Cardinals 9, Padres 2

I am guaranteed to be able to watch the Cardinals 6 times a year, when they play the Padres. We get a bonus game this year, seeing as they're playing 4 in Petco next weekend. As I mentioned in my preview, Latos/Wainwright could be a tight game.

I didn't know Latos has a tendency to give up solo HR. Wainwright got the ball rolling with his shot in the third.

That would be almost all Adam needed, as the Cardinals rolled 9-2. Some quick thoughts on the game:

- I didn't fully grasp how tough this lineup is until tonight. Pujols-Holliday-Ludwick-DeRosa-Molina? That's a good group.

- Latos looked frustrated at the good pitches he threw being turned into hits. Welcome to the big leagues, kid.

- DeRosa looked lost at the plate, although the late double helped.

- Khalil Greene sighting!

- You know you're going good as a team when you score 9 runs and AP doesn't drive in a single one. In fact, he'd have worn the collar tonight if not for the seeing eye single he had in the eighth.

- Relief Roller Coaster: Trever Miller had me rolling my eyes when he hit Gwynn Jr to start the eighth. Motte had me screaming at the TV set with a Nine Run Lead. Seriously - why is Motte still in the majors? His first 2 hitters missed a HR by 6 feet and hit a HR. Send him down to learn an off-speed pitch he can control. He's not helping the Cardinals if he can only pitch in blowouts and still gets hammered.

- Channel 4 Padres announcers didn't bother to report that Khalil stayed in the game to play third, or Lugo at second. I can't believe they could come up with a worse team than Vasgersian/Grant, but Grant/Gwynn/Neely is worse. Neely didn't realize the reason Venable didn't throw home to try and get Molina was because he juggled the ball after he scooped it up; Gwynn had to tell him. I noticed that from my living room (not HD) 1500+ miles away. Great Googly Moogly. Keep Gwynn and send the other two away.

Round two tomorrow. Piniero/Stauffer.