Weaver Stuggles, Offense Dissappears as Birds get Pounded 11-1

The Cardinals have now been throttled in the last two games started by Luke Weaver. His last time out, he gave up six unearned, to the Giants, and did not make it past the second inning. In Wednesday’s matchup, against the Rockies, he did much the same, giving up 6 earned through just two innings, including a Grand Slam to Nolan Arenado, before being lifted for Jaime Garcia.

Not only did Weaver only go two innings, the offense was nowhere to be found. No player in the Birds’ lineup had more than one hit. Only two players, Aledmys Diaz and Carson Kelly, reached base more than once, thanks to a couple hit by pitches. This allowed the rookie Rockies starter to earn his first career win. They also struck out a total of 11 times Wednesday afternoon.

Jaime Garcia pitched well, striking out five, and only giving up one hit, through four innings of work. After Weaver’s second straight bumpy start, we can only hope, at a time in the season where the Cards cannot afford to give anything away, that Garcia does not re-enter the starting rotation. Weaver does not seem to be a good fit for the bullpen, and is still, in my opinion, the best option for the fifth starter. With that said, I do not see much chance of Garcia taking his place, but it is something to think about.

Something else to think about, after Weaver’s latest bad showing, is the playoff pitching rotation. With Weaver struggling lately, Mike Leake, who pitched well his last time out, may be the Cardinals’ fourth best option, if they make it to the NLDS. It would seem obvious now that, behind Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright, Alex Reyes is a lock for the third spot in the post-season rotation. Though, after Leake and Weaver’s latest showings, the fourth spot is not as clear cut.

St. Louis will start its final road series Friday in Wrigley. They will have their first off day in 20 games, Thursday. Yadier Molina was out of the lineup today, in light of that, so he should be well rested for the final push. The off day should provide plenty of rest for the entire roster too, allowing the best lineup to be put on the field Friday, behind Leake.

One positive coming out of Colorado Wednesday, was the news about Matt Holliday, as he took batting practice for the third straight day, with no complications in the thumb. Owen Perkins reports, “’Probably the next step . . . we’ll try and figure out a way to get a live session’ Matheny said.” This shows some hope that Holliday could be back before the final regular season game, though it is still unknown whether or not he will be back in time to make a real impact.