Brendan Ryan hit a grand slam, the first of his career and just his second home run of the season and Joel Pineiro pitched 7.2 innings as the Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 5-1.  Russell Martin hit a grand slam as the Dodgers beat the Cubs pushing the Cardinals’ lead to seven games.

What a great story Brendan Ryan has been so far.  Here is a kid who has done everything that Tony LaRussa has asked of him and yet every year for the last couple of years it looked like he would be the odd man out.  Heading into 2008, he figured to compete for the starting job at short after playing an impressive 67 games in 2007 and hit .289.  Instead, the Cardinals brought in Cesar Izturis.

Then, before this season after coming off of a .244 batting average, but a very impressive .993 fielding percentage, the Cardinals announced Skip Schumaker would move to second base and the team signed Khalil Greene.  Plus, infielders Brian Barden, Joe Thurston and David Freese all saw signficant playing time early.  It looked like Ryan would have to fight and claw his way for any sort of playing time.  Well, Freese was sent down to AAA, so was Barden, Thurston cooled and Greene went on the DL twice for social anxiety disorder.  Ryan just kept playing and plugging along and now he is the everyday shortshop.

The addition of Mark DeRosa and Matt Holliday and even Julio Lugo will be looked at as the big moves for the Cardinals, but you can’t overlook the play of Brendan.  I’m not saying he’s the reason this team is seven games up in the middle of August, but he reminds me of David Eckstein and I suggest you watch for Ryan in the postseason.  (Yes, I’m saying it already.)  Teams will be so focused on Pujols, Holliday, Ludwick DeRosa, that it could end up being someone like Ryan who becomes a thorn in LA’s or Philly’s side this October.