2014 NLCS Cardinals and Giants

[Edgy MD]

Sure. And Kolten was one of those guys pretty much manufactured into a ballplayer by his dad.

[Guest d'Kong76]

St. Louis at San Francisco
When: 4:00 PM ET, Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
SportsDirect Inc.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be without standout catcher Yadier Molina when the scene shifts to San Francisco for Wednesday�s Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. Kolten Wong�s ninth-inning homer to end Sunday�s Game 2 allowed the Cardinals to even the series at one win apiece, but St. Louis lost Molina to an oblique injury earlier in the contest. The injury could sideline the six-time All-Star for the rest of the postseason.

The Cardinals will be attempting to make it through the rest of the series with catchers Tony Cruz and A.J. Pierzynski, which represents a huge drop-off from Molina. �It stinks,� Giants catcher Buster Posey said of Molina�s injury. �You hate to see anybody go down, especially a guy like him that means so much to their team. It�s too bad.� Wong one was of four St. Louis players to hit homers in Sunday�s 5-4 win, joining Matt Carpenter, Oscar Taveras and Matt Adams.

TV:
4:07 p.m. ET, FS1

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Cardinals RH John Lackey (1-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. Giants RH Tim Hudson (0-0, 1.23)

Lackey was acquired due to his postseason experience, and manager Mike Matheny is expecting he will rise to the occasion. �Every time he was on the mound, he is one of those guys that is going to come into a big situation and into a hostile environment, and we love what San Francisco brings,� Matheny told reporters. �The excitement they bring, and the city is fired up for the matchup.� Lackey is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in two career starts against San Francisco.

Hudson lost his final four starts of the regular season before rebounding with a strong outing against Washington in the NL Divisional Series, as he gave up one run and seven hits over 7 1/3 innings in a no-decision. The 39-year-old veteran merely was average at home during the regular season, going 5-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 14 starts. Hudson is 4-4 with a 5.26 ERA in 13 career outings against St. Louis but defeated the Cardinals this year when he gave up three hits over seven scoreless frames.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Carpenter has four homers in six games this postseason and a .958 slugging percentage in 24 at-bats.
2. Posey went 0-for-4 in Game 2 for his first hitless game this postseason.
3. St. Louis LF Matt Holliday is 9-for-26 with five RBIs against Hudson.

[Guest themetfairy]

And the Giants win in extras on a bad throw!

If they had Schaefer points, The Panda would have earned some for his defense in the top of the 9th.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Cardinals choate, details at eleven.

[Lefty Specialist]

It's more fun listening to Joe Buck call walk-offs [u:36zxrx5r]against[/u:36zxrx5r] the Cardinals.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, nice throw by Randy Choke on that bunt.

(watched it all via tape delay so I just caught up to the end about 20 minutes ago).

[Frayed Knot]

Dropped into a Cardinals forum that I hadn't poked my head into in many years. What I remembered from it was that, far from being examples of the self-proclaimed 'BFiB', they were a nasty crew and especially so towards their own players and managers.
Well, nothing much has changed: lots of hate towards both Choate & Matheny and it's obvious that such opinions were formed far earlier than this afternoon's game.

[Guest d'Kong76]

St. Louis at San Francisco
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
SportsDirect Inc.

The teams have traded 5-4 walk-off victories over the last two games and that leaves St. Louis in dire need of a victory when the Cardinals visit the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday. The Giants moved ahead 2-1 on Tuesday when a throwing error by St. Louis reliever Randy Choate after fielding a bunt allowed Brandon Crawford to score the winning run. The Cardinals have hit five homers in the series and San Francisco has none.

Crawford said part of the Giants� success in the postseason comes from limiting the stress on the team. �I think that�s a big reason why we do well in the postseason � is we don�t put a whole lot of pressure on ourselves,� Crawford said in a press conference after Game 3. �We go out there and have fun and play our game, almost like it�s a regular-season game.� St. Louis second baseman Kolten Wong had a two-run triple in Game 3, two days after hitting the walk-off homer to win Game 2.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Cardinals RH Shelby Miller (0-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. Giants RH Ryan Vogelsong (0-0, 1.59)

Miller is making his second career postseason start and he felt heavy anxiety prior to the first against the Los Angeles Dodgers. �Even with that one start under your belt, you�re starting in a hectic environment in San Francisco,� Miller said at his press conference. �They�ve got great fans that are loud and know baseball and love their team but at the same time, yeah, the first one definitely helps.� Miller is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two career starts against San Francisco but didn�t face the Giants this season.

Vogelsong felt he got away from what he does best late in the season and has used some of the downtime in the postseason to get his mechanics back in order. �I got a little away from being how I wanted to be at the end of the season and it affected my command and velocity,� Vogelsong said at his press conference. �I felt like there were some things that I really needed to clean up and took advantage of it on the time off.� Vogelsong is 2-6 with a 6.17 ERA in 19 career appearances (nine starts) against the Cardinals and went 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA in two 2014 turns against St. Louis.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Cardinals C Yadier Molina (oblique) is reportedly considering a cortisone injection in an attempt to play in Game 4.
2. San Francisco LF Travis Ishikawa had a three-run double in Game 3 and is 4-for-8 in the series.
3. St. Louis 3B Matt Carpenter, who has four homers in the postseason, is 5-for-10 against Vogelsong.

[Guest d'Kong76]

St. Louis at San Francisco
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, October 16, 2014
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
SportsDirect Inc.

Madison Bumgarner dazzled against St. Louis in Game 1 and looks to clinch the series when the San Francisco Giants host the Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday. The left-handed ace tossed 7 2/3 stellar innings in a 3-0 victory that made it three straight strong outings this postseason and fueled talk of him being the best pitcher in the postseason. �That�s an awfully big compliment,� Bumgarner told reporters. �But no, I don�t think about any of that.�

The Giants pushed their series lead to 3-1 with a 6-4 victory on Wednesday behind three RBIs from catcher Buster Posey. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright had a shaky outing while opposing Bumgarner in Game 1 and is vying to redeem himself and keep his team alive. �You take a competitor like that and someone who has had success and you put them on this stage, and they can�t wait to go out there and then be the ace of our staff,� St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said in a press conference. �It�s just right now, he�s working hard to get that real good feel.�

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

PITCHING MATCHUP:
Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (0-1, 8.00 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (2-1, 0.76)

Wainwright hasn�t made it through the fifth inning in two postseason starts and threw a bullpen session in San Francisco trying to get himself on track. �I just have to have all my weapons out there with me, preferably,� Wainwright said in his press conference. �If not, I�ll grind my way through it and I�ll find a way to make it happen. But it helps when you�ve got all your weapons.� Wainwright continues to insist his right elbow isn�t an issue.

Bumgarner allowed two earned runs in 23 2/3 innings this postseason and has struck out 23 against just three walks. He said facing the Cardinals a second straight start means being ready to change the game plan on the fly. �If they force you to make adjustments, you have to be able to do it,� Bumgarner said. �If they make adjustments and you can�t, you�re going to be in trouble.�

WALK-OFFS:
1. Cardinals LF Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 in Game 4 after going 1-for-13 over the first three games.
2. San Francisco RHP Santiago Casilla hasn�t allowed a run in 11 consecutive appearances (12 innings) since last giving up a run on Sept. 11.
3. St. Louis CF Jon Jay reached base three times in Game 4 and is 7-for-14 with two walks in the series.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Just figured out how Pablo Sandoval got his nickname.

[Frayed Knot]

Nice to see the Cards having to eat the downside of big ol' Matt Adams last night (twice!) instead of just basking in his upside the way they've been doing in the playoffs so far.
No official errors in Wednesday's game (and only 2 over the first four games) but between the two misplays by Adams, the non-catch by Jay*, and a couple of spots where I think they've missed Yadier, there haven't seen many supposed 'Cardinal Way' moments to be envied.






* and who among us who was watching last night didn't immediately think to themselves that Lagares would have snagged both those 1st inning doubles?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

It's nice to see some of these Card fans get salty about it, too, innit?

Mets � Willets Point wrote: Just figured out how Pablo Sandoval got his nickname.

Only... that's not it. (The build, the agility... and the fact that the movie was popular right around the time he got the nickname.)

Edited October 16, 2014 by Guest

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Ah, well then it's a lovely coincidence.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Loved the fans in the giant panda masks at the game.

How I miss the act of getting swept up in it all.

[Guest d'Kong76]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: How I miss the act of getting swept up in it all.

Me too, very much so.

[Edgy MD]

No official errors in Wednesday's game (and only 2 over the first four games) but between the two misplays by Adams, the non-catch by Jay*, and a couple of spots where I think they've missed Yadier, there haven't seen many supposed 'Cardinal Way' moments to be envied.

I've noticed some post-season writers swooning over Jon Jay: intangibility and plays-the-game-the-right-way, and not-the-most-athletically-gifted-but-gets-the-most-out-of-his-ability and gets-more-range-out-of-his-smarts-than-his-legs and makes-hard-plays-look-easy and all that jazz.

It was like they were desperately searching for their new good-but-not-great biracial angel.

[Ceetar]

No official errors in Wednesday's game (and only 2 over the first four games) but between the two misplays by Adams, the non-catch by Jay*, and a couple of spots where I think they've missed Yadier, there haven't seen many supposed 'Cardinal Way' moments to be envied. I've noticed some post-season writers swooning over Jon Jay: intangibility and plays-the-game-the-right-way, and not-the-most-athletically-gifted-but-gets-the-most-out-of-his-ability and gets-more-range-out-of-his-smarts-than-his-legs and makes-hard-plays-look-easy and all that jazz. It was like they were desperately searching for their new good-but-not-great biracial angel.

If I was a cardinals fan I'd nickname him Chief Justice, but that's just me.

[Edgy MD]

Maybe the Yankees will overpay for him.

[Frayed Knot]

I've noticed some post-season writers swooning over Jon Jay: intangibility and plays-the-game-the-right-way, and not-the-most-athletically-gifted-but-gets-the-most-out-of-his-ability and gets-more-range-out-of-his-smarts-than-his-legs and makes-hard-plays-look-easy and all that jazz. It was like they were desperately searching for their new good-but-not-great biracial angel.

In an earlier game, Reynolds and Verducci were dispensing with the intangibles part and just flat out calling him a great defensive player. My only comment about that was that they must have missed last year's playoffs & WS cuz Jay was pretty bad with the glove there.
The Cards were concerned enough about it all to go out and trade w/the Angels for Peter Bourjos with the idea of pushing Jay to RF. In the end it was Bourjos's total lack of hitting which moved Jay back to CF. Not that Jay's a bad player or anything, but he's far from the dominant CF gloveman that some are trying to sell.

[Edgy MD]

Patzachry.

Only don't go telling the Yankees that.

[Frayed Knot]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: It's nice to see some of these Card fans get salty about it, too, innit? Mets � Willets Point wrote: Just figured out how Pablo Sandoval got his nickname. Only... that's not it. (The build, the agility... and the fact that the movie was popular right around the time he got the nickname.)

Yeah, as I recall it was Barry Zito who hung the nickname on Sandoval after seeing similarities in the bouncy athleticism coupled with the roly-poly body of both the rookie 3B-man and the newly popular movie character.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

The headline writer for MLB.com seems to be one of those people who works too hard to come up with clever nicknames. At least I'm hoping no one else uses "MadBum" and "Waino."

[HahnSolo]

Goodness, someone is still paying Lyle Spencer to write about baseball?

[MFS62]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: The headline writer for MLB.com seems to be one of those people who works too hard to come up with clever nicknames. At least I'm hoping no one else uses "MadBum" and "Waino."

It must be a San Francisco writer. (According to Jim Brosnan in "the Long Season") In 1968 (the team's first year in that city) pitcher Johnny Antonelli (or was it Mike McCormick?) said "The San Francisco reporters write with all the precision of a two year old finger painting on a wall".

Later

[Ceetar]

Know how Madbum spilled most of those 5 beers he chugged all over himself?

[youtube:mycdl8g4]9u5qd2LKx2A[/youtube:mycdl8g4]

[metirish]

Verducci and Reynolds are embarrassing themselves with their routine in the booth tonight , specifically with their adoration of Wainwright, who has pitched brilliantly.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

. . . _ _ _ . . . _ _ _

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: . . . _ _ _ . . . _ _ _

That shot was more than just so-so.

Now if only Morse wasn't such a meathead.

[Frayed Knot]

Kudos to Bochy for having the guts to pull his closer for a specialist in mid-inning.

[Frayed Knot]

When I dropped into that Cards forum the other night they were bitching about Matheny bringing in Choate (who quickly gave up a hit and walk) rather than Wacha
And now Wacha comes in and quickly gives up a hit and a walk.