After a good April and keeping up with A.L. Central leading Detroit Tigers, the Kansas City Royals are 3-3 so far this May. But for the rest of the month, they have a tough schedule. They have a game against the Baltimore Orioles, then they play the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, Houston Astros, the Angels again, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Texas Rangers. Except for the lowly Astros and struggling Angels, the other teams are above .500 and possible playoff contenders.

Despite this month’s 3-3 record, there’s reasons for concern. So far this month, the Royals have six errors, with four of them committed in their two losses against the Orioles. The usually strong Royals bullpen lost a 2-1 decision to the White Sox Monday night and Luke Hochevar‘s errant pickoff throw to first in Tuesday night’s game against the Orioles led to a 4-3 loss. And in four of the six games played this month, the Royals offense scored three or less runs.

But it’s not all bad. It took until May 8 and 30 games into the season for the Royals to lose three games in a row. Last year, they lost three games in a row by April 14, eight games into the 2012 season. The starting rotation is pitching well, especially Jeremy Guthrie and Ervin Santana. Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Salvador Perez and Alcides Escobar are playing well. If Tim Collins, Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland cut down their walks and settle into their roles, the defense quits making errors and the offense scores more runs, the Royals could get through May with a .500 or above record. Or they could implode and have losing record. Either way, we’ll know by June 1.

Springfield, MO – The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that Cardinals 1B Matt Adams will join the Springfield Cardinals on a rehab assignment this Friday through Sunday.

Springfield hosts the Tulsa Drillers at Hammons Field on Saturday and Sunday, both starting at 6:09 p.m. Click below to get your tickets right now.

Adams, 24, started the 2013 season in St. Louis and is hitting .542 (13-for-24) with three home runs and eight RBIs through eight games with the Cardinals. The Philipsburg, PA native made his Major League debut on May 20, 2012 and appeared in 27 games with the Cardinals last year.

Adams spent the entire 2011 season with the Springfield Cardinals, compiling a .300 batting average with 32 home runs and 101 RBIs through 115 games en route to being named the 2011 Texas League Player of the Year. He was originally selected by St. Louis in the 23rd round of the 2009 June Draft out of Slippery Rock University (PA).

After the Omaha Storm Chasers lost three of four games to the Reno Aces in the PCL Championship series, the Kansas City Royals called up starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi, relievers Tommy Hottovy and Nate Adcock, catcher Adam Moore and infielder Irving Falu this week. Besides Odorizzi, the other players were on the 40-man roster. The Royals added Odorizzi to the roster to protect him from this winter’s Rule 5 draft.

Of the five, Odorizzi is the only one without Major League experience. Odorizzi, 22, the Royals top pitching prospect, is a leading contender for the Royals 2013 starting rotation. Between AA Northwest Arkansas and AAA Omaha, he pitched a combined 26 games, 25 of them starts. Odorizzi compiled a 15-5 record with a 3.03 ERA, 145.1 innings pitched with 8.4 SO/9 and 3.1 BB/9.

The Royals plan to have Odorizzi start this Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Indians. He could make a bullpen appearance, since he has over five day’s rest. The Royals want to give Odorizzi a taste of the Majors before his chance to join the rotation in 2013.

Hottovy, 31, spent the 2012 season in the bullpen between Omaha and Kansas City. In 41 games with Omaha, Hottovy compiled a 2-2 record with a 2.52 ERA, 50 innings pitched with a 11 SO/9 and 2.9 BB/9. In a couple of brief stints with the Royals, Hottovy had a 4.05 ERA, 6.2 innings pitched with 8.1 SO/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in six games. He provides lefty bullpen depth.

Adcock, 24, shuttled between Omaha and Kansas City as a starter and reliever. In Omaha, Adcock appeared in 26 games, 25 as a starter. His record was 8-6 with a 5.53 ERA, 99.1 innings pitched and 5.4 SO/9 and 2.7 BB/9. In Kansas City, Adcock pitched eight games out of the bullpen and made two starts with a 0-3 record with a 2.67 ERA, 30.1 innings pitched with a 4.7 SO/9 and 3.6 BB/9. Adcock had pedestrian 2012 numbers and his call-up provides bullpen depth and a chance to make the club as a starter or reliever in 2013.

Moore, 28, makes his 2012 debut with the Royals after being acquired off waivers from the Seattle Mariners July 12. Moore’s last time in the Majors was from 2009-2011, where he played in 68 games with the Mariners. Moore split his 2012 Minor League season between AAA Tacoma and Omaha, appearing in 59 games with a .259/.326/.413 average, 33 RBI and 38 strikeouts and 19 walks. As a backup catcher providing the Royals with depth, Moore could make a start or two by the end of the season.

Longtime Royals farmhand Falu, 29, spent most of the 2012 season with Omaha and is back with Royals for the rest of the season. Falu appeared in 88 games with Omaha with a .329/.375/.463 average, 50 RBI and 41 strikeouts and 28 walks. In his previous time with the Royals, Falu played 15 games with a .321/.333/.434 average, five RBI with nine strikeouts and a walk. If Yost remembers Falu is on the team, he could play a few games this season.

With 14 games remaining and the Royals heading towards another losing season, Yost will give these players limited playing time in games against the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, A.L. Central contenders. Yost wants his “best” players in those games. The five are likely to see playing time against the Cleveland Indians, fourth place in the A.L. Central.

Of the five, Odorizzi shows the most promise for 2013. The other four players will get opportunities as role players with the Royals, provide Minor League depth or continue their career with another team.

The St. Louis Cardinals trailed the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 heading into the sixth inning of Friday’s game, one that marked the beginning of a vital series for both teams. Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn did not make it out of the third inning and the Reds were poised to extend their lead in the NL Central to eight games.

Then came the sixth inning.

The Cardinals offense busted loose for six runs, including back-to-back homeruns by Allen Craig and Yadier Molina, to take an 8-5 lead.

The Cardinals held onto that lead for the rest of the game and won an extremely important game that begins a 13-game stretch against the Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. That win also set them up to have a shot at winning the NL Central by cutting the Reds lead to six games.

The most impressive part of Friday’s game, and the part that should give Cardinals fans optimism for September, is that the Cardinals were able to come from behind against their rivals and the team with the second-best record in Major League Baseball.

Complaints about all aspects of the Cardinals have erupted in the last two weeks as the team went 6-7 before sweeping the Houston Astros Tuesday through Thursday. The offense wasn’t scoring consistently enough, the bullpen couldn’t hold a lead and the complaints could go on and on. They likely will after Lynn’s start as people panic that Lynn will fall apart down the stretch.

However, the Cardinals came back from the dead Friday to beat the division-leading Reds. That game could be the watershed moment for this Cardinals team. That win had all the looks of an experienced ballclub that knows how to win. Many teams would’ve conceded the game with Reds starter Mat Latos throwing well and a terrific bullpen to follow.

Instead, the Cardinals put their heads down and salvaged a game that looked to be over when manager Mike Matheny had to call Joe Kelly to the mound in the third inning. Some people might say that was a panic move, but it might end up being on of Matheny’s best decisions of the season. Kelly threw three innings of relief and got the win.

The only unfortunate part of Kelly’s performance is that it will spark debate about who to have in the fifth spot in the rotation. Jaime Garcia is back from shoulder problems and pitched eight beautiful innings last Sunday against the Pirates, but it also created a situation where the Cardinals went from two solid back-of-the-rotation pitchers to uncertainty if they have any pitcher good enough for the fifth spot.

That situation will surely work itself out. The offense saved Lynn on Friday and perhaps an extra few days of rest wouldn’t hurt, but both Lynn and Kelly are good pitchers who are going to help the team a heck of a lot more often than they Will Hurt it.

Now, before we paint too rosy of a picture, the Cardinals fell to the Reds 8-2 Saturday and still sit seven games out of the division lead, although they do currently hold the second wild-card spot. However, if the Cardinals can hang close up until the final week of the season, they play the Reds Oct. 1-3 in St. Louis. That could be one very fun series if the division title is not yet decided.

And if that happens, remember Friday as day the Cardinals came from behind and started their full pursuit on the Reds for the division lead.

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Chicago Cubs 9-6 Friday afternoon. It was the Cards’ fourth victory over the Cubs in the last eight days, and their seventh win in eight games. But as far as their position in the National League Central standings is concerned, the Cardinals have gone nowhere.

The Cincinnati Reds have a two game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Central, and the Cards find themselves five and a half games out of first place. In spite of the Cardinals’ stellar week-plus against the Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, the “Last 10 Games” record of the top three teams in the division says it all: The Cards are 7-3, the Pirates are 8-2, and the Reds—in the midst of an eight-game winning streak—are 9-1. Now that’s stiff competition.

It also doesn’t help that while the Cardinals are playing the lowly Cubs this weekend, the Pirates are playing the even more lowly Houston Astros and the Reds are playing the equally lowly Colorado Rockies. So while the Cards do have to find a way to win at Wrigley Field no matter what—which isn’t an easy task, no matter how bad the Cubs are—they can expect little to no help from the teams playing their competition. The Cards are not likely to make up any ground this weekend…they just need to keep pace with the Pirates and Reds and hope for some luck.

But the Cardinals have been making their own luck lately as well. They still lead the National League in team batting, OPS, and runs scored. And the pitching has come back to the party with a vengeance. Lance Lynn’s five innings Friday marked the first time this month a Cardinals started failed to pitch at least six frames. And the bullpen was strong for the remaining four innings, highlighted by the Redbird debut of lefty Brian Fuentes—the newest Cardinal struck out two in his debut. The biggest pieces of the bullpen puzzle this year, however, have to be Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte. Boggs has 15 holds and an ERA under two; Motte has 23 saves and an ERA under three. It would seem the eighth and ninth innings are all but a lock when the Cards have a lead. The trick is, of course, getting there.

So what does all this mean? The Cardinals are playing great baseball but not moving up in the standings, and the non-waiver trade deadline is Tuesday. It’s a rough spot to be in. Winning without gaining ground can be frustrating, and the Cardinals obviously cannot afford to lose many games right now. But they don’t seem to have any glaring needs at the moment either. Players are moving, despite the new draft pick compensation rules. Where would a new acquisition fit? The bullpen is getting stronger…the rotation is getting stronger…the lineup is among the best in the league…and many of the bench players are starters on a lot of teams. The Cardinals could perhaps use a “presence” bat on the bench—someone always lurking should a big pinch hit spot come up late in the game. A team can never have too much pitching…but who gets displaced in the event of a trade? And Jaime Garcia is close to starting rehab; he could be back with the Cards in less than a month. Is that like making a trade?

Perhaps the best move is evaluating what happens over the next couple days with not only the Cards but the Reds and Pirates—both on the field and off. Reactionary moves are not necessarily a good idea, but if the other teams make major deals the Cards may have to think about keeping pace. But standing pat would not necessarily be a bad thing either. Continuing to win at a .700 clip will almost certainly get them to the postseason. And with an extra Wild Card berth, the likelihood goes up even more. But the Reds and Pirates don’t seem to be going away anytime soon, so the Cards have their work cut out for them…again.

The 2012 ride is just beginning.

Chris Reed also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he feels like it. Follow him on Twitter at @birdbrained.

Starting pitching, good or bad, affects every part of a baseball game. Look no further than the two disastrous outings by starters Jonathan Sanchez and Ryan Verdugo last Monday and Tuesday night. In two games with the Seattle Mariners, Sanchez and Verdugo gave up a combined 13 runs over three innings. Neither pitcher got out of the second inning and the Royals lost both games, 9-4 and 9-6. The Royals had enough of Sanchez, designating him for assignment Tuesday after a 1-6 record and 7.76 ERA. As for Verdugo, he’s on I-29 back to AAA Omaha.

So now the Royals starting rotation consists of Bruce Chen, Luke Hochevar, Luis Mendoza, Everett Teaford and Will Smith. This is why the Royals as of Wednesday were 38-51, 11.5 games back of the Chicago White Sox and the starting rotation had only four quality starts in their last 17 games.

And the Royals top three pitchers, Chen, Hochevar and Mendoza, haven’t pitched well lately. In their last three starts, the trio has given up a combined 34 earned runs in 51 innings. The Royals record in those games is 3-6.

Of the three, Mendoza is the only one with a sub 5.00 ERA at 4.32. He’s also gave up the least amount of runs with six in 21.1 innings. But the Royals lost two of the three games Mendoza started. Chen is a good pitcher, but in his last three starts before Wednesday’s game, he’s gave up a combined 18 runs in 13.2 innings. The Royals went 0-3 in those games. Hochevar is pitching a little better lately, giving up a combined 10 runs over 16 innings in his last three starts. The Royals went 2-1 in those games. But Hochevar has a 5.16 ERA and could be one start away from giving up another big inning.

So what about Everett Teaford and Will Smith? Teaford has bounced between Omaha and Kansas City, appearing in eight games, four of them as a starter. Of those four starts, the Royals won three of those games. In his last three starts, Teaford gave up a combined 10 runs in 16.1 innings, where the Royals went 2-1. His 2012 ERA is 4.98.

As for Will Smith, he’s spent most of 2012 in Omaha, with only three games with the Royals, all starts. In those three games, Smith gave up a combined 14 earned runs in 14 innings, with the Royals losing two of those three games. He has a 9.00 ERA.

And there’s not much help in the high minors either. The Royals top pitching prospect, Jake Odorizzi, is in Omaha and projects to be a number three starter. These days, a number three starter would be an improvement for the Royals starting rotation. It’s certain we’ll see Odorizzi this year, but he won’t be able to turn the Royals fortunes around by himself. And remember Mike Montgomery, who had a chance to make the starting rotation out of spring training? He’s in AA Northwest Arkansas, trying to figure things out.

And two of the better starters this season, Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino, had Tommy John surgery and won’t be back with the Royals until the middle of the 2013 season.

When the starting pitchers struggle, the whole team struggles. If a starter doesn’t have at least a quality start, that gasses the bullpen, who have to pitch more innings. If the starter gives up a lot of runs, it forces the offense to try and overcome the run deficit. And if a starter has a high pitch count per inning, the defense behind them are more likely to make defensive mistakes.

It’s simple. Teams with a good starting rotation are more likely to win games and make the playoffs than a team with a decent to bad starting rotation.

This year, the Royals have a good offense, good defense and the bullpen is holding its own. But the starting rotation, this year and in years past, is atrocious. And unless the Royals land a top tier pitcher via free agency or a trade, the Royals starting rotation will continue to be atrocious.

You can’t blame Ned Yost for trying. At least I won’t on this one.

He’s got a super athletic 22-year-old phenom, a rangy veteran with a great arm, and a run-producing doubles hitter. All of who were hitting relatively well at the time. Who wouldn’t want all three of them on the field at the same time?

And when you’re six to eight games below .500 and in danger of sliding into last place in your division, you could argue that there’s nothing you shouldn’t try.

I was nervous when the Royals announced that they would try Jeff Francoeur in centerfield, Billy Butler at first base, and allow the untested Eric Hosmer to learn on the job in right field.

I don’t think I was worried about the short-term results. What I was more worried about was that the position change would somehow unsettle Hosmer just as his bat was finally beginning to wake up.

I don’t know much about the psyche of big leaguers in general, or Hosmer specifically, but I was concerned that flailing around in unfamiliar territory would send the slick-fielding first baseman back into the funk that plagued him the first two months of the year.

Yost, on the other hand, overplayed his confidence to the media. He acted like the move was no big deal. He seemed to think that a few afternoons shagging balls in pregame would prepare Hosmer to play the position. Perhaps Yost thought, like all Little League coaches, that he could hide a poor fielder in right and he could somehow avoid having to make any plays.

But as the old saying goes, the ball will find you.

Pittsburg Experiment, Game 1: It didn’t take long for Hosmer to boot the first ball hit to him in right. “It was just a bad read on my part,” he said. That turned a single into a double, which resulted in the game’s first run.

Then in the third inning, Butler helped to botch a rundown, blindly chasing a base runner toward second while another snuck home. After the game, Yost tried to blame that one on Hochevar, but his analysis rang hollow.

Yost’s summary of the lineup after game one:

“I wouldn’t call it sloppy,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We’ve got guys playing out of position in a National League park and it’s going to take them a day or two to get acclimated.”

Pittsburg Experiment, Game 2: Ok, so on day two?  Well with the Royals leading and the bases full of Pirates, Hosmer allowed a seemingly catch-able ball to drop in, opening the floodgates to a five-run Pittsburg inning.

“I was playing pretty deep and got a bad read on it,” Hosmer said.

Pittsburg Experiment, Game 3: Stop now before we really embarrass ourselves.

The results of the experiment were so dreadful that Yost called it off a day early.

So you might argue that Yost shouldn’t give up on the alignment just because it didn’t work the first time out. After all, the logic behind it hasn’t changed, and Hosmer is certainly athletic enough to play right field.

Or you might argue that the results were so overwhelming that it should be scrapped without hesitation. Hosmer was bad in right. Butler shouldn’t be a regular first baseman. Francouer is a natural in right, not center. There’s no use trying to fit square pegs into round holes.

I’m not sure which is the right side of the argument. Yost will have six more games in National League parks to decide if the experiment is worth continuing.

All I know is that I don’t blame Yost for trying.

Triple-A
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) went 3-4 over the last week and now sit at 34-25 on the season.  The Storm are leading the Northern Division by eight games over the Iowa Cubs.

Who’s Hot

Wil Myers has been an offensive show by himself no matter what level he has been playing at this season.  Although, he has spent most of his time in Omaha at designated hitter, he will be in the field more in the coming weeks.  Over his last five games the outfielder is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with three home runs and eight RBI.  Since joining Omaha, Myers is hitting .321 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 19 games.  On the mound for the Storm Chasers Mike Montgomery has again jumped from the not to the hot list in one week.  In his last outing the left-hander went seven innings allowing just two hits and one run, to earn his third win of the season.

Who’s Not

Derrick Robinson seems to have hit a midseason slump.  The outfielder is hitting .172 (5-29) over his last nine games.  He is still hitting .296 for the season despite the slump and has scored 38 runs.  Jonathan Sanchez, who is in Omaha on a major league rehab assignment, has struggled in his two starts.  He has gone eight and a third innings allowing nine hits and seven earned runs, while walking five and striking out eight.

Double-A
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) went 3-3 over the getting swept by the Midland RockHounds, and then sweeping the Frisco RoughRiders.  The Naturals return home on Wednesday to take on the Arkansas Travelers.  The Naturals are 29-27 on the season and find themselves trailing the Tulsa Drillers by two games for the lead in the North Division.

Who’s Hot

Carlo Testa has continued to swing a hot bat for the Naturals.  The outfielder is hitting .316 (12-for-38) with three home runs and 11 RBI in his last nine games.  He is now tied for the team lead in RBI with Myers, who has since been promoted to Omaha.  Justin Marks has been one of the hottest pitchers in the Texas League as of late.  He has allowed just two earned runs over his last 11 innings, walking five and striking out nine.

Who’s Not

Christian Colon hit a rough patch on the road trip this past week.  The shortstop, who is also seeing action at second base has gone 6-for-35 (.171) over his last ten games, but has not stopped producing.  During that time he has one home run six RBI, and has scored seven times.    Chris Dwyer went 0-2 in his last two starts working six and two-thirds innings allowing ten hits and ten runs, issuing nine walks and striking out seven.

Class-A Advanced
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went 3-4 last and they now sit two games under .500 at 27-29 on the season.  The Blue Rocks are second in the Northern Division and are trailing the Lynchburg Hillcats by 1.5 games.

Who’s Hot

Brian Fletcher has continued to be one of the hottest hitters in the entire Carolina League.  Fletcher has hit .353 (12-for-34) over his last 10 games and has driven in four runs.  The outfielder has been playing the majority of his time at first base, and is hitting .318 for the season with three home runs and 23 RBI.  Greg Billo has been hot on the mound for the Blue Rocks.  In his last two outings Billo has worked seven and a third innings allowing four hits and one run, while walking three and striking out eight.

Who’s Not

Catcher, Jose Bonilla has been ice cold at the plate 0-for-14 in his last four games and just 2-for-25 over his last ten with one home run.  Cole White has found himself in trouble over the last ten games on the mound.  The right handed reliever has allowed three runs over his last three and a third innings.

Class-A
The Kane County Cougars went 3-4 over the past week making them 30-28 on the season.  The Cougars are in third place in the Midwest League’s Western division trailing a pair of teams from Wisconsin, the Beloit Snappers and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Who’s Hot

Outfielder Runey Davis has really turned it up at the plate hitting .320 (8-for-25) with four RBI and five runs scored over the past nine games.  Davis is hitting .250 for the season in 22 games with the Cougars.  Robinson Yambati has been hot on the mound for the Cougars.  In his last two games he has logged seven and a third innings allowing just two hits and two walks, while striking out eight.  The right-hander earned his first save on May 26 and made his second start of the season on June 1.

Who’s Not

Infielder Justin Trapp has hit a cold spell at the plate.  He is hitting just .147 in his last eight games with one home run and three RBI.  For the season Trapp is hitting .270 with five home runs and 25 RBI.  Jason Mitchell has worked six innings in his last two appearances.  He has allowed 15 hits and 13 runs, while walking six and fanning four in those appearances.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization)

Who’s Hot

Ernesto Mejia is making a case to make the Triple-A All-Star game.  The former Natural is now in the Braves organization with Triple-A Gwinnett.  He has hit .366 (15-for-41) over his last ten games.   For the season Mejia is hitting .319 with eight home runs and 41 RBI.

Infielder Jefff Bianchi has been on fire ever since being promoted by the Milwaukee Brewers to Triple-A Nashville.  Bianchi is hitting .329 with a home run, eight RBI, and eleven runs scored in 20 games for the Sounds.

Who’s Not

A pair of former Naturals, now find themselves in the Los Angeles Angels system with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees.  Ed Lucas and Cory Aldridge both are struggling at the plate.  Aldridge has hit three home runs in his last nine games, but has gone just 6-for-35 during that stretch.  Lucas finds himself in an even deeper slump going 3-for-31 (.097) with only two RBI in his last nine games.

Dusty Hughes also with Triple-A Gwinnett has struggled in his last three outings.  Hughes has gone 0-1, while allowing nine hits and four runs in his last four innings.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale.  Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

The hits, or lack of hits, kept coming last week as the St. Louis Cardinals continued a rough stretch that included becoming the victim of the New York Mets first no-hitter in franchise history.

Aside from being no-hit by Mets pitcher Johan Santana Friday night, the Cardinals also sent Skip Schumaker back to the disabled list to join an all-star caliber cast that includes Lance Berkman, Matt Carpenter and Jon Jay on the offensive side, and Chris Carpenter and Kyle McClellan representing the pitching staff.

On the bright side, perhaps the only bright side of the week that saw the Cardinals go 2-6 in their last eight games, Allen Craig rejoined the team Friday. Although he obviously didn’t get a hit in his first game back, the Cardinals sorely need his presence in the lineup.

It’s not surprising that the Cardinals have fallen back to the back amid all of the injuries. Sure, every team has injuries throughout the long season, but no team is going to play first-place caliber baseball with six important players hurt.

However, the Cardinals are still capable of playing competitive baseball, and better baseball than they have of late.

The bullpen has been simply atrocious for much of the last three weeks. The Cardinals had the fourth-worst ERA in May at 4.72, and the bullpen’s ERA was even higher. The disturbing part of the bullpen’s performance is injuries cannot be used as an excuse. Aside from McClellan, the bullpen pitchers have remained healthy, they’ve just pitched terribly.

Now it’s to the point where guys such as Sam Freeman, Maikel Cleto and Brandon Dickson are trying to get important outs for the big league club, when in reality they should still be playing for the AAA Memphis Redbirds.

Even with the injuries to position players, the Cardinals put up four runs or more in every game last week before running into a buzz saw this weekend against the Mets. A team that consistently scores four runs or more should win a lot of ballgames, but the pitching staff has found numerous ways to give up more than four runs.

The struggles of middle relief pitchers have been particularly back-breaking. The Cardinals have shown all season they can fight back during a game even if they fall behind early.

For example, the Atlanta Braves scored three runs in the first inning and two more runs in the third inning Wednesday to take a 5-0 lead. The Cardinals fought back and tied the game at five in the six, but Marc Rzepczynski immediately gave up three runs to take away any momentum the Cardinals had built.

So, what’s the fix? Good question. The offense will be fine. A lineup that includes Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday and David Freese will produce enough runs to remain competitive. However, as we said before the season started, the pitching staff is going to have to be strong for the Cardinals to compete for the division crown.

That happened at the beginning of the season. The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead almost every night, and the pitchers held the opponents in check the rest of the night. The game seemed easy back in April.

That certainly changed in May. Relief pitchers such as Rzepczynski, Fernando Salas and Mitchell Boggs will have to regain their 2011 and early 2012 form if the Cardinals are going to keep up with the Cincinnati Reds throughout the summer. The Memphis Redbirds pitching staff isn’t equipped to compete in the major leagues, and it is showing right now.

Hopefully the Cardinals beat up on the Houston Astros this coming week, but after that series the team faces a stretch against AL Central powerhouses such as the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers.

Hang on tight, folks, the rough ride of the past week could continue for a while.

The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) went 2-4 over their last eight games and now sit at 27-18 on the season as they finish up a trip to the west coast.  The Storm Chasers have the third best record in the PCL trailing Sacramento and Fresno, but lead their division by eight games.

Who’s Hot
Offensively for the Storm Chasers Tony Abreu and Clint Robinson each have continued to swing hot bats.  Robinson is hitting .351 with 10 RBI over his last ten games.  Abreu is hitting at a .324 clip over his last ten contests and has two home runs, six RBI, and seven runs scored in that time.  Both players have been hot all season offensively with Robinson hitting .315 with 29 RBI, and Abreu checking in at .333 with 24 RBI.  Will Smith has been getting things done on the mound in Omaha.  He has allowed just three runs in 14.2 innings over his last two starts.  Smith is 1-3 on the season with a 4.01 ERA in nine starts this season.

Who’s Not
Jason Bourgeois has continued to struggle at the plate after being sent down to Triple-A.  Bourgeois was one of the players acquired in Spring Training from the Houston Astros in exchange for left-hander Kevin Chapman.  He is hitting .135 (5-for-37) over his last ten games with two RBI.  Vin Mazzaro also had a tough outing his last time on the mound for the Storm Chasers.  In his last Triple-A start Mazzaro went five and a third inning allowing nine hits and five runs, despite striking out seven.

Double-A

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) are now 24-coming off of their best road trip of the season.  The Naturals went 5-3 on the trip, including a sweep of the Tulsa Drillers, that has pulled them within one game of the lead in the North Division.

Who’s Hot
Catcher Julio Rodriguez is more known for his defense than his offense, but he has had one of the hottest bats in the Texas League over the past week.  Rodriguez is hitting .409 (9-for-22) over his last eight games with three runs scored and two RBI.  Yem Pradesis seeing his bat heat up again as well going 6-for-16 (.375) over his last five contests.  Prades also hit his second home run of the season during that span.  On the mound for the Naturals Patrick Keating has been lights out in May.  The right-hander has appeared in six games, tossing seven innings, and allowing just two hits, while striking out 10.

Who’s Not
First baseman Johnny Whittleman has hit his first slump of the season.  Whittleman is just 5-for-30 over his last nine games (.167), but when he has hit the ball it has been hard.  He has hit two home runs over that stretch to give him seven on the season.  Elisaul Pimentel had his strongest outing of the season in his first start of the year against Tulsa, but struggled his last time on the hill against the Arkansas Travelers.  Pimentel went three and two-thirds innings allowing five hits and three runs in his second start of the season.

Class-A Advanced

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) went 5-2 last week and are now 20-23 on the season and in second place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division.  The Blue Rocks are trailing the Lynchburg Hillcats by four game and open the week with a series against third place Potomac.

Who’s Hot
Brian Fletcher and Kevin David have been providing the offense for the Blue Rocks over their last ten games.  David is hitting .417 (10-for-24) with a home run and six RBI.  The catcher has also scored four times in his last eight games.  Fletcher is continuing to be a force at the plate hitting .325 in his last ten games with one home run, seven RBI, and eight runs scored.  The outfielder has pulled his average up to .308 for the season with three home runs and 19 RBI in 42 games.  Yordano Ventura has been hot on the mound for the Blue Rocks.  The starting pitcher has gone 2-0 in his last two trips to the hill allowing only five hits and one run in 13 innings, while striking out 13.

Who’s Not
Outfielder Geulin Beltre, who appeared in some spring training games with the Naturals, has gone 4-for-32 (.094) over his last nine games with one home run and two RBI.  Tyler Sample continues to bounce back and forth between the hot and not lists.  In his last two outings Sample has logged nine innings of work allowing 12 hits and nine runs.

Class-A

The Kane County Cougars went 3-4 over the past week and they now sit at 23-22 on the season.  The Cougars are in third place in the Midwest League’s Western division, but are just 5.0 games behind the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers for the division lead.

Who’s Hot
Infielder Michael Antonio has been hitting everything in sight over his last nine games.  Antonio has gone 13-for-35 (.371) with eight runs scored, two home runs, and 10 RBI.  Jorge Bonifacio is back on another one of his hot streaks as well.  The young outfielder is hitting .341 (14-for-41) over his last ten games with nine runs scored, a home run and five RBI.  On the mound for the Cougars Edwin Carl has continued to be one of the best pitchers in the Midwest League.  In his last two outings Carl has logged 13 innings allowing 12 hits and three runs, while striking out seven.  The right-hander is 4-2 on the season with a 1.79 ERA in 50.1 innings of work.

Who’s Not
Shortstop Orlando Calixte, who was on the hot list just two weeks ago, has cooled off recntly.  He is 4-for-34 (.118) over his last nine games.  On the mound for the Cougars Kellen Moen is coming off one of his worst outings of the season.  Moen allowed ten hits and five runs in four and two-thirds innings.  He is 2-2 on the season with a 5.05 ERA in 46.1 innings of work.

Alumni Report (Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization) 

Who’s Hot
Ernesto Mejia is putting together his best month of the season, so far in May.  The first baseman is hitting a blistering .357 (25-for-70) so far in May with four home runs and 17 RBI.  He has 32 RBI on the season, which ranks him sixth in the International League.  Outfielder Tim Smith, who was recently signed by the Atlanta Braves, was promoted to Double-A Mississippi last week.  In two games with the Braves Smith has gone 2-for-4 with a run scored an RBI and two walks.

Who’s Not
Josh Johnson who is now with Triple-A Syracuse in the Washington Nationals organization is 5-for-28 (.179) over his last nine games, but has managed to score eight runs and knock in four over that stretch.   Chris McConnell, who is also in the Nationals organization with Double-A Harrisburg is struggling at the plate as well.  He is hitting just .167 over his last seven games.

Kila Ka’aihue has been struggling recently in the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics.  The first baseman is 3-for-20 in his last seven games, but does have two RBI, including a game winner over that stretch.