I'm Right, but Not Really

Well he didn't toss a 2-hit shutout, but Joel Piniero did acquit him self well, working 5 innings and allowing only 2 ER. Giving up a HR to Bronson Arroyo is a little bit disconcerting, but whatever.

Piniero was quoted in the Post Dispatch as saying his body didn't feel 100%. No kidding, really? I'm shocked to read that.

Cardinals had a look at the game until the seventh when the bullpen blew up. Flores walking Griffey to force in a run and then giving up a bases-clearing triple to Brandon Phillips summarily ended the game. It also allows me to wallow in the second-guess mud hole again. If Phillips kills left-handed pitching, why o why was Flores left in there to face him? Granted, if he could have gotten the light-hitting Jarish out instead of walking him in front of Griffey none of this happens, but still.

In other news, Adam Kennedy is not happy about his playing time being cut down in favor of Aaron Miles/Brendan Ryan. It was reported that he met with LaRussa about his playing time, but there probably won't be any substantive changes coming out of that meeting. LaRussa manages a certain way, and Miles is (for whatever reason) his guy. I thought the last line of the article was telling:

I think with Brendan and Aaron it’s not that big of a difference," La Russa
said. "Adam has always been a core guy, so it’s more of an adjustment for him. I think he can handle it. When he plays, he needs to play his tail
off." (emphasis mine)

Wow. I guess there's a perceived 'lack of effort' issue there. I'll throw it to my limited audience - has there been any instances of Kennedy not playing hard during the first part of this season? Because I can't remember any.

So they come home to play the Phillies for 3. Philadelphia is the other really good NL team right now (with our Cards and the Cubs). Should be interesting without AP anchoring the lineup against a good team.

As for the Padre game, it wasn't much of a game. Peavy gave up a leadoff hit, then retired the side in the first; the Padre home half of the inning went single, single, 3-R bomb from Giles, solo shot from Adrain Gonzalez (the opposite way; man is that guy strong), and the rout was on. 9-0 Padres.

The most interesting thing that happened was in the top of the third. A foul pop was hit down the third base line, and in trying to get out of the way, the security guard actually ran to the spot and got hit by the ball. Calls to have him escorted out of the game for interfering with a ball in play went unacknowledged.