It didn't much matter if the St. Louis Cardinals got a whole lot of offense tonight, because with the way starter Todd Wellemeyer was pitching, there was no need for it.
Wellemeyer tossed 7.2 scoreless innings while giving up just three hits as he worked in dominant fashion.
We finally saw the Wellemeyer that started the season out 7-1, and his ERA now sits at a comfortable 3.79.
Although he had more walks (4) than strikeouts (3), he was efficient enough to get the job done without any major issues.
At one point late in his outing, Wellemeyer had fourteen batters come up to hit, and he sat all fourteen of them right back down.
Of course a little firepower from outfielder Ryan Ludwick didn't hurt Wellemeyer's cause, as he notched his tenth win of the season while Ludwick hit his 30th home run of the 2008 campaign.
Although the NL Central title is a lofty goal, the Cardinals' win tonight moved them just three games out of the NL Wild Card picture as the Milwaukee Brewers lost in extra innings.
This upcoming series is one of the most important of the year for the Cardinals, as they face the terrible Cincinnati Reds. The Brewers, however, will play a three-game set against the Dodgers, who have looked strong of late with the additions of Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake. Another big plus for the Redbirds is that C.C. Sabathia won't be hurling in the weekend series.
If the Cardinals can do their part and sweep, hopefully the Dodgers can bring out the brooms and create a tie atop the NL Wild Card race.
Original Story:
http://www.cardinaltwist.com/2008/08/...
