Via Hardball Talk, Mike Matheny did not have a good press conference after the blowout loss to the Reds:

It was a shame for the Cardinals to waste the exceptional rookie Michael Wacha in four impressive innings of relief work. This extended gig essentially knocked the potentially valuable Wacha out of the Pittsburgh series. Then again, his four-inning stretch could prepare Wacha for a possible start next Tuesday. We’ll see.

Some press box observers believed Wainwright had a problem getting loose during the pregame warmup; he seemingly took some extra time to stretch.

The relevant parties denied this after the game.

The increasingly and bizarrely petulant manager Mike Matheny resorted to spitting out one-word answers and tapping impatiently on the interview podium in a childish response to reasonable postgame questions.

We should remember that Mike still suffers from the concussions that ended his career as a player. Stress brings on those symptoms. Having to answer questions about the use of his ace could very well induce that stress. I’m not saying that Matheny should be cut any slack here. There may be times, however, that he’s not able to face the press due to his condition, and he should apologize and let someone else speak for him.