Derek Holland in 2009 -- it's taken two years to get that mustache where it is today
Sometimes you just tip your cap when the other team wins. That’s an expression Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will often use, doing so as recently as last week after game two of the World Series. It was appropriate last night too.
Because there wasn’t much the Cardinals could do but tip their caps against Derek Holland last night, the 25-year-old who looks 15 and has the scraggly mustache to prove it. The slugging of Saturday night was long gone Sunday, as Holland allowed two hits — both to Lance Berkman — and struck out seven in cruising along for 8 1/3 innings. The Rangers won game four 4-0.
Yes, there was plenty of Twitter talk and TV evidence of an inconsistent strike zone from home plate umpire Ron Kulpa. Yet how much would that really have mattered with the way Holland was dealing?
On the other side, Edwin Jackson was not necessarily dealing. Sometimes these things happen as well. But until the sixth inning, the five walks and three hits Jackson allowed to that point had only led to one run. After getting Adrian Beltre on a fly out to start the sixth, however, Jackson walked Nelson Cruz and David Murphy to end his night.
In came Mitchell Boggs. As he finished his warm-up tosses, Fox analyst Tim McCarver said the following: “Tony La Russa was telling us that if Boggs hits his spot, he’s as good as anyone he has. His spot now is going to be down for the double-play ball.”
No sooner had McCarver said those words than Boggs delivered his first pitch to Mike Napoli – and it was about chest high. Napoli promptly, to use Joe Buck’s description, “tomahawked” it deep to the left field seats.
Oh well.
Even if Boggs had made a better pitch, Holland still had the only run he needed. And Boggs was fine after that in his 1 2/3 innings.
The bottom of the eighth was notable for the Cardinals: Jake Westbrook made his first appearance of the postseason, pitching for the first time since Sept. 27. He allowed a single and a walk but escaped with no damage thanks to a double play.
Speaking of double plays, it wouldn’t be a 2011 Cardinals game without them grounding into one. After LB led off the fifth with a single — the Cardinals second and final hit of the game — David Freese grounded it to Ian Kinsler, who started the 10,178th GIDP the Cards have hit into this season (or close to it). The Freeser’s 13-game postseason hitting streak came to an end last night.
So where do things stand now? Let’s have LB tell us:
“These guys, they won the American League. They have a great team. We have a great team. They’ve won two games and we’ve won two games. There’s nothing really to read into it, just see who can win two of the next three. It’s just a good series.”
Game five is tonight in Arlington, with Chris Carpenter taking on C.J. Wilson in a game one rematch. So it’s yet another must-win game for CC — but he’s consistently risen to that task in the past four weeks, especially on the road. It all starts at 7:05 p.m. Central Time.
Christine Coleman is the senior St. Louis Cardinals reporter for Aaron Miles’ Fastball. Follow her on Twitter, @CColeman802, or email aaronmilesfastball@gmail.com. Also follow @AMilesFastball for the latest updates.
