Carpenter Takes Nod in Game 1
Recently named Comeback Player of the Year, Chris Carpenter, will toe the rubber on Wednesday night in the opening game of the National League Division Series in Los Angeles.
Although Adam Wainwright will most likely be the NL Cy Young award winner, LaRussa will go with experience and veteran leadership in the first game of the playoffs. Carpenter is seasoned in pitching big games for the Birds, and will notch another one under his belt.
Wainwright, however, will start game two on Thursday night in Los Angeles, looking to stifle the Dodgers potent lineup. Carpenter and Wainwright will have a tough compadre to deal with in Manny Ramirez, who also has a great deal of playoff experience on his resume. Ramirez is the all-time leader in home runs in the postseason.
Shutting down a powerhouse like Ramirez will be tough, but he's no longer the best player on the Dodgers anymore. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp oppose just as much of a threat as Ramirez, and won't be a cakewalk to get passed.
This season Carpenter has only given up three earned runs against the Dodgers in 15 innings, while his career numbers in Dodger Stadium aren't that great. Carp has only made two starts managing a sour 4.35 ERA. Those numbers are horrible compared to the outstanding season Carpenter has tossed this year.
Carpenter loves pitching in big games, and is definitely no stranger as he pitched in game three of the '06 World Series allowing no runs on three hits in eight innings. He's not going to be satisfied with a Division Championship, he wants it all. He's hungry for another ring and will take full responsibility of being the ace of the staff that leads the Cards to the promise land again.
With a strong one-two punch of Carpenter and Wainwright and a solid third, Joel Pineiro, the Cardinals look poised to make a deep run this postseason. The offense is centered around Pujols and Holliday and is solid 1-through-7. We'll see if another World Series title is in the Cards.
Game one is scheduled for 9:37 Wednesday night in L.A. on TBS.
Although Adam Wainwright will most likely be the NL Cy Young award winner, LaRussa will go with experience and veteran leadership in the first game of the playoffs. Carpenter is seasoned in pitching big games for the Birds, and will notch another one under his belt.
Wainwright, however, will start game two on Thursday night in Los Angeles, looking to stifle the Dodgers potent lineup. Carpenter and Wainwright will have a tough compadre to deal with in Manny Ramirez, who also has a great deal of playoff experience on his resume. Ramirez is the all-time leader in home runs in the postseason.
Shutting down a powerhouse like Ramirez will be tough, but he's no longer the best player on the Dodgers anymore. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp oppose just as much of a threat as Ramirez, and won't be a cakewalk to get passed.
This season Carpenter has only given up three earned runs against the Dodgers in 15 innings, while his career numbers in Dodger Stadium aren't that great. Carp has only made two starts managing a sour 4.35 ERA. Those numbers are horrible compared to the outstanding season Carpenter has tossed this year.
Carpenter loves pitching in big games, and is definitely no stranger as he pitched in game three of the '06 World Series allowing no runs on three hits in eight innings. He's not going to be satisfied with a Division Championship, he wants it all. He's hungry for another ring and will take full responsibility of being the ace of the staff that leads the Cards to the promise land again.
With a strong one-two punch of Carpenter and Wainwright and a solid third, Joel Pineiro, the Cardinals look poised to make a deep run this postseason. The offense is centered around Pujols and Holliday and is solid 1-through-7. We'll see if another World Series title is in the Cards.
Game one is scheduled for 9:37 Wednesday night in L.A. on TBS.
Thanks for that comment, it meant a lot to be called a good writer (now I just need a career in this someday) and it also meant a lot to be considered unbiased, because it's definetly true. I love my Phillies, but one cannot consider themselves a real baseball fan until they can look at all perspectives. I think you're Cardinals are going all the way, and coincidentally it's because of their pitching. What other team this year has a 1-2-3 punch like Carpenter-Wainwright-Pineiro? I wish we were that stable, and I really hope we can find a way to get past the Rockies, who may have the most momentum in the NL, again. I'll have my official playoff predictions probably sometime tomorrow, good luck to your Cardinals and I hope I see you in the NLCS.
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