March 2011
Tuesday lineup and tidbits
* According to TLR, Tyler Greene is still feeling quite ill and will not be in camp today.
* The manager also said that David Freese came out of Monday’s game just fine and will play again tomorrow. Sunday and Monday were the first games he played on consecutive days this spring.
* Chris Carpenter will be on a fairly generous pitch count tomorrow, at least as long as a typical second spring start and maybe longer — 50 or so pitches or perhaps a bit more.
* Tomorrow’s game will be the first one on FSN Midwest this spring.
Cardinals lineup vs ATL:
1. Theriot SS
2. Carpenter 3B
3. Pujols 1B
4. Holliday LF
5. Berkman DH
6. Rasmus CF
7. Molina C
8. Schumaker 2B
9. Jay RF
McClellan P
Also scheduled to pitch: Batista, Boggs, King, Sanchez, Miller
Backup pitchers: Lynn, Kelly
And, finally, the playlist:
Rolling Stones, “Just My Imagination”
Elvis Costello, “I Can’t Stand Up”
R.E.M., “Superman”
Material Issue, “Kim The Waitress”
Dinosaur Jr., “Just Like Heaven”
-M.
Cardinals lineups for Monday
Reminder: the Cardinals and Braves will not be using the DH for today’s main game, but will do so tomorrow. As another part of the compromise, today’s B game will also use the DH. Still waiting on ATL lineups, but here are the Cards lineups for the two games:
Main game, 1:05 pm ET, Roger Dean Stadium:
1. Theriot SS
2. Craig RF
3. Pujols 1B
4. Holliday LF
5. Freese 3B
6. Rasmus CF
7. Laird C
8. Schumaker 2B
9. Lohse P
Scheduled to pitch: Tallet, Franklin, King, Motte, Salas.
Extra pitchers from Minor League camp: Rundles, Rauschenberger
B game, 10:15 a.m. ET, Field 1
1. Descalso 2B
2. Robinson CF
3. Carpenter 3B
4. Berkman DH
5. Cazana LF
6. Hamilton 1B
7. Stavinoha C
8. Vazquez SS
9. Chambers RF
Dickson P
Also scheduled to pitch: Augenstein, Snell
Also available off the bench: Anderson
-M.
Saturday camp tidbits: Boggs, Freese, Berkman, Spagnuolo, etc
It’s another gorgeous day in Jupiter, a little bit cool with no clouds.
* Mitchell Boggs is scheduled to pitch today, and is a priority pitcher. They will get him an inning almost no matter what else happens in the game.
* David Freese will start tomorrow and Monday, the first time this spring that he gets back to back games.
* Lance Berkman isn’t expected to play the outfield until at least Thursday’s game against Florida. He’ll DH in games where that’s an option, or sit out, until then.
* Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo is in camp today as a guest of TLR.
* It’s no secret at this point, really, but TLR acknowledged today that Matt Carpenter has at least some shot at making the roster. I’ll be writing on this at more depth later today, but in short, he’s not just getting ABs for down the road.
* Another player who has emerged this camp, John Gast, is a bit of a longer shot, but the manager also acknowledged that it’s not impossible that Gast could make the club. I’d definitely bet against it, but after a round of cuts yesterday, Gast is still here and some guys who looked like better shots are not.
Today’s playlist is the first five tracks from The Clash’s debut album (UK version, natch):
“Janie Jones”
“Remote Control”
“I’m So Bored with the U.S.A.”
“White Riot”
“Hate & War”
(that’ll wake ya up on a Saturday morning…)
-M.
Saturday lineups
Twins:
1. Span CF
2. Tolbert 2B
3. Young LF
4. Valencia 3B
5. Bailey DH
6. Hughes 1B
7. Repko RF
8. Butera C
9. Plouffe SS
Cardinals:
1. Theriot SS
2. Carpenter 3B
3. Pujols 1B
4. Holliday LF
5. Berkman DH
6. Rasmus CF
7. Molina C
8. Schumaker 2B
9. Jay RF
-M.
Friday lineup and early tidbits
Still awaiting a Tigers lineup.
A few early tidbits, prior to our morning session with TLR:
* Chris Carpenter is scheduled to throw live batting practice at 10:15 a.m. ET. The hitters who will face him are Bryan Anderson, Tony Cruz, Adron Chambers and Pete Kozma.
* Mitchell Boggs is listed as a backup-available pitcher today. He’s on the card, but on a separate line from the guys who are slated to pitch.
* Justine Siegal, whom you’ve likely read a good bit about at this point, will be throwing batting practice to David Freese, Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot this morning.
* Lance Berkman is back in, as DH.
And now the lineup:
1. Theriot SS
2. Craig RF
3. Pujols 1B
4. Holliday LF
5. Berkman DH
5. Berkman DH
6. Freese 3B
7. Rasmus CF
8. Molina C
9. Schumaker 2B
Lynn P
-M.
Lucky Seven, Halfway-home edition
We’ve passed the halfway point in Spring Training. Three weeks from today is Opening Day. Sounds like a good time for a Lucky Seven.
As always, if a question doesn’t interest you, just don’t answer it.
1. Who pitches more innings for the Cardinals this year: Kyle Lohse or Kyle McClellan? If they’re both starters, who posts the lower ERA?
2. Assuming McClellan moves into the rotation, and assuming that Franklin, Motte and Boggs have three right-handed spots locked up in the bullpen, who will get the other two spots? Who should? (assuming a seven-man pen, and exactly two lefty relievers)
3. How many games will Lance Berkman start in the 2011 regular season?
4. What about David Freese?
5. Given the injury issues with the Cardinals, Phillies and to a lesser extent Brewers, who is the team to beat in the National League right now?
6. What’s the last good nonfiction book you read?
7. Last good novel?
-M.
Craig scratched
Allen Craig has been scratched due to “left leg tightness,” according to Cardinals media relations. Nick Stavinoha will take his place in right field and in the No. 6 spot in the batting order.
New Cardinals lineup:
1. Schumaker 2B
2. Theriot SS
3. Carpenter 3B
4. Holliday LF
5. Hamilton 1B
6. Stavinoha RF
7. Jay CF
8. Laird C
9. McClellan P
-M.
Thursday lineups from Disneyburg, and one tidbit
Cardinals game notes list Lance Lynn as tomorrow’s starter in place of Chris Carpenter. Here are the lineups:
Cardinals:
1. Schumaker 2B
2. Theriot SS
3. Carpenter 3B
4. Holliday LF
5. Hamilton 1B
6. Craig RF
7. Jay CF
8. Laird C
9. McClellan P
Braves:
1. Prado LF
2. Gonzalez SS
3. Heyward RF
4. Uggla 2B
5. Freeman 1B
6. Ross C
7. Mather 3B
8. Ramirez CF
9. Lowe P
-M.
Wednesday lineups
Wednesday lineups from Roger Dean Stadium:
Cardinals
1. Jay LF
2. Rasmus CF
3. Pujols 1B
4. Hamilton DH
5. Craig 3B
6. Molina C
7. Stavinoha RF
8. Vazquez 2B
9. Greene SS
Westbrook P
Mets
1. Castillo 2B
2. Pagan CF
3. Bay LF
4. Evans 1B
5. Murphy 3B
6. Hairston RF
7. Turner DH
8. Nickeas C
9. Tejada SS
Dickey P
-M.
Wednesday camp tidbits: Optimism (for a change)
A day after Chris Carpenter and Mitchell Boggs got hurt, there seems to be optimism regarding both, and particularly Carpenter.
* I talked to Carpenter this morning and he seemed to be moving around just fine. He said he feels better than yesterday. It sounds like he’s likely to miss one or possibly two starts.
* Did not get a chance to talk to Boggs yet, but TLR sounded optimistic on him as well. I think it’s safe to say that Boggs’ situation is a little less clear than Carpenter’s at this point, but obviously I’ll continue to chase it. We’ll have a story on the site updating both of them soon, and more depth on the situation later in the day.
* David Freese will make his game debut Monday against the Twins in Fort Myers. The official line continues to be that he’s coming along very well. Freese could pinch-hit in the interim.
* No starter has been named for Sunday’s game, which would be Carpenter’s next game.
* TLR expressed little urgency for getting Lance Lynn a start. Lynn will get his innings, but it does not seem to be a priority for him to start a game.
* The manager also said he didn’t do anything special with his lineup against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. He noted that most players will only get one at-bat anyway.
* It appears that Matt Holliday will make the trip to Port St. Lucie tomorrow, while Lance Berkman and Albert Pujols will play in the home game.
And, finally, the playlist:
Jeff Buckley, “Eternal Life”
Garbage, “Vow”
The White Stripes, “The Hardest Button to Button”
Foo Fighters, “Monkey Wrench”
Rage Against the Machine, “Guerilla Radio”
-M.
Matthew Leach
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