Thursday night may be Mitchell Boggs' last stand, but he's trying not to think of it in those terms. And mostly, he's succeeding.
The Dalton native has acquitted himself well as a fill-in for Chris Carpenter, who has been out for a month due to a left oblique strain. But the right-hander's tenure in the Cardinals' rotation could soon come to an end, as Carpenter is recovering well and could start as early as St. Louis' next homestand.
So Boggs' start on Thursday against the Pirates is big not only for his team, but for him personally. The Cardinals are trying to salvage what has been a frustrating road trip and avert their first three-game series sweep of the year.
Boggs is trying to make an impression that helps him stay in the Major Leagues, even if it's as a reliever.
"I know [Carpenter] is coming back," Boggs said. "I knew when I came up that he was coming back at some point. I'm not worried about it. We've got a huge game [Thursday] night, and we need to win. That's my focus. I can't control what happens, so there's really no reason for him to worry about it. I know everybody's ready for him to come back. I'm ready for him to come back, because he helps the team tremendously. I've just got to do my job."
In four appearances, three starts, Boggs has done a great deal right. He has more strikeouts than innings pitched and a nifty 3.50 ERA. His last start was a bit rugged, though, so it would certainly benefit him to turn in another good one.
Then again, it's all weather-permitting. The forecast looks like it will clear by game time on Thursday, but rain showers throughout the day should at least raise a question about an on-time start.
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Source: MLB.com
Chris Carpenter
- Photo2 by Tim Evearitt