The Cardinals haven’t had to rely much on their supporting cast this season.
The starters have remained reasonably healthy and the team immediately took charge of the National League Central “race.” The Cards have experienced little of the roster-shuffling adventure that occurred during the first half of last season.
But Sunday’s offensive breakout was huge. As we noted in this space last year, guys like Nick Stavinoha are fighting for their spot on a week-to-week basis.
It is tough to reach the big leagues and it is even more difficult to gain solid footing at that level. So Stavinoha, Joe Mather and Tyler Greene had reason to celebrate their combined 4-for-13, five-run, four-RBI performance at Pittsburgh.
They got the big hits in the Cards’ 11-4 victory. Their performance allowed manager Tony La Russa to rest Matt Holliday (and his sore groin muscle) ahead of a much-needed off-day for the team.
Skip Schumaker got a day off, too, and Colby Rasmus didn’t have to start against a lefthanded pitcher. The fill-ins gave the team a nice lift at the end of a difficult road trip.
This was a timely boost for a lagging team. The Cards looked utterly exasperated against the Pirates the night before.
La Russa turned to his reserves for the final game of the series and got refreshing results. The afternoon was reassuring for everybody involved.
The bench has been a nagging concern for Cardinal Nation -– and rightfully so. La Russa prefers to have seasoned veterans in those part-time roles, given the mental challenge inherent to infrequent play.
Rookie Allen Craig flopped as a fill-in, going 1 for 18 before heading back to the minors to recapture his stroke. Craig had hit at every minor league level. He had hit well in college, too.
But that success came while playing full time. Playing occasionally . . . well, that is a different matter entirely. Craig hit well during spring training, but got lost between at-bats in the majors this spring.
With veteran utility man Felipe Lopez sidelined by an elbow injury, Greene returned from Memphis to fill that infield role. His disastrous defensive performance at shortstop Thursday cost the Cards in Philadelphia.
But he played great defense at second base Sunday. That success, plus a rally-starting double and a later RBI (on a hit by pitch) boosted Greene’s stock.
In the near term, Greene will return to Memphis to play shortstop every day. In the long term, he could become no worse than a handy utility player for the Cards.
He played all four infield spots plus center field for the Cards last year, when injuries forced La Russa to rely heavily on promoted rookies. He stole 31 bases for Memphis while demonstrating gap power.
Once Greene refines his hitting and becomes more consistent with his throwing, he will have a more permanent role here. In the meantime, he has to make the most of whatever opportunities come his way.
The same goes for Mather. The team loves his athletic ability and defensive versatility. But his ’09 season was a wash due to wrist injuries and he is struggling to re-establish his stroke.
For a big guy with a big swing, this is tricky. And unlike Craig, Stavinoha and David Freese,
Mather doesn’t have a track record of consistent minor league success.
In fact, he narrowly avoided getting released a couple times earlier in his career. So when Mather goes 2 for 6 in the leadoff spot -– even against the Pirates -- that is a hallmark day in his career.
When the Cardinals get back to work Tuesday, you can expect them to have a more conventional lineup. Most of the reserves will be back on the bench, waiting for their next chance.
But they will be a more confident bunch after Sunday’s breakthrough performance. And the whole team will be more confident, too, knowing that all 25 players can help on a given day.
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