Bernie shoots out two columns in a row. In this column he looks at the pitching of the Cardinals and how they’re doing in 2005 vs. 2004. Can Bernie overcome yesterday’s disastrous 0 out of 10 score?
Bernie starts off the column with a weak entry:
Fourteen games into the 2005 season, the Cardinals are sketching a blueprint that largely resembles last year’s design.
Call me picky, but do you sketch a blueprint? Wouldn’t drafting, designing or outlining been a better choice? Sketching sounds like they’re just throwing it out there. I think the team would think differently; not to mention the lack of excitement sketching brings to mind.
Bernie’s not off to a good start.
Bernie continues as he talks about last year’s surprising success of the staff when compared to the Houston and Chicago teams.
He continues:
That certainly was the case on Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium, when Larry Walker and Scott Rolen shotgunned eighth inning homers to turn a tense 1-0 struggle into a 4-0 victory over the Cubs.
Uh, oh. Shotgunned? Doesn’t that mean scattered? I saw the homers are they weren’t scattered. If you want to use a gun description they were rifled or blasted.
Bernie nails it with this assessment:
They’ve worked 52 1/3 innings, allowing only 35 hits, two home runs, 14 walks and a batting average of .173. The starters’ ERA over the past seven games is 1.19. No rotation can maintain that kind of brilliant pace and the starters are still under scrutiny. Specifically, it’s important for Mulder and Morris to follow up their impressive starts in Pittsburgh.
Bernie concludes the article talking about the lack of hitting the Cardinals have experienced.
Score: 3 out of 10.