I don't know WTF that dumbass was thinking leaving in Wainwright after the first baserunner in the 8th.

Three more outs, boys. Three more.

I feel a Mujica meltdown coming. :deevee:

Hope Adams is ok

****.

Yay

Thank God. Mujica is shit, though. He cannot throw that change for a low strike at all. He will cost this team a series if they win the division.

They need to realize he has lost it. Rosenthal should get the ninth. But, that's not going to happen.:banghead:

Mujica blows the lead. He has pitched a 1-2-3 inning once in the last 22 appearances. Since the All-Star break he has only made 8 appearances that he didn't allow a run to score.

Please someone...anyone tell me that the Cardinals can see this? Am I the only one seeing him blowing a playoff series for us?

Are the Cards gonna pull this out before the Chiefs beat-down of the eagles?

Apparently not.

Rosenthal blew his hold as well. I am concerned about Mujica as well, but not willing to switch things just yet. We need to keep Rosenthal comfortable, the ninth is a whole other animal, and I still hope they can groom him for the rotation. I wouldn't be pissed if they made the switch, but I don't think it is a must have yet. His save ratio is still quite good.

I can't ****ing hate Mike Matheny and Kozma any more than I currently do. And an extra **** you to Mujica, who has been Ryan Franklin since July.

Why would you ever hit Kozma there? Why? Pinch hit Kelly or Waino if you don't want to use a hitter, but not ever Kozma.

Lost in 15. :facepalm:

I don't give a shit if his overall save ratio is good; the sonofabitch is a human gas can whose only saving grace has been batted ball luck.

He gave up two hits last night (and that ball hit off Descalso's chest was a ****ing rocket), then hung almost every pitch to Helton before lucking out with the final fastball, which wasn't that high or that hard.

He comes in tonight and serves up a gopher ball to blow the save.

Here is his September:

1.0 IP 2H, 1 ER
1.0 IP 2H, 1 ER, BS
0.1 IP S
1.0 IP 2H, 2 ER
1.0 IP 2H
1.0 IP 2H
1.0 IP, 2H 1 ER BS

I'm ****ing tired of watching this idiot come in and hang changeups. He needs to be moved down the order, and the 9th needs to be given to Siegrist.

Mujica is going to cost the team the division and/or a playoff series.

I'm not against a shorter leash, but we are basically the Nats without him stepping up early in the year. He earned a little slack.

I love Siegrist and was pimping him long before the average Card fan knew he even existed. I would be more inclined to give him some closing opportunities than Rosenthal. He rarely farts around, and throws strikes, but although he has been up for awhile now, we are still talking about limited exposure for the most part.

It wouldn't piss me off if they gave others a chance to close, I'm just not sure yet that is best for all concerned.

You're right that he's earned slack, but September should be pulling the rope taught enough to yank him back to the seventh. It will never happen because Matheny's a foot shuffling porter, but it should.

Uh.

Siegrist always farts around and rarely throws strikes.

In 36 innings, he's walked 18. By contrast, Rosenthal has walked 20 in 72 innings. Meanwhile Mujica has walked 4 all season; 16 in his last 2 seasons combined.

There are reasons to like Siegrist, don't get me wrong. His stuff is disgusting and coming from a lefty it's almost unrivaled. He's damn near impossible to hit when he puts the ball in the strike zone.

But don't go making up strengths. Siegrist nibbles a LOT and he walks entirely too many batters. "Throws strikes" is most certainly not on his scouting report. Siegrist is ultimately worse than any pitcher on our staff at throwing strikes. He's probably among the worst in the national league.

I knew his WHIP was sub 1.00 (0.87) but didn't realize it was mostly walks so I get your point.

STLtoday was thinking that maybe, just maybe if Mujica blows one in Milwaukee that a change may be made.

YES, YES, ADAMS, YOU STUD!!

Bringing in Maness with a runner on second and one out may not be the worst idea ever, but it's probably bottom five.

EAT **** PIE YOU WASABI-SUCKIN' MOTHER****ER!!

Damn. I thought that with how that ball came off the bat that Kozma could score easily. Either way, nice AB, Adron.

Runners and 1st and 3rd with one out and they can't even put a ball in play with Carpenter and Beltran. God, this team is so frustrating.

Adams done ****ed that ball up.

Adam bomb!!!!

Don't **** this up, Mujica.

And so it begins. Get his ass the **** off the mound.

Worthless mother****er cannot throw a pitch below mid thigh.

GET HIM OUT RIGHT ****ING NOW!! AND WHY THE **** ISN'T CHOATE WARMING?

Here it comes, walk off three run bomb.

Yeah, if we could not have Mujica close anymore, that'd be great.

What more does this stupid one who sucks the penis have to do to ruin the team's divisional chances? Get him the **** out of there, Matheny. This is ridiculous.

Fire Matheny right now. Fire him between pitches.

Oh, and now you waddle you dumb, concussed ass out there to get him after he puts the winning run in scoring position and loads the bases.

****ing great managing, Mike. ****ing great.

They absolutely have to fire this mother****er.

Damn Mujica gonna cost us the division

yeah no one saw this coming............:harumph:

If he puts Mujica out there again in the 9th he may lose the clubhouse.

Nice job by Axford.

damn it Matheny. Just take him out on the first trip to the mound we win the game:mad:

If they bring Mujica in at Busch he will get booed.

How in any way is that Axford's fault?

Unless you were being serious.

Give him the 8th and Rosenthal the 9th starting tomorrow.

Horrible time of the year to not have a reliable closer.

Siegrist gets the 8th, Rosenthal gets the 9th. Axford is a K-in-a-tight-spot guy.

I don't want to see Edward Mujica ever again.

We have a very reliable closer, but he pitched the 8th tonight.

I like Rosenthal but he has had some bad outings lately

He has, but he has the stuff to get out of it. Rosenthal can miss spots and get outs. If Mujica misses spots he's what he's been the last four weeks.

Carp2 just bailed your ass out Matheny

Glad we avoided losing two extra inning games in a row agaisnt inferior teams.

Wonder what Molina said on his visit to the mound to Martinez after he started the inning 2-0?

Nice job by Rosenthal, Axelrod and Martinez.

2 game lead with 8 to go.:clap:

Nats are playing lights out and the Cubs would like nothing more then to spoil the birds party. This is gonna be a tuff last 8 games.

Best thing to have happen is for us and the Reds to sweep. We could eliminate any hope on the Monday game and be done with it.

Magic number to clinch the division is 7. If the Cardinals go 4-4 then the Reds or Pirates have to go 6-2. Magic number to make the playoffs is 2.

We are going to win the division. I just wish we were playing the Braves instead of the Dodgers.

We have beat Kershaw twice this year. Get Home field and thrown Waino and Miller at Busch. We can get out to a 2-0 lead.

Not a lot of Adams love in this thread. He certainty has improved his trade value if we don't keep him.

It would be a mistake to part with him in the offseason unless we seriously upgrade at either short or 3rd. Craig hasn't played a full season yet and makes our limited ranging infield that much worse.

Regarding the closer, thanks Ed for picking us up earlier this season, but time for a change. You just aren't right now. Time for Siegrist and Rosenthal to step up.

7-2 winner. :thumb:

Adams with a bomb and multi hits again. How can you sit him on the bench in the playoffs?

Beautiful that Cincy and Pittsburgh are playing each other now. What perfect timing. If we win tomorrow and Cincy wins, they'll both be back 3 with 6 to play.

Sweet as sugar.

And have to do it again next weekend.:clap:

Edward Mujica out as Cardinals closer?
After blowing another save last night, the Cardinals appear to be removing Edward Mujica from the closer role going forward.

Per Jennifer Langosch, the Cards will not use Mujica tonight and the closer spot will be "fluid going forward". There are various candidates to fill the closer role (e.g. Trevor Rosenthal, Kevin Siegrist) and game situations may determine who gets the call.

This news comes on the heels of Mujica's admission that he is experiencing "overall fatigue".

After being lights out for the first 5 months of the season, its obvious that something was wrong with Mujica as he has posted a 9.45 ERA in September and blown 2 out of 4 save chances. In 6.2 innings over 8 appearances, he has given up 15 hits, 2 walks and 2 homers.

The Cardinals will likely try to give him a breather for a few days and then put him in some low pressure situations to see how he responds. At this point, its about getting him back on track in time for the playoffs.

Although the Cardinals say that they will determine the closer based on game situation, Rosenthal is the logical choice to replace Mujica. This final week may be Rosenthal's audition for the 2014 closer role (and beyond).

I think he will do just fine.

http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/ar...loser/14597389

Did he tell Matheny about this "fatigue" while he was sliding down the abyss? If not, why not? If so, why did Matheny throw him out there?

Conspiracy theory to the last. You really don't like Matheny.

You are confusing me with Hamas.

I think some of his bullpen moves are for shit but I'm not on the fire Matheny bandwagon. He's a 2nd year manager and it shows at times.

The main job of a baseball manager is to manage the clubhouse, keep all the egos in line and build chemistry. Thats a damn hard job to pull off. By all accounts Matheny excels at that part of the job. He deserves a 3rd year even if we lose all our games in the playoffs.

Thank you, Marlins! Cards are in the playoffs!

Not looking good tonight - down by 3, bottom 8th.

And with a chance to do something, Adams watches a fastball right in his poop hole wheel house for strike 3.

Oh well. Up by 2 with 6 to go, headed home for the remainder of the season, and the two chasing us finish against each other. I'd sure rather be where we are than where they are.

We are going to win the division with the highest # of wins since 2005.

Whats our magic # for the division?

5

The defense was awful tonight, but Matheny absolutely butchered the top of the sixth and the bottom of the 7th.

Even though Kelly got a sac fly w/ runners on second and third, you cannot keep him in in that situation. Best scoring opportunity of the game w/ expanded rosters and he keeps his fifth starter in.

And leaving Kelly, who had gone to a three ball count to two straight hitters and was obviously floundering, in to face Gennett when Choate was ready was unbelievably stupid.

Matheny is just horrendous.

Exactly. This one was difficult to watch in so many ways. Living in AL and being busy with school I don't get to see too many games, but when I do he always seems to **** something up.

On a side note, my parents were at the game and texted me saying how Mike came up to them and shook hands and chatted for a minute. I told them they should have greeted him with a swift kick to the nuts as a bday present. Maybe if Mike was out with a ruptured testicle they would've fared better.

You guys see the starters that Washington is throwing at us this series? How did these guys choke it up this year with starting pitchers like these?

Getting pretty ****ing sick of Wainwright laying eggs every ****ing game. Someone should tell him that Lynn isn't a role model.

Yeah, this is their World Series, and they would like nothing more than to **** us out of the division as payback for last year.

Need that A game, ladies.