Memo to the FOX programming department: It's already tough enough to listen to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver call a baseball game. Do we really have to suffer through Two And A Half Menreruns during prolonged rain delays?
It took close to seven hours, but the umpire crew did manage to get Game 3 of the NLCS completed on Wednesday. Fortunately, only about three of those hours included yammering from the young Buck and his sidekick Timmy Mac. And fortunately for the St. Louis Cardinals, they had the perfect replacement for hobbled outfielder Carlos Beltran to post a 3-1 victory and take a 2-1 series lead over the San Francisco Giants.
At least the Cardinals and Giants were able to get their game in. ALCS Game 4 was canceled outright in Detroit , prolonging the misery of Yankees fans one more day and giving the mediots more time to hound their beleaguered star Alex Rodriguez. The two series will now switch their time slots on Thursday when the ALCS goes off in the afternoon and the NLCS takes up its place in prime-time.
While Mother Nature was dragging Game 3 of the National League set out, San Francisco Skipper Bruce Bochy was also prolonging the announcement of his Game 4 starter. Bochy has settled on Tim Lincecum who will be making his first start this postseason following three relief appearances. Mike Matheny has known all week who would be his Game 4 pitcher with Adam Wainwright toeing the rubber for St. Louis .
Bochy's stall left the MLB odds on hold overnight, but the numbers are finally available and St. Louis is carrying -130 to -135 chalk into the tilt.
Several offshore shops such as 5Dimes set the total at 7 and priced a little heavier to the UNDER (-115).
LOB Column Decides Game 4 & Beltran Update
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine, er, St. Louis Cardinals early Wednesday. Shortly after losing Beltran to a knee injury, the Giants pushed a run across the plate for a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. San Fran starter Matt Cain looked sharp retiring eight of the first nine Redbirds he faced, and all indications were the NL road dog would prevail once again.
But then, up stepped Beltran's replacement in right field, Matt Carpenter, and the game changed directions. Carpenter's 2-run blast in the bottom of the third gave the Cards a lead they would not relinquish. St. Louis ' backup to the backup in right field, Shane Robinson, added an insurance RBI in the seventh to account for the final margin.
Reports are Beltran has a strained left knee, and his availability for Game 4 is up in the air as of Thursday morning.
'Freak' Returns To SF Rotation, Faces Cards' Wainwright
Thursday has the potential to be a pitching duel between Lincecum and Wainwright...or it could go the other way for one or both hurlers.
A poor regular season relegated Lincecum to the San Francisco bullpen up to now in the playoffs. The Freak responded to the move well (8/1 IP. 1 ER), and Bochy now brings him back into the rotation while shifting Madison Bumgarner to the pen. Lincecum didn't see the Cards during the 2012 regular season, and the Giants are 5-1 in his six career starts vs. St. Louis (3.53 ERA), 3-1 in the four assignments at Busch Stadium (4.37 ERA).
Wainwright had a good start and an ugly one vs. Washington in the NLDS, just as he did against the Nats in the regular season, and has had one extra day of rest since being hammered last Friday. He lost his only start vs. the Giants in 2012, control and fielding issues playing a big part, and is 2-4 in six lifetime starts against them with a 3.04 ERA.
Unfortunately, less than ideal weather conditions are again in the St. Louis forecast Thursday evening when a 30%-40% chance of rain lingers. The thermometer is going to be in the mid-50s for first pitch, and a 12-18 mph WSW wind will also be in the mix (3B dugout out to RF corner).
I'd love to get behind San Fran and the Freak in Game 4, but can't pull the trigger. Instead, I'm going to make my play on the two lineups and go with the OVER as my Game 4 MLB pick.
My pick: Over 7 (+105) +++
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий