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pjcrowder

Cardinals stay on their roll

March 29, 2015 at 05:19PM View formatted

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if anyone thought the fading Dodgers would suddenly revive and rise up and smack the St Louis Cardinals around in their return matcm, former Cy Young Winner Greg Ruebel put a stop to that.

The one time Toronto phenom, turned unwanted waiver wire resident, went nine innings surrendered just five hits one run and fanned seven Dodgers, earning his second win in three decisions since establishing command of his once effective sinker and breaking pitches.

St Louis shortstop, Albert Slusarski, hit his 13th homerun of the season, a three run shot off Dodger starter Marcus McEwing (2-6), in the top of the first for the Red Birds, as they jumped on the slumping McEwing for four runs on three hits and four walks.

St Louis, at 30-13, currently hold a five game lead over Philadelphia and has won nine of it's last ten games.

This is not a young and upcoming team but a team that has seen success before and then the other side of baseball as well.

Ruebel, a second round pick by Toronto (pick #20), was 13-3 with five complete games, 1 shutout, 118 strikeouts 44 walks starting 17 games for Toronto and working 142.1 innings that season.

He was the starting pitcher in the All Star Game for the American League, and was voted the AL Cy Young Winner.

The disaster followed the next season as he fell off to 7-7 3.79 and was eventually put on waivers by Toronto.

Afterwards, trying to revive his career, he spent short stints with Minnesota, and Chicago before St Louis picked him up on waivers as a league organizational pitcher.

Thee others on this team who underwent the old sophomore jinx and had to work through the growing pins of playing major league baseball.

Pitcher Oscar Wells was Rookie of the Year in 1950 and fell off the next season. he has managed to reestablish himself as part of a strong bullpen with Jake Akers and Jeff Alexander.

Alexander came to the Cardinals from the waiver wire also. He was waived by Los Angeles and lingered on the list before the Cardinals put him to work.

Starting pitcher Paul Valentin was also a 1950 All Star and he too had a difficult time the following season, going from 8-2 to 4-10. His teammate Ray Nichols did so as well.

Now they form a formidable rotation that does not blow hitters away, but is long on craft and tenaciousness that seems to exist throughout the roster of this cteam.

Outfielder Joe Pickup, Brian Byrnes, second baseman John Innis all demonstrate the hard nose all out style that the league has come to expect from this club.

Innis too had a fine debut in 1950. In 46 games he fielded very well, hit .308 with 8 homeruns and 26 runs batted in . The in 1951 he spent forty four days on the disabled list and managed to hit only .199 5 homers and had 23 Runs batted in 76 games.

This season he started slowly, was involved in the aborted trade between Minnesota, LA and St Louis. He played in one game for Minnesota.

Since returning he has played much better. in his last dozen gams with the Cardinals he has batted .292 with 2 homers, has nine walks, and driven in 10 runs while scoring 12. His fielding has been superb handling sixty one chances without an error and participating in eight twin killings.

The Dodgers send Kevin Troedsen (6-3 against Valentin (6-3) in the second game of the series.

The Cardinals are looking for their eighth consecutive win.

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