Cardinals Open World Series with ace Wainwright
The 109th edition of the World Series starts tonight in Boston at Fenway Park, with two teams that finished the regular season with identical 97-65 seasons, when the Boston Red Sox host the St. Louis Cardinals for Game 1 of the best of seven series.
This is the first time in 14 seasons that each league is represented by the team with the best record.
Each of these franchises is loaded with passionate, loyal and diehard fans, which will make each game a unique experience for those playing, managing and watching.
Of course, as close as these two teams are in pitching and hitting only one will win.
This season the Cardinals will take home the title.
At DH, even though Boston is accustomed to using a DH, the Cardinals will hold the advantage since Allen Craig will take that spot. Craig has been sidelined the entire postseason, but is set to play in this series. Craig had 97 runs batted in and led the majors in hitting with runners in scoring position at .454. Craig has not been activated for the Series, but rest assured he will in due time.
While Boston has David Ortiz who was a key in their Game 2 victory over Detroit with a grand slam, he was just 1 for 21 in all other at bats during the series.
St. Louis is used to playing baseball in October as they have reached the World Series four times in the past 10 years.
After facing a pitching staff of Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw in 3 of the 6 games in the NLCS, there is no way, the Cardinals will be intimidated by Boston’s pitching rotation of Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jake Peavy and Clay Buchholz.
Even though the National League has not done well in Fenway Park this season, the Cardinals need just one win out of the first two to take home field advantage.
St. Louis is 24-5 at home since August 15. In
the three Cardinals home games during the series, Boston will not have the use of the DH. This means either Ortiz will sit or Mike Napoli the starting first baseman will sit and Ortiz will play first base. Either way, a big piece of Boston’s thunderous lineup will be sitting on the bench in St. Louis.
Even though Adam Wainwright is the Cardinals ace, rookie Michael Wacha has been their ace in the hole.
The 22-year old sensation on the mound is 3-0 with an ERA of just 0.49 during the postseason. He has given up just one run on eight hits while striking out 22 in his 21 innings pitched.
First Game: Boston 3-1
Series Pick: St. Louis 4-3
