Right-hander Lance Lynn made two starts for the Cardinals last year before moving to the bullpen, where he became a postseason star. Both of those starts were efficient enough, but nothing like the one he spun at Milwaukee on Sunday in his season debut.
Lynn, filling injured right-hander Chris Carpenter's spot in the rotation, was able to throw his off-speed pitches for strikes as well as his mid-90s fastball. The result was a dominant, eight-strikeout, two-hit showing for 6 2/3 innings as the Cardinals clubbed the Brewers 9-3 to take the decisive game of a three-game series.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Lynn's best pitching may have come after he gave up his only run, with one out in the fifth inning on Corey Hart's third homer in the last two days. That blast cut the Cardinals' lead to 3-1. Lynn then struck out the next four batters over the fifth and sixth innings.
"He came out pounding the zone and working ahead in the count," manager Mike Matheny said. "It's similar to what we saw in spring training, but you never know what you're going to get that first outing. He was still making good pitches when he got to 100.
"He's tough mentally. He's tough physically. He's a workhorse."
Lynn came out of the game at exactly 100 pitches after walking Aramis Ramirez with two outs in the seventh. Right-hander Mitch Boggs then fanned the dangerous Hart.
"I was able to throw the ball where I wanted to, for the most part," Lynn said.
Starting pitching has been one of the main reasons the Cardinals are 3-1 after four games. Right-handers Kyle Lohse, Adam Wainwright and Lynn and left-hander Jaime Garcia have permitted only 12 hits and seven runs over 25 2/3 innings (2.45 ERA).
Four relievers have allowed one homer apiece in the four games, as the bullpen has given up eight runs in 9 1/3 innings (7.71 ERA). However, the starters and an offense that has recorded 13 or more hits three times have more than made up for the somewhat shaky relief.
The Cardinals had 14 hits Sunday as Matheny rested four regulars. One of the reserves, center fielder Shane Robinson, had three hits, including a three-run homer in the ninth inning.
RF Carlos Beltran, moved to fourth after hitting second for the first three games of the season, had three hits, including his second home run. "Everyone feels good at the plate," Beltran said of the hot Cardinals offense. The veteran outfielder feels good, too, having no problems with his right knee, which is stronger now after surgery two years ago. "I played a lot of games in spring training," said Beltran, who took 50 at-bats in the spring.
SS Rafael Furcal, who hit just .192 in the Grapefruit League, is flashing the leadoff skills he has displayed for most of his 12-season career. Furcal had his third multi-hit game out of four with a double and two singles, making him 10-for-19 (.526) in the regular season. Mike Matheny often threw batting practice to Furcal in the spring, and the manager said, "You could see he was not quite right. But as he got closer to the end, he was making a conscious effort to see the ball and let it get deeper." Furcal also isn't trying to loft the ball as much, Matheny said.
CF Shane Robinson, getting his first start since 2009, singled twice and then smacked a three-run homer in the ninth inning. It was the first homer of Robinson's career on a day when RHP Lance Lynn got his first hit, a single. Two-out singles by Robinson and Lynn in the fourth led to a big run when SS Rafael Furcal singled home Robinson to hike the Cardinals' lead over the Brewers to 2-0.
Robinson got the homer ball from a Miller Park fan, who, in turn, received a ball with autographs "from some of the big guys," according to Robinson.
3B David Freese, after batting only .188 in spring, has eight hits in his first four games and has knocked in six runs. Freese fanned three times Sunday but knocked in a key run with a fifth-inning single.
2B Tyler Greene, who got the majority of the starts at second base in the spring, made his first start and appearance of the season Sunday against Milwaukee LHP Randy Wolf. Greene singled once and was hit by a pitch. C Tony Cruz gave Yadier Molina a day off, and 1B Matt Carpenter played in place f Lance Berkman, making his first big-league start at that position. Berkman, a switch hitter, had been 3-for-32 against Brewers LHP Randy Wolf.
RHP Jake Westbrook, who probably was the Cardinals' most effective starting pitcher in the spring, will make his first start in the team's fifth game Monday night in Cincinnati. RHP Kyle Lohse will then start the second turn through the rotation, pitching Tuesday with an extra day of rest.
BY THE NUMBERS:4 Games out of four in which SS Rafael Furcal and 3B David Freese have hit safely.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Right now, I'm focused on one pitch at a time." RHP Adam Wainwright, who worked 5 2/3 innings on Saturday, giving up three runs, in his first start in more than a year. He had Tommy John elbow surgery last March.
