• At the outset of the game, we questioned why Julio Lugo, who had a .250 OBP and a .222 GPA v. The Lil in 17 PAs, was leading off. He worked a 12-pitch at-bat in his first appearance, drawing cheers for seven foul balls and ripped a single in his second time up. He was on his way to another long at-bat in the sixth, fouling off four more pitches, when Lilly plunked him, as if to be done with the ordeal. Lugo fouled off 11 of the 21 pitches Lilly threw. Anyway, we’re happy to be proven wrong.
• The official scorer ruled Mark DeRosa’s run-scoring, hard-hit grounder down third-base line a triple, but we beg to differ. Yes, it hit the angled part of the outfield wall that connects to the side wall, but that’s a play that does not require extra-ordinary effort. It would’ve been a double with an error on leftfielder Bobby Scales. And no RBI, since Ludwick was going to stop at third until Jose Oquendo saw the ball get by Scales. Ludwick’s run would still have been earned, since he would’ve scored on the ensuing groundout, but DeRosa’s wouldn’t have. (Full disclosure: We have Lilly on a fantasy-league team.)
• The Cubs are paying Aaron Miles $2.2 million to be their designated bunter.
• From an opposing fan’s point of view, the Cub we most fear is Derrek Lee; we would just as soon Cardinal pitchers walk him every plate appearance. Cub we least fear? Aaron Heilman. With all due respect, he’s the kind of pitcher that you get excited about seeing in the bullpen warming. We wonder whether Holliday’s mini-outburst at the first-pitch called strike had the duel effect of firing himself up and rattling Heilman, who threw three consecutive balls afterward, and then the last pitch of the game.
• Speaking of Holliday, he just hits the ball differently from other players. His line drives zoom farther, hit walls harder and fly out of the park more unexpectedly. His hits are the batting equivalent of pitchers who throw "heavy" balls.
• Pitted agaist Mike Matheny and Tom Pagnozzi, Ted Simmons won’t the text-in vote for Cardinals’ best catcher. The contest first flashed on the scoreboard during a Molina at-bat, which caused us to wonder why Molina wasn’t nominated. For that matter, what about Tim McCarver, Walker Cooper or Duke Bresnahan?!
• Kyle McClellan turned in perhaps the most dominant relief performance of the year; he struck out 4 of 7 batters faced and walked one. That one walk was to Aramis Ramirez, but only after a satisfying sequence of pitches. After Ramirez belted an inside fastball 300+ feet just foul, K-Mac came high and tight with another 92-mph heater. Ramirez was a bit miffed, and was set up perfectly for McClellan’s next pitch, a 76-mph curveball below the strike zone that Ramirez fouled off on a weak swing. It’s too bad McClellan ultimately lost him after such a fun start to the at-bat.
• Yadier Molina went into Tony Pena mode in the ninth inning as Ryan Franklin faced pinch hitter Jake Fox. Molina stuck his right leg out straight and nearly sat on the ground to emphasize a low zone. Franklin delivered:
  
• Speaking of Franklin, kudos to TLR for going to him in the tie game. Hopefully the win will positively reinforce the wise strategy. Conversely, Lou Pineilla paid dearly for turning to Aaron Heilman, a lesser light in the Cubs bullpen. He left his best reliever (which, granted, isn’t saying much for the Cubs this year), Carlos Marmol, on the bench. Fat lot of good it did him.At least he’s rested for his next Save opportunity!

This entry was posted by Pip on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 at 12:34 am and is filed under analysis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.