10:00: It’s hard to want much more from the Cardinals in their home opener than this. They were pretty evenly matched with Frisco until the sixth, when Ryan Tatusko came in to relieve Richard Bleier and the Cardinals capitalized. From there a one-run lead gradually became a five-run lead, and once closer Eduardo Sanchez came in for the Cards in the eighth it was pretty much over. I was waiting for the postgame stats releases to bring you Statgasm, but they haven’t appeared yet. I’ll say this, though: Starter Nick Additon looked good, Daryl Jones looks like he may live up to his hype with time and Adron Chambers has great speed if he can consistently get on base. This will be a fun team to watch this season, and we’ll be doing quite a bit of it, all while bringing you the spoils via live blog. We’ll see you for the next one. Till then, good night from Hammons Field. “Casino Queeeeeeen… my Lord, you’re mean…”
9:50: A chopper to second base by Guilder Rodriguez results in the second out, and after getting behind Renny Osuna in the count 3-0 Sanchez gets him to hit a high liner to first, easily caught by Curt Smith for the final out and Cardinals win. The final score: 8-3, Springfield. Fireworks time!
9:48: Johnathan Greene flies out to center field for Frisco. One away.
9:45: Reed gets Frisco out of the eighth without adding more to the already daunting 8-3 deficit. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are one more Sanchez-pitched inning away from winning their home opener.
9:42: Frisco brings Evan Reed (2-2, 2.96 ERA) in as its new pitcher with Kozma hovering over second and one out in the bottom of the eighth.
9:40: Frisco commits its second error of the night, bringing Chambers home and putting Pete Kozma on at second base. The RoughRiders’ mound meeting could not come at a better time; stop the bleeding now or call this one over.
9:38: Sedbrook gets nowhere, bringing the fast Adron Chambers up next. And when I say fast, I mean it: Chambers hits to right center and steams around second to stretch it into an RBI triple for the 7-3 lead. Maybe he’s not kidding about that 4.29-second 40-yard time after all.
9:36: The official attendance: 7,061. We’re told this is the fourth opening-night sellout in six years.
9:33: Daryl Jones hits a standup double to right field to start off the bottom of the eighth for the Cards, showing great hustle around the bases. Sedbrook is back up and he has looked good all night.
9:29: Frisco’s Kevin Richardson never stood a chance against Sanchez, who strikes him out looking to end the top of the eighth inning. Time to find out if Springfield can build on its 6-3 lead.
9:25: Wow, that seriously did not take long. Myer is already out and Sanchez is in. This seems like a good time to mention our video Q&A with him posted to TAG earlier today.
9:23: Two outs and a runner on second in the eighth and Cardinals manager Pop Warner pulls the trigger on bringing Myer in to relieve. Closer Eduardo Sanchez already warming up, though, and good thing: Myer’s first at-bat results in a single and an RBI. 6-3 in the eighth.
Let me get this straight, Birdman... you're a Cardinal's walkup song of choice, and you're wearing a Nattys hat?! Party foul, dude.
9:15: Things I learned during the brief Internet mini-spazzout that just happened: 1. The Cards are bringing in lefty Matt Myer to relieve Blake King, who relieved Additon during the spazzout. 2. Cardinal Aaron Luna walks out to the plate to a Birdman song. 3. Antonio DeJesus is now in right field for SGF. 4. I really, really, really do not like Internet mini-spazzouts.
9:08: The Cards get out of the top of the seventh without allowing a run, so it’s still 6-2. Seventh inning stretch time! For your entertainment, here’s Wilco paying homage to one of the St. Louis club’s regular sponsors… no, not Autotire:
9:04: Daryl Jones makes a superb diving catch in left field to get the first out of the seventh for SGF, diving and sliding on his knees. It would be a “Web Gem” if such a thing existed on a local level.
9:02: The latest new between innings game is Jumbotron karaoke/guess the next line by one “lucky” fan. The song of choice: “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. Stop the madness, Hammons Field!
9:00: Pete Kozma‘s big night continues. The SGF shortstop hits a line drive up the middle to score two more runs for the Cardinals. The sixth inning concludes moments later, but the damage is done with three Cards runs scored. 6-2 through six.
8:56: Finally! Adron Chambers comes good for the Cards with an RBI single to make it 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth. That’s it for Bleier. Springfield Cardinals rib cages rejoice throughout the dugout.
8:54: Bleier lets Daryl Jones reach first on a hit-by-pitch, followed by Colt Sedbrook singling to get runners on first and second.
8:51: Charles Cutler strikes out to start the bottom of the sixth for Springfield, followed by Aaron Luna hitting a pitch straight back to Richard Bleier, who, surprisingly, is still on the mound. Apparently the Frisco batters didn’t give Tatusko enough time to get ready.
8:48: The Cards dodge a bullet as Johnathan Greene flies out to end the top of the sixth inning. They’re holding a one-run lead for now, but how much longer will they keep the faith with Additon? Never mind, it’s Kiss Cam time on the Jumbotron! Let the cringing begin!
8:45: As Frisco warms up reliever Ryan Tatusko (7-6, 4.64 ERA) in the bullpen, the RoughRiders batters buy him some time. Kevin Richardson hits an RBI single, putting runners at first and second in what is now a 3-2 game. Two outs, though, which means it’s mound chat time for the Cards pitcher and fielders.
8:42: Ladies and gentlemen, the first Hammons Field boo of the season: Cards miss a double play by a whisker, getting Lawton at second but not Butler at first. Left Fielder Wes Bankston singles next after that to load the first two bases for first baseman Johnny Whittleman. Still 3-1 Cardinals in the sixth.
8:39: It turns out Frisco second baseman Matt Lawson, who leads off the seventh inning, is a former MSU Bear. He drills a grounder straight at Cards third baseman Andrew Brown, who bobbles it to allow the base hit. That will bring up Joey Butler to represent the tying run at the plate.
8:36: Andrew Brown gets it right this time, hitting the Bleier pitch out at center field. Home run, Cardinals! That makes it 3-1 with two outs.
8:34: Not so lucky this time. Kozma is out at first.
8:32: Pete Kozma is back up to lead off the fifth for the Cardinals batters. Remember what happened last time that was the case? Betcha Frisco does.
8:31: Guilder Rodriguez will advance the runner to third with a sacrifice hit. Renny Osuna isn’t so lucky after him; he just gets thrown out at first while the runner spectates. James Tomlin, Frisco’s best hitter with a reasonable number of at-bats (.315 BA) is next, grounding to short. Cards pitcher Additon looks pretty solid through five innings of work.
8:25: Johnathan Greene begins Frisco’s half of the fifth by hitting a long floater to center field for a double.
8:21: Adron Chambers is up next. He has got to get it going if he’s going to keep his leadoff duties. He is hitting .143 so far on the season. In case you’re wondering, the Jumbotron tells me he’s batting .143 this season during night games. Hey, it’s dark outside… He strikes out to end the inning.
8:19: Turnabout is fair play. A 4-6-3 double play now stings the Cards where it helped them just an inning or so ago. Sedbrook follows it with a base hit to keep the inning alive.
8:17: Aaron Luna leads off the fourth for SGF. More importantly, we have radar gun, people!
8:14: Catcher Kevin Richardson pops up to shallow center to end the top of the fourth for Frisco. Now we get Jeopardy between innings! I’m actively trying not to shout answers out from the press box right now.
8:11: Wanna know how to undo the good of a tight defensive play? Throw a wild pitch. Frisco brings in the one runner it has to make it 2-1. First baseman Johnny Whittleman up to bat and walked immediately after. As he takes his base, the maniacal cackle that starts off Gorillaz’ “Feel Good, Inc.” plays. The irony…
8:09: An error at third base allows Frisco to get its second consecutive runner on base. With no outs and runners on first and second, RR left fielder Wes Bankston can afford to bunt but doesn’t. Terrible move: He hits into a 4-6-3 double play.
8:07: There’s a gentle hum to the crowd noise below tonight. One can tell people are excited to be here and have baseball again. Of course, a leader at the one-third mark doesn’t hurt, either.
8:05: The forward progress ends there, sputtering out with a ground-out by Charles Cutler. So far, so good for the Cards, though. 2-0 after three.
8:00: Andrew Brown almost makes it two dingers in an inning for Springfield. His shot to right center bounces off the wall for a double. Wonder if Bleier is rattled.
7:59: Home run, Cardinals! Pete Kozma takes one over the wall at left center field off of Frisco starter Richard Bleier. Now that’s how you lead off an inning.
7:56: I think James Tomlin bought into that 712 talk. Additon struck him out looking to end the top of the third.
7:54: Bad news, stat junkies: The radar gun at Hammons isn’t working tonight. Looks like Cards Vice President Matt Gifford‘s tinkering with it last night didn’t work. For the rest of the night, please assume the average speed of Nick Additon‘s pitches is 712 mph.
7:52: Osuna is just fouling pitches at will right now. Oops! That just ended. Pop-up becomes an easy infield catch. What can Frisco center fielder James Tomlin do batting next?
7:49: Save the name jokes about Guilder. He singles right over second base as I’m typing. Renny Osuna (.067 avg.) up next for Frisco.
7:48: Greene pops up for an easy catch by Smith at first. Guilder Rodriguez next up for the RoughRiders…. there has got to be a shorter way to type “RoughRiders.”
7:46: Gotta love early-season Jumbotron stats. Currently up about RoughRiders player Johnathan Greene: .095 avg., 0 HR, 0 RBI. “Greene is batting .125 against right-handers,” it says. Stupendous!
7:45: Chambers is out at first again to end the inning. Skill has yet to match pre-season confidence there.
7:42: Doesn’t matter in the slightest. Sedbrook connects, and though he’s thrown out at first he gets the first run of the night on the board.
7:41: Daryl Jones keeps the feel-good vibe alive for the Cards with a liner to right field. Bases loaded for Colt Sedbrook, who is hitting .150 to start the year.
7:37: The streaking (.364 BA, not the other kind of streaking) Aaron Luna is up for SGF. Smith steals second with a superbly timed dash to beat the catcher’s throw. Follow that with a hit-by-pitch for Luna, and presto! Base runners at the first two bags!
7:35: The same cannot be said of Cards infielder Curt Smith, who hits a low roller clean through the middle for a base hit. Hopefully our Wii challenger is taking notes.
7:33: Middle of the second, still scoreless. Both pitchers are doing their jobs well so far. Meanwhile, in the world of between-innings entertainment it looks like Hammons Field has added a Wii challenge on the Jumbotron where people get to try their hand at home run derby. “Try” is the operative word here; our contestant tonight is wiffing powerfully.
7:25: Uneventful at-bats by leadoff hitter Adron Chambers and shortstop Pete Kozma, but an error at short lets catcher Steven Hill get on. Andrew Brown is thrown out at first to complete the Cards side of the inning.
7:21: Cards starter Nick Additon (0-0, 3.06 ERA) doesn’t allow any batters to reach base in the top of the first. Time to see what the bats can do.
7:18 p.m.: In classic Springfield Cardinals tradition, the season’s first pitch was thrown by someone from the St. Louis club’s past: former manager Whitey Herzog, who looks exactly the same as he did when he managed the club in the early and mid-’80s. When I turn 50, I want whatever cryogenic chamber he’s using for my birthday gift.
The stadium is abuzz below and the press box is a-packed around me. Must mean it’s the opening home stand for the 2010 Springfield Cardinals season! We have been bringing you the previews and player profiles; it’s time to see what these young guys can do.
Follow Us!