NLCS: Giants defeat Cards in 5. Proof that good does not always prevail over evil.

[popcornhog]

So here it is. The Cardinals of St. Louis will have home field in the NLCS against the Giants.

7:00 pm Saturday for game 1.

[jrulz83]

So here it is. The Cardinals if St. Louis will have home field in the NLCS against the Giants.

Unfortunately the Cardinals suck, Matt Carpenter is all used up, and Waino is done.

7:00 pm Saturday for game 1.

He gets it!   

[popcornhog]

Obviously Waino will start game 1. Lance would be the game 2 starter. Lackey/Miller either way for games 3-4.

How might Wacha fit into a 7 game series? Just relief if a starter gets rocked early?

[hawkhawg]

That's 9 NLCS for the Cards since 2000.

[FelixJonesorDMAC?]

Giants 2010, 2012, and now 2014.

Giants have a pattern going here.

[The Boar War]

I hope DeWitt decides to cancel the series after the home games.  Take the gate money but there's no sense in spending travel money on a series we have no chance of winning.

[pigture perfect]

After we lose the opening game, the anti-Cardinal fans are planning on storming the field.

[southarkhog06]

After we lose the opening game, the anti-Cardinal fans are planning on storming the field.

it hurts but i will be pulling for the cards this series, but i will be rooting for the AL all the way in the world series. not just cuz im a cubs fan but because KC is by far the best story this season and who doesnt love Buck Showalter?

[DeltaBoy]

Cards will take the Giants down !

[Jackrabbit Hog]

I hear that if the Cardinals and the Royals make it to the World Series, Don Denkinger is coming out of retirement to work it.

[Rocky&Boarwinkle]

it hurts but i will be pulling for the cards this series, but i will be rooting for the AL all the way in the world series. not just cuz im a cubs fan but because KC is by far the best story this season and who doesnt love Buck Showalter?

I'm with you on the KC story.  But I personally think Buck Showalter is an A$$.

[Horsesrus]

I'm not hearing good rumblings regarding Wainwright's arm. (and not being sarcastic)

[popcornhog]

I'm not hearing good rumblings regarding Wainwright's arm. (and not being sarcastic)

Same here.

I wouldn't be shocked if Lance starts game 1 to let him rest. I'd be fine with resting him until game 2, 3, or 4. Better to have him pitch later at 100% than pitch game 1 and not be effective.

[jrulz83]

I'm not hearing good rumblings regarding Wainwright's arm. (and not being sarcastic)

Yep, it's sounding touchy. He probably needs cortisone and rest. Maybe the extra rest he's had will have a cumulative effect and straighten things out for him.

[Rocky&Boarwinkle]

Yep, it's sounding touchy. He probably needs cortisone and rest. Maybe the extra rest he's had will have a cumulative effect and straighten things out for him.

I just hope that if he doesn't "have it", we don't trot him out there like we did Carpenter the last time we faced SanFran in the NLCS and he got shelled.  He and we deserved better than to go out like that.  Between Wacha/Martinez etc. we should be able to get a 4th starter if he can't go.

[jrulz83]

I just hope that if he doesn't "have it", we don't trot him out there like we did Carpenter the last time we faced SanFran in the NLCS and he got shelled.  He and we deserved better than to go out like that.  Between Wacha/Martinez etc. we should be able to get a 4th starter if he can't go.

I agree, but you can bet money that he's out there for game 1. I just hope he has a very short leash.

[dhornjr1]

That's 9 NLCS for the Cards since 2000.

As a Cardinals fan, that is something to be very proud of. The last 15 seasons have been a sort of Golden Age for Cardinals baseball.

I know it won't last forever and I have come to really appreciate what they have accomplished without a large market to woo free agents.

[DeltaBoy]

The 1980's was pretty good too. But this been the best run I can remember.

[jbell96]

I really wanted to play the Nats. They do not scare me at all & Matt Williams is a terrible in game manager. Now we have to face the Giants and Bruce Bochy, who is one of the best in game managers in MLB.

Waino getting a few extra days to rest before game 1 is huge. We need to make sure we win both games at home because if we don't, this series won't come back to Busch, because we won't win a game in SF.

[McKdaddy]

I was wanting to play SFG to "attempt" to right our 3-games-to-1 lead we blew in '12.  SFG will likely be tougher than playing the Nats, but I want to play and beat (or try to beat) the best.

[jbell96]

I was wanting to play SFG to "attempt" to right our 3-games-to-1 lead we blew in '12.  SFG will likely be tougher than playing the Nats, but I want to play and beat (or try to beat) the best.

I hope we get revenge for 2012 because the end of that series put me in a bad mood and put a damper on my family vacation at Disney World.

[clutch]

I hope we get revenge for 2012 because the end of that series put me in a bad mood and put a damper on my family vacation at Disney World.

That series had me PO'd for about a month. People at work knew to avoid me for a while.

[dhornjr1]

The 1980's was pretty good too. But this been the best run I can remember.

They only made the playoffs three times in the eighties. The '82,  '85, and '87 teams were more fun to watch, but they didn't have nearly the sustained success we have enjoyed since 2000.

[jrulz83]

I was wanting to play SFG to "attempt" to right our 3-games-to-1 lead we blew in '12.  SFG will likely be tougher than playing the Nats, but I want to play and beat (or try to beat) the best.

The Cardinals pitching staff seems to be in better shape for this series than it was in the NLCS of 2012. I know Wainwright is a little sore armed, but after him you have a totally different than the 2012 version of Lynn, a "bulldog" in Lackey, Miller has been more effective since he discovered his secondary pitches. If any of them falter you have Gonzalez who has been pretty effective and Wacha both ready to go multiple innings.

The question is will we see the clutch offense we saw against LA or will it be the weak ground ball machine that has cursed the Cardinals for most of the year? I'm betting on the latter over the former, and of course the Cardinals pitching staff will suck it up.

On the positive side, there's only three games in San Fran this year. 

[McKdaddy]

That series had me PO'd for about a month. People at work knew to avoid me for a while.

Agreed

[Rocky&Boarwinkle]

They only made the playoffs three times in the eighties. The '82,  '85, and '87 teams were more fun to watch, but they didn't have nearly the sustained success we have enjoyed since 2000.

It was a lot harder to make the playoffs when there were less teams and less divisions and no wildcard.

[dhornjr1]

It was a lot harder to make the playoffs when there were less teams and less divisions and no wildcard.

It is easier to make the playoffs now. It's harder to win a pennant or World  Series now.

[mhuff]

Cards will probably sweep them.

[popcornhog]

It is easier to make the playoffs now. It's harder to win a pennant or World  Series now.

I don't know if I buy that. You can slip in as a wild card and you only have to win one game to make it to the "real playoffs."

For division winners it's the same as ever.

[dhornjr1]

I don't know if I buy that. You can slip in as a wild card and you only have to win one game to make it to the "real playoffs."

For division winners it's the same as ever.

Thirty years ago, you had to win a combined seven games in the LCS and World Series to win it all. The LCS was a best of five at that time.

Now, at minimum, you have to win eleven games in the playoffs and World Series. Twelve if you are in the wild card playoff game.

Would you rather have to win seven games or eleven games to hoist the World Series trophy?

[popcornhog]

Thirty years ago, you had to win a combined seven games in the LCS and World Series to win it all. The LCS was a best of five at that time.

Now, at minimum, you have to win eleven games in the playoffs and World Series. Twelve if you are in the wild card playoff game.

Would you rather have to win seven games or eleven games to hoist the World Series trophy?

I get what you're saying but the length of the series I guess just favors the better team if it's longer. So now it's harder to upset a better team I guess, but it's easier for the better team to win.

[dhornjr1]

I get what you're saying but the length of the series I guess just favors the better team if it's longer. So now it's harder to upset a better team I guess, but it's easier for the better team to win.

I think, quite frankly, often the "best" team doesn't win the World Series, even now. By that, I mean the best team on paper or the best team during the regular season. The team that is playing it's best baseball in October usually wins, and with the addition of so many extra teams now, it is pretty much a wide open field.

The playoffs and the Series are almost another mini-season now. The best way to crown a champion was the way they did it before the advent of the divisions.

The team with the best record in the NL would face the team with the best record in the AL in a seven game series. No wild cards, no divisions. Just the best versus the best.

[popcornhog]

I think, quite frankly, often the "best" team doesn't win the World Series, even now. By that, I mean the best team on paper or the best team during the regular season. The team that is playing it's best baseball in October usually wins, and with the addition of so many extra teams now, it is pretty much a wide open field.

The playoffs and the Series are almost another mini-season now. The best way to crown a champion was the way they did it before the advent of the divisions.

The team with the best record in the NL would face the team with the best record in the AL in a seven game series. No wild cards, no divisions. Just the best versus the best.

That does work if everyone plays the exact same regular season schedule. I agree.

And everything that you say is true but the longer the series, the more likely the 'better' team is to win.

[mhuff]

It is the better team that wins at that time. It's a losers lamentation to say, " Well, you beat us ,but we're better than you. "  Each day .... each game is may the best team win..... Now you can have a poor coach with a poor game plan that affects the outcome ,or you can have people hurt or sick..... But, under whatever circumstances ,the best team wins each contest as long as it is played fairly.

[jrulz83]

No need to boo this game starting during the Bama game. Game 1 of the NLCS will be over after the Giants score 27 runs off of Wainwright in the top of the first. The Cardinals had a good run though.

[popcornhog]

Got back to the hotel from the game. Say down at the bar to watch the Cards.

How was that not a balk in the 7th by MB?

Either way, all around ** night.

[pigture perfect]

Terrible night.

[superior_wang]

Hope the giants can keep carpenter under wraps. Fwiw wonder what they are gonna do with lincecum? Is he now the worlds most expensive middle reliever / innings eater? Haven't seen him since before the  wc game.

[clutch]

Hope the giants can keep carpenter under wraps. Fwiw wonder what they are gonna do with lincecum? Is he now the worlds most expensive middle reliever / innings eater? Haven't seen him since before the  wc game.

Blows my mind the money he makes and that he's still with them. I'm not even a giants fan.

[popcornhog]

Hope the giants can keep carpenter under wraps. Fwiw wonder what they are gonna do with lincecum? Is he now the worlds most expensive middle reliever / innings eater? Haven't seen him since before the  wc game.

Yeah. Can you envision any situation in which he pitches? He didn't even pitch in the 18 inning game, did he?

[hawkhawg]

Yeah. Can you envision any situation in which he pitches? He didn't even pitch in the 18 inning game, did he?

He warmed up a couple of times but never got on field.

[clutch]

Yeah. Can you envision any situation in which he pitches? He didn't even pitch in the 18 inning game, did he?

He sucked in 2012 too until it came time to face the Cards in the NLCS. He somehow became lincecum again then.

[hawkhawg]

He sucked in 2012 too until it came time to face the Cards in the NLCS. He somehow became lincecum again then.

I was surprised they even put him on the nlcs roster, but I think if I was bochy I would give him an inning just to see if he has any magic left.

[popcornhog]

Pence just tied the game up with an RBI to right-center.

2-2 in the 6th. Lance is coming out.

[popcornhog]

Is Yadier hurt? I walked out of the room for a few minutes.

[clutch]

Is Yadier hurt? I walked out of the room for a few minutes.

Yep. Not sure what it was that was bothering him though. Couldn't run out of the box. They said something about his side.

[popcornhog]

Yep. Not sure what it was that was bothering him though. Couldn't run out of the box. They said something about his side.

Good thing they activated AJ. Makes you wonder.

[popcornhog]

Still no word on Yadi.

His injury may have cost us a run and the lead in the top of the 7th.

[popcornhog]

Oscar with a solo shot to tie it up in the 7th.

One down.

3-3

Taveras is gonna be great.

[popcornhog]

Sounds like maybe Yadi's oblique fwiw.