There's a rule in my house. When somebody's pitching a no-hitter, you don't say they're pitching a no-hitter. You just...allude to it. You say 'I'm not saying anything', and the name of the pitcher. So, in the past, something like 'James Paxton, not saying anything, ninth inning, c'mere' is how it would work.
When it's the Cardinals, the modesty doesn't apply. So tonight, I hollered over to my dad and went 'oh yeah, Michael Wacha's trying to no-hit the Pirates'.
...and he didn't. And that's how that works.
My hatred of the Cardinals has gone down since 2011, but I still very much dislike the team, and the fact that they can have big teams and win big games without really breaking a sweat franchise-wise. They've just...been good for a while, and they haven't really had a bad season lately. And if you don't like the Cardinals, that's not a great stretch.
The Cards are currently in third, close behind the Cubs, and closely in front of the Pirates, who they just...well, one-hit, I guess, but still. The team is getting by not thanks to established stars like Adam Wainwright, Matt Carpenter, and Yadier Molina, but thanks to the new breed, like Harrison Bader, Luke Weaver, Jordan Hicks and Jack Flaherty. The 2011 team is beginning to break off to reveal a new team, a new, genuinely impressive-looking squad that will succeed them. The one problem right now is the fact that Carlos Martinez and Wainwright are injured, and the rotation belongs to a bunch of kids and Miles Mikolas. Which...isn't a problem, as Mikolas is pitching like a pro this year, but...there's not a TON of depth in the rotation.
Thankfully, there is some bench depth, and a lot of people in the lineup that have been reliable so far this year. Marcell Ozuna's finally hitting home runs again, Gyorko and Pham are picking up from last year, and Harrison Bader has gone from a bench player to a legitimate lineup talent.
This is the kind of team that, if they get lucky, WHICH THE USUALLY DO, might do some dangerous things this year. I just hope I can jinx some more of them.
Coming Tomorrow- One of the many Matts in Oakland.
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