The Cardinals keep rolling, down Marlins 9-4 - A recap from May 8, 2017

According to, like, experts and projections and stuff the National League has about three bloody good teams (the Dodgers, Cubs, and Nationals), a gap, the Cardinals, Mets, and Giants, and bigger gap, and then everyone else. With the Mets being a disaster right now and Giants being a disaster too, maybe trade them with the Diamondbacks and Rockies who have gotten off to hot starts. Either way, you get the idea.

So when the Cardinals got off to a lousy start against two of those three really good teams the team looked really bad. Now the Cardinals are playing some not very good teams and look really good. The truth is the Cardinals are probably not a good as they are now and probably not as bad as they were then, but it will all even out because, well, baseball! Ain’t that somethin’?

The Cardinals may not be as good as they played tonight, true-talent wise, but darn if it is not fun to watch as a fan of the team. The offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders, the starting pitching has been just short of excellent, and the bullpen has been adequate to great, depending on which members of it are pitching. Tonight was another example of everything coming up Birdos.

Carlos Martínez had a solid day on the mound, surrendering three runs on six hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts in six innings. His big problem? Giving up homers to this guy:

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Marcell Ozuna hit two homers off Carlos accounting for all three runs he allowed. And his name is Marcell, which, despite the variation in spelling, I cannot help but be reminded of the monkey off Friends whenever I hear it.

Anyway, Carlos had a much bigger day at the plate going two for three with four RBI. He cleared the bases with a double in the second, scoring Magnerius Sierra from first.

The rest of the offense scattered eight other hits throughout. Of note, Matt Carpenter walked twice, putting him at twenty-tive walks on the season, which if my math is correct would put him on pace for... 105 walks? Maybe? I am going with it.

Miguel Socolovich finished out the game with three solid innings of two-hit ball. One of those hits was a home run off the bat of the gorgeous Giancarlo Stanton, but other than that it was fine. The bullpen needed the rest after pitching like fourteen innings or whatever on Sunday.

a win expectancy graph:

lil scooter’s lil player of the game:

This prestigious award goes to Carlos Martínez! Hit timely hitting along with his pitching put him at a win expectancy added of .449. Congrats to Carlos!

Tomorrow you can purchase any size drink from your local On the Run at Mobile because the Cardinals scored six or more! Just not the frozen 44 ounce. They do not let you do that.

Tuesday Adam Wainwright will take on Dan Straily beginning at 6:10 pm.