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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  3.  <title>Viva El Birdos -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>A St. Louis Cardinals Fan Community</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50051/veb-fav.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2025-04-30T12:06:39-04:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2025-04-30T12:06:39-04:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2025-04-30T12:06:39-04:00</updated>
  12.    <title>Game Preview 4/30: Cardinals vs. Reds (Game 1)</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="St. Louis Cardinals v Cincinnati Reds" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fdJL3rOpM3Y_wSTAvbynMlTJrBM=/0x0:5616x3744/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74057733/2212479574.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;Let’s try to win this one&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="bpMUJ1"&gt;Oh hey day baseball.  The Cardinals play two games today, the first of which is during work hours, so I imagine most of you are not going to be able to watch it.  That’s okay.  The Cardinals appear to be bad on the road, so it’s not the worst thing to miss a road game.  I’m just accepting they are bad on the road, even though the sample is bad, because it’ll be easier to see losses coming.&lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;div class="c-float-right"&gt;&lt;div id="5gCVka"&gt;&lt;div data-anthem-component="aside:12579325"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  22. &lt;p id="sQa3xp"&gt;Today is not one of those games where I think anyone would expect a win.  It’s a fairly lopsided pitching matchup.  Singer’s been good enough this year that he would nicely fit into the other ace level pitchers the Cardinals randomly end up beating.  So there is that.  Maybe the offense shows up today.  And baseball has a funny way of reminding you how random it is, so maybe Mikolas actually pitches well today.  Stranger things have happened.&lt;/p&gt;
  23. &lt;p id="RjMQ1s"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to watch: &lt;/strong&gt;Fanduel Sports Midwest Extra&lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;p id="egCu8g"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to listen: &lt;/strong&gt;KMOX 1120AM/104.1 FM, WIJR 880 AM (spanish broadcast)&lt;/p&gt;
  25. &lt;p id="4krf8d"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First pitch: &lt;/strong&gt;11:40 PM&lt;/p&gt;
  26. &lt;p id="bKIIJD"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Matchup:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  27. &lt;p id="6165C2"&gt;STL: Miles Mikolas (5.70 ERA/3.08 FIP/5.04 xFIP)&lt;/p&gt;
  28. &lt;p id="IvzIvl"&gt;vs.&lt;/p&gt;
  29. &lt;p id="OgjGE3"&gt;MIL: Brady Singer (3.62 ERA/3.11 FIP/3.23 xFIP)&lt;/p&gt;
  30. &lt;p id="bvZdtx"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Player to Watch&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  31. &lt;p id="HpICJl"&gt;STL - Nolan Gorman: No better time than the present for Gorman’s immense power potential to show up than in this series.  He doesn’t need an easy park to hit a homer, and yet being at an easy to hit a homer park is an enticing place for a power hitter to play.  So Gorman, how about today you start showing that home run power.&lt;/p&gt;
  32. &lt;p id="1dIzxu"&gt;CIN - Gavin Lux: Okay, so I wrote the series preview about how insanely lucky Gavin Lux has been this year, and then he went out and went 3-4 with a double.  Eventually, Lux will not have a near .500 BABIP, but for the next three games, that is no guarantee.  He’s walking more - also striking out more - but he’s legit the same hitter he’s been for his career - he just has a .484 BABIP.&lt;/p&gt;
  33. &lt;div id="Eb1bAA"&gt;
  34. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  35. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Playing two today! &lt;a href="https://t.co/PZtOPAjPxV"&gt;pic.twitter.com/PZtOPAjPxV&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1917585555761824055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  36. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  37. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  38.  
  39. &lt;/div&gt;
  40. &lt;div id="1Hyg5S"&gt;
  41. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  42. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;How 'bout we play two today?&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Powered by &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PNCBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@PNCBank&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/BxZDGczvwV"&gt;pic.twitter.com/BxZDGczvwV&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Reds/status/1917578519388754152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 30, 2025&lt;/a&gt;
  43. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  44. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  45.  
  46. &lt;/div&gt;
  47. &lt;p id="DI1LFb"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  48. &lt;p id="yQZHOY"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  49. &lt;p id="hpNQwk"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  50. &lt;p id="YtoR2a"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  51. &lt;p id="yYzvNB"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  52.  
  53. </content>
  54.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/30/24420561/game-preview-4-30-cardinals-vs-reds-game-1"/>
  55.    <id>https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/30/24420561/game-preview-4-30-cardinals-vs-reds-game-1</id>
  56.    <author>
  57.      <name>Gabe Simonds</name>
  58.    </author>
  59.  </entry>
  60.  <entry>
  61.    <published>2025-04-30T11:40:00-04:00</published>
  62.    <updated>2025-04-30T11:40:00-04:00</updated>
  63.    <title>St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds - A doubleheader game thread for April 30, 2025</title>
  64.    <content type="html">  
  65.  
  66.    &lt;figure&gt;
  67.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pPq0uKc59KgGHAtHKc9Ce8pLCEw=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828287/large_viva_el_birdos_minimal.34487.0.png" /&gt;
  68.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  69.  
  70.  &lt;p&gt;game 30&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="wGjFEW"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/"&gt;St. Louis Cardinals&lt;/a&gt; take on the &lt;a href="https://www.redreporter.com/"&gt;Cincinnati Reds&lt;/a&gt; for game one of a doubleheader this morning at 11:40 am CT. The game will be available on FanDuel Sports Midwest and on the radio on KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM.&lt;/p&gt;
  71.  
  72. </content>
  73.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/30/24420736/st-louis-cardinals-at-cincinnati-reds-a-doubleheader-game-thread-for-april-30-2025"/>
  74.    <id>https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/30/24420736/st-louis-cardinals-at-cincinnati-reds-a-doubleheader-game-thread-for-april-30-2025</id>
  75.    <author>
  76.      <name>scooter</name>
  77.    </author>
  78.  </entry>
  79.  <entry>
  80.    <published>2025-04-30T09:00:00-04:00</published>
  81.    <updated>2025-04-30T09:00:00-04:00</updated>
  82.    <title>The Path Ahead &amp; April Impressions</title>
  83.    <content type="html">  
  84.  
  85.    &lt;figure&gt;
  86.      &lt;img alt="St. Louis Cardinals v. Cincinnati Reds" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/o1YFCjXvf-4QzizoJr2xVgOHjiM=/0x0:2384x1589/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74057343/2212037244.0.jpg" /&gt;
  87.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Abdoul Sow/MLB Photos via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  88.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  89.  
  90.  &lt;p&gt;One month into the season and there are even more questions than before&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="PqhwEO"&gt;So far this year, this is a team finding its identity after several seasons of upheaval and change. The Cardinals in 2022 watched the retirement of the old guard. In 2023, the team crashed and burned. 2024 brought a lackluster second place finish tied with the Chicago Cubs. The team struggled to find a hitting coach, the defense and fundamentals seemed out of phase, and questions surrounded Oliver Marmol and the abrupt firing of the insubordinate Mike Shildt, the second of two Mikes.&lt;/p&gt;
  91. &lt;p id="Ytgnme"&gt;So far in 2025, with April nearing its completion, the Cardinals have been allowing 4.66 runs per game, while scoring 4.52 runs on average each game. Their run differential isn’t terrible, at -4. For the rest of the season, fangraphs projects that the Cardinals will reduce the runs scored against them, going forward. They do after all have much improved defense now, maybe the best defense in MLB. Who knows? It’s only almost May. &lt;/p&gt;
  92. &lt;p id="B7GEYA"&gt;The caveat is, fangraphs doesn’t think the offense can keep scoring 4.52 runs per game. Currently, we are projected to finish with 77 wins. That’s not very good, and only good enough to finish above the Pirates, barely. Fourth place! I suppose that is entirely possible.&lt;/p&gt;
  93. &lt;p id="qOHR3V"&gt;Why 4th place? Because the pitching just isn’t that good, and the offense isn’t actually elite. In fact it’s been hit and miss, cratering in enough games to bring the team below .500. And they are five games below .500 because the pitching has been failing to prevent runs even with good defense supporting them. &lt;/p&gt;
  94. &lt;p id="IHIg5a"&gt;Also, the team is currently in 4th place. So there’s that. We don’t have a lot to go on telling us otherwise. What could turn this thing around?&lt;/p&gt;
  95. &lt;ul&gt;
  96. &lt;li id="M2vz9D"&gt;what if Nolan Arenado is indeed untradeable and puts up over 5 fWAR in 2025? that’s the kind of player that is a difference maker if he has some support surrounding him&lt;/li&gt;
  97. &lt;li id="07EGZp"&gt;what if Masyn Winn is a top tier defensive shortstop, while hitting for league average? along with Arenado, this is a run preventing wall of defense on the left side of the diamond&lt;/li&gt;
  98. &lt;li id="uIOmq6"&gt;what if Brendan Donovan gets MVP votes and puts up close to 8 fWAR? That is what he is pacing for. So, along with strong defense we have an elite hitter on the roster!&lt;/li&gt;
  99. &lt;li id="U7jHBf"&gt;what if Lars Nootbaar maintains an on-base percentage around .400 all year from the leadoff spot? that should be an exciting offense! Noot will likely hit over 20 home runs too&lt;/li&gt;
  100. &lt;li id="olPzbh"&gt;what if Ivan Herrera picks up where he left off and ignites the offense when he returns? having him in the lineup every day will only help bolster the offense&lt;/li&gt;
  101. &lt;li id="nfoKTI"&gt;what if Willson Contreras’ start on offense has been a mirage and he turns it around and makes up for April the rest of the season?&lt;/li&gt;
  102. &lt;li id="sjCCmt"&gt;what if Victor Scott II maintains league average offense while playing superb center field defense and steals 50 bases? he could do that! maybe&lt;/li&gt;
  103. &lt;/ul&gt;
  104. &lt;p id="ne3Lns"&gt;You get the idea! Those are some very real points that could make the team finish above 4th place, if things break our way. Sure I could make outlandish claims about Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker figuring things out, but those were already 7 players that could be big difference makers and propel the season forward. &lt;/p&gt;
  105. &lt;p id="RjIdBB"&gt;The main problem remains winning on the road, and that has to change its tune at some point. It’s a long season and there will be many plots and storylines and side quests.&lt;/p&gt;
  106. &lt;p id="TKQX32"&gt;And let’s not forget Matthew Liberatore could lead the staff along with Sonny Gray and maybe the rotation won’t be too bad. Libby has been one of the best starters in MLB so far this year, 5 starts in. &amp;amp; Maybe the bullpen won’t be nearly this bad the rest of the season. There is plenty of baseball left to be played.&lt;/p&gt;
  107. &lt;p id="4h7lXL"&gt;The Cardinals play bright and early today, starting before the noon hour, making up for a weather delayed Tuesday night. Maybe the Cardinals will still notch their first series win on the road and win 3 in a row in another city. Maybe not. Or they could still split the series.&lt;/p&gt;
  108. &lt;p id="o5SsW3"&gt;The fickle finger of fate has brought us the last day of April. I ask the Cardinals to go out of the month on a winning note. Which means hopefully they’ll win with Matz on the mound, because unless they break the bats out, I don’t think they will win miles away from home with Mikolas at “Great American Ballpark”. What a cheesy name. If Ohio is peak America, I am not too impressed, to be imperfectly honest.&lt;/p&gt;
  109. &lt;p id="NWpRJO"&gt;And now, a poem from the digital ghost of Bukowski for those of you who are actually going to sit around and drink beer all day for both these games today. I will be working all day and night so I envy you, heartily!&lt;/p&gt;
  110. &lt;p id="FcSiyh"&gt;&lt;em&gt;watching these cardinals is like watching a drunk try to find his keys in the gutter&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  111. &lt;p id="6Q8N2u"&gt;&lt;em&gt;they’ve been stumbling around for years now&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  112. &lt;p id="hjWeJk"&gt;&lt;em&gt;first the old boys left then everything went to hell in ‘23&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  113. &lt;p id="YRIN5I"&gt;&lt;em&gt;‘24 wasn’t much better tied with those damn cubs&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  114. &lt;p id="pcSLVp"&gt;&lt;em&gt;here we are end of april ‘25 and they’re still pissing away games&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  115. &lt;p id="AYMMSH"&gt;&lt;em&gt;4.66 runs given up 4.52 scored&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  116. &lt;p id="KGJqX2"&gt;&lt;em&gt;numbers numbers numbers&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  117. &lt;p id="Hn2HVF"&gt;&lt;em&gt;the stats guys say we’ll get better&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  118. &lt;p id="UziRUv"&gt;&lt;em&gt;sure&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  119. &lt;p id="MqlIpO"&gt;&lt;em&gt;and my landlord will stop asking for rent&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  120. &lt;p id="6mEwSz"&gt;&lt;em&gt;they say we’ve got the best defense in baseball&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  121. &lt;p id="uUjl8V"&gt;&lt;em&gt;doesn’t mean shit when you can’t win&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  122. &lt;p id="Aj6Zpw"&gt;&lt;em&gt;77 wins they predict&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  123. &lt;p id="idae2J"&gt;&lt;em&gt;fourth place&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  124. &lt;p id="0rFb3a"&gt;&lt;em&gt;like finishing fourth in a drinking contest&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  125. &lt;p id="y7K9pa"&gt;&lt;em&gt;nobody remembers fourth place&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  126. &lt;p id="kb2q3U"&gt;&lt;em&gt;got these hotshot kids though...&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  127. &lt;p id="dZyamu"&gt;&lt;em&gt;and aging arenado with his fancy glove work&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  128. &lt;p id="YJKEie"&gt;&lt;em&gt;...winn the new golden boy at short&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  129. &lt;p id="vlffDK"&gt;&lt;em&gt;donovan playing like he’s got something to prove&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  130. &lt;p id="z4w1MW"&gt;&lt;em&gt;nootbaar getting on base like he’s got a map to first&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  131. &lt;p id="3XLGJl"&gt;&lt;em&gt;herrera contreras scott&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  132. &lt;p id="rxkxVh"&gt;&lt;em&gt;all these names&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  133. &lt;p id="uI2UcQ"&gt;&lt;em&gt;just names until they prove something&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  134. &lt;p id="2O2Q4T"&gt;&lt;em&gt;the road games are killing us&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  135. &lt;p id="1djuIA"&gt;&lt;em&gt;like a bad hangover that won’t quit&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  136. &lt;p id="SYmW6q"&gt;&lt;em&gt;they’re out there right now in cincinnati&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  137. &lt;p id="1XnVis"&gt;&lt;em&gt;that sorry excuse for a ballpark&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  138. &lt;p id="DG976z"&gt;&lt;em&gt;“great american” my ass&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  139. &lt;p id="HocEFM"&gt;&lt;em&gt;nothing great about losing&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  140. &lt;p id="D6XnFC"&gt;&lt;em&gt;liberatore’s got some fire in his gut&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  141. &lt;p id="6fsOTI"&gt;&lt;em&gt;might save this rotation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  142. &lt;p id="wbBIwR"&gt;&lt;em&gt;might not&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  143. &lt;p id="kFIRG7"&gt;&lt;em&gt;baseball’s funny that way&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  144. &lt;p id="vS0iGJ"&gt;&lt;em&gt;like life&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  145. &lt;p id="Za7LX6"&gt;&lt;em&gt;doesn’t care what you want or need&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  146. &lt;p id="kGVKdH"&gt;&lt;em&gt;just keeps throwing curveballs&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  147. &lt;p id="45b2VH"&gt;&lt;em&gt;matz is pitching today&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  148. &lt;p id="wLk4ci"&gt;&lt;em&gt;god help us&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  149. &lt;p id="cJgYb0"&gt;&lt;em&gt;mikolas too&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  150. &lt;p id="lcUtTe"&gt;&lt;em&gt;like choosing between lukewarm beer and a root beer float&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  151. &lt;p id="AzGHkF"&gt;&lt;em&gt;neither one’s gonna make you feel good&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  152. &lt;p id="WS3CdS"&gt;&lt;em&gt;but here i am&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  153. &lt;p id="1oSoYp"&gt;&lt;em&gt;watching anyway&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  154. &lt;p id="g3DiFu"&gt;&lt;em&gt;like a fool at the racetrack&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  155. &lt;p id="IcnUTz"&gt;&lt;em&gt;betting on the three-legged horse&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  156. &lt;p id="zKCkKf"&gt;&lt;em&gt;because sometimes&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  157. &lt;p id="6Rn4Xn"&gt;&lt;em&gt;just sometimes&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  158. &lt;h3 id="hFdd3e"&gt;&lt;em&gt;that’s the one that wins&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  159.  
  160. </content>
  161.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/30/24420764/the-path-ahead-april-impressions"/>
  162.    <id>https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/30/24420764/the-path-ahead-april-impressions</id>
  163.    <author>
  164.      <name>George Bowles</name>
  165.    </author>
  166.  </entry>
  167.  <entry>
  168.    <published>2025-04-29T17:40:00-04:00</published>
  169.    <updated>2025-04-29T17:40:00-04:00</updated>
  170.    <title>St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds - A game thread for April 29, 2025</title>
  171.    <content type="html">  
  172.  
  173.    &lt;figure&gt;
  174.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pPq0uKc59KgGHAtHKc9Ce8pLCEw=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828287/large_viva_el_birdos_minimal.34487.0.png" /&gt;
  175.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  176.  
  177.  &lt;p&gt;game 30&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="wGjFEW"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/"&gt;St. Louis Cardinals&lt;/a&gt; take on the &lt;a href="https://www.redreporter.com/"&gt;Cincinnati Reds&lt;/a&gt; this evening at 5:40 pm CT. The game will be available on FanDuel Sports Midwest and on the radio on KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM.&lt;/p&gt;
  178.  
  179. </content>
  180.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/29/24420019/st-louis-cardinals-at-cincinnati-reds-a-game-thread-for-april-29-2025"/>
  181.    <id>https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/29/24420019/st-louis-cardinals-at-cincinnati-reds-a-game-thread-for-april-29-2025</id>
  182.    <author>
  183.      <name>scooter</name>
  184.    </author>
  185.  </entry>
  186.  <entry>
  187.    <published>2025-04-29T09:00:00-04:00</published>
  188.    <updated>2025-04-29T09:00:00-04:00</updated>
  189.    <title>Failure to launch </title>
  190.    <content type="html">  
  191.  
  192.    &lt;figure&gt;
  193.      &lt;img alt="MLB: Los Angeles Angels at St. Louis Cardinals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tZepoLMfCa9iwKD9J1yiN-onP4E=/0x0:8256x5504/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74055473/usa_today_25825001.0.jpg" /&gt;
  194.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Jeff Curry-Imagn Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  195.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  196.  
  197.  &lt;p&gt;Cardinals offense continues to struggle with too many balls on the ground.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="sdYUKd"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/"&gt;St. Louis Cardinals&lt;/a&gt; offense as a whole is much improved through the first month of the season compared to 2024’s awful performance. However, there is still one flaw persisting that could hold the group back as a whole in 2025: they are still struggling to create am effective launch angle to increase the output of their slugging. Accomplishing this would make them a more legitimate threat with staying power all season long. &lt;/p&gt;
  198. &lt;p id="Tv9AQe"&gt;Credit where credit is due, the Cardinals still have the best team batting average, lead the league in doubles, are 4th in team on base percentage, and 8th in team OPS. Unfortunately, they're also in a free fall in rankings when it comes to home runs. The team is tied for 20th in baseball with the San Diego Mike Shildt’s. &lt;/p&gt;
  199. &lt;p id="UIFxnS"&gt;Ivan Herrera’s last game was April 6th. It's been 22 days, and he still shares the team lead in home runs at 4. To me, that's unacceptable from an offense that features power bats like Nolan Gorman, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado (to an extent), and Alec Burleson. Lars Nootbaar shares the team lead and has &lt;em&gt;some&lt;/em&gt; power, but his true superpower is the on base percentage, so I give him a slight pass in this discussion as it's hard to ask him or Donovan to really do any more than they have at this point. &lt;/p&gt;
  200. &lt;p id="dHtdh5"&gt;Then, there’s the biggest offensive disappointment of the season so far in Jordan Walker. xWOBA at .267, xSLUG at .335, his whiff% at 34.7 are all significant red flags in his offensive profile that have me a little more pessimistic on his long term future and whether or not he will be capable of reaching his ceiling, with the Cardinals at least. There’s still plenty of time for him to turn it around, but his shine has certainly faded some and, yes, this season is about finding out whether or not he can battle through it and come out better on the other side. But make no mistake this has not been an ideal start to the season the team or the fans were hoping for from Walker. &lt;/p&gt;
  201. &lt;p id="EIcqk5"&gt;There are positives though. Walker’s bat measures at 77.7 MPH on his swing which puts him in the 99th percentile. He swings the bat harder than most players in baseball, he just has to hit the ball more consistently, and if he can do that &lt;em&gt;and &lt;/em&gt;get the ball in the air? Then the Cardinals and Walker would really have something. &lt;/p&gt;
  202. &lt;div class="c-float-right"&gt;&lt;div id="2lBrRH"&gt;&lt;div data-anthem-component="aside:12579325"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  203. &lt;p id="DxAlZI"&gt;Speaking of launch angle, Walker’s launch angle sweet spot% is 26.6. That puts him in the 13th percentile in all of baseball. Not good. But it's not just Walker, Alec Burleson is quite literally the worst in baseball so far this year at 16.9% which puts him in the 1st percentile. Nolan Arenado is at 24.4% (6th percentile), Pedro Pages at 30.9% (33rd percentile), Masyn Winn 32.6% (41st percentile), Willson Contreras 35.1% (56th percentile). &lt;/p&gt;
  204. &lt;p id="LhmJZE"&gt;The Cardinals have done a legitimately good job of generating offense from an aggressive base running strategy, whether that's hustle doubles, stealing bases, or taking extra bases on balls in play. Those are good fundamental areas in which the team foundationally is in a good place. But what this team truly lacks (so far) is real thump and presence in the middle of the order to make it a well-rounded offensive force that can win in different ways. Whether that comes from guys mentioned above, or if it has to come externally, it is an area of the modern game that is required to be successful. &lt;/p&gt;
  205. &lt;p id="vMXytf"&gt;It’s hard to keep pace with any of the legitimate playoff offenses scoring 1-2 runs every three or four innings when the big boys of the league can hit multiple 2 or 3 run home runs in the same game on a fairly consistent basis and pull away from you when the game dictates it.  This is an area I am hopeful the Cardinals will address and improve upon as the season continues. If they can’t this might be a longer retooling process than you or I had hoped for.&lt;/p&gt;
  206. &lt;p id="pLLIyL"&gt;-Thanks for reading&lt;/p&gt;
  207.  
  208. </content>
  209.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/st-louis-cardinals-sabermetrics-analysis/2025/4/29/24419973/failire-to-launch-home-runs-and-lack-there-of"/>
  210.    <id>https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/st-louis-cardinals-sabermetrics-analysis/2025/4/29/24419973/failire-to-launch-home-runs-and-lack-there-of</id>
  211.    <author>
  212.      <name>Jake_Wood28</name>
  213.    </author>
  214.  </entry>
  215.  <entry>
  216.    <published>2025-04-29T09:00:00-04:00</published>
  217.    <updated>2025-04-29T09:00:00-04:00</updated>
  218.    <title>The Viva El Birdos podcast episode 21: Interview with Kareem Haq</title>
  219.    <content type="html">  
  220.  
  221.    &lt;figure&gt;
  222.      &lt;img alt="MLB: Spring Training-St. Louis Cardinals at Houston Astros" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ey-mfkaXSG2QqJo1mllIzXaEb6M=/0x0:5616x3744/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74055441/usa_today_25587372.0.jpg" /&gt;
  223.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Rich Storry-Imagn Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  224.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  225.  
  226.  &lt;p&gt;Host of Birds on the Farm and all things-knower of the minor leagues provides updates on several players.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="CRF3VX"&gt;We’re about a month into the season and the &lt;a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/"&gt;St. Louis Cardinals&lt;/a&gt; minor leagues are in full swing so it was time to talk prospects with Kareem! He does a terrific job following, covering, and breaking down what minor and major league players are doing. If you don’t already, please make sure to go follow everything Kareem is doing and you will be a more knowledgeable Cardinals fan. &lt;/p&gt;
  227. &lt;p id="GAXBiA"&gt;Next week we will be doing our writer roundtable episode and breaking down the first month of the season and looking forward to May already! &lt;/p&gt;
  228. &lt;div id="wg3eM6"&gt;&lt;div style="max-width: 765px;"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 102px; position: relative;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://anchor.fm/jake-wood48/embed/episodes/Episode-21-Interview-with-Kareem-Haq-e3238lu" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  229. &lt;p id="6tWUQn"&gt;Kareem chose “Blessings” by Big Sean as his walk-up song. &lt;/p&gt;
  230.  
  231. </content>
  232.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/podcast/2025/4/29/24419959/the-viva-el-birdos-podcast-episode-21-interview-with-kareem-haq-prospects-minor-leagues"/>
  233.    <id>https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/podcast/2025/4/29/24419959/the-viva-el-birdos-podcast-episode-21-interview-with-kareem-haq-prospects-minor-leagues</id>
  234.    <author>
  235.      <name>Jake_Wood28</name>
  236.    </author>
  237.  </entry>
  238.  <entry>
  239.    <published>2025-04-28T20:54:23-04:00</published>
  240.    <updated>2025-04-28T20:54:23-04:00</updated>
  241.    <title>Game Recap - Apr 28 - Cardinals lose series opener to the Reds by 3-1 score</title>
  242.    <content type="html">  
  243.  
  244.    &lt;figure&gt;
  245.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: The Enquirer" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D7BdZA6RZlENKN3PkB1LyMc2QUg=/0x1:3425x2284/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74054831/usa_today_26039381.0.jpg" /&gt;
  246.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Gavin Lux leads the way for the Red over the Cardinals | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  247.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  248.  
  249.  &lt;p&gt;Cards fail to overcome the road blues&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="yldQk8"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Game Result&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;p id="4pbtYm"&gt;The Cardinals travel to Cincinnati without their offense and are unable to back a quality start by Pallante, dropping the series opener 3-1. &lt;/p&gt;
  251. &lt;p id="01BTuq"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pre-game Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  252. &lt;ul&gt;
  253. &lt;li id="o7NrEA"&gt;Cards coming off a successful series win against the Brewers.  &lt;/li&gt;
  254. &lt;li id="NcjJ9m"&gt;Saw a John Denton article on &lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fmlb.com&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vivaelbirdos.com%2F2025%2F4%2F28%2F24418995%2Fgame-recap-apr-28-cardinals-lose-series-opener-to-the-reds-by-3-1-score" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;mlb.com&lt;/a&gt; re: Phil Maton &lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlb.com%2Fcardinals%2Fnews%2Fphil-maton-on-time-with-cardinals-free-agency-experience&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vivaelbirdos.com%2F2025%2F4%2F28%2F24418995%2Fgame-recap-apr-28-cardinals-lose-series-opener-to-the-reds-by-3-1-score" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;here.&lt;/a&gt;  Maton sounds like a guy that fully expects to be traded at the deadline.  Can’t blame him. &lt;/li&gt;
  255. &lt;li id="XcVbJn"&gt;The Reds have won 4 in a row and are 2 above .500 (courtesy of a 3 game sweep at Colorado) and +41 run differential.  Could they be good this year?   Their pitching isn’t bad but count me as a skeptic. &lt;/li&gt;
  256. &lt;li id="c61WIA"&gt;Intriguingly, they’ve been .500 at home. &lt;/li&gt;
  257. &lt;li id="5FczFh"&gt;Their leading players by WAR are Hays, Wynns and Lux.  That would be three interesting career year players if that holds up.  Hays has 5 HR in 49 AB.  &lt;/li&gt;
  258. &lt;li id="Lxl67G"&gt;Of their +41 run differential, +22 of it came in one game ... a 24-2 drubbing of the Orioles.  It may take all season for pythag to stabilize for them.&lt;/li&gt;
  259. &lt;/ul&gt;
  260. &lt;p id="nW5Q8r"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Line-up (and roster) Machinations&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  261. &lt;ul&gt;
  262. &lt;li id="ZJLJic"&gt;Pallante for the Cardinals.  A ground ball pitcher in a park where ground balls are a good thing.  Martinez for the Reds.  He has not gotten off to the best start.  &lt;/li&gt;
  263. &lt;li id="mCQuO2"&gt;Barrero up for the Cardinals.  Sags back to Memphis.  Interesting move.  Does this say more about Barrero’s opportunity, the need for a RH hitting CFer, Winn’s back or a way to get Sags regular ABs?  &lt;/li&gt;
  264. &lt;li id="jzzlYU"&gt;Loutos is designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man for Barrero.  Barrero is out of options, so he is with the MLB club or he goes through the DFA process if he doesn’t pan out.  &lt;/li&gt;
  265. &lt;/ul&gt;
  266. &lt;p id="JTQqcj"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Game &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  267. &lt;p id="8qgmTS"&gt;A rare night game for me to recap.  Will try a new format, without score card entries and inning-by-inning breakdown.  This on the assumption that many of you watched or listened to this game live. &lt;/p&gt;
  268. &lt;p id="y8a3gF"&gt;Nootbar and Arenado pair up a couple of doubles for an early 1-0 lead for the Cardinals.  Trevino with a solo shot tied it in the third, continuing the trend that every flyball Pallante throws leaves the yard.  Lots of groundballs, though. A Lux single followed by a Marte triple gave the Reds a lead.  Pallante seems sharp. Velo good, up around 96 with the FB.    &lt;/p&gt;
  269. &lt;p id="MrgFkA"&gt;Martinez keeping pace with Pallante, doing a good job keeping hitters off balance.  He has benefitted from a couple of at ‘em balls and this slow team’s tendency to rack up GIDPs (3 of first 6 innings ended this way). Winn attempted a SacBunt with Pages on 2nd and Scott on first, no one out, again proving why SacBunts aren’t particularly useful as Pages is cut down at third.  &lt;/p&gt;
  270. &lt;p id="0y8n12"&gt;Pallante ran out of gas with 1 out in the 6th.  A walk-double-walk sequence produced a run, giving Cincy a 3-1 lead.  A GIDP bailed him out of further damage.  Lux 3 for 3 up to now.  Apparently, he can hit pitches down the middle with the best of them.  Three ABs in row ended with 94+ MPH in the heart of the plate and he smacked all of them.  The scouting report that he can’t hit hard stuff is evidently wrong. &lt;/p&gt;
  271. &lt;p id="tX57nJ"&gt;Martinez was out after six innings with 1 ER.  Ashcraft first out of the bullpen K’s the side (Gorman, Walker, Pages).  Santillan extended the hitless streak to 8 ABs in the 8th.   Pagan finished the job.  Can’t say the Reds bullpen is super impressive, but the Cardinal’s road offense isn’t top notch.  &lt;/p&gt;
  272. &lt;p id="jdYGDv"&gt;O’Brien relieved Pallante (6 IP, 3 ER, 4K).  That 97 from him looked good.  2 singles and a walk complicated the inning but a GIDP and an assist from John King to get Cruz on a ground out closed out the 7th.  Kings continues to work out his infield defense through the 8th to keep the bullpen load down. &lt;/p&gt;
  273. &lt;p id="K5wkqt"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Post-game Notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  274. &lt;ul&gt;
  275. &lt;li id="Nx0CCx"&gt;I notice Ryan Fernandez did not pitch this weekend in Memphis.  &lt;/li&gt;
  276. &lt;li id="6zVDOU"&gt;I also noticed JJ Wetherholt got back on the field yesterday after more than a week out with the flu.&lt;/li&gt;
  277. &lt;/ul&gt;
  278. &lt;p id="ICFeRD"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  279.  
  280. </content>
  281.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/28/24418995/game-recap-apr-28-cardinals-lose-series-opener-to-the-reds-by-3-1-score"/>
  282.    <id>https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/28/24418995/game-recap-apr-28-cardinals-lose-series-opener-to-the-reds-by-3-1-score</id>
  283.    <author>
  284.      <name>ORSTLcardsfan</name>
  285.    </author>
  286.  </entry>
  287.  <entry>
  288.    <published>2025-04-28T17:40:00-04:00</published>
  289.    <updated>2025-04-28T17:40:00-04:00</updated>
  290.    <title>St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds - A game thread for April 28, 2025</title>
  291.    <content type="html">  
  292.  
  293.    &lt;figure&gt;
  294.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pPq0uKc59KgGHAtHKc9Ce8pLCEw=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828287/large_viva_el_birdos_minimal.34487.0.png" /&gt;
  295.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  296.  
  297.  &lt;p&gt;game 29&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="wGjFEW"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/"&gt;St. Louis Cardinals&lt;/a&gt; take on the Cincinatti Reds this evening at 5:40 pm CT. The game will be available on FanDuel Sports Midwest and on the radio on KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM and WIJR AM 880 (En Espanol).&lt;/p&gt;
  298.  
  299. </content>
  300.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/28/24419204/st-louis-cardinals-at-cincinatti-reds-a-game-thread-for-april-28-2025"/>
  301.    <id>https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2025/4/28/24419204/st-louis-cardinals-at-cincinatti-reds-a-game-thread-for-april-28-2025</id>
  302.    <author>
  303.      <name>scooter</name>
  304.    </author>
  305.  </entry>
  306. </feed>
  307.  

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