#Cardinals manager Matheny hits a new low in teh stupidz

Jaime Garcia:
Too flu-buggy
to have started?

Ignore the error by Kolten Wong. Ignore Jaime Garcia's own error.

Instead, let's look at the starting lineup error of stupidity of Cardinals manager Mike Matheny for Game 2 against the Cubs.

Jaime Garcia had a stomach bug, and told Matheny about it pre-game. Matheny still started him. And, in the second inning, in part with those two errors, had reason to regret it.

That said, Matheny compounded his error in pre-game, when he had planned Game 4 starter Lance Lynn tabbed as his first relief option if Garcia was iffy.

So, per the box score, Garcia burns two innings and 45 pitches. His being unknown to the Cubs this year would have "kept" until Game 4; he could have flipped with Lynn. Or he could have pushed to Game 3, and had Michael Wacha throw Game 4.

Now, especially given Garcia's known arm fragility, the Game 4 start is up in the air, I guess.

Lynn threw just one inning, and 24 pitches. I guess that's not too much more than a normal between-starts bullpen session. Maybe he can still go Game 4.

Others have whispered about turning a "miracle" into miracle of miracles and starting Adam Wainwright in Game 4. I see that as highly unlikely, and so do the Cards, the P-D says; starting Game 1 starter John Lackey on short rest would be more likely.

And, no, I'm not joking. Lackey threw just 86 pitches in Game 1. He could reasonably give 5 innings in Game 4, leaving Waino as an early relief bridge option.

And, once again, as with his nearly-fired Tigers counterpart Brad Ausmus, Matheny has once again shown that managerial cuteness and managerial brains aren't always in the same package.

As for actual skills, I certainly wouldn't rank Matheny higher than Boston scribe Nick Cafardo's ninth.