ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - To put into context just how bad this losing streak has been for the St. Louis Cardinals, the last time it happened the manager was fired. No one in their right mind is saying that's going to happen this time, as Mike Shildt is a Manager of the Year award winner, has had nothing but 100% support of his players and the front office and has taken this team to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
But in the last week, almost everything expect for the team defense and Matt Carpenter, has been disappointing.
"Our roster is our roster and we feel good about the guys that are on it. It's what we have," Shildt says. "We have to, and I have to figure out a way to be better with it."
According to Baseball-Reference, St. Louis' 91 defensive runs saved above average is good for No. 4 in all of baseball. And going into Tuesday's game, St. Louis was No. 7 in defensive runs saved, according to Fielding Bible.
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And the three-time All-Star Carpenter has been tearing it up. He's hitting .346 with a .972 OPS with more regular playing time since May 25. Even when he hasn't started, he's been performing well. Looking at all pitch hitters in baseball with at least 15 plate appearances as a pinch hitter, Carpenter is No. 2 in RBI (8), tied for second in homers (2) and is 9th in slugging percentage.
But a lot more needs to change before St. Louis slips farther from the NL Central lead (3.5 games back as of Wednesday afternoon). St. Louis hasn't had a lead in 51 of the last 54 innings played.
In June, St. Louis is tied for last in all of baseball in home runs, tied for 27th in runs scored, 14th in hits and has the second-most strikeouts. So, it's been pretty bad
But to be honest, Shildt knows a heck of a lot more about baseball and his team than anyone reading this. And he made a strong statement after Tuesday's 10-1 loss to the Indians:
"We're about to get hot," Shildt says. "We just haven't been able to play with the lead. We haven't had a lead, basically, in the last stretch of this home stand, since the last game in LA. So hard to win without it. So we've got to get out in front, keep playing clean defense, string together more consistent at bats and like I said, we're about to get hot."
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Just to let everyone know he didn't misspeak, he twice declared that the slump will not be around for long. Without blatantly stating it, he's put blame on the offense for not giving pitchers run support or a "lead" to pitch with. Now, it's tough to get and keep a lead when your pitcher allows multiple runs in the top of the first inning and a half-dozen members of your pitching staff are on the IL.
But as has happened to every team in every season of baseball history, the Cardinals are in a slump that more-than-likely is going to end.
When it does, I'll bet the manager isn't going to tell anyone, "I told you so." But we'll remember.
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