I was very critical of Edman batting leadoff but he seems to have really worked on his approach and his OBP is so much better this season. If he keeps doing this he's a great leadoff guy.Notebook: Edman reclaims Cardinals' leadoff spot via more walks and more production
Manager Marmol says he sees no reason to change.www.stltoday.com
Rick Hummel
The Cardinals scored 18 runs in their previous two games before they met the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday night. Leadoff man Tommy Edman scored six of them, three in each game.
Yes, that’s leadoff man Tommy Edman, and manager Oliver Marmol said he didn’t see any reason why that should change anytime soon.
One of the raps on Edman last season was that he walked just 38 times in 641 at-bats. This season, he had almost a quarter that many (nine) in only 62 at-bats and his on-base percentage was .425, compared to his .308 of last season.
Another critique was that Edman didn’t hit with production against right-handed pitching. Much of his spring training was conducted in the lab, as it were, as Edman tried to adjust his approach so that he could handle the high fastball from right-handers.
In his first 18 games this season, the switch-hitting Edman, who has replaced Dylan Carlson at the top, not only had a .456 on-base percentage while batting left-handed but a .934 OPS and two of his three homers.
“He is walking at a higher rate,” said Marmol, “and not just putting balls in play that are on the edges (of the plate). He’s actually waiting for pitches he can do something with.
“If he continues to do that, I don’t see any reason for changing it at the moment.”
Is it time to move him to short and bring up Gorman to play 2nd?Second thoughts: Edman's superb defense part of discussion on moving him over, Gorman up
Cardinals Gold Glove-winning second baseman leads all fielders in assists, defensive runs saved, and double plays. So what's lost if team shifts him to short?
The first play of Saturday’s game illustrated how Tommy Edman’s skills allow the Cardinals to aggressively position him all over and why, as they mull potential roster moves, they remain reluctant to move him to a spot other than second base.
Left-handed hitter Pavin Smith pulled a groundball to the right side, and Edman, playing deep in the grass, dashed in to make the on-the-run play appear routine for the first out against Arizona. The assist was Edman’s 59th of the season, the most of any fielder in the majors and nine more than any other second baseman at the time. With their emphasis on defense, the Cardinals feel they can position Edman deeper on shifts because of his ability to rush in. And, even as they search for offense, his deft play at second is reason not to rush a move to shortstop to make room for slugging prospect Nolan Gorman.
“You’re lessening your defense in two spots,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “He’s a gold glover at second, and we have him as improving at second, too. He’s actually getting better at it. I hear people when they say, ‘Hey, what does it look like if he goes here and you bring up this guy?’ And I get it. But understand what you’re potentially losing.”
Personally think it's past due. Dickerson signing was a mistake. I think the plan should've been for Nootbaar and Gorman to fill the left handed DH spot with Gorman also getting time at 2nd and Edman at short, playing 2nd when Gorman DHs or has a day off. At this point this is pretty obviously the club manipulating Gorman's service time. I just hope it doesn't sour the relationship between Gorman and the FO. But with the Dickerson signing now Nootbaar and Gorman are both stuck in AAA, though I think either are better players.
Well, he was getting fewer at bats because they signed Dickerson. If we hadn't signed Dickerson, Nootbaar would have played that role. He actually has more positional flexibility than Dickerson does (Dickerson is a liability anywhere other than LF, whereas Nootbaar can play all 3 OF positions). And I don't think Dickerson has a better bat than Nootbaar now, and Nootbaar has room to improve while Dickerson is past his prime.
Smart catchers are priceless.Racing the rain, Matz makes quick work of KC, spins Goldschmidt’s homer into 1-0 win
Lefty throws six scoreless innings in his best home start yet of the season. Goldschmidt's first-inning homer is makeup game's lone run.
Derrick Goold
The first two batters of the game Monday saw 20 pitches from lefty Steven Matz, and it felt like a blitz that took “only two minutes” to catcher Andrew Knizner. So when the third batter laced Matz’s 24th pitch for a single, Knizner called for time.
He walked slowly out to the mound, his head down.
Matz asked what was wrong.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Knizner recalled saying. “Your stuff is good. I’m just giving you a break. That was like holy (crud) — it was like a whirlwind. I wanted to make sure we slowed it down for a few minutes.”
Matz retired the next batter, All-Star Salvador Perez, on two pitches and then sped through the Kansas City Royals’ lineup from there. Racing the rain expected to douse Busch Stadium — and did — by Monday afternoon, Matz set a brisk pace and kept it for six shutout innings as he piloted the Cardinals toward a 1-0 victory.
Paul Goldschmidt provided the game’s lone run, with a homer in the bottom of the first inning off Zack Greinke, and Matz held it with his finest home start yet of the season.
“We were in rhythm,” said Matz (3-1). “That’s huge for me.”
The makeup game originally set for Monday afternoon was rescheduled to a noon start to avoid any weather delays and allow both teams to vamoose west for their two-game series on the other side of the state, in Kansas City. Both pitchers understood the assignment. By not allowing a walk and limiting runs, Matz and Greinke accelerated the game. They got through the sixth inning and the only hitter to touch third base safely was Goldschmidt, and he didn’t stay long on his way home for his second homer of the season.
