The Cardinals came oh-so-close to making it 9 losses in a row on this night. Chris Carpenter went 7 innings allowing 1 run, but LaRussa’s merry-go-round of relievers blew the 2-run lead in the 8th. However, the Indians took mercy on the Cardinals in the bottom of the 9th with 2 fielding errors to hand them a 5-4 win and thus ending the 8-game losing streak.

There’s a malaise lingering in Cardinal Nation these days in the wake of the Pujols injury. We’ve been spoiled in recent years by Pujols greatness, solid starting pitching, and a relatively effective bullpen. Now all 3 abandon us at the same time forcing us to endure our first significant slump since September 2003, and people don’t know how to react. There’s a reason only 2 NL teams have ever won 100 games in 3 consecutive seasons. Take a deep breath and relax – it’s a long season.