Cardinals sail past Mariners for 9-3 triumph
The St. Louis and Seattle clubs have a lot in common. They both start with the letter ‘S’. They both have a star player who debuted in 2001, and they both have a player named Lopez, though with no relation.
But after that, the similarities become less evident. Aside from a few other minor resemblances, the Cardinals and Mariners remain more different than alike. One plays in the National League and is up in the standings, while the other in the American League, playing in the proverbial cellar.
Another contrasting element between the two teams is their on field playing philosophy. The Cardinals have relied on offensive more than in past seasons, while the Mariners are seemingly focused defense –and nothing else.
Without going into the old adage of “Good pitching beats good hitting, and vice versa”, there has always been some differentiating opinions on which is more important, offense or defense. Of course, either way, the Cardinals have the winning record to back up their philosophy, and the Mariners –to put it bluntly– don’t.
But perhaps the best way to test the two philosophies came on Monday, when the Cardinals and Mariners were pitted against each other in interleague play. Statistically speaking, the Cardinals won, and won quite well, enough so that the argument can be made that St. Louis is simply better, and perhaps it is right.
The final score of 9-3 suggest that St. Louis did not only out-hit Seattle, but also out pitched them too, seeing that it is hard to have one without the other. Cardinals’ starter Adam Wainwright pitched very well through 7 innings, holding the Mariners to but the three runs.
Wainwright also was one of many Redbird hitters to have a fine day at the plate. He went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk, and is now batting .132 on the year. Albert Pujols had three hits and a pair of walks, while Ryan Ludwick went 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs.
However, on the other side of the boxscore, Seattle had a lot more O’s to fill in. Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins each had two hits apiece and the majority of the Mariners offense, while the rest of the lineup went for a combined 2 for 26.
To make certain that the Cardinals’ triumph was not just a one-time event, St. Louis and Seattle will play twice more before the series is complete. The next game will be on Tuesday when Jeff Suppan makes his return to the Cardinals, beginning at 7:15 CT.
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