Cards lose in extra innings, 2-1 to the White Sox’s

Randal Grichuk was the only Cardinal to figure Chris Sale out. Grichuk went 3-5, with a home run.

It was one of those games that gives the Cardinals a chance to play, some playoff baseball. Going up against Chris Sale in the first game of a short, 2 game series. Good test. Let’s breakdown Matheny’s decisions.

1. Matheny starts Bourjos in CF. I like it. Jay has not found his stroke since coming off the DL. I am also in favor of putting as much speed in the lineup, when going up against a #1 pitcher. It just makes sense to try and steal a run, when runs are going to be in short supply.
2. Matheny starts Reynolds at 3B. I like it. Carpenter is in a mini slump, hitting .143 in the last 7 games. Lets not make it worse, going up against Chris Sale.
3. Matheny starts Pete Kozma over Kolton Wong at 2B. What? Kolton is on fire, hitting over .400 in the last 7 days. This move makes no sense. If Matheny wanted to get Kozma a start and put more speed in the lineup, Kozma should have started in place of Peralta. Peralta is hitting .200 over the last 7 games. Jhonny has a .190 average against Sale, from his days with Detroit. Peralta ended up going 0-5. This is a good example of Matheny making a move that you just can’t find the logic in.

The game played out as expected. Sale was brilliant, going 8 innings, giving up one run. Lance Lynn did not have his good stuff, but managed to hang in there and went 6 innings. Lance gave up only one run. Good job. The game is playing out, the way Matheny should have hoped. Hang in until we get to the Sox bullpen. Just like a postseason game. And just like a postseason game, Matheny comes up short. Let’s breakdown Matheny’s bullpen use.

1. Choate come out of the pen and pitches the 7th. Solid and lucky move. Pick up an inning from Choate, without using the A team.
2. Matheny then decides to use Siegrist to pitch the 8th. This is where Matheny falls apart. He is using the A team, assuming that the Cardinals will score. They do not. Matheny does this alot. He fails to manage the game, that is being played on the field. He is hoping for an outcome. Instead of managing the game as it is unfolding.
3. Matheny then sticks with this approach and uses Rosenthal in the ninth. The Cards still don’t score. Now Matheny is into extra innings. Something that he is not prepared for.
4. Matheny then used Maness in the 10th. However, does not do a double switch, so that Maness can go more than one inning. Matheny stated after the game, this was not an option. Because Maness had been up 3 times, before he came into the game. Once again, unprepared for the game going extra innings.
5. Matheny then uses Socolovich, in the 11th. Miguel has not pitched in 9 days. Soco gets 2 outs, has a 1-2 count on the Sox hitter. Gives up a solo home run.

The Cards put 2 on in the bottom of the 11th, but fail to tie up the game. Cards lose 2-1.

This is Matheny’s 5th loss of the season.

This is the most important issue facing the Cardinals. Can Matheny become more successful, in game decision maker. Matheny did not dictate the outcome of the game. Matheny let the game force him, into to using into using a pitcher, that had not pitched in 9 days. Not ideal.

Matheny stated after the game, that he has total confidence in using Soco in those high leverage situations. What a load of bullshit. If that was true, why had Miguel not pitched in 9 days. It is the kind of answer that just makes you shake your head in disbelief.

Matheny must do a better job in these types of situations. This will be determining factor in the postseason. If Matheny can not do a better job, the Cardinals players will have to win their 12th World Series ring, without any help from the manager.

LATER.