MLB: ***Official 2019 St. Louis Cardinals Season Thread***
- Thread starter TheHelgo
- Start date
Way to piss away a great start by Waino.
Two in a row. Flaherty and now this one. There is no in between with this offense. It's either and onslaught or a freaking baron wasteland.
Cmart has elite stuff but just not the mental make up of a closer.
Yup. No business being there in a critical situation. You just know he’s going to give up runs. Only unknown is whether it will cost the game or not.
I don't even think his stuff is elite anymore, unless there is an injury. He hangs sliders and curveballs over the plate all the time.
Martinez should not be on the roster going forward - meaning next year - he is not reliable enough to keep.
I just do not understand when he has a 98 mile fastball, why he has to flip up sliders and cut fastballs. How about, here it is, no hit it. But no, he starts every hitter out trying to get cute, and flip up the slider, then he misses with his second pitch and before we know its, the count is 2-0 and now he has to throw strikes.
Million dollar arm, with a 10 cent brain. Smoltz was doing one of our games this year, and he pointed out Martinez should be top 5 to 10 pitchers, with his stuff.
Million dollar arm, with a 10 cent brain. Smoltz was doing one of our games this year, and he pointed out Martinez should be top 5 to 10 pitchers, with his stuff.
The AB against Hamilton in game one was quintessential Martinez. You have a career 0.200 hitter up who probably hasn’t seen live pitching in a week. Martinez could throw straight fastballs at 98 mph and up and would have a 90% or better chance of getting him out. Hamilton can blaze on the bases so you have to do anything you can not to walk him. And what does Carlos do? He walks him by trying to get him to chase offspeed crap.
That's not what happened today.
Donaldson hit an 0-1 pitch.
Swanson hit the first pitch.
Duvall hit an 0-2 pitch.
Does it really matter, bottom line he entered the game with a 1-0 lead, and then gave up 3 runs, the second time in the series that he given up 3 runs.
A closers job is to finish the game, Martinez needs to be able to put out the fire, not allow it to start. Move him back into the rotation next year, or better yet, trade him and let someone else deal with it.
I still don't understand the thinking of walking McCann to pitch to Swanson. I hated it in the moment and hate it more now. Let's see...past his prime catcher that you could throw out at first from RF or a young stud that's already hit two balls hard today. I just can't wrap my brain around that one at all.
As for Martinez's pitch selection, I agree but I also don't see him shaking Yadi off much if at all. When all else fails 99 up in the zone should work quite a bit. Quit setting up for sliders outside that never get within 2' of being a strike.
As for Martinez's pitch selection, I agree but I also don't see him shaking Yadi off much if at all. When all else fails 99 up in the zone should work quite a bit. Quit setting up for sliders outside that never get within 2' of being a strike.
People who say that are clueless, He has been the heart of this team for 15 years. My favorite player in my lifetime.
