Category: Playoffs
It’s All Over
St. Louis wins 6-2, 11th World Series title.
By Cam Cain 10-29-11
Back in August, if anyone thought the Cardinals, at that point 10 1/2 games out of a playoff spot, would be your 2011 World Series champions; they would be deemed crazy. But they got hot, overtook the Braves in the Wild Card, beat the mighty Phillies and Brewers in the playoffs, and then were crowned Champions. A part of their success was, however, due to the National League winning the All-Star Game. Giving the Cardinals home field advantage against a team with a regular season record 6 games better than their own. Now is that fair? It is impossible to deny the hard work and hot hitting that got them here. Especially that of third baseman David Freese, winning series MVP. He hit .348 with 5 extra base hits, including a huge walk off home run in Game 6. Freese set the all time record for most RBI in a single postseason with 21, breaking Sandy Alomar Jr.’s 1997 mark of 19.
“He knows how to hit,” says Mark McGwire, “He’s got ice in his veins and I truly believe that’s god-given.”
This World Series will go down as one of the greatest ever. A back-and-forth seven games in which you never knew who was going to take home the Commissioner’s trophy.
“I’m trying to soak this all in,” says Freese, “It’s going to take me a little bit, I think, to realize what we’ve accomplished.”
Freese, Cardinals Force Game 7 in All-Time Great Thriller
Down to last strike, the Cards win on walk-off homer by playoff sparkplug.
By Cam Cain 10-28-11
They were down to their last strike – twice. But that never stopped the Cardinals. No, this has been the theme of the franchise since the end of August, never say die. The Cardinals rallied, they scored 2 runs in each the 9th and 10th before Freese’s monster shot in the 11th inning. This now becomes the first World Series Game 7 since 2002 when the Anaheim Angels beat the San Francisco Giants in 7 games. This game will definitely go down in the ranks of Game 6 in the 1975 World Series as one of the greatest Series Games of all-time. With 2 outs in the 9th, David Freese hit a triple, scoring 2, to tie the game up and send it into extras where, in the top of the 10th, Rangers Josh Hamilton chose the right time to hit his first Home Run of the series, scoring Elvis Andrus to give Texas a 9-7 lead.
But never make the mistake of counting these Cards out. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Daniel Descalso scored on an RBI ground out by Ryan Theriot. Now there were 2 outs and a man on third. After intentionally walking Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman scored Jon Jay from third base to bring home the tying run. Once again, the Cards had battled back from sure defeat. The champagne and ginger ale (for non-drinkers C.J. Wilson and Josh Hamilton) were now being flooded out of the Visitors locker room.
The Rangers never scored in the top of the eleventh. So Freese’s mammoth homer off of Texas pitcher Mark Lowe was all that was needed. Now, tonight, Tony LaRussa has officially decided against pitching Kyle Lohse in favor of his ace Chris Carpenter. I think that he made the right choice, seeing how if he had stuck with Lohse, what if he got shelled through 2/3 of an inning giving up 5 runs. People in St. Louis would be looking back at this day wondering why they hadn’t started Carpenter on three days rest. He faces Matt Harrison who didn’t pitch too well in his first start of the World Series. Whatever goes down, this has been and will continue to be a great World Series and one person, it’s anybody’s guess as to whom, will come away as the hero of the 107th Fall Classic.
Lewis, Rangers Have to Wait for Game 6
Rain delay postpones the 6th game of Series.
By Cam Cain 10-27-11
It looks like we’re going to have to wait until tonight for Game 6 of the 107th Fall Classic. This is the first rain delay in the World Series since 2006 in Game 4, which ironically, was also at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The last time a World Series game was cancelled during a game was 2008 Game 5 at Citizens Bank Park in Philly in 2008. I think that the MLB made the right call in postponing the game. Now, Colby Lewis faces Jaime Garcia in a game where Texas could clinch its first World Series since… its first World Series win. This cancellation is definitely tougher on Texas, having to spend another day with their thoughts of clinching. I would rather be in the position of Tony LaRussa than Ron Washington, despite the Cardinals being down 3 games to 2. I think that if St. Louis wins Game 6, then they win Game 7 and their second World Series in the last 5 years.
“I think people think that we’re going to sit in our hotel room, bite our nails all night. That’s really not the case,” says Michael Young
No matter what they say, there is no way either team can’t have even the slightest jitters. But, that’s only being human. However, I think that Texas will get the win today and their first World Series.
Final Score prediction:
Texas 3
St. Louis 2
I think that this game will go into extra innings, with Texas winning in the top of the 11th.
World Series Preview
Game 1 Tonight
By Cam Cain 10-19-11
It’s a cold, rainy evening in St. Louis. But why then is everybody crowding the streets? Forming long lines besides the Gateway Arch? Nearly all wearing red and white? No, it’s not a tourist attraction, (well, yea it kind-of is) it’s only one of the greatest sporting events being kicked off tonight. The 107th Fall Classic starts tonight from beautiful Busch Stadium, with downtown St. Louis, sometimes called the Rome of the West, in the background. Yes, Game 1 of the 2011 World Series kicks off tonight. Adam Wainwright, Bruce Sutter, and Bob Gibson will throw out the ceremonial first pitches. The latter two are hall-of-fame pitchers from the Cardinals. Wainwright would probably be taking the mound tonight had he not missed the entire season due to injury. Taking the mound will be each team’s respective aces. C.J. Wilson for the Rangers and Chris Carpenter for St. Louis. Carpenter has been spectacular all postseason and Wilson has been anything but. Here are some questions to think about for the game.
1. Which pitcher will get in their groove first? These are 2 of the league’s top offenses and it will be a high scoring game and series.
2. Which hitters will get hot at the right time? David Freese and Nelson Cruz won MVP of their league’s LCS. But the World Series MVP hasn’t been the LCS MVP since 2008 and only twice since 1989. Cody Ross was the MVP of last year’s National League Championship Series but hit a cool .235 with one home run in the World Series.
3. Who’s bullpen is better? The Cardinals have had the best bullpen throughout the playoffs and it is crucial with both teams’ strong offenses and this being an unusually high-scoring postseason. Dont underestimate the Rangers’ ‘pen. Mike Adams is a star set-up man. Neftali Feliz as a closer, of course, and Mike Gonzalez, an under-the-radar deadline move came over from Baltimore and has pitched well,
So who do I think will win it all? I think the Rangers have the overall better team and St. Louis’s winning streak has to end sometime. Rangers in 6. However, St. Louis wins 4-1 tonight in a relative low scoring game.
Game 5s Live Up To Their Hype
Who has the edge between division rivals?
By Cam Cain 10-8-11
Last night, approximately 8:15. Brewers CF Nyjer Morgan steps up to the plate in the bottom of the 10th. Speedy Carlos Gomez on first. One out. Following a passed ball, Gomez is on second. Everyone in the stadium knows what’s running through the mind of the anxious batter. So when Morgan took a 2-2 J.J. Putz pitch and drove it up the middle, scoring Gomez, it was the perfect ending to a perfect evening in the Cream City. The Brewers had not won a playoff series since 1982; the Robin Yount days, the County Stadium days, back when they were in the American League. The Angels were their victim; the California Angels! But that is the past. “The fans deserve this because they haven’t seen it since ’82” said Prince Fielder following the game. Morgan also doubled and scored in the 4th. The win did not come easy, however. Closer John Axford blew a 2-1 lead in the 9th and had his first blown save since April. He pitched a 1-2-3 10th and came away with the win.
And on the other end, the team Milwaukee will be facing had a much more difficult path even to get the wild card. At one point, the St. Louis Cardinals were 10.5 games out of a playoff spot. The valiant Cards beat out the Braves for the final spot in the playoffs in game 162; and then had to play the 102-win Phillies with their 4 aces in the NLDS. But the never-say-die Cardinals never said die and fought their way into a game 5 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where former Blue Jays teammates and close friends Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay, currently aces of their respective teams, squared off in the deciding game.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first and it was all they would need. Carpenter tossed a 3-hit shutout in the 1-0 victory.
“It was some kind of fun” said Carpenter following the game.
To many, this is a huge surprise. Most thought that Philly would cruise their way by St. Louis and onto a second World Series win in 4 years.
“I know that we’re capable of going farther in the playoffs,” said manager Charlie Manuel. ” Our goal was to get to the world series. It’s been that way for two years now.”
This year’s NLCS will be a rematch of the 1982 World Series, back when the Brewers were an American League team. The Cardinals won in 7 games. The Brewers have never made a World Series before or since.
Brewers Ready for Game 5
Can Ian Kennedy Pitch Surprise D-Backs into NLCS?
By Cam Cain 10-7-11
Another October Day. Another chance for Milwaukee It’s do-or die this evening at Miller Park for the Brewers who were heavily favored coming into this series. At 5:07 Eastern time, the Brewers, who had the best home record in the majors at 57-24, will take the field against Justin Upton and a hot-hitting Arizona squad. Taking the mound for Arizona will be ace, and Cy Young Award Candidate Ian Kennedy.(21-4, 2.88) Prior to this season, Kennedy, in his second full season and a top prospect with the Yankees had only won 10 games. Kennedy lost Game 1 in Milwaukee 4-1 due to a strong performance by Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo. Kennedy did not drop back-to-back decisions all yaer and has not since June 26 and July 5th of 2010.
On the other end of the matchup is Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo.(17-10, 3.52) Gallardo is 5-0 in 5 starts against Arizona including Game 1 of this year’s playoffs with a 1.20 ERA and 32 Ks in 30 innings. Gallardo was fantastic in Game 1 through 8 innings.
The home team has won all 4 games this series. Milwaukee, as I said earlier, has the best home record in the Majors. Adv. Brew Crew. However, since 2002, the team who has had the best record in front of their home crowd has only won the world series once (2009 Yankees) and has only won the pennant twice, the other being the Rays of 2008. And I don’t think there’s any psychological boost behind a half-empty crowd. It is incredible that Milwaukee, winning 96 games, had a poor record away from home. (39-42) “We do love playing at home” says third baseman Jerry Hairston.
Another note is that this could potentially be star 1B Prince Fielder’s final game in a Brewers uniform. Fielder becomes a free agent following the season. Since 2007, Fielder is second in the majors in Home Runs and 5th in RBIs and the Brewers have gotten this far in large part to him.
2011 teenviewonmlb.wordpress.com Information taken from mlb.com, espn.com, baseballreference.com
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