The Chris Moeller Archives

In Suppan, we have to trust

You've probably guessed already that I won't post as consistently after demoralizing post-season losses as I will after post-season victories. (I apologize, in particular, for my NLCS Game 2 negligence, but that defeat at home hurt badly.)
After a playoff loss, I take those first moments of artistic inspiration and attempt to smother them, hiding under the bed, which in my studio apartment, entails pulling out the hide-a-bed and propping the cushions around the sofa to block out natural light.

The Cards face a must-win in Game 4 of the NLCS today. They're as banged-up as they've been in two months, mostlyly because of bad luck, but partly because of ill planning as well, a point I'll return to briefly.

The Astros' throw their weakest link against the Cards today in Brandon Backe, but Backe is a tough pitcher at Minute Maid Park in Houston, close to his hometown of Galveston, TX. The Cardinals counter with one of their strongest starters, post-season or otherwise, in Jeff Suppan, but one who hasn't pitched at all since tossing eight shutout innings in Milwaukee on September 25th.

Losing in the playoffs or the World Series four of the last five seasons, Cards fans have learned a little something about what factors can trip you up in a short series, and inactivity is one of them. In 2000, the Cards swept through the Division Series in three games, like they did this year. One of the disadvantages of doing that, though, is that you don't get to use all four of your post-season starters before the LCS. In 2000, the Cards were already doing without Matt Morris, but they lost Rick Ankiel to baseball's equivalent of the yips in Game 1 of the NLDS, and Garrett Stephenson blew out his elbow in Game 3. The Cards had a 20 game winner that year in Darryl Kile (RIP,) but a numbers game forced LaRussa to bring him back in Game 4 on short rest against the Mets, a series they ultimately lost in five games.

Having Suppan gives Tony the luxury of holding out his ace, Chris Carpenter, until Game 5, which is nice, but now Soup has to come up huge. He did it twice last year-- first in the clinching game against the Dodgers in the Division Series, and then in a career-defining victory against Roger Clemens in Game 7 against Houston. He doesn't have to beat Clemens today, but he does have to pitch after an longer period of inaction, and he has to pitch on the road. Cards fans can take solace in the memory that Suppan was their road warrior in 2004, going 10-1 in 14 starts on the road, plus the playoff clincher at LA. This year, he was a solid 9-5 on the road, with a 3.78 ERA.

Where the Cards' front office is accountable for their rash of injuries is in the outfield. Retiring Larry Walker has been the very definition of a lame duck, and now Reggie Sanders is a victim of "Montgomery Burns disease," (that is, he suffers from every ailment known to science, but those which, collectively, might actually make him available to play.)
GM Walt Jocketty will ultimately be held accountable if these players can't go, because the Cards went into the post-season with the second-oldest outfield in baseball (behind only San Francisco.) Jim Edmonds has not been himself all year, physically, and Walker continues to grind despite four cortisone shots since the All-Star break. Fourth outfielder So Taguchi was LaRussa's best clutch hitter during the regular season, but Jocketty failed to deal for a Matt Lawton or Adam Dunn at the trade deadline. I agreed at the time that the Cardinals were competent enough off their bench to weather any storms, but Jocketty finds himself squarely on the hot seat with many fans.

The Cards had time enough to fill the hole left by Scott Rolen's season-ending injury, but they have been broadsided by the October injuries to Sanders, Rolen's fill-in Abraham Nunez, and set-up man Al Reyes. Yesterday's game could not have illustrated this any better. Sanders' replacement (Taguchi) went 0 for 4, and left Albert Pujols stranded in the on-deck circle three times. Nunez's replacement in the sixth inning made a mammoth error on his first chance, and Reyes, LaRussa's best bullpen option when he needed a strikeout, suffered a tear of the elbow on Fan Appreciation Day, and couldn't be used in that same key sixth inning.

If Suppan comes through again today in Houston, I will write to St. Louis' local daily in support of a statue in his honor outside the new ballpark. A Cards' win would allow their ace, Carpenter, to return on full rest for pivotal Game 5. It would knot the series at two games a piece, and it would deliver home field advantage back to the Birds. It will also assure that at least one more game will have to be played at retiring Busch Stadium.

posted by CM @ 11:15 AM