THE POSTGAME
Kyle Lohse did what Kyle Lohse does, going seven shutout innings and turning over to the bullpen and the offense for the 4-1 win to stay ahead of Los Angeles (rained out), Pittsburgh (lost to Milwaukee) and Milwaukee (beat Pittsburgh).
THE NEWS
> Jake Westbrook threw a bullpen today and hopes to be back next week.
> The lamer-than-once-expected Ballpark Village has been approved.
> Mitchell Boggs pitched a couple days after he was declared too sore to play. Two-thirds of an inning, three hits and an earned run in the eighth.
> Matt Holliday is the Cardinals’ Roberto Clemente Award nominee this year. ”News.”
> Here’s another new playoffs rule you won’t be able to keep track of.
THE OPINES
> I teased a Yunel Escobar column on Twitter, but after trying to write it I concluded that this whole thing really wasn’t worth the attention it’s getting.
> Carlos Beltran doesn’t like sitting on the bench.
> Have you heard anyone even sort of mention Lohse in the NL Cy Young discussion? R.A. Dickey‘s having a better year, but Lohse is in the top three right now.
> Speaking of Lohse, the Cards should give him a qualifying offer this offseason. With his numbers, he’ll probably find a higher bid and say no thanks, and the Cards will get a compensatory draft pick next year for their troubles.
> Still speaking of Lohse, Ryan Franklin suggested him to John Mozeliak the year the Cards signed him.
> From the Idiot Symposium.
> I don’t know how you can mess up a Clint Eastwood baseball movie, but the more trailers I see, the more likely that seems.
There are times in every baseball writer's career when we feel like Clint Eastwood -- stuck interviewing an empty chair that curses at us.
—
Derrick Goold (@dgoold) September 18, 2012THE DAILY PUJOLS
> Albert Pujols is back in St. Louis with his wife Deidre after she gave birth to their fifth kid on Sunday.
THE FRIVOLITIES
> Let’s start the Frivs today with a game. Which Major League player do you think this is a bobblehead of?
If you said Jose Reyes, the good news is you win. The bad news is that you’re going blind.
> Be a baseball player, they said. You’ll meet great people, they said.
> The Arch is back, and now it comes with an STL.
> Jose Canseco was being Jose Canseco. Again.
