Keys to winning the 2014 NLCS
(SportsNetwork.com) – For the fifth straight year either the San Francisco Giants or St. Louis Cardinals will be representing the National League at the World Series.
St. Louis eyes its second straight World Series appearance and its third in the last four years when it kicks off the best-of-seven NLCS versus the San Francisco Giants on Saturday at Busch Stadium.
While the Cardinals are in this round for the fourth straight year and the ninth time since 2000, the Giants are certainly no strangers either and are back in the NLCS for the third time in the last five years.
Since the wild card format came into play in 1995, more NLCS have been played with either the Giants, Cardinals or both (11 times) than not (9 times).
St. Louis, which won the NL Central with a 90-72 mark, made quick work of the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, defeating all-world left- hander Clayton Kershaw twice in the series.
San Francisco, meanwhile, is back in this round for the seventh time after beating the NL’s best team, the Washington Nationals, in four games to win its seventh straight postseason series dating back to 2012.
The Giants, of course, also beat Pittsburgh in the one-game wild card showdown last week, marking their seventh straight win-or-go-home victory under Bruce Bochy.
The Giants took four of their seven meetings during the season with the Cardinals, outscoring them, 30-20. The teams, though, haven’t played since July 3.
San Francisco has played the Cardinals three other times in the playoffs. St. Louis edged the Giants in a thrilling seven-game series in 1987, but San Francisco has beaten the Cards both in 2002 and 2012.
As an introduction to this NLCS matchup, let’s take a look at the keys to winning the series for both clubs:
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
1. THE RETURN OF MIKE MORSE
San Francisco still struggled to score runs in the series win over the Nationals, managing just nine in the four-game set. And it only hit one home run.
However, San Francisco did score eight in its wild card win over the Pirates. But the offense has been a problem all season for the Giants, particularly down the stretch, as they mustered a mere 44 runs over the final 15 games of the season.
“That’s our way sometimes,” Bochy said. “We scratch and paw for runs.”
The return of Mike Morse could help. Morse has had just two at-bats since August 31 because of a left oblique strain but is 100-percent after being left off the first two playoff rosters for the Giants.
Morse, who hit 30 home runs and knocked in 95 runs back in 2011 with the Nationals, only hit 16 home runs this season, but was still tied for third on the team, despite only playing in 131 games. He also knocked in 61 runs on the year.
2. MADISON BUMGARNER
As much as Morse may help this anemic lineup, the Giants will only go as far as Madison Bumgarner will take them.
If there was no Kershaw we may very well be talking about an NL Cy Young Award for Bumgarner, who set career-high marks in wins (18) and strikeouts (219) and pitched to a 2.98 ERA.
That has carried over into the postseason, as he tossed a four-hit shutout to beat the Pirates, but then absorbed the lone loss in the NLDS for the Giants, but only allowed two earned runs in seven innings.
He will be on regular rest if Bochy opts to use him in Game 1. And he should, as Bumgarner was also one of the best road pitchers in the league this season, going 11-4 with a 2.22 ERA in 18 starts away from AT&T Park. His shutout win in the wild card game also came as a visitor.
3. REST OF THE ROTATION
Everyone knows how good Bumgarner is, but the x-factor in this series, though, could be righty Ryan Vogelsong, who has become a very under-the-radar postseason stud for the Giants.
With his terrific outing in Tuesday’s clincher, Vogelsong became the only starting pitcher in MLB to allow one run or fewer in each of his first five career postseason starts (since 1903).
In fact, Vogelsong is just the second pitcher in postseason history to have five consecutive starts of allowing one or fewer runs (Curt Schilling: 6 starts from Oct. 21, 1993 to Oct. 31, 2001). He’s also pitched to a 1.19 ERA in five postseason starts, with the Giants going 5-0 in those outings.
Also figuring prominently will be a pair of right-handed veterans in Jake Peavy, who was dominant in a Game 1 win over the Nats, and Tim Hudson, who shook off a disappointing second half to throw seven innings of one-run ball in Game 2.
“Guys find some way to get it done,” Bumgarner said. “It’s not always pretty, but regardless, we find a way to win.”
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
1. THE HEALTH OF ADAM WAINWRIGHT
The Cards are led by ace right-hander Adam Wainwright, who put forth another terrific season, going 20-9 with a 2.38 ERA.
Wainwright, though, didn’t pitch particularly well in his Game 1 start (6 runs, 11 hits, 6 1/3 innings) versus the Dodgers and his health has been called into question, as he has dealt with arm issues on-and-off throughout the season.
“There’s no question Waino has been fighting it,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “I’ve not made that a secret, and neither has he. It’s all going to come down to how he feels. The likelihood of him saying he can’t go is very slim, but it is a possibility that something might not feel right.”
No pitcher in baseball has thrown more innings since the start of the 2013 season than Wainwright, who has logged 508 (including the postseason).
“He’s just been grinding,” Matheny said. “And when you’ve been grinding, there are just days where you can’t get it right. He was having trouble that Game 1. He’s thrown a lot of innings. He’s had a lot of work. But that’s what your ace does.”
2. BULLPEN
Just for arguments sake, let’s say Wainwright isn’t 100-percent. If that’s the case 2013 postseason hero Michael Wacha may become a huge factor.
Wacha has been relegated to bullpen duty this postseason, but he could be Matheny’s fall-back if Wainwright gets into trouble early.
Regardless, having Wacha in the ‘pen only strengthens one of the strongest back ends in the majors with Carlos Martinez and first-time All-Star Pat Neshek setting the bridge to closer Trevor Rosenthal.
Rosenthal has continued to be a beast in October and has allowed just one earned run in 23 1/3 innings in his two playoff runs (19 games), while recording seven saves.
3. KEEP THE BATS GOING
Like the Giants, the Cardinals don’t hit a lot of home runs.
Nobody put up big power numbers for the Cardinals this season, as they ranked last in the NL with just 105 home runs. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta led the team with 21 home runs, but only three other players managed to hit more than 10.
That hasn’t been the case this postseason, especially for light-hitting third baseman and leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter, who had just eight home runs in a league-high 709 plate appearances during the regular season, but homered in each of the first three games against the Dodgers.
“I wouldn’t say it was a struggle, but I never really hit a stretch where I felt like I was really hot,” Carpenter said. “I would rather take it now than during the regular season. This is when it matters.”
Carpenter, who was 6-for-17 with seven RBI in the NLDS, powered a Cardinals’ offense that has hit seven home runs in the playoffs.
Categorized in: MLB
Tags: Cardinals, Giants, San Francisco, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis, St. Louis Cardinals