MLB NL Champioship Series Preview

St. Louis Cardinals Vs.









NY Mets






Starting Pitching:

The Mets go into the NLCS with their top 2 startters out for the remainder of the Postseason with torn calves (Pedro Martinez has a torn rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder as well; Orlando Hernandez is just dealing with a grade 2 muscle tear.) By default, the veteran of 17 years in Tom Glavine is the ace of the staff for the remainder of the playoffs. He is by far the most experienced of any of the remaining teams having made 33 starts including 12 wins as a Brave. This year, the Mets are counting their lucky stars that Glavine is able to pitch as he experienced a blood clot, that if surgery were required might have ended his career. Luckily it did not need surgery and Glavine was able to return to the mound September 1st after missing 3 starts. Glavine threw a four-hitter in his NLDS start over six innings with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Look for hi to go 6 or seven innings in his NLCS start(s). John Maine did a fine job in his emergency start in Game 1 of the NLDS giving up 6 hits and a lone earned run. He finished the night with 2 walks and 5 K's in 4.1 innings of work. Unfortunately he fell short of the required 5 innings to qualify for a victory. This time, Maine should be able to prepare for a Game 2 start and not be needed in an emergency. He needs to be consistent, especially at this time of year. Steve Traschel has a higher ERA than most 15-game winners in history, he lost half of his games. He's good for the long haul, and with Hernandez and Martinez out for the rest of the playoff, Traschel should receive at least one more start in the NLCS. In his NLDS start, Trascel went 3.1 innings, allowed 6 hits, 2 earned runs, walked 1 and struck out 2. The Mets will look for 5-6 innings out of him. Rounding out the rotation is lefty Darren Oliver. Oliver has struggled wih consistency throughout his career. He arrived with the Mets due to a trade with the Pirates that landed reliever Hernandez after fellow reliever Duano Sanchez was injured in a taxi accident. Oliver had a bad year in the regular season losing 13 starts and winning just three. He had an unimpressive 6.55 ERA, he struck out 102 hitters and walked 68. He needs to have his command on to be successful.

Chris Carpenter appears to have recovered from a lousy end to the regular season, as he has posted 2 solid starts in the NLDS, one to win Game 1 and one to clinch the series. His curve and change-up were phenomenol in his starts as he kept the Padres hitters off-balance all night. He needs to repeat those starts and provide 7 solid innings. Weaver has also found his econd wind, as he's out to prove that he can perform in the post-season. He signed with the Cardinals after being cast aside for brother Jered by the Angels. Weaver will be looking to build on his five innings of 2-hit ball in his NLDS start. Jeff Suppan has been relegated to game 3 starter after Mulder went down with a season-ending shoulder injury and Woody Williams and Matt Morris both bolted for higher $$$. Weaver has responded to the challenge of a higher starting spot, although he lost whaty could have been the series-deciding Game 3 in the NLDS because he was outpitched. Rounding out the rotation for the Cardinals will be either veteran Jason Marquis or rookie Jose Reyes. Marquis will need to be able to maintain his focus and concentration for 6 innings or more (he has a tendency to lose his concentration in the middle of the game and thus he all of a sidden can't throw strikes. Reyes had a horrible start in the 3rd to last game of the regular season, lasting just 2/3 of an inning. Look for Marquis to get the nod and Reyes to be left off the roster.

Edge: Cardinals.

Relief Pitching:

Adam Wainwirth did a great job as the closer in the NLDS, saving his lone opportunity, while punching out 6 and allowing just 3 hits in 3.2 innings. The Cardinals will need him to repeat that performance against a tough Mets line-up. Looper, the Cardinals other opton at the closer's role allowing just a single hit in 1.2 innings in the NLDS. Rookie Tyler Johnson is tough on lefties and he'll face a huge test with Delgado and Beltran providing a solid 1-2 punch. Also joining him to face lefties is southpaw Randy Flores. Flores allowed 2 hits, walked one and struck out one in an innings work over two appearances in the NLDS. Josh Hancock, Josh Kinney and Brad Thompson round out this youthful bullpen.

Hows this for a stat? The NY Mets are 78-4 with the lead after 6 innings including the NLDS. The bullpen is anchored by the best closer left in te post-season in either league in Billy Wagner. Wagner pitched 3 innings, saved 2 games, allowed 3 hits, one earned run and strruck out 4 in the NLDS. Setting him up is hard-throwing rightie Roberto Hernandez. He is fresh for the NLCS after not being needed in the NLDS. Side-winder Chad Bradford is tugh on lefties and has a nasty slider. Lefty specialist is Pedro Feliciano. Rounding out the Bullpen are veteran righties Guillermo Mota and Aaron Heilman.

Edge: Mets.

Catcher:

Cards catcher Yadier Molina is an upgrade offensively over the departed Mike Mathney. The youngest of the three catching Molina Brothers (Benji catching in Toronto this season and Jose in Anaheim), Molina hit .308 with 4 huts and 1 RBI while striking out twice. Molina has continued the defensive legacy of Matheny quite nicely.

Paul Lo Duca has finally won in the post-season. A reputed winner, Lo Duca a bat well and a pitching staff even better. The Mets are 78-4 when leading heading into the 6th 'nuff said.

Edge: Mets

First Baseman:

Albert Pujols is arguably the greatest 1st baseman in the game today. As Padres starter Jake Peavy learned. You don't give this guy a second chance at the plate. In his second at bat of the NLDS, Pujols nearly popped out to catcher Mike Piazza, but he dropped the ball, on the very next pitch Pujols crushed a juicy offering over the wall for a 2-run shot. Pujols is a clutch hitter and solid defensive 1st baseman. The rest was good for him when he tore an oblique muscle midway through the season.

Power Hitter Carlos Delgado has been waiting 17 long years for this moment. He tookadvatage of the opportunity in the NLDS hitting .429 with 1 long HR, and 6 hits. He's a patient hitter at the plate and should be a key contributer to the Mets stacked line-up.

Edge: Cardinals

Second Baseman:

It has been Russian roulette at this position since the Cards were swept by the Red Sox in 2004 in the World Series. This year it's Ronnie Belliard , who came over in a midseason deal with the Indians. He's a .240 hitter and made some terrific plays in the field to help the Cards get past the Padres in the NLDS. Belliard will have to continue the solid defensive play against the powerful Mets line-up.

Jose Valentin is the guy who ran the largely ineffective and overrated Japanese league star Kaz Matsui out of Flushing. Had he done little else, he would be revered, but Mets fans have enjoyed his hard-nosed play and clutch hits

Edge: even

Shortstop:

It has been a rough injury-plagued season for little David Eckstein. He returned in the middle of the year from a pulled side only to go right back on the disabled list with a pulled hamstring. When healthy, Eckstein's dangerous on the base path and is a great contact hitter. Because he may not make it deep into the post-season, the Cards may have to turn to Aaron Miles, who proved to be a capable substitute when Eckstein was out of the line-up this season.

His first full season had been impressive. His across-the-board improvement in year 2 has been stunning. As Jose Reyes has settled into his role as the Mets' sparkplug, he has unleashed all of his tools. He doesn't get big-stage fright, as he delivered the game-tying single in the decisive Game 3 of the NLDS. Look for Reyes to come up big in the NLCS, this is a player who will star for years to come. It's just a matter of refining his game.

Edge: Mets

Third Baseman:

Scott Rolen is one of the premier third baseman in the game and has rebounded well from last season's shoulder surgery. But Rolen has been playing with a sore lleft shoulder again this October, relegating him at times to the bench, with Scott Speizio getting the nod.

The Golden Boy. David Wright is the unchallenged symbol of the Mets' rise back to NY relevance. Infield-corned power, vastly improved defense, humility and personality -- all that's missing in his package is a championship trophy.

Edge: Mets

Left Fielder:

Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa flip-flopped rookie Chris Duncan and veteran Preston Wilson in the NLDS. Duncan had defensive problems and Wilson as a spark in the Cardinals' Game 2 victory at San Diego. If pressed, La Russa has also used Speizio and John Rodriguez out there in a pinch

Cliff Floyd has chased the light as long as Delgado; 14 seasons, 1,415 games -- two lousy hitless postseason at-bats, in the 1997 World Series with the Marlins. But he came out of Game 3 of the NLDS after re-injuring his achilles tendon. His status for the NLCS is up in the air. Endy Chavez could see increased playing time vs. the Redbirds.

Edge: even.

Center Fielder:

It's hard to downplay Jim Edmonds, but he's had a rocky last month after smacking his head on the center-field fence and suffering through post-concussion syndrome. Yet he came back much sooner than expected, and the gamer he is will be a force. Wilson's in the mix if Edmonds can't go. So is Juan Encarnacion

Carlos Beltran made a nice bounce-back from his booed 2005 Mets debut, but he still hasn't justified the big contract. This week he can. The 2004 postseason (.435, eight homers and 14 RBIs in 12 games is his yardstick -- and what people expect to see. His performance against the Card s 2 years ago in the NLCS is wha got him the big fat contract.

Edge: Mets

Right Fielder:

It's Encarnacion's first season with the Cardinals, and he's made the most of it. He has been one of the Cardinals' most durable players, playing in 153 regular-season games and all the NLDS games. He was a member of the 2003 Marlins team that was resurrected by Jack McKeon midseson and went on to beat the Yankees in the World Series.

Along with Lo Duca, Shawn Green has to be pretty happy about beating the Dodgers. His old team traded him to Arizona after the 2004 season, the Diamondbacks flipped him to the Mets with Floyd on the disabled list. As age has slowed his bat, Green has forsaken some of his power by more often looking to slap the ball the other way.

Edge: Mets

Bench:

La Russa flip-flops pitchers and positions and substitutes with the best of them. He always has a pack of role players to go. So Taguchi, Rodriguez, Miles, Wilson and Bennett are the big ones this season, depending on how many regulars are healthy. With Edmonds and Eckstein being hurt, La Russa's had to plug starting holes with bench players.

Starting with Julio Franco, Mr. Methusela, this is a supporting cast that perfectly meshes with the high-profile headliners in NY. Ricky Ledee, picked up in early August after being waived by the Dodgers, might be activated for the NLCS if Floyd cannot go. Ledee would join Micheal Tucker as the extra outfielders, with Chavez likely becoming the starter in left.

Edge: even

Manager:

La Russa is the resident genius with 22 seasons worth of big-league managerial experience. Can you believe it? But his lone winner was the 1989 A's who salvaged the World Series after the last great Bay Area earthquake and swept the Giants. Come to think of it, his teams are 5-12 in WS games. But this year has been one of his better jobs keeping these Cardinals competitive despite all the injuries.

All those failed managerial interviews were worth it for Randolph, who got the job, and did the job, in the only city that matters to him. His quiet, patient leadership is ideal in a place where everyone else tends to get uptight. Randolph inspires his players who feed of his faith in them.

Edge: Cardinals

Intangibles:

The Cardinals may not be the same team as 2 yars ago, when they went to the WS, but they still boast the best position player (Pujols) and best starting pitcher (Carpenter) in the NL. An injured Carpenter didn't pitch 2 years ago when the Cards were swept by the Red Sox in the WS. It proved to be a big loss.

The arrival of an event that has been inevitable for months comes with intense pressure for the Mets, not to mention the letdown losses of Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez from the playoff rotation. They now own baseball in NY with the Yankees being booted out of the postseason for the third consecutive year without reaching the WS.

Edge: Mets

Series Prediction: Mets in 5