With Kyle Lohse making his first start in just about a month, the Cardinals dropped the first game of a day-night double header to the Cubs losing 7-3 Sunday afternoon. A rare error by Albert Pujols led to a big rally for the Cubs, but I think a bonehead managerial decision by Tony LaRussa helped put this game in jeopardy.
Lohse struggled in the first inning surrendering a three run homer to Micah Hoffpauir. In the third, the Cardinals came back with three of their own after Pujols doubled in two and later scored. In the fourth, Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano not only picked up the win, but picked up the game winning RBI when he homered in the bottom of the fourth.
Then, a questionable move by manager Tony LaRussa in the seventh. With the All-Star break coming up and another game to play at night, LaRussa called on starter Todd Wellemeyer to pitch out of the bullpen to help save some arms for the night cap. Breaking Wellemeyer’s routine for getting warmed up as a starter hurt, because Wellemeyer gave up a lead off single to Alfonso Soriano and a walk to Hoffpauir. After a fly ball out, Wellemeyer walked Milton Bradley and his day was done. It is tough to ask a starting pitcher to come out of the bullpen and break up his routine of usually taking 18-20 minutes to warm up for a game. It’s one thing if you have a guy like Brad Thompson, a swing pitcher who does both during the year, but to ask a guy who has started all year to come out of the pen is tough.
With the bases loaded, PJ Walters induced a ground ball to Skip Schumaker whose throw home was a bit high. Jason LaRue tried to stretch for the plate, but his toe came down in front of the plate allowing Soriano to score. Then Koyie Hill hit a grounder through the legs of Pujols that scored two more.
With the loss, the Cardinals lead in the Central went is two over Milwaukee and 2.5 over Chicago. The best case scenario for Cardinals would be to head into the break with a 2.5 game lead over Milwaukee and 3.5 over Chicago which is where they started heading into this series on Friday.