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

---

Subscribe to The Golden Sombrero by Email

---

---

Top 2: Raul Ibanez struck out swinging against Yovani Gallardo

Top 4: struck out swinging against Gallardo

Top 6: struck out swinging against Gallardo

Top 9: struck out swinging against John Axford

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Ibanez added to his impressive -1.1 fWAR on Sunday when he collected his first golden sombrero of the season against the Brew Crew.  In defense of the 39-year-old (wow), Gallardo was absolutely nasty on Sunday as he fanned 12 over seven innings.  For those of you who didn’t realize he was that old, then get this: the Seattle Mariners drafted Ibanez in the 36th round of the 1992 draft

Total 2011 Sombreros: 113

Top 1: Stephen Drew struck out swinging against Yovani Gallardo

Top 3: Drew called out on strikes against Gallardo

Top 6: Drew struck out swinging against Gallardo

Top 9: Drew struck out swinging against John Axford

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Gallardo shut down the free-swinging Diamondbacks’ offense on Wednesday night.  More so, he shut down Stephen Drew, who accounted for three of his six strikeouts and finished with a golden sombrero.  I’ve come to learn that in any given game, a DBack’s player has a legitimate shot at a sombrero.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 65

---

Subscribe to The Golden Sombrero by Email

---

---

Bottom 2: Jonathan Lucroy struck out swinging against Matt Cain

Bottom 4: Lucroy struck out swinging against Cain

Bottom 6: Lucroy struck out swinging against Cain

Bottom 7: Lucroy struck out swinging against Jeremy Affeldt

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: It just wasn’t Lucroy’s day on Sunday.  The Brewers’ backstop was the only starter not to record a hit in their 7-0 win over Matt Cain and the Giants.  However, considering that Yovani Gallardo allowed four hits over eight shutout innings, I’ll go ahead and say that the Lucroy still called a nice game.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 35

Stats through April 27, 2011

Troy Tulowitzki: .326/.416/.674, 7 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 58 TB, 14 BB, 8 K, 1.4 WAR, .349 ISO

• 10 multi-hit games
• April 11 – April 16:  13-for-24, 2 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 8 RBI

Joey Votto: .376/.505/.624, 21 R, 7 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 53 TB, 21 BB, 12 K, 2.1 WAR, .276 ISO

• 10 multi-hit games
• Reached base safely in every game
• vs. left-handers: .579/.600/.842
• w/ runners in scoring position: 7-for-16, 2 2B, HR, 9 RBI, 9 BB, 2 K

Lance Berkman: .371/.443/.729, 18 R, 7 2B, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 51 TB, 9 BB, 8 K, 1.2 WAR, .321 ISO

• 10 multi-hit games
• April 11 – April 15: 10-for-21, 9 R, 6 HR, 12 RBI
• w/ runners in scoring .412/.500/.647, HR, 10 RBI
• w/ two outs: .450/.542/.900, 3 HR, 10 RBI

(more…)