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Running out of starts

Posted September 06, 2007 11:00 pm

Hal Pilger

By Hal Pilger

Gatehouse News Service

When it comes to starting pitcher Kip Wells, the patience of St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa seems to have worn tissue-paper thin.

After getting knocked around by Pittsburgh on Monday, giving up 10 hits and six earned runs in 3 1/3 innings of an 11-0 loss, Wells saw his league-worst record drop to 6-16 and his earned run average balloon to 5.75 - highest among all regular Cardinals starters.

La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan have been bugged by, among other things, Wells' painfully slow pitching tempo, so they have been trying to speed up the veteran pitcher's time between deliveries. On Monday, Wells was a little quicker, but he was no better.

"He really struggled," La Russa said on KTRS. "He worked quicker, but, man, he forgot to make pitches, because he threw so many pitches right in the middle of the plate, usually up where you could hit 'em.

"It was very disappointing. That's the second game like that where we've needed him to come through, and he hasn't. So we're concerned."

Is it difficult for a veteran pitcher like Wells to change his tempo at this stage of his career?

"Well, I'm a great believer that you control your mind," La Russa said. "Pitching slowly has been a real problem for him - the defense, the umpires. The other side takes advantage. Going quickly, you just need to make pitches.

"You know, he hung those same pitches when he was pitching slowly, so that's no excuse."

All of which has put Wells' next scheduled start - Sunday - in serious jeopardy.

CARDS QUIZ: Two St. Louis Cardinals players share the major league record for most RBIs in one game with 12. The last to accomplish the feat was Mark Whiten on Sept. 7, 1993. Who was the first? Answer below.

DUNCAN DOES IT: When left-handed-hitting outfielder Chris Duncan drove in three runs with his double in Tuesday's 6-2 win over Pittsburgh, La Russa was just as happy about where Duncan drove the ball as how many runs he drove in.

"What's so good about it was it goes to the opposite field," La Russa said. "Chris, when he's really good, is a guy who's going to hit the ball to left-center or right-center. He had gotten to where he's trying to pull everything.

"So getting back to his roots is very important, and he hits a line drive down the left field line for three runs."

MULDER'S RETURN: Despite yielding six runs on eight hits over four innings Wednesday night during his first major league start in more than a year, Mark Mulder showed some positives, according to his manager.

"I thought his arm had good life," La Russa said of Mulder, who is coming back from left shoulder surgery. "You watch how the ball comes out of his hand, and I was pleased with that. It shows good health.

"It was just erratic command. He made a lot of pitches up that they didn't miss. He threw a couple curveballs to show what he could do, a couple nice forkballs. But overall, I was glad to see him healthy."

SEPTEMBER MIX: La Russa likes the current blend of new and veteran players his team has had since the Sept. 1 call-ups.

"We've got a nice thing going right now," La Russa said, "because we've got these veterans who've been through it (pennant race), but we also have some young guys who are very enthusiastic. They get in there, and right now as we're playing good, they feel like they've contributed."

When recent addition Brian Bardenmade his St. Louis debut as a pinch-hitter Wednesday night, he became the 44th player the Cards have used this season. The team record for players used in a season is 51, in 1997.

JEKYLL & HYDE: Overall, the Cardinals have played much better since the All-Star break than they did before it. But, just like the story of the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead, when they've been bad, they've been horrid.

Entering weekend play, the Cardinals had been outscored by five or more runs an amazing 32 times this season. And 16 of those times they've allowed at least 10 runs in a game.

QUIZ ANSWER: The first Cardinals player to drive in a major league-record 12 runs in one game was Jim Bottomley on Sept. 16, 1924.

END QUOTE: Recently recalled relief pitcher Brian Falkenborg, about the Cards being in the pennant race in September: "This is just too good of a team not to be in the pennant race. Watching the team (from Class AAA Memphis), they've dealt with a ton of adversity up here this year, and you just knew at some point something was going to start going right for the team."

Hal Pilger can be reached at (217) 788-1548 or hal.pilger@sj-r.com.

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