I just can't...

...figure out the Cardinals this year. They just got swept by the Brewers, each game was 3-2.

They are a 'good' team. That's it. They aren't bad. They aren't exceptional. They are good. Perhaps I, and all the other Card fans, have been spoiled by their run of above-averageness for the last decade and a half. But this year, about the best that can be said for the Cardinals is that they are good.

Albert is having a great year. His average may be down a bit, but the pitchers do seem to have the advantage across the board.

Matt Holliday is productive but not at the level I expected.
Colby Rasmus is developing nicely.
Molina is solid
Schumaker started horribly.
All the other role players are just that: role players. And when role players play outside of their roles, that's not a good thing to do long term.

Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright have been exceptional. They are allowed a mistake or two. Jaime Garcis is a delightful surprise and I hope that he continues to develop. The bullpen is effective when it is allowed to settle into their roles. When they are asked to do more than what they can do, we've seen the bad results.

Will the Cardinals make the playoffs? I don't know. Sometimes good teams do and sometimes good teams don't. And the Cardinals are good. We'll see.