San Francisco knotted the NLCS with St. Louis at a game apiece as the scene now shifts east to Busch Stadium. Matt Cain and Kyle Lohse will battle it out in Game 3 on Wednesday, and SBR has a preview plus a pick of the pivotal contest.
So, AT&T Park isn't going to be a complete curse for the San Francisco Giants this October. After opening the postseason with three straight home losses, Bruce Bochy's club knotted the NLCS at a win apiece with a strong 7-1 victory Monday night over the St. Louis Cardinals as the scene now moves to Archway City
Crucial Game 3 will pit the clubs' de facto aces on the mound for a matinee start at Busch Stadium where Matt Cain takes his turn for the Giants opposite Kyle Lohse of the Cards. A quick check of SBR odds shows St. Louis as -125 to -130 chalk with a 7 run total that is priced to the OVER at a few shops.
Several things stood out in San Francisco 's Game 2 win, starting with the simple fact it came against the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter. St. Louis had prevailed in seven of Carpenter's last eight postseason assignments, but it was Ryan Vogelsong who looked more the part of a playoff veteran in just his second playoff appearance, both coming this October and each going into the win column for the Giants.
It was also a complete and dominating win for San Fran, keeping the dugout relaxed and giving the Giants momentum heading to St. Louis for the rest of the week. Knowing Game 4 on Thursday can't be an elimination game also takes some pressure off Bochy to make his decision on who to send to the mound. No official announcement has been made, but all signs point to Tim Lincecum making that start instead of Barry Zito.
Will Cain Be Able To Keep Cardinals Bats Quiet?
I called Wednesday's starters "de facto aces" for different reasons. Cain was definitely the leader of San Francisco's rotation during the regular season when he went 16-5 with a 2.79 ERA, fourth-lowest in the National League. The righthander was also a big factor down the stretch when the Giants clinched the West Division crown, as the club won eight of Cain's final 10 assignments while he posted a 2.28 ERA in that span.
Lohse (16-3, 2.86 ERA) isn't the first name you think of on this Cardinals staff that also includes Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. But he proved to be Mike Matheny's most reliable starter during the regular season, and should already have two more wins in the postseason with a 1.29 ERA in his pair of assignments. He just hasn't pitched like a staff ace since then with his ERA up over 5.00 so far during the playoffs. Cain also didn't have his 'A' stuff in two starts vs.
The California native's turn didn't come up when St. Louis and San Fran met during the regular season, and Wednesday will mark his first career start vs. the Giants at Busch Stadium.
Rain In Wednesday Forecast For St. Louis
There is a very good chance this game will succumb to Mother Nature's whims, either with a delay getting underway or suspended play once it does get started. An 80% chance of rain is in the forecast during the day in St. Louis , and it only tapers off to a 60% chance once nightfall comes. The thermometer is expected to barely reach 70ºF with a decent SSW wind of 12-15 mph also in the mix (out to left-center).
Bill Miller, whose plate assignments were 13-20 O/U this season, will be under the mask for Game 3. It will be the third time he has called a game in which Cain pitched, one of them an OVER at Petco Park and the other an UNDER vs. Cincinnati at AT&T Park
The weather concerns me, along with the low-side tendency of Miller behind the plate. Still, I'm going to count on St. Louis ' lineup getting a lift from being at home as well as Lohse's fine splits at Busch and make a MLB play on the Cardinals in Game 3.
My pick: Cardinals -125 +++
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