Hunt and Peck: Links of the Weekend

The Cardinals have been chugging along, but if they maintain this leisurely pace, they may not catch the Brewers. After the Brewers hot start, they have also been searching for consistency. Meanwhile, there is the Pirates just chillin' out. Do the Cardinals have enough to make one last surge at the division crown?

<script id="infogram_0_2014-nl-central-standings" src="//e.infogr.am/js/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div style="width:100%;border-top:1px solid #acacac;padding-top:3px;font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;text-align:center;"><a target="_blank" href="//infogr.am/2014-nl-central-standings" style="color:#acacac;text-decoration:none;">2014 NL Central Standings</a> | <a style="color:#acacac;text-decoration:none;" href="//infogr.am" target="_blank">Create Infographics</a></div>

what else is going on in baseball...

• Brad Ausmus is so smart. - Sports on Earth
• Justin Verlander will get an MRI on his... *gulp* right shoulder. - MLB
• Respect the A or something like that. - Washington Post
• Tyler Skaggs to undergo Tommy John surgery. - MLB
• Watch David Peralta's incredible steal of home plate here. - MLB
• Yasiel Puig's bat finally flips itself. - SBNation
• This is a neat article on the best second half comebacks in baseball. ;) - Sports on Earth
• Clayton Kershaw does everything, wins baseball. - MLB
• Albert Pujols tagged up from first on Yasiel Puig and what that means and why it is interesting. - Sports on Earth
• Manny Machado sprained his knee. - SBNation
• At least one of my predictions is looking right. #Felix4Ever - Fangraphs
• OMG THIS BABY. - MLB

what the cardinals are up to...

• Heeeeeeeeeyyyyyy!  
  

  Holy wow. Adam Wainwright just followed @vivaelbirdos.

  — stlCupofJoe (@stlCupofJoe) August 9, 2014

• Bad weekend for your favorite baseball team. 
  

  never should have let the browns leave st louis

  — alex fritz (@boxcar_fritz) August 9, 2014

• Go Jhonny Go! 
  

  Jhonny Peralta trails only Tulo & Hanley for MLB SS OPS (.787) and is behind only Tulo in WAR (4.0).

  — Chris Hrabe (@chrabe) August 12, 2014

• Matt Carpenter is pacing himself to avoid late-season fatigue. - MLB
• John Lackey has quite a... personality. - Hardball Talk
• HAIL PATRICK NESHEK. 
  

  Update: Pat Neshek has a 0.73 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, and 53/6 K/BB in 49 1/3 innings this season for the Cardinals.

  — Drew Silva (@drewsilv) August 10, 2014

• Should Matt Carpenter bat leadoff or nah? - STLToday
• LET ROSEY START MAYBE. - Fox Sports
• Matt Adams heatmap:
  

  @Kameron_Cool Matt Adams has been a better hitter since he started taking outside pitch to opposite field pic.twitter.com/w8gelYHTHO

  — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 8, 2014

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

the nl central

• The Brewers do the ice bucket challenge. - John and Cait... PLUS NINE
• Why the Pirates will be fine without Andrew McCutchen.  - 120 Sports
• Standings:
  

  Milwaukee Brewers	66	53	.555	-
  Pittsburgh Pirates	63	55	.534	2.5
  St. Louis Cardinals	62	55	.530	3.0
  Cincinnati Reds	60	58	.508	5.5
  Chicago Cubs	50	67	.427	15.0

the miami marlins

• Darn you Giancarlo. 
  

  Giancarlo is going to do what Giancarlo wants to do. http://t.co/9r61sDiOAi

  — MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) August 12, 2014

• Obligatory "Giancarlo can do everything tweet". Honestly, I was going to type "Giancarlos Stanton Home Run". 
  

  Who do you think I am, Google? Oh yeah, right. pic.twitter.com/jz2HoWMSbV

  — Heather Simon (@lil_scooter93) August 12, 2014

• Good gracious, this man. - Fish Stripes
• fink previews the series for us! - Viva el Birdos
• For all things Marlins, check out Fish Stripes! - Fish Stripes

weekend scoreboard:

So this weekend wasn't that great, Bob. Tonight Adam Wainwright matches up against Jarred Cosart. So if the Cardinals could, like, win tonight, that would be greeeeeeeat. Catch the action at 6:10pm.

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