The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants are no strangers to postseason success, so there's no Cinderella story in the National League. Both the Giants and Cardinals won in four games, with none of those tilts having been decided by more than three runs.
TV Schedule *if necessary
Game 1: October 11, 8:00 p.m. @ St. Louis (FOX)
Game 2: October 12, TBD @ St. Louis (FOX)
Game 3: October 14, TBD @ San Francisco (FOX)
Game 4: October 15, TBD @ San Francisco (FOX)
Game 5: October 16, TBD @ San Francisco (FOX)*
Game 6: October 18, TBD @ St. Louis (FOX)*
Game 7: October 19, TBD @ St. Louis (FOX)*
Radio Stations
St. Louis Cardinals-KMOX 1120
San Francisco Giants-KNBR 680
Cardinals Starting Rotation
Game 1: Adam Wainwright
Game 2: Lance Lynn
Game 3: John Lackey
Game 4: Shelby Miller
Giants Starting Rotation
Game 1: Madison Bumgarner
Game 2: Jake Peavy
Game 3: Tim Hudson
Game 4: Ryan Vogelsong
Preview
Game 1 of this series features Giants' ace Madison Bumgarner vs. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, a high-end pairing that masks the fact that both teams ranked near the bottom of the National League in runs allowed per game. Much like the staffs of the Royals and Orioles in the ALCS, the Giants and Cardinals are nearly mirror images, with the biggest difference being the Giants' edge in strikeouts.
Offensively, the Giants have the edge according to the regular season statistics. San Francisco had a Top 5 offense in the National League, while the Cardinals were at 3.82 runs per game, which is below the NL average. They also ranked dead last in home runs, hitting just 105 for the entire season. The Giants and Cards were the bottom two teams in the NL in terms of stolen bases, so neither offense is particularly reliant on their legs to create runs.
In the bullpen Tim Lincecum could be a key figure, although his effectiveness may be blunted by St. Louis' collective allergy to strikeouts. They whiffed fewer times than any other team in the National League, which may come in handy late if the Giants are ahead. The Cardinals' hard-throwers give them the edge in the bullpen, led by closer Trevor Rosenthal.
Prediction: Cardinals in 7. The Cardinals' have home field, a lineup lacking in power, but one that doesn't strike out, and the type of bullpen that locks games down in October.
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