Last Gasp For Kip Wells?
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by Dneuner82
Kip Wells gets the ball tonight as the Cards open up the 2nd half of the season in Philadelphia. Wells's 1st half was nothing short of a disaster, although he showed some signs of life once he got demoted to the bullpen. In his last 5 outings (1 start, 4 relief appearences), Wells is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA, 5 BB, 14K. He finally got his overall ERA under 6, and he also has a career 5-0, 1.33 ERA against the Phillies. Wells will probably get 2 starts on this 10-game trip, one coming tonight, and the other coming Wednesday in Florida.
Chris Carpenter will not be appearing on this road trip, but his return is imminent, probably during the homestand against the Cubs and Brewers.
Carlos Zambrano is on pace to start the opener of the Cubs/Cards series Tuesday, July 24, but Carpenter could steal his thunder if he is penciled in to start for the Cards that night. With regard to Wells, if he doesn't pitch well on this road trip, I think he'll become a permanent fixture in the bullpen, especially with the quality starts that Brad Thompson has had this year. I don't think he'll be released since he has proven to be a valuable long reliever. Here is how the rotation will probably look like once Carp comes back:
Carpenter Maroth Wainwright Looper Thompson/Reyes
Other quick notes:
-David Eckstein will be back in the lineup tonight. You have to applaud Aaron Miles for the job he has done this year platooning between 2B and SS. Hopefully he'll continue to get starts at the expense of Adam Kennedy, who was a complete bust the 1st half of the season.
-It's looking like the Cards made a huge mistake giving Jim Edmonds $19 million for the next 2 years. While he has been a popular player, his time in centerfield is running out, especially with the emergence of Ryan Ludwick.
-The Cards need to think about trading Scott Rolen at the deadline. He is just not worth the money, and I think his shoulder has never recovered from his injury in 2005. Bring back Brendan Ryan and let him get a shot at third base. Or can Aaron Miles play third?
-Mark Cuban wants to buy the Cubbies. If he disagrees with an umpire, will he be running onto the field?
-The next loss for the Phillies will be #10,000. No one else is even close. That fan base deserves it.
