The St. Louis Cardinals are 47-41 on the season which has them in 2nd place in the N.L. Central, 1 game behind the Reds. The Cardinals have had a few surprises and some disappointments in the first half of 2010 and here’s a closer look at them:

Pleasant Surprises: 23-year old rookie lefty starting pitcher Jaime Garcia has burst onto the scene this season for the Cardinals. He has started 17 games for the Cardinals this year and he is 8-4 with a 2.17 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. 28-year old righty reliever Jason Motte is trying to make up for 2009 this year. He has pitched in 38 games (0 starts) for the Cardinals this year and he is 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. 26-year old Mitchell Boggs has really turned into a solid relief pitcher for the Cardinals in 2010. He has pitched in 35 games (0 starts) for the Cardinals this year and he is 1-2 with a 2.54 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Rookie 25-year old lefty swinging outfielder Jon Jay has been outstanding this season for the Cardinals. He has played in 34 games for the Cardinals this year and he is 26 of 69 (.377 avg, .989 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 3 homers and 9 RBIs.

Disappointments: 28-year old shortstop Brendan Ryan was outstanding in 2009 but he has been pathetic in 2010. Ryan has played in 72 games this season for the Cardinals and he is 42 of 217 (.194 avg, .547 OPS) with 20 runs scored, 2 homers, 16 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. 32-year old starting pitcher Brad Penny has been banged up this season. He has started 9 games for the Cardinals this year and he is 3-4 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. The only disappointment with Penny is his health. 31-year old Kyle Lohse is a different situation despite his injury. He has started 9 games for the Cardinals this season and he is 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP.

The Cardinals have signed 33-year old righty reliever Mike MacDougal to a minor league deal. MacDougal has pitched in 19 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball this season and he is 4-1 with 2 saves, a 5.32 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. MacDougal has pitched in 314 games (3 starts) in his nine years in the majors and he is 14-21 with 70 saves, a 4.09 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. MacDougal’s biggest problem to date in his career has been his control as he has walked 165 hitters in 312 2/3 innings. Maybe he can get his career back on the right path under Dave Duncan’s supervision if he pitches good enough to earn a promotion to St. Louis.

The Cardinals have placed 24-year old righty starting pitcher Adam Ottavino on the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain. Ottavino pitched in 5 games (3 starts) for the Cardinals this season and he was 0-2 with a 8.42 ERA and a 2.06 WHIP. He has given up a whopping 37 hits in only 22 1/3 innings this season so he won’t be missed while he is out of action. The Cardinals have recalled 27-year old lefty starting pitcher Evan MacLane for his first taste of the majors. MacLane has started 17 games in AAA-ball this year and he is 5-7 with a 4.47 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. He is a strike thrower as he has only walked 15 batters in 110 2/3 innings this season so he might do o.k. with the Cardinals.

The Cardinals are 45-37 on the season which has them in 2nd place in the N.L. Central, 2 games behind the surprising Cincinnati Reds. I think the Cardinals will be in the market for a starting pitcher and either a starting 2B or SS this month. Roy Oswalt, Dan Haren and Cliff Lee are the top three available pitchers and the Cardinals will think of making an offer for them. But if they want to aim a tad lower they might be able to find a bargain. Jeremy Guthrie, Fausto Carmona, Jake Westbrook, Ben Sheets, Ricky Nolasco, Dave Bush, Ted Lilly, Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Edwin Jackson and Rodrigo Lopez could each be had if the price is right. The Cardinals should be looking for a starting SS or 2B to team with Felipe Lopez. Alex Gonzalez, Mike Aviles, Jhonny Peralta, Mark Ellis, Jose Lopez, Dan Uggla, Christian Guzman, Ryan Theriot, Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew each could fill that void. The Cardinals usually don’t have to make moves unless they want to but this year is different as the Reds look pretty solid.

The Cardinals are sending C Yadier Molina, 1B Albert Pujols, OF Matt Holliday and starting pitchers Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter to the All-Star Game. Molina was elected by the fans (which shows how great the fan support in St. Louis is) to start in the All-Star Game. Molina has played in 73 games for the Cardinals this season and he is 56 of 245 (.229 avg, .611 OPS) with 16 runs scored, 3 homers, 31 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. Don’t believe the experts who are saying that Omar Infante is the least deserving All-Star as that dishonor falls to Molina who isn’t hitting a lick this season. It will be Molina’s 2nd All-Star appearance of his career to date. Albert Pujols will be the starting 1B for the N.L. It will be his 9th appearance in the big game. Pujols has played in 81 games for the Cardinals this season and he is 91 of 298 (.305 avg, .981 OPS) with 48 runs scored, 20 homers, 60 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. Outfielder Matt Holliday has been picked as a reserve for the All-Star team. He has played in 80 games for the Cardinals this season and he is 90 of 302 (.298 avg, .867 OPS) with 45 runs scored, 11 homers, 39 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. I was a little surprised that Holliday made the team. It will be his fourth All-Star appearance of his career. Chris Carpenter will be on the pitching staff for the N.L. He has started 18 games for the Cardinals this season and he is 9-2 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. This will be Carpenter’s 3rd All-Star Game. 28-year old righty starting pitcher Adam Wainwright has also made the N.L. pitching staff. He has started 18 games for the Cardinals this season and he is 12-5 with a 2.24 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. Wainwright has only allowed 96 hits in 128 1/3 innings this season while whiffing 123 batters showing what kind of stuff he has. Wainwright will be making his first All-Star appearance. The Cardinals players could be a huge factor into whether or not the N.L. has home field advantage in the World Series.