I'll tell you what it is. It's the sound of the Anthony Reyes Watch rushing toward us, coming to blow apart all of our little lives like so much kindling. What new age does this foretell? Be this a harbinger of madness or salvation? Only time, and the Watch, shall tell.

Unfortunately, the actual Anthony Reyes Watch this week can't quite live up to the excitement of that intro. I apologize if I got your hopes up unnecessarily.

Reyes has only made one start since I last updated you on his progress; a start against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. Let's go to the tape (or the box score, as the case may be):

But while the Cardinals themselves were crapping the bed against a Pittsburgh Pirates team that has traded away their best players this year, a very interesting development was taking place in the Cards' farm system.

Wallace

The setting sun and cold beer made for a perfect atmosphere in which one loud team could really care and the other team could be just happy to be there.

There were highlights:

So anyway, I was looking at the Cards, and I concluded that the most important player for the rest of this season was Rick Ankiel. It was a sound pick, I thought at the time, and I still agree with most of what I wrote. However, I think that I may just have to change my tune a bit on this one.

It's Adam Wainwright.

When asked late Saturday evening about heating up some leftover chicken for dinner, Edmonds replied, "I'm fucking done with this chicken, and I'm fucking done with reheating dinner."

It wasn't the first time Edmonds had cut his ties with a former love.

This week, we saw the one year anniversary of Rick Ankiel's return to the major leagues as an outfielder. And so, in honor of that momentous occasion, I bring you this bit of awesomeness.

You know how a lot of the time, I come on here and say we have a very special Card of the Week post, only to have it all sort of collapse on me when it becomes apparent that it really isn't all that special? Well, not this week. This week we really do have a very special Card of the Week post. Seriously. Quite snickering.

I was all kinds of impressed with him when he came up, and it broke my heart to watch him struggle. It was especially frustrating to watch, considering that I, and many others, felt that he was being badly mishandled by the Cardinals' coaching staff, rather than being put into a position to succeed.

With all of that in mind, I would like to announce a new weekly segment here at The Rundown. We're going to call it the Anthony Reyes Watch. I know, it's not a very original or creative title, but I couldn't think of anything more clever. So, this is what we've got.

AP/The Canadian Press (Frank Gunn)

See what I did there?

I will admit, I was more than a little bit nervous last night, watching McClellan struggle through the eighth. Mostly, of course, because I care deeply about what happens to this team, but also, to be honest, a little bit because I flat-out didn't feel like having to write about a blown save by the guy I've been advocating for to anyone and everyone who would listen. Selfish? Maybe, but hey, I'm a selfish guy.

Luckily, in the end, Chris Perez came to the rescue, inducing a double play to escape the eighth and then slamming the door shut in the ninth.

Have I mentioned before how much I like the McClellan-Perez combo at the end of the game? I'm pretty sure I have.

Videos after the jump.

Anyone who has ever owned a parrot, for instance, has gone through the laborious process of assembling the new coop in front of the bird, setting it across the room so it can familiarized itself with it, then placing it alongside the rusty old confines and encouraging the bird to hop on its shiny new perch. The talking parrot, of course, refuses to budge and squawks "No effing way," just like its foul-mouthed owner would in such a situation.

So it was last night as RFT softball played its first game away from the friendly confines of Overland’s Legion Park, losing 9-5 to Grady’s Bar and falling to a 4-6 record the season.

Seems like a trip to south Florida always does wonders for the spirits (and the record) for the Cardinals, doesn't it? The Cards have consistently pounded the Marlins the past few years, both here in St. Louis and down in Miami. It's just a shame we don't see them more often. Less games against the Brewers and more against the Marlins, and we might have something going.

Of course, my favorite part of the game last night? The last two innings.

A few Cards fans (or one really bizarre one) might have taken offense to whole baseball soap opera this weekend, because a dead cardinal was found on the sidewalk today in front of Edmonds' downtown St. Louis restaurant, reports InsideSTL's Tim McKernan. Toxicology results are pending on the bird. It's unclear if foul-play was involved.

For the morbidly curious, a photo of the dead bird is after the jump. Read the full story at From the Desk of Tim McKernan.

I've tried to stay positive this season, and it hasn't been particularly hard to this point. The team has definitely overachieved, and it's been a ton of fun to follow. After this weekend, though, I'm pretty much out of happy thoughts.

Our Card of the Week this week comes to us from Mr. Tom Carlson, of Webster Groves, Missouri. That alone is enough to make this a special card. Why, you ask? Well, because Mr. Carlson just so happens to be the senior art director here at the RFT. Thanks to Mr. Carlson for sending this along.

As it stands now, the Cardinals rotation includes:
-Chris Carpenter
-Kyle Lohse
-Todd Wellemeyer
-Braden Looper
-Pineiro

Within a week or two, it's expected that Adam Wainwright will rejoin the rotation after making a couple of rehab starts. Who will be forced to make room for Wainwright?