John Lackey, who lasted six innings in his first start of the season April 10, will try to start another streak Thursday afternoon. Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
ST. LOUIS — With the 2015 season just more than a week old, at least in terms of games played, the St. Louis Cardinals are getting just what was expected from their starting pitching.
After Wednesday night’s 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cardinals have played seven games and the starters have been as consistent as could be expected, even though Lance Lynn failed to pitch at least six innings against the Brewers.
In the previous six games, each starter lasted at least six innings with very good results.
Said right fielder Jason Heyward, “The starters have given us an opportunity to win each game. The games we’ve lost, we’ve been right in them.”
In the first week of the season, there were no teams in baseball that had at least four games with six innings pitched by their starters. Most important, the St. Louis starters haven’t been touched for a big inning.
Including Wednesday night, no opponent’s inning has had more than two runs allowed by a starter. In addition, the bullpen has had just one inning where three runs scored.
Control has helped all concerned. In 42 1/3 starter’s innings, there have been only eight walks to go with 34 strikeouts. No starter has allowed more than two walks in a game, and of the eight walks, only two scored. One of those was Wednesday night when Lynn walked catcher Jonathan Lucroy in the third inning, and he scored on a two-out single by third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
John Lackey, who lasted six innings in his first start of the season April 10, will try to start another streak Thursday afternoon.
As Lynn concluded, “You just try to go out there and do what you can to help the team win. That’s what we’re worried about.”
