Andy

Cavazos

Cavazos gave up seven runs in 11 innings while spending the last 19 days in the St. Louis bullpen.

In case anyone missed it, the Cardinals officially called it a year tonight. A game against Houston and a pitcher with a 7.31 ERA on the road should still be winnable down 5-0 after six, but manager Tony La Russa decided to go to one of the game’s very worst relievers right away, even though he needed just one inning out of the pen on Wednesday. Go ahead and start your pitchers against the Cardinals the rest of the way. They’re not even trying at this point.

Cavazos, who will be making his major league debut at age 26, had a 3.96 ERA for Triple-A Memphis. He’ll be tried in middle relief.

Cavazos as given up seven runs in 11 innings for St. Louis this season. He’ll resume pitching in middle relief.

We really don’t see why the Cardinals won’t try Chris Perez when the alternatives are so weak. Cavazos has given up 10 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings this season.

Cavazos has a 3.96 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 25 innings for Triple-A Memphis this season and has pitched very well lately allowing just two runs in his last 10 outings. He shouldn’t have any value in fantasy leagues.

Cavazos has given up 10 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings this season. The Cards should try to do better next time.

Cavazos had no real business pitching in the majors last season, but the Cardinals let him give up 27 runs -- 23 earned -- in 20 innings of relief. Falkenborg is a very useful Triple-A pitcher, but his stuff makes him a mediocre 12th man for major league staffs.

We’re very excited about the possibility of an Anderson Machado-Anderson Hernandez double play combination at Triple-A New Orleans. Machado remains a fine defender, but his inability to hit for average is probably going to keep him from getting a chance to make it as a utilityman. Tatis, who made it back to the majors with the Orioles in 2006, spent all of last season in New Orleans and hit .276/.359/.485. Diaz is back in the U.S. after finishing with a 4.59 ERA in 66 2/3 innings last year for the Yokohama BayStars.

It has to be killing Johnson that the ankle he broke last year still didn’t let him compete for a job with the door now wide open in New York. He’s not yet able to play in games. Padilla, returning from Tommy John surgery, also wasn’t quite healthy enough to put himself into the mix for a bullpen spot.