Cards Play Well - International Style

The Cards were able to pull all the pieces together today to beat the Dominican Republic in a WBC warm up. Their pitching was spectacular and offense did enough to get the job done.

Granted it was only an exhibition, so we take any positive results in these types of games with a grain of salt. But this was not just any old exhibition against an opponents farm players trying to crack the big club. This was an exhibition game where the opposing team had a lineup that the top 6 hitters looked like this:

1. Jose Reyes; 204 hits and 56 stolen bases in '08
2. Robinson Cano; career .303 average, 671 hits in 4 major league seasons
3. Miguel Tejada; 271 career homers
   
4. David Ortiz; 289 career home runs
   
5. Jose Guillen; averaging 21 homers and 88 runs batted in a season
   
6. Moises Alou; 332 career homers, career .303 average over 17 seasons
   

They also had Hanley Ramirez coming off the bench. The fact that Cardinals pitching was able to silence this lineup, regardless what time of year it is, speaks clearly to their success today.

Todd Wellemeyer, making his first start of the year where he was not snipped by a crab before the game, was very successful. He allowed one lone run on four hits over his four innings of work. Ryan Franklin followed him with two perfect 'three-up-and-three-downs' of his own. Chris Perez then pitched one perfect inning of his own. Josh Kinney was up next giving up only one hit in his scoreless inning of work. Jason Motte then got the save pitching the ninth (foreshadowing maybe?). Ironically, the Cardinal fire baller was the only pitcher on the afternoon not to record a punch out.

The Redbird offense was good not great. But they were lacking Mr. Pujols as he requested not to play against his home country. Lets hope Albert does not form any bond with the Cubs and requests to sit out at Wrigley too.

Skip Schumaker was the only Cardinal to have two hits. Khalil Greene, Joe Mather and Ryan Ludwick drove in the runs today.

The Mets play the Cards on Friday with Chris Carpenter starting. Carpenter is looking to follow up on his great success he had in his first start of the spring.

On a side note today - the Cards signed former Twin and lefty reliever Dennys Reyes to a two year, $3 million contract today. I hope he can pitch at the caliber he did in 2008. If he does, he will have been a steal. Last season he pitched in 75 games for the Twinkies and was 3-0 with a very nice looking 2.33 ERA. He also struck out 39 and walked 15. He will be mostly used as a lefty specialist but is capable of retiring right handed batters as well. I hope this works out for the Cards.

Go Cards.