Get Out The Brooms

So what if it's only the Washington Nationals. The important thing is that the Cardinals are in the midst of a five game winnings streak, and still tied for the best record in baseball at 5-1. Now if only the home opener wasn't washed out (insert dead horse here).
Kyle Lohse kept up the streak, and now hands the pressure baton over to Todd Wellemeyer. Lohse pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits. Cardinal starters, who continue to try and outdo one another, have now combined to pitch 37 2/3 innings, while allowing only 4 runs. This was supposed to be the club's weakness heading into the start of the season.

Cardinal outfielder Rick Ankiel was once again the offensive hero, going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, including a solo home run in the third. Ryan Ludwick also had a pair of hits, and catcher Yadier Molina added another RBI. Although the Cards won it 3-0, you got to tip your cap to Washington's starter John Lannan. He was impressive, but took the loss in a quality start. Jason Isringhausen got his third save of the year with another scoreless inning. Here's the full recap and box score.

Living in South Florida, I was forced to watch the Nationals' broadcast, complete with former Cardinal announcer, Bob Carpenter. Of course I would have preferred the home town guys, but Carpenter was a pleasant and familiar voice to listen to. My one complaint about the MASN broadcast was their lack of radar. I was interested in seeing the speeds of the pitchers, particularly the two starters, but was disappointed to see or hear no indication throughout the entire game. Boo.

Tomorrow it's on to the Juice Box, where the Astros will host the Cards in a three game series. Houston will start Wandy Rodriguez in the series opener, followed by Shawn Chacon and Chris Sampson. The Astros are off to a 2-5 start, and won't benefit from a Roy Oswalt appearance during the upcoming series (although Oswalt is sporting a 6.0 ERA). That's two series down, fifty to go.