Breaking down the Cardinals postseason

Breaking down the Cardinals postseason

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 Tuesday, Oct.7 to clinch a spot in the NLCS. Later that night the San Francisco Giants secured their spot in the NLCS as they defeated the Washington Nationals in game four of their series, 3-2,.

Unfortunately for St. Louis, the Redbirds have had some recent struggles against the bay team. Two years ago, the Cards had a 3-1 series lead over the Giants in the NLCS, but San Francisco won three straight games en route to a World Series sweep over the Detroit Tigers.

This season, TKC predicts the Cardinals will turn the tables on the Giants and take the series in seven games. This NLCS will be a captivating pitching battle between two of the best staffs in the National League. Madison Bumgarner will take on Cards’ ace Adam Wainwright Saturday night at Busch Stadium in game one.

After this weekend the series will be split 1-1, but St. Louis will take two wins at AT&T Park to extend their lead to 3-2. They will come back home and clinch the NL pennant on Sunday, Oct. 19. They will meet the Baltimore Orioles in the Fall Classic and take the victory in seven games.

depth chartRyan Davidson

Scouting the Opposition:

Orioles: Baltimore has the most powerful batting lineup in the MLB (211 home runs), led by home run champion Nelson Cruz (40).  The Orioles’ pitching staff has been one of the most dominant units in the American League (3.43 ERA). Coming off a sweep of the Detroit Tigers, they are a dangerous team.

Royals: A roster with a knack for getting hits, despite hitting the fewest home runs in the MLB, and a talented pitching staff has put Kansas City in the playoffs for the first time since 1985.  After sweeping the Angels, who had the best regular season record in the MLB, Kansas City has established itself as a legitimate World Series threat.

Giants: San Francisco finished the season with impressive rankings in nearly all major statistics.  After winning the World Series in 2010 and 2012, the Giants are due for another victory in 2014.  They defeated the Cardinals in the 2012 NLCS in seven games, so the Cardinals will get their chance for revenge.