I see that the Cardinals are substituting Wade LeBlanc for John Gant in the pitching rotation Monday night. Good move, Mike Schildt. Gant leads the rotation with 48 walks this season. That should not qualify him for a permanent spot in the pitching rotation.

Walks may be a matter of confidence for a pitcher. Trying to be too fine by hitting the corners of the plate.  In that case taking them out of the pitching rotation may seem like a lack of confidence in the pitcher, but it also sends another message the Cardinal pitchers need to hear. We don’t give the other team free bases. John Gant and Carlos Martinez need to hear that message. Maybe also Johan Oviedo, who walked four batters in the first inning yesterday in the Cardinals’ loss to the cellar-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates.  Oviedo should have received a pitching mound visit after two walks and then pulled from the game after three.

The thing is pitchers get to thinking the game only depends on them. They have to hit the corners or the other team scores, and they can’t allow the other team to score. Really they should be thinking, they are not giving the other team free passes, because it gives the opponent more confidence. They should be thinking, Let them put the ball in play, and I’ll depend on my team to make the outs.

What if they sting the ball and score a couple of runs? That’s o.k. They need to believe, against all evidence, that their team will score three runs. Because walking four yesterday resulted in three runs scoring. Some of those runs came from runners who were given first base free of charge.

So putting Wade LeBlanc in place of John Gant is a good change for the Cardinals’ pitching rotation, because Mike Schildt is saying you can’t walk 48 opponents and stay in the rotation. LeBlanc said yesterday, “When you’ve got a defense like this, you’ve got to let them work.” Good attitude. That is a message for the rest of the rotation.

Next Schildt has to say that to Carlos Martinez, who is an experienced pitcher and knows that walks kill.  Bring up Matthew Liberatore, who has blown away opposition in both AA and AAA this year and insert him in Martinez’ spot in the rotation Tuesday night. Tell the young man to throw strikes and follow LeBlanc’s motto: Let the defense work.

The Cardinals hitters will eventually snap out of their funk, because that is what hitters do. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arendo are not .250 hitters. They will find their stride, and probably before the All-Star Game.  The offense may not produce eight runs a game, but it should do better than the meager two runs they eeked out yesterday. Patience.

But the message to the pitchers should be: we don’t give hitters free bases. Pound the strike zone and let them earn their base. A single is no different than a walk. A double is still not a run, so let them hit doubles. Show confidence, even when your head is saying, My stuff isn’t good enough. I’m going to get hit. Throw strikes.

Send them a message, Mike Schildt. You can’t walk guys and stay in the rotation.  Don’t tell the other team, we’re afraid you’re gonna get hits. Tell them to hit the ball and try to beat our defense.  Show confidence, even if you don’t believe your team will score any runs. That is the kind of confidence that ends losing streaks.

Maybe there’s a lesson for all of us Cardinals fans. Believe in your team and throw strikes. Walks are just concessions to the other team. Whatever you do, throw strikes.