Cardinals vs. Brewers: Mark Kotsay Was A Great Idea

I was critical of Ron Roenicke inserting Mark Kotsay in the starting lineup, and then I had a little fun at Kotsay's expense when he had an ugly first inning, which included a baserunning mistake and an issue in the field. The early indications were that playing Kotsay over Nyjer Morgan was a bad move on Roenicke's part.

Oh, but first: Yovani Gallardo threw a scoreless bottom of the second. It wasn't easy. He allowed a single to Albert Pujols, and he moved him to second on a wild pitch. But Gallardo got Matt Holliday to ground out to kill the modest threat.

Then the third. Then Kotsay. The first pitch Chris Carpenter threw Kotsay was a fastball more or less over the heart of the plate, and Kotsay pounded it out to right field on a line. That cut the Cardinals' lead to 4-3, and as Kotsay returned to the dugout, there was much laughter and mirth. Nyjer Morgan himself seemed to be having a ball.

That was all the damage the Brewers would do. Ryan Braun singled, but got erased on Prince Fielder's double play, and then Rickie Weeks grounded out. But now it's 4-3 St. Louis in the bottom of the third, and the Cardinals' quick start has been all but forgotten.