Yeah, we let Kyle Lohse win, and the bullpen looked shaky, but GEEZ LOUISE, DID YOU SEE THAT NEW BALLPARK?
Ahem. Excuse me, caught up in the moment a little bit there. Anyway, the Cardinals did defeat the Twins 8-4 in the first of two exhibition games between the two squads at brand spanking new Target Field, and Twins fans started the process of adjusting to the hometown nine wearing the home whites outdoors. (Seriously, it looked weird, didn't it?)
Studs, duds, Jacque Jones:
Studs:
Denard Span: first brilliant catch at Target Field (a wind-aided putout of an Albert Pujols shot to deep center), first hit (a triple), first home run, and he never once hit his mom with a ball.
Carl Pavano: I will take 3 runs and 7 innings from him every fifth day the rest of the season, even if its occasionally hard to watch.
Target Field: it's pretty neat, isn't it.
Duds:
Pat Neshek: 0.1 IP, 2 BB, 4 H, 5 ER. Ugly. Needs to be better.
Nick Punto: that weak tapper to short in the 3rd? Midseason form! (I've been told I missed a very nice fielding play by LNP later in the game.)
Jacque Jones: nice diving catch in the 8th, loud standing ovation when he came to the plate in the 8th (most memorable moment in a night with a lot of them), fished for a low-and-away pitch and struck out. What else can you say? It's Jacque Jones.
One more of these, time for Anthony Lapanta to epoxy his hair back into place, and then these things start to count, thank god.