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The series that could define the season
(STLToday.com)
In his office Wednesday morning, a few hours before his club would lose its fifth consecutive game and end a horrific road trip, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa fielded a variety of questions that centered on one theme.
What. Has. Happened?
"I had a feeling when we left Cincinnati (after the sweep, with a one-game lead), that we had put ourselves in good position and we still had a lot of work to do. It's never that simple. I don't blame you for picking up that story. The reality is you've still got to play the games, and it's a lot tougher. The reality is a lot tougher. Just like the first six weeks of the season. Everyone was saying the race was over. The race wasn't over. The race wasn't over."
La Russa peppered many of his answers during the series in Houston with the word "story" or "storyline". He understands why the media would seize on the Cardinals' reaction to Brandon Phillips comments as the moment a talented team galvanized. ("We didn't sit around and stumble into wins before that, did we?" he said.) He gets that the Cardinals' precipitous fall fits nicely into familiar plots. He rejected -- several times -- the theme I represented about the team's laggard play being connected to its inconsistent offense. ("We lose as a team," he said. "Manager included.")
And, on Wednesday morning, as he discussed myriad angles on the Cardinals' collapse with a few reporters, it was asked if there was a difference between competitive edge and effort. He asked the reporter to elaborate. The upshot of my question: Had the Cardinals lost their edge? (1)
"That storyline," La Russa said, "is not ... [ More ]
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Hudson, Pujols tops in NL for August
(MLB.com) the Braves do, in fact, capture the National League East this season for the first time since 2005, it will be due largely to the work that Tim Hudson has done down the stretch.
With a stellar month of August on the mound, Hudson has continued his Cy Young-caliber season and earned National League Pitcher of the Month honors, joining the Cardinals' Albert Pujols, named Player of the Month, as August's NL honorees.
Hudson turned in a nearly perfect August, going 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA to help the Braves build their current three-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. The veteran struck out 35 batters during the month, while walking only nine.
"What a guy to have," manager Bobby Cox said.
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Cards fall to Astros as skid reaches five
(MLB.com) At least in this game, the Cardinals scored.
Matt Holliday hit a two-run first-inning home run, but it wasn't enough, as the Cardinals lost, 5-2, to the Astros on Wednesday afternoon, putting an end to St. Louis' 2-8 road trip, which concluded with five consecutive losses.
After being shut out the first two games of the three-game series at Minute Maid Park, the Cardinals wasted little time scoring with Holliday's two-run home run, his 24th of the season, off Astros starter Nelson Figueroa.
The Astros won the first two games of the series by identical 3-0 scores.
A four-run Astros outburst in the fifth inning, capped by Hunter Pence's three-run home run, turned a two-run St. Louis ... [ More ]
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FS-M 
FS-M - Wood @ Wainwright
