The Cardinals reached the one-third point (20 games) of the baseball season Wednesday, easily the last team to do so. But, no matter how many games have been played, the staff’s holding opposition hitters to a major-league-low .180 average before Wednesday merited attention.
“It’s very impressive,” manager Mike Shildt said. “I love the clarity of plan. The pitchers deserve a high percentage of the credit, obviously. I love the aggression and how they want to attack. The catchers all share in that, as well. And Mike Maddux and Bryan Eversgerd, our pitching and bullpen coaches, are tremendous with their preparation and scouting, coupled with what we do analytically.