2014 NLCS Cardinals and Giants

[Ceetar]

so, during tomorrow night's broadcast, we can watch on FS1 with like, actual real analysis.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/discussing-the-nlcs-powered-by-jabo-with-rob-neyer/

[Guest d'Kong76]

San Francisco at St. Louis
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, October 11, 2014
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
SportsDirect Inc.

Two teams that continue to make visits to the National League Championship Series square off when the St. Louis Cardinals host the San Francisco Giants in Game 1 on Saturday. The Cardinals won the NLCS in 2011 and 2013, while the Giants prevailed in 2010 and 2012 � including a seven-game victory over St. Louis in the latter matchup. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright opposes San Francisco�s Madison Bumgarner in a top-tier pitching duel.

Two of the top catchers in baseball will be on display in St. Louis� Yadier Molina, who is superior defensively, and San Francisco�s Buster Posey, who owns a slight edge offensively. The Giants have won seven straight postseason series, while the Cardinals are the first team to make four consecutive LCS appearances since the New York Yankees accomplished the feat in the American League from 1998-2001. St. Louis is hoping to see Matt Holliday (nine straight 20-homer seasons) get hot, while San Francisco is waiting on Hunter Pence (no RBIs in the postseason) to emerge.

TV:
8:07 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (1-1, 1.13 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (0-0, 12.46)

The 18-game winner became San Francisco�s undisputed ace after Matt Cain suffered a season-ending injury and Tim Lincecum furthered his deep decline. He pitched a four-hit shutout against Pittsburgh in the wild-card game before losing to Washington in his lone NL Division Series outing. Bumgarner is 3-4 with a 3.97 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis, including a 1-1 record and 3.00 ERA in two outings this season.

The 20-game winner is rumored to be having elbow issues, but Cardinals manager Mike Matheny insists the reports are highly exaggerated. He didn�t look too sharp against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS as he was roughed up for six runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. Wainwright is 5-5 with a 3.11 ERA in 12 career appearances (10 starts) against San Francisco after going 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two turns this year.

WALK-OFFS:
1. San Francisco won four of the seven regular-season meetings between the clubs.
2. Cardinals CF Jon Jay is 5-for-11 against Bumgarner, while Holliday is just 2-for-16.
3. San Francisco 3B Pablo Sandoval is 6-for-18 versus Wainwright, while Posey is only 2-for-11.

[Frayed Knot]

Just tuned into the alternate FOXS1 telecast for the first time tonight.
They, Gabe Kapler specifically, was talking about how Jon Jay turns into pitches to get HBPs. As he's demonstrating it in their studio Jon Jay gets hit by a pitch while turning into the pitch.

Nice timing.

[metirish]

Ceetar wrote: so, during tomorrow night's broadcast, we can watch on FS1 with like, actual real analysis. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/discussing-the-nlcs-powered-by-jabo-with-rob-neyer/

I'm loving this , absolutely

[Frayed Knot]

This game seems like it should be a lot more than 3-0 SF
Seems like I felt that way in a lot of NYM games this season also -- dominating the play but not the score.

[Frayed Knot]

Short memories in the booth. Both Reynolds & Verducci are talking about what a great CF Jon Jay is ("you have to see him every day to appreciate him" says Harold).
Yeah, we saw him everyday during last year's post-season ... he was awful defensively. OK, maybe 'awful' is a bit harsh, but he was not anything resembling good.
HIs play out there is why the Cards traded two guys to get Peter Bourjos and Jay's only still in CF because it turned out that Bourjos couldn't hit.

Edited October 11, 2014 by Guest

[Guest d'Kong76]

San Francisco at St. Louis
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 12, 2014
Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
SportsDirect Inc.

The San Francisco Giants look for their eighth consecutive postseason road victory when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals in Sunday�s Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. San Francisco won the opener 3-0 behind 7 2/3 stellar innings from ace Madison Bumgarner and three hits from third baseman Pablo Sandoval. The Cardinals are struggling offensively and have scored eight runs over the last four games after putting up 10 in their postseason opener.

The Giants are turning to Jake Peavy, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in late July and has excelled since getting the change of scenery and being reunited with Bruce Bochy, his former manager in San Diego. �He has been very much of an adjuster,� St. Louis manager Mike Matheny told reporters of Peavy. �He figures out what he needs to do in his game to give himself a chance with the stuff that he has right now.� San Francisco was economical in the opener, scoring its runs on Travis Ishikawa�s bloop single, an error and Brandon Belt�s sacrifice fly.

TV:
8:07 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Giants RH Jake Peavy (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (0-0, 3.00)

The 33-year-old Peavy is 3-4 with a 2.97 ERA in nine career regular-season starts against St. Louis. He has been re-energized since being acquired with a 6-4 mark and 2.17 ERA in 12 regular-season starts and promises he won�t lose his composure on the postseason stage. �I�ll be fiery,� Peavy said at Saturday�s press conference. "I will be emotional but I will be under control. With a game plan in place, we�ve got our work cut out for us.�

Lynn has been roughed up in three career regular-season outings against San Francisco, losing each start to go with a 7.98 ERA. He has won 48 regular-season games over the past three seasons and might be the Cardinals� best pitcher in this series after Adam Wainwright�s second straight sub-par effort in the opener. �Confidence has never been a problem, that�s for sure,� the 27-year-old Lynn said at Saturday�s press conference. �I just go out and pitch. I don�t worry about anything. Pretty simple.�

WALK-OFFS:
1. Sandoval has 10 career multi-hit games in the postseason, second in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Frankie Frisch (15).
2. Cardinals LF Matt Holliday is 8-for-28 with a homer against Peavy, while SS Jhonny Peralta is just 7-for-34 with a homer.
3. Giants C Buster Posey is 4-for-6 with a homer against Lynn, and INF Joaquin Arias is 4-for-5 with four RBIs.

[Lefty Specialist]

I'm thinking I have the pattern for how I'd like this series to go.

I want the home team to lose each game, disappointing their fans every night. Also, this way, the Cards lose the series 4-3, the last defeat being a crushing one on their home field. The Giants winning is just an afterthought.

[batmagadanleadoff]

metirish wrote: Ceetar wrote: so, during tomorrow night's broadcast, we can watch on FS1 with like, actual real analysis. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/discussing-the-nlcs-powered-by-jabo-with-rob-neyer/ I'm loving this , absolutely

Gah! I missed this. I saw Irish's Saturday post and thought this would air on Sunday (today). Will there be another one?

[Frayed Knot]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Will there be another one?

Doesn't look like it seeing as how 'Big FOX' isn't even touching most of the remaining NLCS games leaving FS1 as the location for the game itself.
So unless they're throwing the round table discussion to FS2 (which I don't think half the country even gets) there's no room for the overflow.

[metirish]

Frayed Knot wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Will there be another one? Doesn't look like it seeing as how 'Big FOX' isn't even touching most of the remaining NLCS games leaving FS1 as the location for the game itself. So unless they're throwing the round table discussion to FS2 (which I don't think half the country even gets) there's no room for the overflow.

damn, that sucks, Burkhardt was the perfect host of this round table chat , what I really liked about it was they weren't shoving the advanced stats down your throat like look how smart we are, it was just easy conversation with KB leading them , Nitcowski is very knowledgeable, Bub Black and some great insight , Kapler not the lunk head I would have guessed he was and Neyer of course helping to explain it all.....didn't know he has quite the lisp .

[Ceetar]

I didn't get to watch enough of it, but it looked fun. Would've liked more full-screenness.

But I like that I can watch a broadcast that I can actually discern who's having a good year rather than the main screen just giving me meaningless AVG/HR/RBI lines.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Lefty Specialist wrote: I'm thinking I have the pattern for how I'd like this series to go. I want the home team to lose each game, disappointing their fans every night. Also, this way, the Cards lose the series 4-3, the last defeat being a crushing one on their home field. The Giants winning is just an afterthought.

'
This.

[Lefty Specialist]

Did they really just tell us who the replay umpire was in New York? I thought they guarded it like a National Security secret.

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Will there be another one? Doesn't look like it seeing as how 'Big FOX' isn't even touching most of the remaining NLCS games leaving FS1 as the location for the game itself. So unless they're throwing the round table discussion to FS2 (which I don't think half the country even gets) there's no room for the overflow. damn, that sucks, Burkhardt was the perfect host of this round table chat , what I really liked about it was they weren't shoving the advanced stats down your throat like look how smart we are, it was just easy conversation with KB leading them , Nitcowski is very knowledgeable, Bub Black and some great insight , Kapler not the lunk head I would have guessed he was and Neyer of course helping to explain it all.....didn't know he has quite the lisp .

I suppose it's possible that they'd do a night or two of this during the WS when the games will definitely all be on the big FOX channel and FS1 could be available for the overflow.

[Frayed Knot]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Did they really just tell us who the replay umpire was in New York? I thought they guarded it like a National Security secret.

I noticed that too. During the regular season the whole thing was kept quite guarded even though there seems to be no reason to do so.

[Zvon]

Ha! Cards suck.


What a try though.

2-1 Suckers.

I'm not rooting for the Giants as a team but I am rooting for Hunter Pence, the person.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

I confess that I don't "get" tats. But seriously, what was Molina thinking with that thing on his neck?

[Zvon]

Hunter ties it. He's like a wind up toy that's always wound up tight.

[Zvon]

Fat Ass pulls himself!

[Frayed Knot]

Rosenthal trying really hard to blow the save opp.

[Frayed Knot]

... and he succeeds in blowing it:
K - 1B - 1B - Line-out - WP which scores a run from 2nd - ?

1st & 3rd, 2 out, Posey up, go-ahead run out on 3rd

[metirish]

C.J. Nitcoski just told me on twitter that is was a one off, planned months in advance but that's it....that sucks

[Frayed Knot]

Ken Rosenthal likes the fact that he gets to interview someone close to his own size with Wong.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Nothing bad ever happens to the Cardinals. Even when bad stuff happens to them.

[metirish]

the combo of Buck and the Cardinals and him calling their walkoffs just irritates

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Nothing bad ever happens to the Cardinals. Even when bad stuff happens to them.

Really!
Their starter suxx, their star catcher gets hurt, their closer blows the 9th inning lead ... and they still win the game with three outs to spare.

And this is, remember, a team with a RS/RA ratio just a hair better than the Mets this season (+16 vs +11) with considerably fewer HRs (105 vs 125), but still managed to finish with a record 11 games better and is now 3 wins from going to the World Series due, in large part, to their sudden prowess at hitting HRs

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Stupid Cardinals.

[Edgy MD]

Kolten Eckstein.

[Frayed Knot]

Except that, Wong, unlike fellow shorty Eckstein, is/was a fairly highly-touted 1st round draft pick (22nd overall) who had 12 HRs this year in only 400 ABs - he actually hit HRs this season at a better clip than did their big ol' 1st baseman Matt Adams (15 in 500+). The Cards' leading HR hitter this season turns out to be SS Peralta (21).