Not only are the St. Louis Cardinals down 2-1 in the NLCS to the San Francisco Giants, they’re also without arguably their most influential position player in catcher Yadier Molina, who is still suffering from the oblique injury he picked up in Game 2. Can the shorthanded Cards come storming back to tie the series at two games apiece in Game 4?
Read up on this potentially series-altering NLCS Game 4. Also, don’t miss our preview of what could very well be a series-clinching ALCS Game 4 between the Royals and Orioles, which you can find here.
[sc:MLBArticles ]St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants NLCS Game 4 Preview
Series Schedule & Results
Game 1 – Saturday, October 11, San Francisco Giants 3 at St. Louis Cardinals 0
Game 2 – Sunday, October 12, San Francisco Giants 4 at St. Louis Cardinals 5
Game 3 – Tuesday, October 14, St. Louis Cardinals 4 at San Francisco Giants 5
Game 4 – Wednesday, October 15, St. Louis Cardinals (+110) at San Francisco Giants (-120); total 7.0 – view all MLB lines
Game 5*– Thursday, October 16, St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants
Game 6* — Saturday, October 18, San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals
Game 7* — Sunday, October 19, San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals
*if necessary
Betting on the St. Louis Cardinals
For the second-straight game, rookies Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk came up with some very timely hits for the Cardinals. After Wong hit the game-winning homer in Game 2, he supplied two RBI in Game 3, which was sent into extra innings with Grichuk’s seventh inning homer. However, a costly error sent the Cards crashing to a 5-4 loss and down 2-1 in the series.
[sc:MLB240banner ]While Wong and Grichuk have flourished (the two have a combined six RBI so far in the NLCS), the big bats of the two Matts – Adams and Holliday – have barely been heard from. Aside from a huge home run in Game 2, Adams has been held hitless, while Holliday finally got his first hit of the series in Game 3.
Catcher Yadier Molina didn’t suit up for Game 3 after suffering an oblique strain back in Game 2. His replacement, AJ Pierzynski, went 0-for-4. With his status to participate further in the playoffs still very uncertain, the Cards need the two Matts more than ever to anchor the team’s lineup.
However, Molina’s presence may be missed more behind the plate as opposed to at the batter’s box. After a shaky first inning, veteran John Lackey settled down to pitch six solid innings in Game 3. Whether 24-year old Shelby Miller can be able to weather a similar storm early on in Game 4 without the calming influence of Molina is a definite question mark.
Miller wasn’t spectacular against the Dodgers in his first ever postseason start as he went 5.2 innings with two earned runs and three walks, but that was good enough to give the Cards the win. St. Louis has gone 5-1 in the last six games Miller has started.
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Betting on the San Francisco Giants
Runs have been hard to come by for the San Francisco Giants in this postseason. The Giants have hit just two home runs in eight postseason games, while their top three RBI hitters in the regular season – Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval – have combined for just five so far in the postseason.
But after going through five straight games of scoring three runs or less, the Giants are showing some signs of life with four or more runs in their last two games. Granted, their walk-off, 10th inning run came on an error, but they’ll take runs however they can get them, especially with a pitching staff that has looked terrific so far in the postseason.
Despite giving up nine runs in the last two games, the Giants pitching staff is still sporting a miniscule 1.89 playoff ERA. A large part of that has been ace Madison Bumgarner making three starts and being close to unhittable, but he hasn’t been the only reason.
Game 4 starter Ryan Vogelsong was solid in his first and only start thus far. The veteran right-hander went 5.2 innings, giving up just one earned run against the Nationals in the NLDS. Vogelsong faced the Cardinals twice in the regular season. He went 13 innings and gave up four earned runs with 13 strikeouts.
The total has gone under in eight of Vogelsong’s last nine home starts.
Writer’s Prediction
The big bats of the Cardinals spring to life to knock Vogelsong out early, while Miller hangs on to give quality innings. Take St. Louis (+110) to tie the NLCS up on the road.
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