ROTATION 2013

Associated Press

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, right, visits the mound with pitcher Chris Carpenter, left, in the second inning during Game 6 of the National League championship baseball series against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/The Sacramento Bee, Jose Luis Villegas)

Given health, the Cardinals could argue that all five spots in the rotation for 2013 are already spoken for as they leave 2012. They won't. The team plans to open at least one spot for competition, and there could be two spots open if Jaime Garcia is unable to use rehab and strengthening to avoid surgery on his left shoulder. A look at how the rotation turns for 2013, including the three veterans who have contracts that can expire at the end of the coming season:
CHRIS CARPENTER, RHP
2012: 0-2, 3.71 ERA, three starts
Career as a Cardinal
95-44, 3.07 ERA, 198 games (197 starts)
Contract: Will earn $12.5 million in final year of two-year, $21-million deal.
A sudden return from what was supposed to be season-ending surgery in July gave Carpenter valuable innings to contribute, sure, but also to test his health. He'll return as the Cardinals' ace next season and arrive at spring training after a normal offseason, optimistic that nerve issues have been surgically corrected and, for the first time since 2008, won't be a constant concern.
ADAM WAINWRIGHT, RHP
2012: 14-13, 3.94 ERA, 32 starts
Career as a Cardinal
80-48, 3.15 ERA, 214 games (151 starts)
Contract: Will earn $12 million in final year of six-year, $36 million extension.
In his first season back from elbow reconstruction, Wainwright muscled through early limitations and finished with 213 2/3 innings in 2012. His year ended with seven strong innings in his lone NLCS start, assuring the righty the only question going into the offseason and next year is whether the team can negotiate a deal that keeps him a Cardinal for the rest of his career.
JAIME GARCIA, LHP
2012: 7-7, 3.92 ERA, 20 starts
Career as a Cardinal
34-23, 3.43 ERA, 90 games (81 starts)
Contract: Will earn $5.75 million in second year of four-year, $27-million extension.
Shoulder troubles eroded Garcia's season and complicated his standing within the rotation. The lefty sought several opinions on a rotator cuff tear, and it was determined he could try to recover without surgery. The Cardinals will know by mid-November if that worked. Surgery or not, he enters 2013 with the club "holding our breath a little" for his health, GM John Mozeliak said.
JAKE WESTBROOK, RHP
2012: 13-11, 3.97 ERA, 28 starts
Career as a Cardinal
29-24, 4.18 ERA, 73 starts
Contract: Will earn $8.75-million in first year of extension that includes 2014 option.
The Cardinals' resident sinkerballer was unable to contribute in the postseason because of an oblique strain, one that he'd overcome by the end of the NLCS. That was a disappointing ending to his best season with the Cardinals, one that included 6 1/3 innings per start, his lowest ERA since 2004, and an extension that reworked his 2013 option into a potential two-year pact.
OPEN CASTING
After an All-Star turn and a team-best 18 wins in the regular season, Lance Lynn is the incumbent for this spot. But the Cardinals plan to create a competition between Lynn (18-7, 3.78 ERA, 29 starts) and the three ascending talents who made their major-league debuts this past season: Joe Kelly (5-7, 3.53 ERA, 16 starts), Trevor Rosenthal (0-2, 2.78 ERA, 19 games), and Shelby Miller (1-0, 1.23 ERA, six games). They are the future. They could be the present.

Matheny learns plenty in first season

Buy Now

Laurie Skrivan

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay says goodbye to manager Mike Matheny after Jay cleaned out his locker in the clubhouse on Tuesday. (Photo by Laurie Skrivan / lskrivan@post-dispatch.com)

14 hours ago  •  BY JOE STRAUSS • jstrauss@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8371

A season that lasted 175 games, included 95 wins and brought his team within nine innings of a World Series appearance left Cardinals manager Mike Matheny emotionally drained but wiser for the experience.
Matheny entered the 2012 season a first-time manager inheriting a World Series champion from a future Hall of Famer. He was assigned a coaching staff, a fairly impressive roster with a vulnerable bullpen and a robust starting rotation that for a second straight spring training lost a key arm before opening day.
When October spit him out its other side, Matheny had acquired a better sense of how to utilize his staff and a greater feel for running a bullpen that didn't take final shape until August.
Matheny also learned first-hand how to deal with devastating losses as well as exhilarating reversals.
"I think we had an entertaining season," Matheny summarized last week, three days after the Cardinals suffered the final installment of a seven-game loss to the San Francisco Giants in the National League championship series. "I know it was emotionally draining. I don't think I've been part of a team that had so many gut-wrenching games — not just the close ones, but crazy stuff."
Matheny evolved from conducting lengthy afternoon sessions with his coaches during spring training to being surrounded by them near the dugout rail during early-season games. The situation was a natural outgrowth of an expedited managerial search that followed a lengthy postseason, but Matheny admittedly had to learn which voices to listen to and when.
"I wanted them thinking alongside me so we don't let anything slip. It was a little more chaotic at the beginning because we were all trying to feel each other out," Matheny said. "I'm trying to pick apart people's strengths and weaknesses and where I believe they can help the guys the most. It didn't take long.
"They're talented. They just needed to know where they were needed. They could fill a lot of different roles."
The club was immediately tested by the spring training loss of co-ace Chris Carpenter to a recurring nerve disorder. First baseman Lance Berkman experienced knee discomfort in March that eventually led to two operations. Shortstop Rafael Furcal suffered a season-ending ligament sprain in Washington just before the club made its September push. Lethander Jaime Garcia dealt with shoulder discomfort that necessitated two months off. Managing a defending world champion never became a push-button experience.
Still, an experienced roster played as such.
"This team was very consistent. We got beat, it was dead in here. We came back the next day and it was like it never happened," Matheny said.
"I never saw them go flat because of adversity," he said. "At times I thought adversity brought more out of them."
The manager interspersed themes of urgency and resilience through an 88-win regular season that saw the Cardinals fall behind the Cincinnati Reds on May 24, endure consecutive losing months, find themselves in third place as late as Aug. 21, yet still find enough to craft a 14-6 finishing kick.
Reliever Edward Mujica, whose July 31 acquisition signaled a turnaround for an unpredictable bullpen, thought Matheny "like a player" in his ability to relate to his team. Even during the first half's bullpen chaos, no one publicly took issue with managerial moves. Instead, the club embraced Matheny's mantra to "have each other's back."
General manager John Mozeliak pressed hard for Matheny's hiring. He had made known his intention to hire Matheny long before Tony La Russa announced his retirement within hours of the team's victory parade. Mozeliak also understood there would be a learning curve, at times a steep one.
"When you look at the team we took from spring training, the expectation was the bullpen would be a strength and the rotation would be a question. The reality turned out to be very different," Mozeliak said. "It was the bullpen that became a struggle. And even the most experienced manager will have a difficult time dealing with an unsettled bullpen."
Acquiring Mujica represented a "huge" move, according to Matheny, who established a pecking order that utilized Mujica in the seventh inning, Mitchell Boggs in the eighth and closer Jason Motte in the ninth. All three excelled under more predictable circumstances.
"It didn't get much attention on the national scene. But everyone in here saw what (the trade) did for us," Matheny said. "We were struggling. It's amazing how one piece instantly changed things."
Matheny became a much stronger proponent of a static lineup than La Russa. In 13 postseason games, Matheny made only two adjustments to the batting order and lineup, each resulting from injuries. Matheny acknowledged Thursday such heavy reliance on a set lineup may have eroded his bench's effectiveness, making it more difficult to make changes as the offense mustered only one run in the final three NLCS games.
"I looked every day at it and every night I thought about it. But we also rode those guys so hard because they were coming together so well as a lineup. The guys who you wanted to put in as a spark hadn't seen that many pitches," he said.
Matheny took the playoff defeat stoically. He stopped at numerous lockers following Game 7 to offer words of appreciation and consolation. Like most, he saw the Game 5 loss to soft-tossing Giants lefthander Barry Zito as the turning point.
"We're watching it and watching the radar guy thinking, 'How is this happening?'" Matheny recalled. "Well, he's making quality pitches. He's not making that many mistakes."
The Cardinals ultimately blinked. The weight of allowing 10 unearned runs in the series and getting outscored 16-0 in the first four innings of the final three games proved fatal. "Game 5 was the turning point, to be sure," Matheny said. "You could just see the frustration on everybody knowing that it was right there to be put away, to be able to do it at home and you're not facing (Matt) Cain, (Ryan) Vogelsong and (Tim) Lincecum. But that's how the game works."
Some described the Cardinals' offensive brownout as inexplicable. Matheny saw it differently because he, like others familiar with a two-sided offense, had seen it before, especially in the second half.
"I couldn't say it didn't look like us because we saw this all season. There were times it just wasn't there," Matheny noted. "It didn't matter what kind of batting practice, what kind of extra work or meetings we had. This team went in ruts together. We were just looking for spark to get it going. When you look at Game 5 we had opportunities just like we had all season long."

Bernie: Cardinals fell short, but they went far

Chris Lee

Cardinals closer Jason Motte (right) embraces catcher Tony Cruz as their teammates rush the field after Game 5 of the National League Division Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals on Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Chris Lee, Post Dispatch)

14 hours ago  •  BY BERNIE MIKLASZ • Post-Dispatch Sports Columnist

The 2012 Cardinals didn't have a happy ending to their season. The ending was rather hideous. The defending World Series champions were overthrown in the NL championship series, handing over a 3-1 lead in succumbing to the San Francisco Giants.
In losing three consecutive games by a combined 20-1 score, the Cardinals were to the Giants what Missouri football is to the SEC. The result was a stunning elimination and an early frost as the Cardinals staggered home to begin the offseason.
"I'm still trying to deal with it," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Thursday, three days after his team's elimination. "I should be driving to the ballpark to get ready for a game instead of driving to the stadium to say goodbye to the players."
The Cardinals' 2012 season can be interpreted in several ways. They should have put the Giants away and didn't. That's a negative, but the Cardinals also outlasted all but two of the other 31 MLB teams and fell one victory short of advancing to the World Series.
The Cardinals won 88 regular-season games and barely qualified for the playoffs in the expanded postseason format that accommodated two wild card entries.
Now consider the Cardinals' degree of difficulty. It isn't easy being the king. Just ask recent defending World Series champions that experienced down years in their encore seasons. The 2012 Cardinals went against that established trend.
Of the previous 10 teams to win the World Series, four followed up by missing the playoffs, three lost in the league division series and two lost in the league championship series. Only one, the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies, made it back to the World Series.
By winning a wild-card playoff game in Atlanta, then upsetting Washington in the NL division series, the 2012 Cardinals did better than seven of the last 10 defending champs.
That's why the 2012 Cardinals have no reason to apologize. They won seven postseason games and largely maintained the high standards set in place years ago. This year did nothing to diminish the Cardinals' status as one of the most elite franchises in professional sports.
Since Bill DeWitt Jr. took control as owner before the 1996 season, the Cardinals have won two World Series titles, three NL pennants and 57 postseason games. And over those last 17 seasons only the New York Yankees have more postseason victories. Since 2004, the Cardinals lead the majors with 41 postseason victories — 10 more than the Yankees, who rank second.
As the Cardinals were winning 57 postseason games since 1996, the other teams in the NL Central combined to win only 29.
Great organizations specialize in finding solutions. Great organizations always have a foundation that prevents collapses. Accordingly, in a year of dramatic transition and turmoil, the 2012 Cardinals pushed through the hard times to attain more postseason success.
So much had happened since the World Series parade last fall. There was a seismic change in leadership, with future Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa and esteemed pitching coach Dave Duncan retiring after the 2011 season.
The lineup lost the iconic presence and mass production of Albert Pujols, who bolted to the Los Angeles Angels for a $240 million free agent deal of a lifetime.
The Cardinals also lost Jeff Luhnow, their director of scouting and the amateur draft. After earning accolades for his work in replenishing the Cardinals' farm system, Luhnow was hired as general manager by the Houston Astros.
DeWitt's organization has displayed considerable staying power though the strength of stability. DeWitt had one manager and two general managers over the remarkable 16-season stretch that ended with the hoisting of the 11th World Series trophy in franchise history in 2011.
The Cardinals hired Matheny to manage, and he'd never managed at any level. Considering La Russa's vast experience of managing more than 5,000 big-league games, the Matheny appointment represented a tremendous leap of faith.
The experiment worked.
The Cardinals promoted from within the front office to fill Luhnow's roles. Derek Lilliquist moved from bullpen coach to pitching coach. To replace a healthy percentage of Pujols' offense, the Cardinals made a calculated gamble by signing outfielder Carlos Beltran and his unhealthy knees.
That all worked, too.
"Ever since you look back to 1996 when DeWitt and the group took over, we've had a lot of consistency with the manager, and in the baseball operations," Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said. "I think this past year we've had the greatest turnover. And to still be able to produce like we did on the field is really a credit to a lot of people."
An already formidable challenge was made more difficult by an outbreak of injuries that bedeviled the Cardinals all season. Yeah, I know: Every team must deal with injuries, and change.
Did other teams lose Pujols, La Russa and Duncan? Did the other teams lose Chris Carpenter for all but three regular-season starts? How many teams had to make do without a hitter the caliber of Lance Berkman, who was limited to only 97 plate appearances because of injuries?
Did those teams have an RBI machine, Allen Craig, idling on the DL twice during the first two months? Did those teams lose starting pitcher Jaime Garcia (shoulder) for more than two months? (You may not be thrilled by Garcia now, but in 2010-2011, only Clayton Kershaw had more wins among lefthanded NL starters.)
It never ended. The Cardinals had to play Shane Robinson in center field for a month when starter Jon Jay went on the DL with a bum shoulder. Another shock to the system came Aug. 31 when the Cardinals lost their starting shortstop, Rafael Furcal, to a season-ending elbow injury.
Sure, every team has emergencies, but no team got walloped more severely than the 2012 Cardinals. They are worthy of respect.
Matheny was a strong leader who helped guide the players through the hardships. Beltran wasn't Pujols, but he did swat 32 homers and drive in 97 runs.
The Cardinals covered roster shortfalls by rushing young pitchers to the majors. They were thrilled by what they saw from Joe Kelly, Trevor Rosenthal and Shelby Miller. Rookie Matt Carpenter was valuable as an all-purpose problem solver on the lineup card. Late in the year, rookie Pete Kozma took over at shortstop and may have saved the season with his surprisingly superb play in September.
Mozeliak cited the young talent that's already in place, with more on the way, when he referred to 2012 as a 'steppingstone" season. Yes, and winning seven postseason games is a nice springboard to the future.
So if you want to stay mad and stew all winter in reaction to the Cardinals getting thrown out of the postseason by the Giants, then go ahead and simmer. Stay bitter even though you've been fortunate to witness a golden era for the Cardinals franchise. I'm sure the baseball fans in Kansas City and Pittsburgh will feel really sorry for you.

Arbitration Eligibles: St. Louis Cardinals

Arbitration Eligibles: St. Louis Cardinals

by Tim Dierkes

The Cardinals are next in our 2013 Arbitration Eligibles series.  Matt Swartz's salary projections are below.

• First time: David Freese ($2.6MM), Mitchell Boggs ($1.3MM), Marc Rzepczynski ($900K)
• Second time: Jason Motte ($4.7MM)
• Third time: Edward Mujica ($3.2MM), Kyle McClellan ($2.4MM)

With Motte, Mujica, Boggs, Rzepczynski, and McClellan, the majority of the Cardinals' arbitration cases are relievers.  In his first full year as the Cardinals' closer, Motte racked up an impressive 42 saves with strong peripheral numbers.  The 30-year-old is under team control through 2014, and the Cardinals could reduce the cost and add a free agent year or two with an extension.  The three-year, $20MM extension signed by Carlos Marmol after the 2010 season could be a model.
Mujica came to the Cardinals at the trade deadline and allowed just three runs in 26 1/3 regular season innings.  With 30 holds this year, he's in line for a handsome raise.  Boggs posted 34 holds, and will top $1MM as a first-timer.  Rzepczynski slipped this year, but figures to be retained affordably.  McClellan spent most of the year on the disabled list, requiring shoulder surgery in July.  Earlier this month, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch wrote that McClellan will throw for the entire month of November, which will give the Cardinals a chance to evaluate him before deciding whether to tender a contract.  Langosch expects McClellan to be non-tendered, but with the door open for a new contract.
Freese, 29, made the All-Star team this year and ultimately posted career highs in games played (144 in the regular season) and thus all relevant counting stats.  Last year's postseason heroics won't hurt at the arbitration table, either.  Is it too early to consider extending Freese, a Wildwood, Missouri native?  Freese's injuries this year were numerous but minor, though you hate to see any kind of ankle concerns still cropping up.  I think the Cards would be best-served to let 2013 play out before seriously talking extension.
Assuming everyone is tendered a contract aside from McClellan, the Cardinals are looking at a projected $12.7MM for five arbitration eligible players.

Cardinals are armed and ready

J.B. Forbes

St. Louis' Yadier Molina and Lance Lynn talk after Lynn made a throwing error allowing a run to score in the fourth inning of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis on Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, at Busch Stadium. Photo By J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com

13 hours ago  •  BY DERRICK GOOLD • dgoold@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8285

When Chris Carpenter started his unexpected push to return to the Cardinals' rotation this season, his arm felt strong, his surgically improved shoulder responded, and his conditioning hadn't softened. One thing gave him pause.
He saw the young arms the team had used in his absence.
"We have a group of young people who I was like — well, should I really come back?" Carpenter said. "I'm telling you, I had that in my mind. Is my stuff and my ability going to benefit us? ... We have some power guys, some competitive guys, some hard-working guys, some guys who care, all these young guys.
"It's totally different than when I first came here."
Despite what appears like the inevitable departure of starter Kyle Lohse to free agency, the Cardinals will return five incumbents for the rotation in 2013. Carpenter expects to be full-strength, joining Adam Wainwright, Jake Westbrook, Jaime Garcia, and Lance Lynn. That does not mean the rotation is settled. Youth must be served.
The Cardinals plan to open up at least one spot in the rotation for competition; so encouraged by what they saw from young lions like Joe Kelly, Trevor Rosenthal, and Shelby Miller that the organization will give them a chance to compete for a spot with Lynn. All he did was take over Carpenter's spot in the rotation, win 18 games, and earn a spot in the All-Star Game. All four of the contenders will be 25 or younger.
"To have these guys step up and do what they did shows us a lot of this isn't all smoke and mirrors when we talk about what we have in the minor leagues," general manager John Mozeliak said. He added later: "You never have enough pitching, but I do think from our end a lot of it has crystallized in terms of exactly what we have. First of all, we've never had this kind of conversation where we felt like we had this kind of depth and this kind of quality of depth."
Although the rotation lost Carpenter to nerve issues during spring training and didn't have Wainwright or Garcia at their best for several stretches, it still propelled a team that came one win shy of the World Series. The Cardinals' starters had a 3.62 ERA combined, which ranked third in the National League, and their 71-47 record was second to Washington. What propped up the rotation beyond Lohse's 16-3 season was the arrival of Lynn as a starter and Kelly as a big-leaguer. Before faltering in the second half and moving into the bullpen, Lynn was 11-4 with a 3.41 ERA as a starter. Kelly went 4-6 with a 3.74 ERA as a starter and had seven consecutive quality starts while filling in for Garcia.
Rosenthal and Miller, September callups, joined later, primarily as relievers, and both pitched their way onto the playoff roster. Rosenthal used his overpowering velocity — more than half his pitches were 99 mph or faster — to 15 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings in the playoffs.
"Joe and Lance and Trevor and Shelby — those are big-time arms that are going to be here for a while," Wainwright said. "When you're going to sign somewhere long-term, you want to look at what kind of team you're going to have, who you're going to call teammates. And the future here is real bright."
Although their immediate future could be in the bullpen, all four young guns will come to spring training as starters, conditioned for a starter's workload.
Garcia's health is a question mark as November arrives, and Mozeliak said his availability for 2013 won't truly be clear "until you ramp it up and put yourself on the mound." If Garcia requires surgery or is slowed by shoulder trouble, a second spot in the rotation would open. Assigned to improve his conditioning this winter, Lynn figures to be the favorite. Kelly and Rosenthal have proven proficient in a relief role but capable of starting. Miller has been pegged since being drafted 19th overall in 2009 as a future starter.
Manager Mike Matheny said though the young arms will come to spring as starters, they'll leave in whatever role improves the major-league club.
"We appreciate our development system, but we're not in the development business in this clubhouse. We're in the winning business," Matheny said. "So, we don't want somebody sitting around here to be a mopup man if they can be getting better as a starter (in Class AAA). But if he can help us win, that's going to be the focus."
On Thursday, Rosenthal was back at Busch Stadium, preparing for a workout in the players' weight room. Rosenthal has relocated to St. Louis for this winter in order to shadow Carpenter and others as he prepares for 2013. Wainwright was there packing up his locker and he chided the rookie for getting back to work.
Take two weeks off, Wainwright said.
Rosenthal offered a reason to keep working.
Take two weeks off, Wainwight insisted. He added that Rosenthal deserved the rest and needed the rest "if you're going to be a starter."
That's the only if for Rosenthal and the others.
Their role is uncertain, their future contribution isn't.
"We're going to go to spring training not sure what to do with everybody," Carpenter said. "We're going to have too many guys, guys who have already proven themselves in the minors, guys who have already proven themselves here. There could be four guys for one spot and all four deserve it."

Bernie Bytes: Awards for 2012 Cardinals

Laurie Skrivan

Closer Jason Motte and catcher Yadier Molina celebrate after the Cardinals beat the Giants in Game 3 of the NLCS at Busch Stadium. (Photo By Laurie Skrivan / lskrivan@post-dispatch.com)

2 hours ago  •  BY BERNIE MIKLASZ, Post-Dispatch Sports Columnist

The 2012 Cardinals had a good season, and they have nothing to apologize for, and I’ll discuss their year and their future in a Sunday column.
Today, let’s dish some team awards:
Most Valuable Player: Catcher Yadier Molina. This is an easy call. I don’t think I really need to explain the choice. But in case you missed the season … not only did Molina maintain his status as the best defensive catcher in baseball, but he emerged as an offensive force in 2012. He finished fourth in the NL in batting average (.315), 10th in onbase percentage (.373), 14th in slugging (.501). He hit 22 homers, 28 doubles, drove in 76 runs and swiped 12 bases. Just a superb all-around season, and don’t forget his leadership in running the pitching staff. In the FanGraphs.com rankings of Wins Above Replacement, Molina was 7th in the league with a WAR of 6.5.
The STL Cy Young: Kyle Lohse. Another easy pick here. Lohse was fifth among NL starting pitchers in ERA (2.86), tied for fourth in quality starts (24), seventh in innings pitched (211), and had the top winning percentage (.842) after going 16-3. His win total should have been higher. Lohse was down on the list (24th) of NL pitchers that received the most run support per start. In 12 combined starts in which he was charged with a loss or had a non-decision in a game that the Cardinals lost, Lohse had a 3.41 ERA and eight quality starts.
Rookie of the Year: Matt Carpenter. He really had a superb season, providing significant value with his ability to produce offensively, play all of the corner defensive positions, and serve as a highly effective starter when needed. Carpenter helped lessen the damage of the Cardinals’ many injuries by hitting .308 with a .382 onbase percentage and .490 slugging pct. in 66 games as a starter. He also had 11 RBIs as a pinch hitter. He batted .311 with runners in scoring position, and .333 with RISP and two out, and .303 in high-leverage situations.
Breakout season: The choice is Allen Craig. Yes, Craig emerged as a true impact bat in 2011, but that was as a part-time player. This season he went national in that he had enough plate appearances to qualify for the league’s leader boards on offense. Craig finished sixth in the NL in batting average (.307), led the majors in average with runners in scoring position (.400), was fifth in slugging percentage (.522). Most of all, he drove in runs. Despite playing in only 119 games and taking only 469 at-bats due to injuries, Craig finished tied for fifth in the NL in RBIs with 92. But here’s the true measure of Craig’s timely production: he led the NL in RBI rate, delivering an RBI every 5.1 at-bats.
Most underrated pitcher: that would be the closer, Jason Motte. He was tied with Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel for the league lead with 42 saves. After some rough moments in the first two months, Motte found a consistent groove in the middle of June. From June 13 until the end of the regular season, he had 41 saves in 45 opportunities, an ERA of 2.18 and averaged 12 strikeouts per nine innings. So why do I believe Motte is underrated? Because closers usually are ripped by fans when they blow saves, and there is a tendency to overlook the quality and consistency of their work.
Most underrated hitter: Matt Holliday. Many of you will disagree with that. I would guess that many of you would go the opposite way and claim that Holliday is most overrated … which is EXACTLY why strongly believe he’s underrated. In my 27 years I’ve never observed a prominent St. Louis athlete that’s been as unfairly maligned by fans as Holliday. Why is that? We’re an old-school baseball town, and a nostalgic baseball town. Holliday got a $120 million contract from the Cardinals and way too many fans are hung up on that, forgetting that (1) this isn’t 1952, and (2) Holliday provides good value for the dollar.
Most overrated hitter: center fielder Jon Jay. I think Jay is good. I think he had a good season. He was impressive in his defensive range in CF. I respect him. But I would also be a coward if I declined to choose someone for the overrated category. My reason for Jay? A .210 batting average, .274 onbase percentage and .275 slugging percentage on the road. That’s really a minus for a leadoff hitter. Jay played well in center, he had a plus five rating in the John Dewan Fielding Bible system. But that plus five didn’t place him among the plus-minus leaders in CF. Atlanta’s Michael Bourn was a plus 37. I like what Jay did for the 2012 Cardinals. He deserves credit for snatching the job from Colby Rasmus, and then holding onto it and making the best of it. I’m just hung up on the home/road splits.
Most overrated pitcher: this one is tough; Adam Wainwright would be the choice of many because he wasn’t in vintage form and had some rough days. Which us understandable; he missed all of 2011 (elbow surgery.) Jake Westbrook is a candidate. But the choice here _ and really I am not trying to be controversial _ is Lance Lynn. Why? Overall he did a nice job for the Cardinals. A very nice job, going 18-7 with a 3.78 ERA. But did Lynn really deserve to be an NL All-Star? Probably not. Other NL pitchers were having better seasons at the time, and that includes Lohse. But more than that, Lynn had a 4.78 ERA over his final 16 starts and was demoted to the bullpen. A lot of people will point to his wins and say, “How the heck can that be considered overrated?” One answer: Lynn had the most generous run support of any NL starter in 2012. I like Lynn’s future prospects. He’s talented. And the Cardinals want him to focus on conditioning this offseason. That will help him.
If you prefer the standard stats, Holliday finished seventh in the NL in RBIs, seventh in onbase percentage, seventh in runs, 17th in slugginng, eighth in combined onbase+slugging, 10th in extra-base hits, 15th in batting average, 14th in homers, fifth in most times on base. People obsess over his batting average with runners in scoring position, but batting average in high-leverage situations is a more credible stat. In high-leverage plate appearances Holliday batted .276 with a .376 OBP and .495 SLG.
In the sabermetric evaluations used by front offices, this season Holliday was 14th in the NL in WAR (5.1). In Holliday’s three full seasons with the team his WAR is 16.7, and over that span only Joey Votto, Ryan Braun and Andrew McCutchen have been more valuable among NL players. According to FanGraphs, Holliday played at a $26 million value in 2010, a $22.5 million value in 2011, and a $23 million value in 2012.
Best newcomer: Carlos Beltran. Yes, his extended drought after the All-Star break was problematic and disturbing. And it knocked down his season numbers to a .269 batting average, .346 OBP and .495 SLG. But Beltran reheated in September and played an important role in getting the Cardinals to the postseason. Here’s the bottom line: Beltran played in more games and had more at-bats (547) than we than we expected (151). He hit 32 homers and drove in 97 runs. He was a starting NL All-Star. I don’t know about you, but that was more than I thought he would do.
Coach of the Year: Derek Lilliquist. He did an excellent job taking over as pitching coach for Dave Duncan. He maintained the high standards, and the performance, and did so despite considerable injury-related turmoil within the rotation.

Jay's in charge in center

 

J.B. Forbes

St. Louis's Jon Jay makes a leaping catch against the wall in the sixth inning of game two of the National League Division Series between the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Monday, Oct. 8, 2012. Photo By J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com

8 hours ago  •  BY DERRICK GOOLD • Cardinals Insider

It happened early in spring, perhaps even the first time they met as teammates, and its importance carried all the way through October.
Carlos Beltran, who has three Gold Glove Awards as souvenirs from his time as a center fielder, approached Jon Jay, the Cardinals' full-time center fielder for the first time. Jay had been thinking all offseason about how he needed to be more assertive in center. He wanted to lead more, yield less. And here was the Cardinals' new right fielder, one of the finest center fielders of his generation, coming to him with some words of advice.
"Hey, do your thing out there," he said, as Jay recalled. "You're the center fielder."
Emboldened by that role and encouraged by the two veterans flanking him, Beltran and left fielder Matt Holliday, Jay emerged this season as what manager Mike Matheny called "the quarterback of the outfield." Jay started 108 games in center, led the team in highlight-reel catches and went the entire regular season without committing an error. He will at least be a finalist for the Gold Glove Award and could win his first — a fact that his manager, general manager and even teammates trace back to what he first did in spring training.
He took charge.
"The largest area of improvement was really just him taking control of the outfield," Matheny said. "That's a pretty tough spot for a young player to be put into when you have Matt Holliday on one side and Carlos Beltran on the other with a lot of accolades on their shelves. He took control and that's a huge part of the position: (don't) be afraid to tell a guy, 'Hey, you need to get closer to the line.' They certainly have respect for Jon and his instincts now, and that's a huge step forward."
Added Jay: "I think it was having the chance to know I was going to be out there more, knowing that I was going to get the time to prove myself."
Time worked for Jay. It only recently worked against him.
Last month, the center fielder heard from his agent that he would fall less than a week shy of qualifying for arbitration this winter. This week it was announced that "Super Two" status was given to the players between two and three years of experience with the top 22 percent of service time.
Under the agreement between the union and the leagues last November, the bar this offseason was set at two years, 139 days. Jay has two years, 134 days. Those five days mean Jay won't have access to arbitration to raise his salary for 2013 and the Cardinals will have control of him for another four seasons.
"I came into the year knowing the situation. It doesn't change anything for me," Jay said. "I don't take anything for granted. I know how this game is. You've seen it a lot with guys in other years. You're in. You're out. I work hard to stay consistent. That stuff takes care of itself."
Jay speaks from experience because he's often been the player who was in while others were out. In 2010, his play as the fourth outfielder allowed the Cardinals to trade Ryan Ludwick for Jake Westbrook. In 2011, Jay outplayed Colby Rasmus in center and that led, in part, to a deal that sent Rasmus to Toronto and instantly steeled the bullpen for an October run. In 2012, Jay took over as the everyday center fielder, and he'll return as the incumbent in 2013 — but there may be a challenger on the horizon.
Oscar Taveras, 20, is being developed as a center fielder, and on Thursday general manager John Mozeliak called him "one of the most prolific hitters I've seen in our organization probably since Albert Pujols." Taveras won the Texas League's equivalent of most valuable player award after batting .321 with 23 home runs, 94 RBIs and a organization-high .572 slugging percentage. In six games already this fall for the Dominican Winter League, Taveras has a .364 average with two homers. Projected initially as a right fielder, Taveras has improved enough for the team to think his athletic ability will translate to center.
Although Taveras will come to big-league spring training in 2013, that doesn't mean he'll arrive as a center fielder or that he'll leave spring with the major-league club.
That takes time.
"That's a great question, frankly," Mozeliak said when asked how a young player could take control of the demanding position. "That should be what drives the answer. It is the hardest position to play as a rookie. When you think about getting Taveras in the mix I'm not sure what that looks like."
What it means for Jay is the very thing that allowed him to stand out and take over as center fielder for the Cardinals is what will keep him there.
He seized control of the role.
"Right now, he's our center fielder," Mozeliak said. "And he played like it."
Jay started the final 41 games of the regular season in center and all of the 13 playoff games. He will have his right shoulder re-examined soon to assure that the injury he sustained in April doesn't have lingering effects. Jay also took over at leadoff when Rafael Furcal faltered, and the lefthanded-hitting outfielder batted .303 in the top spot. Though a .224 average and a .289 on-base percentage on the road was a riddle, and hole in his season. Jay doesn't plan to spend much time this winter fretting about that extreme split, focusing instead on improving his approach at leadoff and his angles in the field.
He sees winning a Gold Glove much as he views falling short of arbitration: It takes time. Often a stellar defensive season puts the player in the conversation first and the Gold Glove doesn't follow until a year later — if the fielder earns the opportunity for an encore.
"I understand how all this stuff works," Jay said. "I know how this game is — you have to wait your turn. You have to put in your time, pay your dues. ... You put in your time, your work, and you wait patiently and then your time comes."

Cardinals stay on steady course

Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny talks to the media about the season on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Photo by Huy Mach, hmach@post-dispatch.com

8 hours ago  •  BY JOE STRAUSS • jstrauss@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8371

Next season's Cardinals team will bear a striking resemblance to the edition that secured 88 games this season, captured the wild-card playoff, unseated the Washington Nationals in a best-of-five playoff and ultimately couldn't protect a 3-1 lead in the National League championship series.
General manager John Mozeliak offered the appraisal during a far-reaching Thursday briefing at Busch Stadium. Mozeliak allowed that free agent 16-game winner Kyle Lohse and oft-injured first baseman Lance Berkman don't fit into a future heavily reliant on organizational depth but said he has challenged his front office to find "creative" methods to improve the club.
"If you go around the diamond right now you would assume all these jobs are locked up and that sort of scares me looking at next year," Mozeliak said during a morning 40-minute session. "I just want to make sure that we're really taking a step back as we enter the (general managers') meetings, winter meetings and free agent market that we're not close-minded to anything that might improve this team."
Mozeliak spoke optimistically about pitcher Jaime Garcia's and shortstop Rafael Furcal's ability to avoid surgery following respective season-ending shoulder and elbow issues. He also minimized the possibility of center fielder Jon Jay requiring a procedure to address a shoulder weakened in an early-season collision with the Busch Stadium wall.
Most of all, Mozeliak voiced confidence in an increasingly productive minor-league system that is shifting from a complementary resource to a primary one.
Mozeliak insisted young arms Joe Kelly, Trevor Rosenthal and Shelby Miller would arrive at spring training positioned to compete for a spot within a starting rotation that already boasts five pitchers under control. The fifth-year GM referred to outfield prospect Oscar Taveras as "the most prolific hitter I've seen in this organization since probably Albert" Pujols and said that second base prospect Kolten Wong would compete for playing time next spring as well.
Ramifications for the current club are mixed:
Mozeliak referred to Jay as "our center fielder, and he played like it." The description softens any expectation Taveras, rated by many draft analysts as among the game's top five prospects, might unseat Jay next season. Jay's value is especially high as he fell six days of major-league service shy of reaching "Super Two" eligibility for arbitration.
Still, Mozeliak said he believed it likely the 20-year-old Taveras would appear with the parent club at some point in 2013. Mozeliak described Taveras as "an unbelievable hitter."
An anticipated crush at second base should include Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma, Wong and potentially Matt Carpenter, who will use this winter to add a fifth position to his repertoire. The glut argues against veteran Skip Schumaker, the starter at the position for more than two seasons, receiving significant time there.
"It's hard to imagine him getting a ton of playing time there with what we know we have and what we have coming," Mozeliak said.
Schumaker's role on the club would appear further pinched with Jay, Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran forming an everyday outfield. Mozeliak made clear he would seek to bolster a bench that represented a weak link in October.
All but neutered once Allen Craig and Carpenter filled frequent starting roles, the bench could use "that little extra thump late in the game," according to Mozeliak. "Overall, there were reasons why our bench became what it was. That's certainly something we'll look at in the offseason."
Craig remains more comfortable on an outfield flank, according to Mozeliak, but his immediate future remains at first base.
Craig's ascendance leaves little need to bring back Berkman following a season truncated by two right knee operations that left him unavailable for the postseason. For the same reason, prospect Matt Adams appears blocked.
"When you look at the depth we have coming, it's hard to imagine us finding a fit for (Berkman) here," Mozeliak said.
The return of Adam Wainwright, Garcia, Jake Westbrook, Chris Carpenter and 18-game winner Lance Lynn similarly argues against offering a long-term deal to Lohse, who looms as one of the market's three most attractive starting pitchers. The club hasn't approached Lohse (16-3, 2.86 ERA) about his pending free agency, nor does Lohse expect it to happen. Mozeliak called extending the relationship "probably unlikely at this time."
Lynn's conditioning drew the club's attention, and both Mozeliak and Matheny indicated emphasis was placed on the big man tapering himself this winter.
With an abundance of power right arms available in relief, the Cardinals will pursue additional depth on the left side. Marc Rzepczynski was the only lefthanded reliever on the team's postseason roster and was seldom used.
Mozeliak noted the availability of hard-throwing rookie Sam Freeman while allowing that he would be aggressive within the market.
"Overall, I would say that's on the short list of things to look at," he said.
The glut of righthanded relief makes it likely the club won't offer a contract to Kyle McClellan, the bullpen's senior member. McClellan, who is still rehabilitating from shoulder surgery in May, has cleaned out his Busch Stadium locker and may shift his rehab to an outside trainer.
Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny remained at a loss to explain a prolific but inconsistent offense that suffered its final brownout while scoring only one run during the Cardinals' last three losses to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. The tendency, however, may lead the club to aggressively pursue a situational lefthanded bat this winter.
"It's a very odd year to explain when you look at the run differential (plus-117) being one side of the equation and then look at our one-run games (21-26) and lack of success," Mozeliak said. "There's not one place you can point to in explaining it."

Cards make one change to coaching staff

Chris Lee

Cardinals starting pitcher Joe Kelly high fives bullpen coach Dyar Miller as they talk in the bullpen before a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets on Tuesday, September 4, 2012, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com

6 hours ago  •  BY DERRICK GOOLD

ST. LOUIS • The Cardinals will add a new bullpen coach after notifying Dyar Miller, a veteran of the organization, that his contract will not be renewed for the 2013 season, general manager John Mozeliak announced this morning at Busch Stadium.
All of the other coaches, including hitting coach Mark McGwire, pitching coach Derek Lilliquist and third-base coach Jose Oquendo, will be offered a chance to return.
Mozeliak said the move allows manager Mike Matheny to put his fingerprints on the coaching staff.
"From a standpoint when we're putting the whole staff together," Mozeliak said, "we wanted to look at long-term."
Mozeliak said the preference would be to fill the position from within the organization. Cal Eldred has been mentioned as a possible candidate in the past, and he is a close friend of Matheny's. Blaise Ilsley has served in the minor-leagues, last year with Class AAA Memphis, and is well-regarded within the organization and familiar with the young arms that Cardinals will rely on next season.
When asked, he could not say whether Miller would be offered a chance to remain within the organization. Miller served for a long time as a minor-league coach and the pitching coordinator.
Some other comments from Mozeliak this morning:
• He called re-signing Kyle Lohse "probably unlikely."
• He said all of the young, power-arm pitchers like Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, Trevor Rosenthal and Shelby Miller will be brought to spring training conditioned as starters so that they can compete for an opening in the rotation. He added that Lynn has been given an offseason plan that focused on conditioning.
• There will be concern about Jaime Garcia's health and Rafael Furcal's availability that won't be answered or cleared until spring training.
"The probability of (Garcia) having surgery is very remote or small at this point," Mozeliak said. "We'll go into spring training, hold our breath a little bit with him. Until you ramp it up and put yourself on the mound, we're not going to know for sure."
• He said that with veteran Lance Berkman "it's hard to imagine finding a fit for him here," Mozeliak said.
• Skip Schumaker is not seen as an option at second base for the team going into 2013.
"It's hard to imagine him getting a chance at a ton of playing time there with what we know we have," Mozeliak said, "and what we know we have coming."
That is a reference to first-round pick and rising prospect Kolten Wong.
• The other prospect discussed was Oscar Taveras, the outfielder and Texas League most valuable player.
"He is the most prolific hitter I've seen in our organization in a long time, probably since Albert Pujols," Mozeliak said. "To think he'll play in the major leagues in 2013 -- I wouldn't rule it out."
• Mozeliak also tied how the 2012 went with how the 2013 season should be welcomed in a summary statement.
"The general narrative of 2012 was all of the turnover and change and still having the same success in the season," Mozeliak said. "The hurdles this organization had to deal with ... and then handling them internally. We'll utilize that (farm system) as an asset to sustain the success that we had this year."

Carpenter told to 'focus' on second base

Chris Lee

Second baseman Matt Carpenter is unable to reach a single by Colorado's Wilin Rosario in the July 5 game at Busch Stadium. Carpenter appeared in five games at second base for the Cardinals in 2012. (Photo by Chris Lee / clee@post-dispatch.com)

3 hours ago  •  BY DERRICK GOOLD

ST. LOUIS • As he looks back at the 2012 season with the intent of planning ahead for the 2013 season, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said he is working through the notes he wants to pass along to his players and coaches this winter.
He already has passed along one note to Matt Carpenter.
Actually, it was more of a homework assignment.
"I told him to make it a focus," Matheny said of instructing Carpenter to work this winter at second base, a new position for the lefthanded-hitting utility fielder.
"And go see what he can do with it and be ready to (come to spring training) as a ballplayer. I want him to have some repetition out there."
Carpenter appeared sparingly at second base this past season, but the Cardinals often toyed with the idea of getting him playing time there so they could get his bat in the lineup more consistently.
Carpenter proved adept enough at the corner positions -- first, third, left and right -- to spell the regulars there.
Matheny said his hope is to actually get Carpenter and Jose Oquendo together a few times this winter to work directly on the position and give Carpenter a head start going into spring training. Daniel Descalso is the de facto incumbent at second base.
General manager John Mozeliak said earlier this morning that it would be hard to see how Skip Schumaker would get playing time there. Kolten Wong, a first-round pick in 2011, will get a look at spring training to see if he's ready to vault from Class AA to the majors as the second baseman.
Carpenter would offer a bigger bat for the position while also adding to the many ways they could use him during games.

Holliday plays on through family health crisis

Matt Holliday drives an RBI single into center field in the first inning of Game 4 of the NLCS at Busch Stadium. (Huy Mach photo / Post-Dispatch)

2 hours ago  •  BY JOE STRAUSS

With a series-clinching win over the Giants tonight, the Cardinals could assure themselves of spending the next eight days at home.
So in a way, they play today for left fielder Matt Holliday, who helped position the Cardinals for their 8-3 win in Game 4 of the NLCS with two RBI singles.
A win today puts the Cardinals in the World Series — which starts Wednesday and for which St. Louis would have home-field advantage — and allows Holliday to remain in town close to his mother, Kathy. She underwent surgery in a St. Louis hospital hours before Thursday’s Game 4 for removal of colon cancer.
"It’s been hard. This week’s been hard," Holliday said. "It’s part of life, part of being a big boy. You’ve got to deal with what happens in your life. I wish it wasn’t. But it’s part of it. She’s doing good and we’ve had great support."
Aware of Holliday’s personal situation, the Cardinals clubhouse said little publicly out of respect. It wasn’t until the clubhouse thinned almost an hour after Thursday’s win that the left fielder addressed it at any length.
"He’s a brother to us," offered third baseman David Freese. "We’re all here for him. He knows that."
The family crisis happened quickly. Kathy Holliday was diagnosed with colon cancer while the Cardinals played the final segment of the division series in Washington.
The club’s medical staff helped arrange for her surgery to take place in St. Louis. Holliday spent much of the day with his family at a local hospital.
He was there when his mother came out of surgery and later when she awoke, still groggy.
"The doctor was very pleased with how it went," Holliday said.
Holliday did not hit on the field before Thursday’s game. He said nothing of his personal situation during a group postgame interview.
He had hoped to avoid addressing the matter publicly but became concerned when word began to leak via social media.

Wainwright bounces back to beat Giants

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Chris Lee

Adam Wainwright pitches in the third inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com

1 hour ago  •  BY JOE STRAUSS jstrauss@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8371

Stan Musial makes surprise appearance

Adam Wainwright had promised himself this time would be better, that he wouldn't squander the second chance afforded by his team's improbable scramble from a pit of his making in last Friday's all-in tilt against the Washington Nationals.
So far this postseason Wainwright had absorbed the loss in Game 1 of the National League division series and experienced the shortest start of his career in Game 5. After lasting only seven outs, Wainwright became a spectator to the biggest comeback ever in a make-or-break postseason game.
There were no apologies needed Thursday night at Busch Stadium, no promises of a future make-good.
This time Wainwright took a recovering offense's largesse and turned it into a personal statement. The Cardinals and an announced crowd of 47,062 afterward celebrated a 8-3 win over the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the National League championship series.
The series now leans heavily toward the defending World Series champions. Where it goes from here still isn't certain. But unless the Giants win tonight it won't be returning to the Bay.
The Cardinals hold a commanding 3-1 lead in a series that has seen the Giants score only twice the last two games before a too-late two-run homer in the ninth. After getting by with less, the Cardinals' python offense engaged in a feeding frenzy.
Up and down Thursday's lineup the Cardinals made amends for squeezing just 19 hits from the series' first three games. They started by reaching two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum for four runs in 4 2/3 innings and kept going after a bullpen that allowed two significant sixth-inning runs.
Left fielder Matt Holliday became the night's early offensive centerpiece, driving in the Cardinals' first run before Lincecum secured an out and producing a 3-1 lead with a fifth-inning single. He entered the game one for 11 with runners in scoring position this postseason.
Hitting .167 for the postseason, center fielder Jon Jay scored the night's first run, then followed with a two-run, sixth-inning double that put the Cardinals up 6-1 and, realistically, the game out of reach.
The Cardinals broke out with right fielder Carlos Beltran on the bench with a sore right knee. They asked little of their bullpen the night after closer Jason Motte offered a six-out save. Wainwright lasted only eight innings in his first two postseason starts but this time strong-armed his way through seven innings with minimal suspense.
After escaping a two-game deficit in their division series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Giants now seem a team in checkmate. Tonight they replace their Game 1 starter, Madison Bumgarner, with Barry Zito, a question to even appear when the series opened. Of the 14 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the NLCS since 1985, 12 have reached the World Series. The odds are better against a team that seeks scraps from a lineup that boasts an MVP candidate (Buster Posey) and eight escape valves.
The Cardinals improved to 7-3 in the postseason and 19-7 since Sept. 16. They are within a game of facing the American League champion Detroit Tigers in the World Series and vying to become the first National League team to repeat as Series champions since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds.
Right fielder Hunter Pence provided the Giants' early offense when he launched a second-inning home run that halved the Cardinals' lead to 2-1. It was also an anomaly against a pitcher who allowed three home runs with a six-run performance against the Nationals six days before.
Wainwright zoomed through his outing in 96 pitches, including 70 strikes. He allowed four hits but none with a runner in scoring position. He relied less on strikeouts but exhibited improved fastball command, walking no one and constantly working ahead in counts. The Giants gave backup catcher Hector Sanchez his first start of the series, batting him fifth, and received three strikeouts.
Wainwright retired the side in order four times and only once allowed multiple baserunners in an inning. He dodged his most serious threat by retiring Posey on a one-out fly ball, then getting third baseman Pablo Sandoval to ground out weakly to second base. Wainwright left the field with a hop, skip and a fist pump.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy didn't officially name Lincecum his Game 4 starter until Wednesday. Lincecum's first out also scored the Cardinals' second run as Jay, first baseman Matt Carpenter and Holliday reached on two hits and a walk.
Even when the Giants were in it, they appeared to be only on the fringes. Lincecum dodged a second-inning rally derailed by shortstop Pete Kozma's ill-timed steal attempt. An error and two walks brought the Cardinals nothing.
Bochy hoped to coax Lincecum through the fifth inning before pinch-hitting for him to lead off the sixth. The plan fizzled when Carpenter reached base for a third consecutive plate appearance, this one a double high off the center field wall. Holliday, the focal point of a Game 2 controversy, contributed his second RBI with a single to center field. Catcher Yadier Molina entered his at-bat five for 35 for the playoffs and denied extra bases in his previous appearance by center fielder Angel Pagan's leaping catch at the wall. There were no heroics to prevent his two-out single, which scored Holliday and chased Lincecum from a 4-1 game.
The Cardinals continued with back-to-back two-run rallies against the Giants' bullpen. After the middle-infield tandem of Daniel Descalso and Kozma opened the sixth inning with singles, Jay greeted lefthander Jose Mijares with a two-run double.
Molina's double scored right fielder Allen Craig after Craig opened the seventh inning with a single that halted an 0-for-11 series. A wild pitch advanced Molina to third base before Kozma delivered the Cardinals' final run with a two-out single.
The Giants' Sandoval provided final punctuation with a two-run, ninth-inning home run.

Cards win without Beltran but will need him later

Carlos Beltran suffered a knee strain on this first-inning swing in Game 3. (Chris Lee photo / Post-Dispatch)

In their latest emergency, the Cardinals watched Carlos Beltran make an abrupt, alarming departure after his first inning at-bat in Game 3.
Matt Carpenter answered the 911 call and picked up a bat. Unlike other emergency responders, Carpenter did not wear gloves, but he saved Game 3 by booming the winning two-run homer in the Cardinals’ 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
This was one day, one at-bat, one test, one more thrill for Carpenter. His parents, Rick and Tammie, were in the stands to see the big moment. The Cardinals grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven NL championship series.
It was a nice story, but could it last? Beltran wasn’t ready to start Game 4 Thursday night, and the Cardinals’ lineup could feel the pain of his strained left knee. Beltran has been the team’s best player this postseason, batting .400 and ripping extra-base hits from the Washington Monument to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Beltran’s two-run homer gave the Cardinals a 6-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning of Game 1 at AT&T Park. But in the 22 innings that followed, through the end of Game 3, they had scored only four runs and were batting .145 (11 for 76). And now Beltran would be out, taking his potent onbase capability and prolific postseason power to the trainer’s room.
What would the Cardinals do now?
Well, manager Mike Matheny would write Carpenter’s name in the lineup for Game 4, and he would walk and score the first run off Giants starter Tim Lincecum. The Cardinals would hang two runs on Lincecum in the first, and banish him to the clubhouse in the sixth.
The Cardinals would spray hits, and they would run the bases. They would start to feel warmer as the chilled bats of Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina began to heat up. They would keep tacking on runs until the score reached a safe, comfortable, happy and final 8-3.
The Cardinals would miss Beltran, yes. But the home team wouldn’t miss an opportunity to bust open this game. They wouldn’t miss a chance to emerge from multiple batting slumps, and renew their very special relationship with line-drive base hits. They would not betray a superb start by Adam Wainwright.
The Cardinals would show, once again, that they can handle just about anything negative that’s put on them – the latest being Beltran’s damaged knee, and the sudden anxiety that settled in when he limped into dugout.
In one of the finest all-around team performances of the season, the Cardinals seized a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series, and can capture another National League pennant with a victory in Game 5 tonight.
We don’t know if Beltran will play in Game 5. But we do know that the Cardinals have managed to keep up the pressure, and the winning, during his two-game absence. This is what the Cardinals have been doing all year: get hit with a bad break, shake it off, and find a way to overcome it.
Carpenter followed his Wednesday rescue by doubling, walking twice, and scoring two runs in the Game 4 blowout. Holliday, Molina and Jon Jay each drove in two runs. Allen Craig is still searching for his swing, but he did get in a run with a sacrifice fly. Pete Kozma had two hits, and an RBI.
Eight Cardinals had hits, seven scored runs, and five had at least one run batted in. They did all of this without homering. It was just a steady, solid, resourceful attack.
I don’t know how long the Cardinals can continue to rack up the runs and push through for victories without Beltran. At some point they’ll need him, and it may be sooner than later. But their initial response to his injury has been encouraging. But it isn’t surprising. The Cardinals have been coping with these baseball crises since spring training. And they do not panic.
The knee has tormented Beltran, 35, for the past several years and caused him to miss a substantial number of games in 2009 and 2010. Now the knee is flaring again, at the worst time of the season.
At least there’s Carpenter to fill the void. In 66 games as a starter during the regular season, Carpenter batted .308 with a .382 onbase percentage and a .490 slugging pct.
That said, the Cardinals’ best chance to go all the way to a World Series and a trophy is with Beltran batting second. The longer Beltran is out, the more difficult it becomes to win without him.
Beltran is one of the best postseason hitters in major-league history. In 31 career postseason games he’s batted .375 with a .486 onbase percentage and an .830 slugging percentage. He has 14 homers in only 112 at-bats.
Beltran has been the Cardinals top gun this postseason, batting .400 with a combined onbase-slugging percentage of 1.353. That’s hard to replace, even with someone as capable as Carpenter.
A secondary concern is the team’s depth. Beltran may be able to pinch hit, but with Carpenter in the lineup the Cardinals’ bench is weakened.
Matheny said it was "too early to tell" about Beltran’s availability for Game 5. Matheny knows it’s useless to issue predictions on Beltran’s chronic knee. The uncertainty is something the Cardinals and Beltran have lived with all season. And they’ll have to deal with it again in 2013.
The Cardinals were aware of the risk when they signed Beltran to a two-year deal for $26 million last winter. He was surprisingly durable during the regular season, but did hit .201 over a span of 250 plate appearances after the All-Star break.
Just as Beltran comes alive again, the knee goes out. The Cardinals and Beltran are in a tough spot here. The temptation is to play him. But push too hard and a setback could knock him out of the postseason. But Beltran’s presence is so valuable to this lineup, it’s tempting to play him as soon as possible. But caution seems wise. And before Game 4, Beltran said he can swing a bat, but isn’t ready to patrol the outfield.
Matheny is largely deferring to Beltran, and that’s smart.
"He’s a good evaluator of his health and what he can and can’t do," Matheny said. "And I know right now obviously we have an urgency and he knows that as well as anybody. He’s going to push it if he can. And he’s going to try to get out there, if at all possible. We’ll find out from day to day."
Beltran was signed as a de facto replacement for Albert Pujols, who signed a 10-year, $240 million free-agent contract with the Angels. Given the vast difference in the size of the contract, it’s been a positive tradeoff for the Cardinals. Including the postseason, Beltran is hitting .276 with 35 homers and 103 RBIs in 577 at-bats this season.
"We are two different ballplayers," Beltran said earlier this postseason when asked about the challenge of replacing Pujols. "I just told myself I can’t go there and get caught up in this comparison. I have to be me and play the game the way I always play, focus on realistic goals."
Unfortunately, the Cardinals don’t have Pujols or Beltran. They do have Holliday, Molina, Craig and Jay. They do have Matt Carpenter. And that’s not bad, not bad at all.