Top 2: Nick Punto struck out swinging against Chris Narveson

Top 3: hit a sacrifice fly to right field against Narveson

Top 5: struck out swinging against Kameron Loe

Top 7: called out on strikes against Takashi Saito

Top 9: called out on strikes against John Axford

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K, RBI

Notes: Punto’s golden sombrero against the Brewers on Sunday night was his first of the season, as well as the first by a National League player this postseason.  In a game where the Cardinals pushed across 12 runs on 14 hits, Punto was the only starter that failed to record a hit.

His four-strikeout performance was the third of his 11-year career, with the other two occurring as a member of the Twins in 2006 and 2008.  After striking out in 12.7% of his at-bats during the regular season—his career mark is 16.3%—Punto has struck out in 11 of his 21 at-bats this postseason.

Most importantly, Punto’s postseason sombrero gives me a chance to drop this graphic once again:

Total 2011 Sombreros: 125

Total 2011 Postseason Sombreros: 2

It’s been a while since I have posted anything here on The Sombrero.  The last couple of weeks have been really busy and perpetually stressful.  I just finished up an exam period that consisted of 12 total tests.  It’s break now, though, and I am back home where it is dumping on the mountain.  I just got word that 15 fresh fell today, which gets the hill over 2 feet of new in the last 48, and it is supposed to pick up when the sun goes down.  Griff, our homeboys the Meyers, and I are headed up in the morning, and it has the potential to be the best Day 1 of my life.  A lot has happened since the last time I posted, but the holidays are getting underway nicely already.  My dad is home from Australia and Grandma is coming down either Thursday or Friday.

As everyone rolled out of bed today, we checked our phones like we do every morning to make sure that nothing earth-shattering happened in the world of baseball overnight.  This morning was one of those rare ones when something like that actually did (Arlo gave me a little heads up on it last night to tell you the truth).  At least it was earth-shattering for the rest of the N.L. Central, because they discovered that the Milwaukee Brewers will have the best rotation in the division next season.  If you’re from Milwaukee, Christmas came a little early this year in the form of former Cy Young winner, Donald Zackary Greinke.

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