Tuesday, April 05, 2005

The Cardinals Take the Field

It's Chris Carpenter throwing today against Astros' ace Roy Oswalt. These aren't the same Astros the Cards played in the NLCS back in October. Their outfield will be totally different since the lone returnee, Lance Berkman, is sidelined with an injury. But anytime you beat Bagwell, Biggio, and Clemens it's a good win.

Forget about the off season. Forget about last season. Spring is here. Optimism abounds. Barring a slew of injuries, the Cardinals should be able maintain our optimism through October.

Right now the Cubs are tied for the division lead. I'm sure that's not going to last too long. Will the Cubs or Astros be able to give the Cards a run for their money? They both have pretty good pitching staffs. Both staffs need to avoid injury to have a shot.

The team that could surprise in the division is Cincinnati. The everyday lineup and the bullpen are solid. The starting staff has young pitchers and underrated pitchers. They don't have a reliable ace, however.

So it should be the Cards. The offense is the best in the National League. Four 15 game winners return to the starting staff. The bullpen should be dependable. Let the games begin.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Carpernter 1-0.
Izzy first save.

Watched from bottom of the 8th to end of game and saw more baseball than I should have with all the walks.

-Howdy