“On paper, this projects as a low-scoring game. The Cards are batting just .235 as a team this series. The Red Sox are even worse at .189.”
The Sox’ pitcher is Jon Lester; the Cardinals’ pitcher is Adam Wainwright.
In two World Series starts, Lester has yet to allow a run, including pitching 7 2/3 shutout innings against the Cards in Game 1.
[snip]
Wainwright . . . struggled in the opener, allowing five runs (three earned) in five innings.
Shake it off, Boston. If you want to win this Series you have to get over that ninth-inning calamity. Hey, if David Ross had been catching he might not have thrown the ball into left field in the first place, which would have ended the play right there.
The Red Sox and the Cardinals are back at it at 2:00pm HST, 5:00pm PT, 8:00pm ET on Fox.
Clay Buchholz apparently has a tired arm, but he gets the start for the Sox regardless. The Cards send Lance Lynn to the mound on 11 days rest.
The Series moves to St. Louis and Game Three between the Red Sox and the Cardinals begins at 1:30pm HST, 4:30pm PT, 7:30pm ET. I was hoping against hope for a day game at least during the weekend, but no. MLB doesn’t want to go up against college football on Saturday or the NFL on Sunday, I guess.
The Sox send out 32 year old Jake Peavy, who’s won an NL Cy Young award and two ERA titles but hasn’t been very successful in previous postseason appearances. The Cardinals counter with 25 year old Joe Kelly, who hasn’t thrown a pitch in live action since October 16 and is in only his second major league season.
Because the game is in a National League city there’s no designated hitter. That means Big Papi David Ortiz plays first base for the Red Sox and Mike Napoli sits down. That might or might not make a difference defensively, and it certainly will reduce the Bostons’ offensive potential.
The Cards send the phenom Michael Wacha out to pitch against the Red Sox’ John Lackey. The Sox lead the Series one game to none. Beltran’s in the lineup for the Cardinals, bruised ribs or no.
David Pinto has a good analysis of the two teams, as does Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
One more thing to think about: this World Series is the last hurrah for Tim McCarver of Fox; he’s announced his retirement at the end of the season.
Detroit at Boston. Scherzer v. Buchholz. Detroit leads the series one game to none.
Down 5 – 1, Middlebrooks of the Red Sox doubled to lead off the eighth inning off Jose Veras. After a pitching change, Drew Smyly walked Ellsbury. Al Albuquerque came on to strike out Victorino, but then he gave up a single to Pedroia to load the bases. In came Joaquin Benoit to pitch, up came David Ortiz to hit, and here’s what he did:
To top off those heroics, in the Red Sox ninth Porcello came in to pitch. Johnny Gomes hit an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by Iglesias. He moved to third on a wild pitch, and Saltalamacchia singled to left to drive him in with the winning run.
And I missed all of that, having switched to news at 5:00pm right after the 6th inning when Victorino scored the first Red Sox run. Drat and blast!
Detroit at Oakland 2:00PM HST, 5:00PM Pacific, 8:00PM Eastern on TBS. Verlander v. Gray. Jim Leyland v. Bob Melvin. Cabrera and Fielder v. Cespedes and Reddick.
The winner gets to play the Red Sox in the ALCS.
It’s Pirates v. Cardinals to see who gets to play the Dodgers in the NLCS. The Pirates start rookie Gerrit Cole, who did a fine job in Game Two, and the Cardinals put up Adam Wainwright, the ace of their staff.
Because the two teams are both in the Central Division, they’ve played each other a lot. In fact:
“So through 23 games, the Bucs have 12 wins and the Cards have 11. On the scoreboard, including this NLDS, it’s St. Louis 102, Pittsburgh 99.
More important than all of that, it’s 2-2 with one more to play.
Game Time 8:00PM ET, 5:00PM PT, 2:00PM HST on TBS.
The first game has the As playing the Tigers at Detroit at 5:00PM ET, 2:00PM PT, 11:00PM HST. The As lead the series two games to one and can end the Tigers’ season with a win today. They’ll send out Dan Straily (who?) while the Tigers counter with Doug Fister.
Game Two has the Red Sox playing the Rays at Tampa Bay. The Sox have a two games to one lead, but the Rays have won four elimination games in nine days; they’re not likely to be cowed. The Red Sox will pitch Jake Peavy and the Rays send Jeremy Hellickson to the mound.
Update: The As took a 3 – 0 lead into the fifth inning and their pitcher was looking strong. Prince Fielder hit a flare into left field for a single, Victor Martinez grounded another single into right field, and Jhonny Peralta, just back from a 50-game suspension for PED use, hit a home run to left field to tie the game at 3.
Update II: The wheels have come off for the As in the 8th inning. After loading the bases in the top of the inning with no one out and failing to score, they gave up three runs in the bottom of the inning and now find themselves behind 8 – 4 with the Tigers’ closer Benoit coming in for the ninth.
Update III: Holy smokes, Loney! What a heckuva double play you started with the bases loaded in the top of the second!
I’m late due to a periodontal cleaning this morning, so I’ll just put up links to today’s earlier results and to the current game between the Rays and the Red Sox.
Oakland defeated the Tigers 6 – 3 behind the pitching of Jarrod Parker and three relievers and the home run hitting of Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick and Seth Smith. The As are up two games to one and can close out the series tomorrow in Detroit.
The Cardinals forced a game five by beating the Pirates 2 – 1. The game was a scoreless tie until the sixth inning when Matt Halliday hit a two-run home run. Pedro Alvarez hit a solo shot in the eighth inning; that was the only hit the Pirates got.
The Tampa Bay – Boston game is still going on, with the Sox leading the series two games to none and the game 3 – 0 in the fifth inning.
Update: As I was typing the Rays’ Evan Longoria hit a three-run home run to tie the game 3 – 3.
Jon already has the game thread posted for tonight’s Game Four between the Braves and the Dodgers. His previous post had a lengthy discussion of the Dodgers’ surprise decision to start Clayton Kershaw on short rest.