It has happened yet again. The St. Louis Cardinals are going back to the World Series after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game 6 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) by a score of 9-0 to win the series 4 games to 2. This is the Cardinals fourth World Series appearance in the last decade and the 19th appearance in franchise history.
It is safe to say that they have established themselves as the class of the National League. The St. Louis Cardinals will play the mighty Boston Red Sox. The Sox are looking for their first appearance in the fall classic since 2007 and their third time since 2004 under the leadership of David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia. Overall, their previous exposure to the World Series should increase national appeal, which means a higher television audience and revenue for Major League Baseball.
Nevertheless, the Red Sox will not defeat the Cardinals in the World Series. The Cardinals are anchored by a strong pitching staff lead by NLCS MVP Michael Wacha, starting pitcher Adam Wainwright and closer Edward Mujica, Major League Baseball’s best closer over the past year. What baseball fans should not overlook is the potent Cardinals lineup, lead by Carlos Beltran, one of the best postseason hitters in the modern era with a postseason batting average of .327 all time.
Beltran has had many clutch at-bats during his postseason career. For example, he sparked the Cardinals 9-run scoring barrage off Clayton Kershaw in game 6 of the NLCS. Also, he is notable for hitting eight home runs as a member of the Houston Astros during the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Many baseball fans doubted if the Cardinals could return to glory without former manager Tony La Russa, but new manager and former Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny has done a tremendous job leading this young group of players back to dominance again.
The most impressive aspect of the Cardinals’ game is how they grind out runs—the reason why they have gotten this far in the first place. In game 6 of the NLCS, the Cardinals scored four runs in the bottom of the third. This inning led to Clayton Kershaw throwing 48 pitches and allowing 10 batters coming up to the plate in the inning.
Moreover, there has been unexpected production from players like Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams and Shane Robinson, which has taken a toll on opposing pitchers. Both teams ace pitchers better be ready for a huge workload against this gritty team who has a warrior mentality on the field. St. Louis Cardinals fans should be optimistic that this trend will continue into the fall classic for their role players. A fair warning to Red Sox fans: you might not want to underestimate a team who can produce runs in any part of their lineup.
Phil Novotny can be reached at philip.novotny@spartans.ut.edu.