Ryan Franklin blows another save, is a change coming?

It hasn't been a good start to the season for (current) Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin.

As Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sums up in his column, here's what Franklin has done so far this year:

"Four blown saves in five opportunities. An 11.57 ERA. Eight hits, two walks and three homers in 4 2/3 innings. And hitters have a .364 batting average against Franklin. It's ugly."

Ugly is right.

With Franklin's four blown saves, the Cardinals could easily be 12-4 instead of 8-8 this season as Miklasz points out.

Like many, Miklasz suggests that Mitchell Boggs should replace Franklin as the team's closer.

Boggs, who's owned in only seven percent of Yahoo! leagues, has allowed only two earned runs while striking out 12 batters in nine innings this season.

Will manager Tony La Russa make the choice that seems to be the only choice to make? Or will he remain loyal to Franklin, to a fault?

Ryan Franklin wants to close 2010 strong

If there's something that Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin would like to change, it would be his ability to close the season strongly, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

In September 2009, he recorded three of five blown saves on the season and had an ERA of 7.56. In order to improve his stamina down the stretch, he intends to add an additional day of weight training to his in-season workouts.

Meanwhile, manager Tony La Russa hopes that either Jason Motte and Mitchell Boggs will emerge as a closing alternative, which could help keep Franklin fresh down the stretch.

"The better your club is, the more action your closer gets," La Russa said. "Therefore, the more important it is to have some kind of other guy so you don't wear your closer out. You still want to win the game and preserve your closer. That's why developing someone who can pitch in the ninth is important to this team."

Franklin made his first All-Star appearance in 2009, a season in which he finished with 38 saves and an ERA of 1.92.