Explore the Score – April 2
St. Louis Cardinals (0-1) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (1-0)
Chase Field, 9:40 P.M.
Jaime García (0-0, -.–) vs. Trevor Cahill (0-0, -.–)
This may not seem like the sexiest match-up of number two starters out there but there still is a lot on the line in this game. Two young pitchers on big money contracts still trying to find their identities in the Major Leagues? Sometimes looking beneath the surface can make a game so much sweeter.
For the Cardinals, last season was the complete opposite of sweet. Although the team eliminated the heavily favored Atlanta Braves in the wild card playoff and the NL’s best team in the Washington Nationals in the NLDS, the Cardinals were overwhelmed by the San Francisco Giants in the latter half of the NLCS. And that right there is enough to disappoint this winning franchise. Entering this season with almost all the same pieces in place, the Cardinals top-notch offense should prove to be their strength. All-Star hitters Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltrán are once again healthy while budding stars like Allen Craig and Yadier Molina seem poised for huge seasons.
This is what’s going to give Trevor Cahill the most trouble today. A contact pitcher, the Cardinals present one of the toughest offenses that Cahill could face early in the season. A lot of pressure will be placed on the Diamondbacks infield today as Cahill will look to pound his sinker inside to the Cardinals’ hitters in order to prevent them from getting their arms extended and driving the ball. However, it is still April so Cahill can’t expect to have full control of his arsenal. A sinker is a feel pitch, one that only few are able to specialize in, so Cahill will need to rediscover this pitch before finding success this season. As much as I love Cahill and what he brings to the Diamondbacks, I can’t help but feel that this outing will not end well for him. The Cardinals are as professional a team as you can get and they won’t miss very many mistake pitches. Playing in a hitter’s park like Chase Field, there’s very little room for error in Cahill’s start today and that’s not the best way to approach a starter’s first game of the year. Although Cahill still has room to grow into a top of the rotation starter, this outing is not optimal for him to walk away with an impressive pitching line.
Jaime García (Associated Press)
On the other side of things, the Diamondbacks don’t have a shabby offense either. That is, they didn’t have one until spring training came around and the bad news piled up. Losing outfielders Cody Ross and Adam Eaton to major injuries while minor tweaks have plagued lineup standouts Aaron Hill and Jason Kubel, the D-backs are already at a disadvantage for the beginning of the season. However, this may oddly work to their advantage in regard to who they’re facing today.
The problem with left-hander Jaime García is his ability to retain focus in every start. Making a name for himself with a strong 2010 season, García’s numbers have steadily declined in the past two seasons. Part of this has been the result of several key injuries that García has faced but it’s important to note that these things are often the result of poor conditioning. This has been a big frustration for the Cardinals in recent years, especially since they rewarded García’s early numbers with a lucrative contract extension a few years ago. Now seemingly healthy, this season will be significant for García to prove that he’s a pitcher capable of holding a spot on this team. With pitching prospects Shelby Miller, Joe Kelly and Trevor Rosenthal knocking on the door to the Majors, every spot in the Cardinals rotation beside Adam Wainwright‘s should be considered up for grabs from here on out. Today’s match-up has García facing a weak Arizona offense; however, the D-backs should put García’s main issue on display. Facing many unknown players, García will need to retain his focus in order to find success today. Although these hitters may not be stars, they made it to the Major Leagues for a good reason and are more than capable of hitting any mistake pitches very far. Typically operating under ninety miles per hour, García doesn’t have the best stuff and will need to focus on locating every pitch he makes. If he isn’t able to then expect his short leash to get shorter for the rest of the season.
Player to Watch – Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt
Paul Goldschmidt (Norm Hall / Getty Images)
It may seem out of nowhere but if history has told us anything it’s that a big money extension is enough to thrust any player into their team’s spotlight early on. After nailing down a five-year, $32 million deal last week, all eyes will be on Goldschmidt to meet these new expectations. With the departure of Justin Upton, Goldschmidt has quickly become Arizona’s best right-handed option. Against a southpaw like García, Goldschmidt should have no problem handling any pitches that enter his hot zones and should be a decent bet for some major damage tonight. The young first baseman has proven that his power is legitimate, now it’s time to turn it into a weapon against the many great lefties that the National League has to offer.
Player to Drop – Diamondbacks C Miguel Montero
Another cornerstone of the D-backs young offense, Montero is my pick to struggle in today’s match-up. The slugging catcher has been able to put up above average numbers at his position each of the last few seasons; however, his numbers against left-handed pitchers are noticeably average. Facing a craft pitcher like García, Montero will need to remain dialed in at the plate, something that catchers often have a hard time doing due to the many other responsibilities on their hands. Though it’s only day two of the season, Montero will need to juggle a lot in this game (throw in the fact that he’s catching a sinkerballer) and may understandably be overwhelmed. No matter how much I like Montero as a hitter, I don’t think he’ll be able to take on a pitcher like García this early in the season and walk away the victor.
Post Script:
Trevor Cahill put up a solid line last night in a losing effort to the Cardinals. Cahill went 5 2/3 innings, allowing 7 baserunners and 3 runs. Constantly putting runners on in each inning, Cahill clearly battled himself all night as his sinker was a tough pitch for him to control. Although he surprisingly notched seven strikeouts, not knowing where he was putting the pitch undoubtedly haunted him while he was on the mound. The main damage done against him was on an impressive breaking ball that Matt Holliday hooked into the stands for a two run homer so his line doesn’t do him as much justice as it should. Managing to get six groundouts, Cahill was on his game; however, he just had issues controlling it.
Last night saw Jaime García pitch well, allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings. The southpaw cruised early on, giving up only two hits, but ran into trouble in the sixth. After getting the first two outs, García managed to walk three consecutive batters to load the bases. Although this was not focus-based, it showed that García may not be fully recovered from the injury problems he has faced recently and could battle some fatigue issues early this year. Moving forward it will be important to keep an eye on how García is throwing as his pitch count rises and if his velocity remains in tact late into outings. If it doesn’t then there might be a bigger issue going on that could cause some trouble.
Paul Goldschmidt had a pedestrian day at the plate, going 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Goldschmidt, like many others in the D-back lineup, had a tough time picking the ball up out of García‘s hand, swinging noticeably late on several pitches while also missing pitches he normally drives deep to left field. In the opening days of the season one can’t expect Goldschmidt to hit every bad pitch a long way; however, if the young first baseman is looking to step up this year he’ll need to become a much more opportune hitter.
And finally, in the ultimate effort to prove me wrong, Miguel Montero was the only Diamondbacks hitter that had success at the plate last night. Racking up two of the D-backs three hits, including a home run, Montero took advantage of bad pitches thrown his way by García. His home run came on a cutter left high in the middle of the zone and was hit the opposite way on a line into the stands. Despite fanning on my prediction that he’d struggle, I can’t even be mad. This game shows that Montero has continued to advance as a hitter as he enters his age thirty season. Instead of missing a good pitch to hit, Montero was able to use his great power to muscle the ball out of the park. If this is a sign of things to come for the season, expect big offensive things for Montero as he figures to hit toward the top of the lineup all season long.
Designated for Assignment 