(4-1) at Cincinnati
(2-2)April 10, 2012
7:10 PM ET, 6:10 PM CT, 5:10 PM MT, 4:10 PM PT
Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: FSMW, FSOH, MLBN
RADIO: KMOX 1120
K. Lohse (1-0, 1.23) vs. M. Leake (0-0, 0.00)
Link for full article: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/cardinals- ... --mlb.html
The Series:David Freese and the St. Louis Cardinals are doing just fine at the plate.
They may not need to do much with Kyle Lohse on the mound.
Lohse looks to build on a dazzling season debut and keep the Cardinals surging when they continue their three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.
St. Louis (4-1) has outscored the opposition 31-16 over its first five games, hitting .317 with nine homers. Freese has been a big part of that success, going 10 for 24 with two homers and eight RBIs while getting at least one hit in each contest.
"That's a tough pace to keep up, but you take 'em when you can get 'em," first-year manager Mike Matheny said. "Guys are having some good at-bats."
Freese continued his season-opening tear with two hits including a two-run homer as the Cardinals won Monday's series opener 7-1. Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina also went deep for St. Louis.
"I don't see us as very much of a home run-hitting team," said Freese, last year's World Series MVP.
Freese's reasoning likely stems from the departure of Albert Pujols, who joined the Los Angeles Angels via free agency after 11 seasons as the slugging cornerstone of the Cardinals.
Lohse (1-0, 1.23 ERA) didn't need much help from the offense Wednesday, as he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 4-1 season-opening victory at Miami. The veteran right-hander left with one out in the eighth after giving up one run and two hits, also hitting a batter.
"I was just trying to keep having them hit balls at people," Lohse told the Cardinals' official website. "I felt like Yadier was calling a great game back there, and I was just following him around."
Lohse, a member of the Reds (2-2) from 2006-07, is 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA in seven starts against his former club since joining St. Louis in 2008.
St. Louis leads season series 1-0
April 9, 2012-St. Louis 7, Cincinnati 1
April 10, 2012-STL (Lohse) @ CIN (Leake) 6:10 PM CDT
April 11, 2012-STL (García) @ CIN (Cueto) 11:35 AM CDT
Great American Ball Park, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Baseball Reference 2012 Cardinals Statistics
2012 Current MLB Standings
2012 Current MLB Wild Card Standings
2012 Current MLB vs. Division Standings
2012 Current MLB vs. Expanded Standings
Last Game:
St. Louis 7, Cincinnati 1
WP: J. Westbrook (1-0)
LP: H. Bailey (0-1)
HR: STL - M. Holliday (2), D. Freese (2), Y. Molina (2)
Link for full article: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/cardinals- ... --mlb.html
Cardinals hit 3 HRs in 1st, beat Reds 7-1
By JOE KAY | The Associated Press
CINCINNATI (AP) With Albert Pujols gone, the St. Louis Cardinals see themselves as less of a power-driven team defending their World Series championship.
Could've fooled Homer Bailey.
Matt Holliday, David Freese and Yadier Molina homered off the Reds starter during the St. Louis Cardinals' biggest first inning of the season, and Jake Westbrook found his control after a rough start, beating Cincinnati 7-1 on Monday night.
The Cardinals improved to 4-1 with an offense that hasn't missed Pujols so far. They've piled up three homers in an inning twice already this season, with nine overall.
And they've done it without really trying.
''I don't see us as very much of a home run-hitting team,'' Freese said.
Manager Mike Matheny sees the homer spurt as more of a good start than the start of a trend.
''That's a tough pace to keep up, but you take 'em when you can get 'em,'' Matheny said. ''Guys are having some good at-bats.''
Only 20 pitches into the game, Bailey (0-1) had his hands on his hips and a 4-0 deficit that the Reds couldn't overcome. Molina broke the game open with a two-run double in the eighth inning.
Westbrook (1-0) overcame an early bout of wildness, allowing only three hits and one unearned run in seven innings. The right-hander slimmed down in the offseason and had an impressive spring training, getting the sink back on his fastball.
Bailey retired the first two Cardinals, then came apart. Holliday homered, Lance Berkman walked and Freese homered. Molina also homered on the next pitch, prompting Bailey to stand by the side of the mound with both hands scrunched on his hips in disbelief.
Freese, the World Series MVP, has hit safely in every game this season.
''I just got a little passive,'' Bailey said. ''I got the two quick outs and I didn't say aggressive. Once you open that can of worms, it's kind of hard to shut it. Plus the wind was blowing out. After that, I just wanted to go deep into the game. A couple of the balls they hit out were hit really solid.''
