anemic, the bullpen unpredictable, and the starting pitching in a rut. This Blue Jays series was a taste of what we had been - or at least I had been - expecting from this team: fairly strong starting pitching, a mostly reliable 'pen, and most notably, a patient offense that will wear down the starter, string together hits and walks, destroy the confidence of the opposing starter, making him question his life choices, and occasionally flash some home run power.

Will this success follow the team to Tampa Bay tomorrow? Who knows? I sure hope so, though, because this weekend was a lot of fun to watch! - STL Today

What Else is Going On in Baseball...

• Manny Machado had a really rough weekend. Cheer up and relax, buddy. - MLB
• Kenny Powers lives! (thanks flood) - SBNation
• Uh oh. Someone just called someone other than Yadier Molina the "best catcher in baseball" and they may have a point. (Thanks flood!) - Beyond the Box Score
• Justin Verlander plays second base, roars, steals hearts. - Cut4
• Matheny has asked his plays to let him know when they think a call is incorrect, but so far this season, the players haven't really been able to tell. - Fangraphs
• If you missed the MLB Draft and want to get caught up, here is the link for you! - SBNation
• Fourth of July cap stuff! - Sports Logos

What the Cardinals Are Up To...

• Jaime Garcia's changeup is a thing of beauty. It is to be cherished by those of us fortunate enough to witness it. It also got up to 13 inches of horizontal movement Sunday. - Brooks Baseball; MLB
• Did the Cardinals wait too long to call up Oscar Taveras? - Sports on Earth
• Watcha doing, Daniel Descalso? Oh nothing, just ASSISTING with a triple play. - Cut4
• A quick look at the Cardinals draft. - STL Today
• Peter Bourjos can play some centerfield, if allowed the opportunity. - Sports on Earth
• I love The Office. I love the Cardinals. I love this. - Cards Conclave
• Danup weighs in on Kolten Wong, Mike Moustakas, and the AAA Demotion. - Mad em Dashes
• Tyler Lyons and Matt Adams will begin rehab assignments. Jimmy "The Cat" Hayes reported yesterday that Joe Kelly has begun throwing from the mound and will be looking to start a rehab assignment soon. He also reported that Kevin Siegrist is "progressing nicely". - STL Today; MLB

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

NL Central

• Seth Meyers on the Pirates broadcast! - Cut4
• Carlos Gomez is fun. - SBNation
• Anthony Rizzo hits a walk-off homerun. - MLB
• The oldest living Cub sings take me out to the ballgame. He is 97, so you all already know what that means. I mean, the joke writes itself, so do I really have to stoop to that level? Anyway, it is adorable. - Cut4
• Standings:
  

  Milwaukee Brewers	38	26	.594
  St. Louis Cardinals	33	31	.516
  Cincinnati Reds	29	32	.475
  Pittsburgh Pirates	29	33	.468
  Chicago Cubs	25	35	.417

The Tampa Bay Rays

Weekend Scoreboard of Hope and Joy:

Today the Birdos are getting a much needed off day that will hopefully allow them to rest and continue playing well. Adam Wainwright will lead the charge against Jake Odorizzi. First pitch is set for 6:10pm CST and the game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Midwest, Sun Sports, KMOX 1120, WDAE 620 AM /95.3 FM, and WGES 680.

I am always happy to take any link suggestions. Send them to me via Twitter: @lil_scooter93 or e-mail: lil_scooter93@msn.com.