The Rangers are making a return trip to the Fall Classic after their first World Series appearance in franchise history last season. Their championship bid was unsuccessful, as they were eliminated by the San Francisco Giants in five games. The Cardinals are back in the World Series after securing a title in 2006.
Starting pitching will be critical in bringing home a championship, and the Cardinals will have to do better than their paltry postseason performance so far. Their starting rotation served up a 7.03 ERA during the NLCS, with their bullpen providing the saving grace.
The Cardinals will send their ace Chris Carpenter to the mound for Game 1, despite giving up three runs and a 5.40 ERA in his last start against the Brewers on October 12. Despite Carpenter’s stats, his team has not lost when he started.
There has been much speculation on Carpenter’s availability after reports surfaced that he had a sore elbow after his last start, but manager Tony LaRussa told reporter on Tuesday, “If he wasn’t sound, he wouldn’t pitch tomorrow,” in a press conference that was aired on MLB.com.
The lineups have not been officially set for any further games, but Rangers’ manager Ron Washington said he would give the nod to Colby Lewis for Game 2 but would not speculate on a Game 3 starter. LaRussa said he expected Jaime Garcia to start Game 2, but like his counterpart, did not want to speculate past that.
The Pen
The X factor in this series could be the bullpen. With neither club getting top-shelf work from their starters, both clubs have had to rely on their relievers. It is no secret that the Cardinals’ bullpen got them into the Series, but it remains to be seen if the two days off will be enough rest for their weary arms. With the powerful bats that each team brings to the plate, one bad inning by a starter could make for a long night for the guys out in the pen.
Heavy Hitters
The Rangers offense has been on “Cruz” control this postseason with a record-setting six home runs by Nelson Cruz. He is batting .243 for the postseason and has provided the ignition for the offense as Michael Young’s bat has gone quiet. The combo of Cruz, Young, Josh Hamilton, and Ian Kinsler will give the Cardinals pitching staff plenty to worry about.
The Rangers will have to adjust to having their pitcher hit while at Busch Stadium, making the NL home field advantage even more crucial.
The Intangibles
Both teams appear to be evenly matched in terms of powerful offenses and good pitching, all reasons they made it this far. But Texas is lacking one very important element—the rally squirrel! After his (or her) first appearance in Game 3 and then reappearance in Game 4, fans have gone “nuts” for the rally squirrel. It has become the good luck charm for the team, much like the “rally monkey” for the Angels in 2000. With the rally squirrel and home field advantage, the Cardinals seem to have destiny on their side.
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