a shot in the arm

On Thursday night, in his first start since Aug. 24, Lance Lynn became just what St. Louis was looking for: a stopper. The right-hander from Ole Miss went six innings, allowing five hits, two walks and one run, as the Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in a key National League series. St. Louis halted a three-game losing streak and moved 2 games ahead of L.A. in the chase for the second wild card. Lynn, making a spot start, improved to 15-7 and lowered his ERA to 3.95. He reportedly simplified his mechanics during his time in the bullpen and seemingly returned to his All-Star form on Thursday. Surely Lynn will get another starting opportunity down the stretch. P.S. There are rumors that Roy Oswalt’s sore arm might spell the end of the Weir product’s rocky season with Texas.