Game 5: More errors

Not too long after Tim McCarver made a salient point about Chris Duncan playing right field in the sixth inning of a one-run game, the young outfielder goes ahead and plays a fairly routine warning-track fly ball into a double for Sean Casey.

McCarver said: "At this point you go to four innings of defense."

Actually, nine innings of defense helps, but the point is the Cardinals should worry less about Duncan's offense and more about defense.

But shouldn't the genius Tony La Russa know this?

Defense is the most underrated aspect of the baseball. In fact, Bill James wrote something that got my attention which stated that half of good pitching is really good defense. After presenting this to long-time Major League general manager Pat Gillick, he responded with (essentially) a, "well, yeah... "

Kind of like, "duh."

Proof? Check out the Tigers and the eight unearned runs this series.

Gillick is a self-described pitching and defense guy. I guess I am, too. After all, a baseball team wins more games with good pitching than good hitting.

Nevertheless, Duncan's "error" was a no-harm, no-foul type. Weaver was able to dance out of the sixth with his 3-2 lead to put the Cardinals within nine outs of the title.

On another note, how come I haven't heard anything about former Cardinal Tim McCarver and Cardinals' announcer Joe Buck calling these World Series games?

Game 5: Wha happened!

So I step away for a minute to put the wash in the dryer and another load in the washer and the Cardinals have the lead? Another throwing/fielding error by a Tigers pitcher?

What gives.

While I was away, Verlander fielded a bunt (it was a bunt, right?) cleanly, but his throw to third was behind Inge and skittered into left field. As a result, Molina and So Taguchi scored to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.

Molina, the worst-hitting starter in the National League during the regular season, picked up his second hit of the game and currently has a .400 average in the World Series.

But more importantly, what's with the errors and the Tigers pitchers? That's one in every game of this series and they aren't hustling, hard-luck errors, either. The Tigers' errors are simple, routine errors on every day plays. Because of the errors, the Cardinals have scored eight unearned runs this series and there is still a bit to go.

Then again, Weaver picked up two more strikeouts (he has six in five innings) to get through the fifth.

It's 3-2 and the Cardinals are 12 outs away.