W: Adam Wainwright (12-5)
L: Yo Gallardo (8-4)
HR: Corey Hart (19), John Jay (2)
MVP: Carlos Villanueva (+.022)
LVP: Alcides Escobar (-.079)
Graph of Strained Oblique and Star of the Game Voting
SB Nation Coverage
The Brewers earned a split this weekend in St. Louis, which on the surface is not bad at all, however, it is probably not what they needed in order to gain some ground on the Cardinals. Here are some bullet points.
- Rickie Weeks got ejected in his 2nd AB arguing strike calls.
- Adam Wainwright is one of the filthiest pitchers working right now.
- The Brewers are not a good defensive team
- Corey Hart extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a solo HR
- Yo Gallardo became the 13th pitcher in MLB history to record 3 putouts in an inning.
Yo Gallardo left the game in the 3rd inning, with obvious discomfort to the left side of his ribcage. It was later reported that Yo was suffering from a left-oblique strain. Of course, before clearing off your nearest high ledge, one should probably wait until the reevaluation that is going to happen tomorrow.
What is a left-oblique, and how does one go about straining his? What is the recovery time involved for Yo, assuming this is in fact what he is being bothered by? Here is a great article on pitching and hitting injuries over at ESPN.com.
An excerpt or two:
The oblique abdominal muscles are unique because they span the entire trunk (torso) and they are so specifically oriented toward rotation, as is stability of the trunk on the pelvis while weight is being transferred, oblique function is key to proper delivery... Attempts to contract an injured oblique muscle can trigger pain that immediately inhibits the other trunk muscles from functioning normally, which explains why pitchers with this injury cannot deliver the ball.
Once the injury has been properly diagnosed there is the matter of ensuring that it is well healed before the athlete attempts to return to the mound, which can take six to eight weeks for a moderate strain... Continued attempts to push through an oblique injury lead to compensations by other, often weaker, muscle groups, which can then lead to other problems, such as with the rotator cuff. Hence it becomes critical to avoid returning a player to action too soon.
In the 2008 season there were more hitters than pitchers who suffered this injury....