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SAN FRANCISCO ( LINCECUM )
ST LOUIS ( WAINWRIGHT ) |
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| NL Championship Series - Best of 7 - Game 4 - STL Leads 2-1 | |  | |
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| 915 | SAN FRANCISCO | +120 | Ov 3.5,+100 | +115 | Ov 7,+100 | | 916 | ST LOUIS | -130 | Un 3.5,-120 | -125 | Un 7,-120 |
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| All Games | 98-72 | +19.1 | 92-72 | 4.4 | 0.267 | 0.326 | 4.0 | 0.247 | 0.308 | | Road Games | 49-36 | +16.5 | 52-31 | 5.0 | 0.269 | 0.325 | 4.6 | 0.261 | 0.321 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 58-53 | -3 | 60-47 | 4.3 | 0.264 | 0.329 | 4.1 | 0.245 | 0.305 | | Past 7 Games | 4-3 | +1.1 | 5-2 | 4.0 | 0.226 | 0.293 | 3.9 | 0.237 | 0.292 | | Grass Games | 98-72 | +19.1 | 92-72 | 4.4 | 0.267 | 0.326 | 4.0 | 0.247 | 0.308 | | Night Games | 61-40 | +17.1 | 57-42 | 4.6 | 0.277 | 0.337 | 4.0 | 0.247 | 0.306 | | Playoff games | 4-4 | -0.2 | 6-2 | 3.7 | 0.224 | 0.297 | 4.0 | 0.239 | 0.293 |
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| All Games | 4.4 | 0.267 | 0.326 | 170 | 5826 | 1555 | 466 | 109 | 0.02 | 702 | 511 | 1152 | 119 | 1228 | 137 | 119 | 140 | 131 | | Road Games | 5.0 | 0.269 | 0.325 | 85 | 3028 | 816 | 257 | 76 | 0.03 | 405 | 249 | 619 | 65 | 602 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 58 | | Righty Starters | 4.3 | 0.264 | 0.329 | 111 | 3776 | 996 | 289 | 59 | 0.02 | 443 | 370 | 773 | 87 | 827 | 76 | 75 | 81 | 85 |
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| All Games | 3.47 | 1.312 | 484.7 | 215 | 187 | 469 | 38 | 167 | 411 | 25-19 | 54 | 13 | 80.6% | | Road Games | 3.79 | 1.422 | 251.7 | 125 | 106 | 266 | 21 | 92 | 217 | 14-11 | 30 | 7 | 81.1% |
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| All Games | 94-77 | -1.6 | 83-82 | 4.8 | 0.270 | 0.334 | 4.0 | 0.255 | 0.309 | | Home Games | 52-32 | +6.2 | 41-39 | 5.0 | 0.283 | 0.344 | 3.6 | 0.249 | 0.303 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 61-58 | -11.2 | 54-61 | 4.4 | 0.265 | 0.326 | 3.8 | 0.251 | 0.307 | | Past 7 Games | 5-2 | +3.2 | 5-2 | 5.7 | 0.256 | 0.336 | 3.6 | 0.250 | 0.314 | | Grass Games | 94-77 | -1.6 | 83-82 | 4.8 | 0.270 | 0.334 | 4.0 | 0.255 | 0.309 | | Night Games | 57-50 | -4.8 | 47-57 | 4.5 | 0.268 | 0.331 | 3.9 | 0.258 | 0.311 | | Playoff games | 6-3 | +3.6 | 6-3 | 5.3 | 0.235 | 0.316 | 3.4 | 0.255 | 0.319 |
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| All Games | 4.8 | 0.270 | 0.334 | 171 | 5916 | 1595 | 516 | 169 | 0.03 | 776 | 568 | 1255 | 96 | 1257 | 174 | 110 | 152 | 56 | | Home Games | 5.0 | 0.283 | 0.344 | 84 | 2885 | 817 | 272 | 81 | 0.03 | 407 | 269 | 587 | 53 | 611 | 83 | 52 | 79 | 28 | | Righty Starters | 4.4 | 0.265 | 0.326 | 119 | 4121 | 1092 | 336 | 98 | 0.02 | 497 | 376 | 870 | 71 | 870 | 123 | 80 | 109 | 43 |
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| All Games | 3.75 | 1.253 | 510.7 | 222 | 213 | 465 | 58 | 175 | 467 | 20-29 | 45 | 23 | 66.2% | | Home Games | 3.30 | 1.171 | 264.7 | 103 | 97 | 231 | 31 | 79 | 238 | 10-11 | 24 | 12 | 66.7% |
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| 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) | 4-6 | L | -125 | 7 un | O | 7 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 0 | | 10/15/2012 | VOGELSONG(R) | ST LOUIS | CARPENTER(R) | 7-1 | W | -110 | 6.5 ov | O | 12 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 1 | | 10/17/2012 | CAIN(R) | @ ST LOUIS | LOHSE(R) | 1-3 | L | 110 | 7 un | U | 9 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | | 10/18/2012 | LINCECUM(R) | @ ST LOUIS | WAINWRIGHT(R) | | | 10/19/2012 | ZITO(L) | @ ST LOUIS | LYNN(R) | |
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| 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) | 6-4 | W | 115 | 7 un | O | 8 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 | | 10/15/2012 | CARPENTER(R) | @ SAN FRANCISCO | VOGELSONG(R) | 1-7 | L | 100 | 6.5 ov | O | 5 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 0 | | 10/17/2012 | LOHSE(R) | SAN FRANCISCO | CAIN(R) | 3-1 | W | -120 | 7 un | U | 6 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 1 | | 10/18/2012 | WAINWRIGHT(R) | SAN FRANCISCO | LINCECUM(R) | | | 10/19/2012 | LYNN(R) | SAN FRANCISCO | ZITO(L) | |
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| |  | 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. | | 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. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER NL PREVIEW (SAN FRANCISCO-ST LOUIS) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Giants-Cardinals Preview* ==========================
By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer
San Francisco (94-68) at St. Louis (88-74), 8:07 p.m. EDT
The St. Louis Cardinals may need to overcome a major absence if they're going to take a commanding lead in the NL championship series.
Rookie Matt Carpenter could get a chance to again soften the blow of an injury to Carlos Beltran, but Tim Lincecum will try to help the San Francisco Giants even this series in Game 4 at Busch Stadium on Thursday night.
St. Louis holds a 2-1 NLCS lead on San Francisco after winning 3-1 in Wednesday's Game 3, which was interrupted in the seventh inning for 3 1/2 hours by rain.
The Cardinals, though, got concerning news in the opening inning when Beltran exited with a left knee strain suffered while running out a double-play ball. He's considered day-to-day, leaving St. Louis with the possibility of playing without its most productive bat in the postseason.
Beltran is a career .375 hitter with 14 homers and 25 RBIs in 31 career playoff games with St. Louis, Houston and the New York Mets. The seven-time All-Star is batting .400 with three home runs in nine games for the Cardinals this year, and he's 3 for 8 with two doubles and a homer in this series.
He's had issues off and on with the knee throughout the season, but he played in 151 games, his most since 2008 with the Mets.
Having Beltran back in the lineup for Game 4 might provide a spark since he's 7 for 14 with three doubles and a homer off Lincecum. If Beltran is out, however, Carpenter would likely get another chance to replace him in right field after hitting a two-run, third-inning homer in Game 3.
"It was definitely a surprise," Carpenter said. "I didn't even realize Carlos had hurt himself, there was really no thought process.
"I was in the game before I had time to think about it."
Carpenter, who has also appeared at first base and third base this postseason, is 8 for 14 with three extra-base hits and four RBIs in six overall meetings with San Francisco, but he's never faced Lincecum.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy is opting for Lincecum (1-0, 1.08 ERA) as the Game 4 starter, with Barry Zito going in Friday's Game 5 and Madison Bumgarner bumped out for now.
Lincecum has made all three of his appearances in the playoffs out of the bullpen, but he's been extremely sharp in allowing one run and three hits with nine strikeouts over 8 1-3 innings. That includes two hitless innings in a 6-4 loss in Game 1 of the NLCS.
The right-hander went 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five postseason starts in 2010.
"He's a guy we want out there. He's been throwing the ball well," Bochy said. "We've got to bounce back."
Bochy is hoping the two-time NL Cy Young winner can build on his recent success after he struggled through his worst season in the majors, losing 15 games and posting a 5.18 ERA - nearly double the previous year's mark.
Counterpart Adam Wainwright (0-0, 7.88) also battled some inconsistency this year coming off Tommy John surgery, and he'll take the mound Thursday trying to recover from a disastrous outing.
The right-hander was bailed out by his teammates in a 9-7 win at Washington in Game 5 of the NL division series Friday. He gave up three homers and was pulled with one out in the third and the Cardinals trailing 6-0.
"That was not the performance I was expecting to have for a Game 5, winner-take-all game, I promise you that," Wainwright said. "But really doesn't matter as long as we win the game. I look at how I feel rather than the way the last outcome happened. My arm feels great and feeling strong, so very confident in my stuff.
"I know the team is counting on me to go out and pitch a good game, so I'll be ready."
Wainwright is 2-4 with a 3.04 ERA in eight games - six starts - against the Giants, but he's 1-0 while yielding two runs with 19 strikeouts in 16 innings over two starts at home.
He beat the Giants in St. Louis on Aug. 9, when he allowed one run and fanned seven in seven innings of a 3-1 win.
Wainwright will try to keep in check a San Francisco lineup that stranded 11 runners and went 0 for 7 with men in scoring position in Game 3. Hunter Pence was a major culprit, leaving six runners on base while going 0 for 4.
"He's got to put this behind him like us, and be set (Thursday)," Bochy said.
Pence is 5 for 31 with no RBIs in the playoffs this year, and he's 5 for 30 in eight career postseason games against St. Louis, including last season's five-game NLDS defeat with Philadelphia.
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| | Last Updated: 4/24/2024 6:38:06 PM EST. |
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