I'd feel better if it was a 3-1 loss. Those umps can suck a fat dick.

Yep, I think he finished the season 6 for 51 or something along those lines. **** righty/lefty match ups if your righty is hitting .077.
You are right. They call balks all the time for way less than that and no one complains. You are set. That front legs moves before you step off the rubber. Thats a Balk as blatant as they can be.

You seem nice.:p

We should never count out the Cardinals in the post season. You came in an reminded us in this thread when Kershaw was kicking our ass in game 1 and we turned it around. So the lesson learned is............its your fault. You should have come in here and posted.;)

Chris Carpenter pitched hurt and led the team to a World Series victory. Adam Wainwright not so much.

Everyone pales in comparison when being compared to Carpenters grit and toughness.

JFC, that stat is on the road innings.

Carpenter was tough. He was also really, really good, and he had a better fastball and cutter than Wainwright. Makes a big difference when you can bring 93-4 instead of sitting at 91.

Yep, best of 7.

My point is Wainwright is trying to be that guy when clearly he can't because he relies on his breaking stuff to much.

So this is on management more the Wainwright.

I don't know.

I can see the argument for him nibbling too much, but at the same time, Matheny has ridden him into the dirt. Verlander went from the best in the game to a marginal #4 overnight because of workload. Wainwright doesn't have the best mechanics anyway, so it's not surprising that we would see decline both with age and overuse.

A lot of his struggles in October this year were sewn in 2013 as well. Too many ****ing innings.

True with all great players, at some point there will be a drop off in their skills.

I'm sure that Alan Craig, Freese, Franklin, Mujica, Salas, etc. were trying their best to be successful again but sometimes as an organization you just need to realize there is an issue and they are not what they once were.

Rosenthal calls out Waino. Has doubts the story we are being sold about Waino is true.
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/c...senthal-101214

Hey Ken, the medical staff is for shit in St. Louis. They give us BS stories about players health every time there is an injury. They hide the injury, play it down, downright lie about it. So, Ken welcome to our world.

Something positive from Hummell's column

The good news for the Cardinals is that the last two times they lost the first game of the league championship series, they won not only that series but the World Series.

In 2006, the Cardinals lost the first game at New York, 2-0, but won the next game and then the NLCS in seven games before beating Detroit in the World Series.

In 2011, the Cardinals lost the championship series opener at Milwaukee, 9-6, but won the second game and then the league championship series in six games before outlasting Texas in seven games in the World Series.

Yeah, but both of those games were on the road. We've lost HFA. Tonight is the season.

Yep, I put this game in the "must" have column. Going to San Fran down 0-2 will be a hill too big to climb. Yet, I can never just write off this team in the playoffs no matter how they look until its really over.

<s>@</s>MLBONFOX: Jake Peavy is 0-2, with a 9.88 ERA in 3 career <s>#</s>postseason starts vs the <s>#</s>STLCards.

He was a tough son of a gun... However he did lose 2 of the four games in the 2012 NLCS against the Giants.

I don't get this. What has Grichek done besides the homer in game 1, inning 1. What difference has he made in RF? I don't remember any plays made in RF that were not routine?

OT is this years Miller. Benched in the playoffs without a real explanation.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...fb_normal.jpeg Bernie Miklasz @miklasz · 32m 32 minutes ago

Matheny on Taveras (3/3): "And we may need him in a different role, but right now Randal's doing a great job in the outfield."
0 replies

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...fb_normal.jpeg Bernie Miklasz @miklasz · 32m 32 minutes ago

Matheny on Taveras (2/3): ... "And we know as a pinch hitter what he can do for us... "
0 replies

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...fb_normal.jpeg Bernie Miklasz @miklasz · 33m 33 minutes ago

Matheny on Taveras (1/3): "Oscar's going to stay ready. He could step in at any point if we needed him to... "
0 replies

Bernie Miklasz @miklasz · 34m 34 minutes ago

Matheny on lineup (RF for Game 2): "We're sticking with what we used right down the stretch, and defense is a big part of that."

Bochy says Tim Hudson will start Game 3 and Ryan Vogelsong Game 4

Winner of game 2 of the NLCS has went on to the World Series 16 times out of 19 times.

Winner of game 1 of the NLCS has went on to the WS at a 84% clip.

so is this the thread where royals fans can chime in on the game tonight too, even if we don't give a rat's ass who wins? Or should we just let you guys be out of respect? :shrug:

Quite a few dropped in last night. No problem chime in at will.

All we ask of Royals fans is not to come in and flame or take a shit then leave. We have had few issues over the years.

As long as you're not an asshole we don't really care.

I like you guys and all, but if this really is the year for the Royals get back to the WS, I don't want to hear for another 29 how you guys owned us in '14 :(

Holliday hit the ball hard last night, nothing to show for it

Said way better than myself.:thumb:

You don't hear that shit from the Cardinal fans on this site anyway. I don't know of a single Cardinal fan that posts on this site that considers the Royals a rival.

The Taveras situation reeks of matheny mind****ing another young talented player over the "cardinal way" bullshit.

Has Rasmus 2014 all over it. Screws up the pych of a young player to the point it downgrades his trade value when eventually we have to trade him to avoid "distractions".

62 degrees tonight. Hollidays ball may have been out tonight.

I've seen homerun swings shorter than Blanco's "check".

Lynn's ball is moving a ton tonight toward his arm side. Hard to hit, but might cause some control issues.

Just keep pounding the strike zone. That's what bumgarner did last night.

Shit was deflating

I hate playing the Giants btw

Yeah, but these assholes foul everything off. The Cardinals aren't especially adept at fouling off marginal pisses, they usually just make outs on them.

Seeing it live last night, we missed a lot of fastballs. Always fouled it back or didn't center it.

It was, again, deflating

That's why you can survive hitting .105 in the postseason. Saved a run and a double.

They seem to have our playoff number like we have the Dodgers number.

Would you say saving runs in the postseason is as important as scoring runs?

I have to admit, the cream colored retro-style jerseys StL wore last night are probably the best in MLB. Maybe the Dodgers roads compare.

http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop....dinals_011.jpg

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/gr...951090t130.jpg

I was down the first base side so I couldn't really tell, but damn near every one of Sandovals hits last night looked like good pitches

That was a fantastic catch and a possible momentum changer.

It's equally important, just as it is in the RS. It's magnified in the PS because managers won't leave ineffective pitchers in, which means that if you are down 2-0 and you get a few batters on, you can't rely on the manager having the pitcher go through several more innings. You get the best relievers every night. No opportunity to feast on the ass end of the bullpen and #5 starters.

Really wish Tavares was able to hit in the 2 hole, with some pop.

Maybe soon

Looked like a spinnny slider to me

I said the same to my son last night. Make it green, and I'd like it all the more (that would remind me of my high school home uniforms, and I loved them!!)...

How the **** does that stay in the yard?

I'm not a big fan of where Yadi is calling these pitches and setting up. Too far off the plate.

Muggy 62 degree heavy air?

Giving up pitches. They are running up his pitch count.

2-2 pitch to Belt. Lynn hits the target but it's four inches outside. He's just wasting pitches. This is stupid.

****

They are only a tough out if you try to strike them out with a perfect pitch. They aren't a murderer's row of hitters. Challenge them and let them get themselves out.

This is bad strategy.

Like I said, keep pounding the zone. We get or try to get too fine.

They are not going for those pitches off the plate. Give it up. They just talked about it on the broadcast. They don't strike out. They are not killer hitters. Let them get themselfs out. He's at 43 pitches in 2 innings without even getting in trouble.

Thru 2 innings, they've fouled off 15 pitches

See, example right there. Low fastball to a low ball hitter, fouls it off.

If they are not patient and make Peavy come over the plate. It's going to be a long night.

Jesus Christ

Another seed right at someone. :facepalm:

Hitting it hard

Be. Patient.

Reynolds' commentary is somewhat coherent and helpful tonight. Good analysis of the 1-0 to Wong.

Come on wong

Damn it.

You gotta hammer that pitch

Grichuk has to realize that Peavy has no incentive to give him anything inside. He needs to try and go oppo here.

There has been some good AB's against Peavy this inning.

You can't miss that pitch. You just can't miss that pitch.

Yep, someone needs to help him out with his approach. Roll over that outside pitch. Dribbler to 3rd all night. Let it get in on you a little and drive it to right.

Center up the baseball

I am completely baffled by the fact this is on Fox Sports 1. The Simpsons, Family Guy, Mulaney and Brooklyn Nine-Nine have better ratings than the NLCS?

His swing is too long. It just ain't happening.

Not the most exciting matchup I guess

FS1 is a new channel. They're trying to build a market for it. One of the ways to increase demand is to offer desired sporting events on that channel.

Back when Fox used to have all playoff games they used to offer several of the LDS games on FX for the same reason.

Grichuk needs to cut down on his swing

Yes, national telecasts of baseball haven't done well in years. Yankee/Cubs/LA fans don't want to watch other teams in the playoffs other than their own.

Luckiest group of jap hitting mother****ers I have ever seen.

Everything they're hitting is finding holes

You have to love Wong's hustle.

Thank god