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ST LOUIS ( LYNN )
SAN FRANCISCO ( BUMGARNER ) |
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| NL Championship Series - Best of 7 - Game 1 | |  | |
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| 903 | ST LOUIS | +125 | Ov 7,+100 | +115 | Ov 7,+100 | | 904 | SAN FRANCISCO | -135 | Un 7,-120 | -125 | Un 7,-120 |
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| All Games | 92-76 | -2.7 | 81-81 | 4.8 | 0.271 | 0.335 | 4.0 | 0.255 | 0.309 | | Road Games | 41-44 | -8 | 40-43 | 4.5 | 0.258 | 0.325 | 4.3 | 0.261 | 0.316 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 32-19 | +8.4 | 28-21 | 5.5 | 0.281 | 0.351 | 4.3 | 0.264 | 0.316 | | Past 7 Games | 5-2 | +3.8 | 4-3 | 5.6 | 0.255 | 0.341 | 2.7 | 0.229 | 0.286 | | Grass Games | 92-76 | -2.7 | 81-81 | 4.8 | 0.271 | 0.335 | 4.0 | 0.255 | 0.309 | | Night Games | 56-49 | -4.9 | 45-57 | 4.5 | 0.269 | 0.332 | 3.9 | 0.257 | 0.311 | | Playoff games | 4-2 | +2.5 | 4-2 | 6.3 | 0.253 | 0.348 | 3.2 | 0.246 | 0.304 |
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| All Games | 4.8 | 0.271 | 0.335 | 168 | 5820 | 1576 | 507 | 166 | 0.03 | 766 | 562 | 1240 | 95 | 1241 | 172 | 109 | 150 | 56 | | Road Games | 4.5 | 0.258 | 0.325 | 85 | 2964 | 765 | 237 | 86 | 0.03 | 362 | 295 | 656 | 42 | 635 | 90 | 57 | 73 | 28 | | Lefty Starters | 5.5 | 0.281 | 0.351 | 51 | 1760 | 495 | 176 | 69 | 0.04 | 273 | 190 | 378 | 24 | 383 | 50 | 30 | 43 | 13 |
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| All Games | 3.81 | 1.259 | 498 | 220 | 211 | 455 | 58 | 172 | 457 | 19-29 | 43 | 23 | 65.2% | | Road Games | 4.34 | 1.348 | 236.7 | 117 | 114 | 226 | 27 | 93 | 221 | 9-18 | 20 | 11 | 64.5% |
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| All Games | 97-70 | +20.4 | 90-71 | 4.4 | 0.267 | 0.326 | 4.0 | 0.248 | 0.310 | | Home Games | 48-35 | +2.8 | 38-41 | 3.7 | 0.264 | 0.327 | 3.4 | 0.235 | 0.297 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 57-51 | -1.8 | 58-46 | 4.3 | 0.264 | 0.329 | 4.1 | 0.246 | 0.306 | | Past 7 Games | 4-3 | +1.8 | 4-3 | 3.3 | 0.198 | 0.269 | 4.3 | 0.263 | 0.311 | | Grass Games | 97-70 | +20.4 | 90-71 | 4.4 | 0.267 | 0.326 | 4.0 | 0.248 | 0.310 | | Night Games | 60-39 | +17.4 | 55-42 | 4.6 | 0.277 | 0.337 | 4.0 | 0.248 | 0.307 | | Playoff games | 3-2 | +1.1 | 4-1 | 3.6 | 0.194 | 0.265 | 4.4 | 0.261 | 0.318 |
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| All Games | 4.4 | 0.267 | 0.326 | 167 | 5723 | 1527 | 460 | 108 | 0.02 | 691 | 499 | 1136 | 119 | 1201 | 135 | 117 | 138 | 130 | | Home Games | 3.7 | 0.264 | 0.327 | 83 | 2728 | 720 | 204 | 32 | 0.01 | 287 | 255 | 521 | 54 | 610 | 68 | 48 | 69 | 72 | | Righty Starters | 4.3 | 0.264 | 0.329 | 108 | 3673 | 968 | 283 | 58 | 0.02 | 432 | 358 | 757 | 87 | 800 | 74 | 73 | 79 | 84 |
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| All Games | 3.54 | 1.330 | 476 | 215 | 187 | 468 | 38 | 165 | 404 | 25-19 | 54 | 13 | 80.6% | | Home Games | 3.23 | 1.223 | 225.7 | 90 | 81 | 202 | 17 | 74 | 188 | 11-8 | 24 | 6 | 80% |
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| 9/30/2012 | LYNN(R) | WASHINGTON | DETWILER(L) | 10-4 | W | -145 | 8 un | O | 12 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | | 10/1/2012 | GARCIA(L) | CINCINNATI | ARROYO(R) | 4-2 | W | -140 | 7.5 un | U | 9 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | | 10/2/2012 | CARPENTER(R) | CINCINNATI | LATOS(R) | 1-3 | L | -125 | 7 ov | U | 6 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 0 | | 10/3/2012 | MILLER(R) | CINCINNATI | BAILEY(R) | 1-0 | W | +130 | 7.5 un | U | 9 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | | 10/5/2012 | LOHSE(R) | @ ATLANTA | MEDLEN(R) | 6-3 | W | 155 | 6.5 ov | O | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 1 | | 10/7/2012 | WAINWRIGHT(R) | WASHINGTON | GONZALEZ(L) | 2-3 | L | -115 | 7 ov | U | 3 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 1 | | 10/8/2012 | GARCIA(L) | WASHINGTON | ZIMMERMANN(R) | 12-4 | W | -105 | 7.5 un | O | 13 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 | | 10/10/2012 | CARPENTER(R) | @ WASHINGTON | JACKSON(R) | 8-0 | W | 100 | 7.5 ev | O | 14 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 0 | | 10/11/2012 | LOHSE(R) | @ WASHINGTON | DETWILER(L) | 1-2 | L | -105 | 8 un | U | 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | | 10/12/2012 | WAINWRIGHT(R) | @ WASHINGTON | GONZALEZ(L) | 9-7 | W | 115 | 6.5 ov | O | 11 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 0 | | 10/14/2012 | LYNN(R) | @ SAN FRANCISCO | BUMGARNER(L) | | | 10/15/2012 | CARPENTER(R) | @ SAN FRANCISCO | VOGELSONG(R) | | | 10/17/2012 | | SAN FRANCISCO | | | | 10/18/2012 | | SAN FRANCISCO | | |
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| 9/30/2012 | LINCECUM(R) | @ SAN DIEGO | VOLQUEZ(R) | 7-5 | W | 110 | 7.5 ev | O | 12 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | | 10/1/2012 | CAIN(R) | @ LA DODGERS | HARANG(R) | 2-3 | L | -110 | 7 un | U | 6 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 0 | | 10/2/2012 | ZITO(L) | @ LA DODGERS | CAPUANO(L) | 4-3 | W | 170 | 7.5 ov | U | 10 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 1 | | 10/3/2012 | VOGELSONG(R) | @ LA DODGERS | KERSHAW(L) | 1-5 | L | 180 | 6.5 un | U | 3 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 0 | | 10/6/2012 | CAIN(R) | CINCINNATI | CUETO(R) | 2-5 | L | -125 | 6.5 un | O | 7 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 1 | | 10/7/2012 | BUMGARNER(L) | CINCINNATI | ARROYO(R) | 0-9 | L | -145 | 7 ev | O | 2 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 0 | | 10/9/2012 | VOGELSONG(R) | @ CINCINNATI | BAILEY(R) | 2-1 | W | 130 | 7.5 un | U | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 | | 10/10/2012 | ZITO(L) | @ CINCINNATI | LEAKE(R) | 8-3 | W | 135 | 8 un | O | 11 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 0 | | 10/11/2012 | CAIN(R) | @ CINCINNATI | LATOS(R) | 6-4 | W | 115 | 7 ev | O | 9 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | | 10/14/2012 | BUMGARNER(L) | ST LOUIS | LYNN(R) | | | 10/15/2012 | VOGELSONG(R) | ST LOUIS | CARPENTER(R) | | | 10/17/2012 | | @ ST LOUIS | | | | 10/18/2012 | | @ ST LOUIS | | |
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| |  | ST LOUIS: HITTING: Alienate and trade your talented young centerfielder for bullpen scraps and a middling, impending free-agent starter. Justify your ludicrous pitching changes by blaming crowd noise and your innocent bullpen coach'and you too could win a World Series! This was Tony La Russa baseball. But he's gone now, as is the all-world Albert Pujols. SS RAFAEL FURCAL liked his short stint in the Show Me State enough to sign up for more. OF CARLOS BELTRAN will hit second after an impressive 2011 campaign during which he produced solid numbers in pitchers' parks amidst weak lineups. 2Bs TYLER GREENE and DANIEL DESCALSO are the latest plucky 'gamer' to play infield at Busch. Resuscitated slugger 1B LANCE BERKMAN shifts to a much more suitable defensive position. OF MATT HOLLIDAY's OPS remains as strong as ever. 3B DAVID FREESE will never have to buy a drink in Missouri again after his postseason heroics. C YADIER MOLINA is a defensive whiz behind the plate and an underrated hitter. OFs ALLEN CRAIG and JON JAY are more suited to platoon roles, but Jay will be starting in center on Opening Day.
STARTING PITCHING: His stuff isn't nearly what it used to be, and he's more than earned his reputation within the game as a towering crybaby. But on the mound, CHRIS CARPENTER remains ruthlessly effective when he's healthy. But he'll miss the first couple of months of the 2012 campaign due to shoulder problems. ADAM WAINWRIGHT should be ready to go on Opening Day, and has shown every reason to think he'll be his old brilliant self. JAIME GARCIA cannot sustain a sub-2.00 ERA for a full season. He's a mid-rotation starter, but one of the better ones in all of baseball. Did KYLE LOHSE really register a 1.17 WHIP over an entire season? Really? He just doesn't miss enough bats to keep that going. JAKE WESTBROOK stayed healthy for a full season again, which is a relief given his past dalliances with the DL. He's an innings eater who's capable of another dozen wins. LANCE LYNN gives the Cardinals enviable depth in the rotation. He'll probably slide back to the bullpen once Carpenter returns. Uber-prospect SHELBY MILLER could be a second-half call-up.
RELIEF PITCHING: It doesn't look pretty when JASON MOTTE winds up and delivers a pitch, but in the end, results are results. The converted catcher has finally nailed down the closer role that many predicted would be his a few years ago. The only way he loses it this time is if he hurts himself with that painful delivery. FERNANDO SALAS can more than hold his own if that happens. He'll slot into the eighth-inning role, but he provides more of the pitching depth that is a hallmark of this Cardinals team. KYLE McCLELLAN, like Lynn, is serviceable both in relief or in the rotation. But he's better in the former role. | | SAN FRANCISCO: HITTING: The Giants scored the second-fewest runs in the majors. But the additions of OF MELKY CABRERA (.305 BA, 18 HR, 87 RBI, 102 runs) and OF ANGEL PAGAN (32 SB) at the top of the order will certainly help. C BUSTER POSEY's surgically repaired ankle should be fully healed for the start of the season, and the 25-year-old's .368 OBP is certainly needed. 3B PABLO SANDOVAL was the team's best hitter in 2011 (.315 BA, 23 HR, 70 RBI) and was the only legitimate power source. The right side of the infield consists of veteran players past their prime. 1B AUBREY HUFF had his worst season, hitting .246 with 12 HR, but the 35-year-old will continue to bat in the middle of the lineup. 2B FREDDY SANCHEZ, 34, missed 50+ games for the third straight year as he suffered a torn labrum. SS BRANDON CRAWFORD has a slick glove but he's not close to being a legitimate major-league hitter (.204 career BA). OF BRANDON BELT, 23, has future star potential, but will be in a reserve role. OF NATE SCHIERHOLTZ (.756 OPS) provides a reliable bat in right field.
STARTING PITCHING: San Francisco ranked second in the majors in ERA (3.28), strikeouts (5.4 per game) and Opp. BA (.237). TIM LINCECUM was the ace once again with a 2.74 ERA and 220 strikeouts, but carried a sub-.500 record (13-14). Including playoffs, Lincecum has thrown an average of 230 innings per season since 2008. MATT CAIN also had a phenomenal year, carting a 2.88 ERA, team-best 1.08 WHIP and fanning 179 batters. He allowed only nine home runs in 221.2 innings of work. 22-year-old lefty MADISON BUMGARNER had a solid first full season, finishing with a 3.21 ERA, and a 4.2 K-to-BB ratio (191 strikeouts, 46 walks). RYAN VOGELSONG was an unbelievable story, returning to the majors for the first time since 2006 and going 13-7 with a 2.71 ERA. Although he's 34, his arm has plenty of innings left. BARRY ZITO will likely earn the final spot in the rotation as prospect ERIC SURKAMP gets more seasoning in Triple-A. Zito posted a career-worst 5.87 ERA while Surkamp carted a 1.84 WHIP in six starts.
RELIEF PITCHING: The success of the San Francisco bullpen hinges on BRIAN WILSON, who had a down year (1.47 WHIP, 54 K, 31 BB) because of elbow problems. Surgery was not required for his ailment, so expect a nice bounce-back season from this elite closer. If Wilson gets injured again, SERGIO ROMO could get called upon in the late innings. But even if he doesn't save a game, he still has plenty of value as a set-up man, notching a gaudy 13.1 strikeout rate and 0.71 WHIP last year. In 48 innings, he struck out 70 batters and only walked five. JEREMY AFFELDT is the top lefty in the Giants pen. He notched a strong 2.63 ERA and also tallied a career-best 1.15 WHIP last year. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER NL PREVIEW (ST LOUIS-SAN FRANCISCO) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Updates with further details.)
*Cardinals-Giants Preview* ==========================
By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer
St. Louis (88-74) at San Francisco (94-68), 8:07 p.m. EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- As many times as he gets asked, Cardinals closer Jason Motte still has no perfect answer for how St. Louis found a way to win at Washington after trailing 6-0 and advance to the NL championship series again.
"These guys just prove what big hearts they have and how much they go out there and work their butts off," said Motte, Friday night's winning pitcher in Game 5. "Someone asked me last night how we keep doing it, and I said, `I don't know, maybe we're just stubborn. We just don't give up.' That's kind of how you have to be."
The San Francisco Giants get it, all right. They've been doing it the same way.
The last two World Series winners sure are showing their championship mettle in mid-October.
St. Louis manager Mike Matheny will watch the game again, once things slow down, so he can truly appreciate just what his Cardinals accomplished in beating the Nationals - the team with baseball's best record this season.
San Francisco skipper Bruce Bochy doesn't need another look to know how impressive the reigning World Series champions' ninth-inning comeback was for a 9-7 victory in the nation's capital.
Bochy's team had its own remarkable rally that's not quite as fresh as the Cardinals' feat: Three road wins at Cincinnati to advance after dropping the first two games of the division series at home to the Reds.
They will face off in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday night at San Francisco's AT&T Park. Left-hander Madison Bumgarner gets the ball for the Giants against 6-foot-5 right-hander Lance Lynn.
"Both teams had their backs against the wall," Bochy said. "It's impressive what the Cardinals did. And, really, if you look at the game we had and the game they had, they were similar. We were up 6-0, barely hung on, and they found a way to get it done. ... I think that says a lot about the two clubs, the character of the clubs and how hard they fight - and it should be a really hard-fought series here."
Bumgarner, a 16-game winner this year, lost Game 2 of the NL division series here to Cincinnati. But the strong left-hander is not one to get rattled, and he gained his share of experience during the Giants' surprising run to the World Series title in 2010 - the first for the franchise since moving West in 1958.
"I felt good last time, things just didn't go my way," Bumgarner said. "That's the way this game is."
While the Giants became the eighth team to erase a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five series and first in major league history to do it on the road, the Cardinals earned the biggest comeback ever in a winner-take-all postseason game, according to STATS LLC.
"It really hasn't sunk in," Matheny said after an all-night, cross-country trip to the Bay Area. "I see a knockdown-drag out ahead of us. I'm certain Major League Baseball has to be very pleased with the caliber of baseball that's happened so far in this postseason. And I don't see any reason why the excitement wouldn't continue. We're looking at two well-rounded teams."
These clubs have played twice previously in the NLCS, most recently in 2002. The Barry Bonds-led Giants went on to the World Series only to fall short in the decisive Game 7 against the wild-card Angels after coming within six outs of a championship in Game 6.
Daniel Descalso hit a tying, two-out single, and Pete Kozma added a go-ahead, two-run single to lead the Cardinals' rally. Now, Descalso gets to play back home in his native Bay Area, where he grew up going to Athletics games across San Francisco Bay in Oakland.
"It was a long night for us," Descalso said. "It's nice we had this day off to kind of regroup and get a little rest. But it's hard not to be excited after a game like last night, the way that game ended, and to get on a plane and fly all the way across country. We're still recovering."
The Giants, all the while, waited out the game on their team plane still parked on the tarmac in Cincinnati. Players gathered around iPads to watch the improbable comeback by a Cardinals club managed by former Giants catcher, Matheny.
The Cardinals have won all six of their games when facing elimination the past two years, down to their final strike not once but twice against the Texas Rangers in last year's World Series before prevailing.
This time, they faced the same situation against the team with a majors-best 98 wins.
"I don't why we do it. We love the dramatics. I'd like us to not keep waiting until the last strike," pitcher Kyle Lohse said, "because that's too much for my heart to handle."
The Giants barely beat St. Louis to the West Coast after getting delayed more than three hours as their plane refueled and dealt with mechanical problems.
Initially, the plane had enough fuel to take the NL West winners to Washington. Instead, the Giants got to come home. They landed at 5:09 a.m.
"Everyone was rooting and cheering for the Cardinals because we wanted to go home," third baseman Pablo Sandoval said. "I was cheering for St. Louis. I was excited to be back home. Probably almost everybody was cheering for the Cardinals. Every guy was happy to be home. Once we were in the air, I slept the whole flight."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi fell asleep before the NL clincher ended. The last thing he remembered, the Cardinals were trailing 7-5. His television was still on, and when he opened his eyes at one point he saw the final score.
"I said, `What happened?"' he said. "I looked at it, the game was over and I closed my eyes and went back to bed. Pretty amazing. You think about the games, and you are down 6-0 and you're able to come back. And you keep going at it. This first round was probably as good as it gets. Probably as good of baseball as we have seen when you talk about eight teams playing."
Bochy will carry all five of his starting pitchers again this round, with Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito available out of the bullpen. Matt Cain is expected to go in Game 3, following fellow right-hander Ryan Vogelsong in Monday's Game 2.
Road weary and riding high, the Cardinals and Giants are counting on more close games and playing all 27 outs no matter who is on the mound.
"It's definitely a fun matchup," said Giants catcher Buster Posey, whose grand slam helped seal Game 5 against the Reds. "These should be some fun games to watch. Both teams have good arms, good offenses. And the resiliency of both teams is the strength of both teams."
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| | Last Updated: 4/25/2024 11:16:22 AM EST. |
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