World Series: Texas Rangers vs St. Louis Cardinals

[YosemiteSam]

CJ needs his *** kicked for throwing six freaking walks.

 

[Alweezy]

If we dont win tomorrow, there is now way we go ahead and rattle off 4 out of 5 especially when Carpenter pitches one of those games. Huge game, we got past their ace and from what I hear the rest of their rotation is not very good. I think we can win the next two at least.

Hamilton MUST get going, I know he's 50 percent but we need him. Thank god for Ogando and Feldman right?

The Cardinals rotation is about the same level of the Rangers rotation. they got guys in there that could stink up the joint, or throw 2 hit shutouts if the momentum is right. There's not one game that I feel overly confident in, and yet at the same time I don't feel too worried. It's a wierd situation I must say with the two staffs going head to head.


There's no shame in losing game 1 guys, let's not call this 2010 all over again, or we could be done in 5 just yet. The Rangers have been on the plus side of these close late inning games all ALCS. Sometimes you just lose a close game and that's how it goes.

Now had we come out to a 11 - 3 shellacking similar to last season's game 1 which set the tone for the entire series, I'd be worried... but the Cardinals did not look exponentially better than the Rangers last night. Had we gotten the bloop single to score the go ahead run, it'd be them not us worrying about losing it in 5. So let's not knee jerk, there is stil plenty of ball to be played.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Another thing - can we expect Wash to win the chess match vs. La Russa? I doubt it. Last night was already a bad sign. Esteban Herman and Craig Gentry? I thought Murphy had earned enough confidence that I'd leave him in there vs. the lefty instead of putting your hopes on those two. I think Wash saw La Russa put in Allen Craig and thought one of those guys could step up too. The difference is that Craig is not some scrub, he will probably be their DH.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

That was a tough loss last night. I was really hoping to take the early lead. Oh well. I still think they can win it in 6.

 

[Stautner]

Rangers just can't handle NL Baseball. This is where La Russa takes Wash to school

Where did we fail at "NL baseball" yesterday? Looked to me that the difference in the game is they got one more timely hit than we did. Ogando gave Craig a little too good a pitch on a 1-2 count, Craig took advantage, and there was the difference.

I'm just skeptical of the Rangers' ability to put up the necessary runs in St. Louis. Busch Stadium is a very pitcher-friendly ballpark and Rangers Baseball is all about putting up 5+ runs in every victory. Game 2 is a must-win. If they ever are to steal one over there, it's that one.

It's one game. The Rangers didn't put up a lot of runs every game against Detroit or Tampa either.

 

[Stautner]

Another thing - can we expect Wash to win the chess match vs. La Russa? I doubt it. Last night was already a bad sign. Esteban Herman and Craig Gentry? I thought Murphy had earned enough confidence that I'd leave him in there vs. the lefty instead of putting your hopes on those two. I think Wash saw La Russa put in Allen Craig and thought one of those guys could step up too. The difference is that Craig is not some scrub, he will probably be their DH.

I wondered about German - thought he was a bit of an odd choice. I would have used Torrealba. But Gentry has done a good job this year, and with his speed was unlikley to hit into a double play. And of course he was a right handed bat against a left handed pitcher. Nothing wrong with that.

It's one game guys, and a game that could have gone either way, not time to throw in the towel.

 

[Rynie]

C.J. = choker

 

[utrunner07]

We lost to TB in game 1 also.

And we looked a lot worse in that game, and bounced back just fine.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Completely different types of teams/ballparks. The Rangers offense put up 5+ runs in most of the ALDS and ALCS games...that's been their standard production all season. That's how they want to win games. When it's a low scoring game, that favors the Cardinals because that's how they win games, even Berkman admitted it after game 1. In 6 World Series games so far, the Rangers are averaging 2.3 runs...that's not the production that the Rangers are accustomed to.

Rangers need to show that their offense can wake up and enforce their will vs. the NL. As much as we want to complain about pitching, the pitching hasn't been dominant but it's put the team in a position to win so far. But the offense is this team's calling card and will always be so they need to come through.

 

[MegaMagick]

Had bad vibes even before this series started. St Louis is basically this year's version of San Francisco. Worse pitching, but much better lineup, and a similar bullpen.


Gut says Cardinals in 6. I don't think we will be able to beat Carpenter or Garcia and their BP is just as good as ours. Our offense is very streaky, so i don't think we're this offensive juggernaut.

It's a shame that baseball is such a backwards sport, this series should've started in Texas and played by AL rules. Of course since homefield was decided by a joke ASG St Louis gets a huge advantage, and gets to play their type of baseball on their turf.

 

[utrunner07]

Way too many people over reacting to a single loss. Last night was not our night, and we still lost by just one, thats fine. If you thought we were going to go in to St. Louis and sweep them then you were not thinking, you were hoping. Fact is we are perfectly set up to come out 1-1 from St. Louis and if that happens I don't see much reason to panic at all. Lewis will be solid tonight, we were not swinging the bat that bad last night and this team has always bounced back from losses really well. Seriously folks, no need to be toeing the ledge just yet, its a best of 7 series.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Well I hope so. If we can win tonight, I think we can win the series.

The homefield rule is horrible and MLB is just lucky that it hasn't factored in too much since they created that rule. Seriously, it's one of the worst rules in all of pro sports, all stemming from an overreaction to that tied All Star game.

 

[Mitcha68]

Way too many people over reacting to a single loss. Last night was not our night, and we still lost by just one, thats fine. If you thought we were going to go in to St. Louis and sweep them then you were not thinking, you were hoping. Fact is we are perfectly set up to come out 1-1 from St. Louis and if that happens I don't see much reason to panic at all. Lewis will be solid tonight, we were not swinging the bat that bad last night and this team has always bounced back from losses really well. Seriously folks, no need to be toeing the ledge just yet, its a best of 7 series.

Yep, watching baseball with a football mentality.

 

[MegaMagick]

Way too many people over reacting to a single loss. Last night was not our night, and we still lost by just one, thats fine. If you thought we were going to go in to St. Louis and sweep them then you were not thinking, you were hoping. Fact is we are perfectly set up to come out 1-1 from St. Louis and if that happens I don't see much reason to panic at all. Lewis will be solid tonight, we were not swinging the bat that bad last night and this team has always bounced back from losses really well. Seriously folks, no need to be toeing the ledge just yet, its a best of 7 series.

Not really panicking, that's just how i see it. Not saying we can't win, but the Cards probably have a better overall team.

Our starting pitching hasn't been very good throughout the postseason, if i had to choose i would go with Carpenter-Garcia over C.J-Lewis. The bullpens are basically a wash, the team that gets to the 7th inning with a lead will probably win.

There probably isn't as much of a difference between our offenses as people think, Pujols-Berkman-Holliday can kill teams, and guys like Freese, Jay, Molina, etc can do some damage.

Homefield and NL rules will probably be the difference.

 

[StylisticS]

It's a shame that baseball is such a backwards sport, this series should've started in Texas and played by AL rules. Of course since homefield was decided by a joke ASG St Louis gets a huge advantage, and gets to play their type of baseball on their turf.

This stupid rule upsets me. St. Louis is a wildcard team. Texas won their division(and should be rewarded for doing so) and tied for the 3rd best record in all of MLB. Yet St. Louis gets to have HFA because of an exhibition game? A game where them getting the HFA was out of the hands but in hands of Prince Fielder. It's a joke. Is this the first time where the wildcard team has HFA in the world series?

 

[utrunner07]

Prediction for the game:

7-2 Texas wins.

 

[MegaMagick]

Gotta love Colby.

This offense needs to pick it up.

 

[utrunner07]

Gee, hope Joe Buck will tell us how Hamilton is hurt again.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Knew Beltre would strike out as soon as he swung on that 3-1 pitch. We can't score unless we're hitting home runs

 

[utrunner07]

incredibly stupid letting beltre swing at that pitch, that was ball 4