The World Series is set, and the next week of baseball looks to be a real treat for all hardball fans.
Journal prognosticator Matthew Fabian likes the Rangers in six.
There is honestly no other feeling like the one of late October baseball. The chill in the air, the leather in the defender’s hand, the pine tar on the slugger’s bat. No one else played harder than the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers this long baseball season. But, only one team can call itself champion.
The last ten years of World Series baseball has not provided lasting series, with only four of them going past game five, and only two of those series went the full seven games. This year’s World Series looks to be a long one. Both the Rangers and the Cardinals match up well against each other in this series. But it won’t be pitching that wins this series (both teams had an ERA close to 9.0 in the LCS); it will be an offensive explosion this year that takes home the prize.
The man leading the charge for the Cardinals is Albert Pujols. He hit two homeruns and 10 RBIs in 11 games this postseason. One of Albert’s compadres that is seeing the ball well is thirdbaseman David Freese. He has four homeruns and 14 RBIs through the first two series of the postseason. A big reason Freese is hitting so well is because of the middle of the Cards lineup (Pujols, Berkman, Holliday). Teams pitch around these three and then get to Freese. They send a pitch right down the middle, and Freese takes advantage. He will be the X factor for this series; based on how well he does, is how far the Redbirds go.
The Rangers can counter the Cardinals with hitters, as well. Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz had six homeruns in the LCS and 13 RBIs. He has the hot hand and looks to feed off of the Cardinals’ pitchers Chris Carpenter, Jamie Garcia, and Edwin Jackson, all with shaky performances in the LCS. Another Rangers outfielder who usually comes up in big situations is Josh Hamilton. Hamilton hasn’t found his power stroke yet this postseason, but will hit a sac fly and get an RBI single when the team needs it most. But the hitter who the Rangers need most is Michael Young. He has a slim batting average of .209 so far in the playoffs, but every time Young gets a hit, the Rangers seem to win. Keep an eye on Young in this series, his play may determine the series.
Clearly, each team is even offensively and both teams will score a lot of runs. The world champion will end up being whoever has the better bullpen in this series. St. Louis only has one great tail-end bullpen pitcher. Jason Motte is the Cardinal’s closer and has a fastball that tops out in the high nineties. He has allowed one earned run in this great playoff display. He is only one guy, though. The Rangers have the following great pitchers in their bullpen: Neftali Feliz (1.17 ERA), Alexi Ogando (0.87 ERA), Mike Adams (2.84 ERA), and Michael Gonzalez (0 ERA in five games pitched): five guys who will shut down the Cardinals long enough to win a game.
With that advantage, the Rangers find a way to win in St. Louisand and take away home field advantage. Rangers win the series in six games.
