NLCS goes to 7 games; Leyland blows smoke
posted in Post-season, roster moves |Chris Carpenter gave up two runs, but his team trailed 2-0 when he left the game after six innings. St. Louis did make those runs up in the ninth inning, but it was a case of too little, too late. The Mets forced Game 7 with a 4-2 victory at Shea Stadium. The difference maker came in the seventh inning. After Cards reliever Braden Looper got the first two batters out, he gave up three straight singles, capped by Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca’s two-run single.
The thing I’ve noticed about the Mets is they have a nicely constructed, I would almost say ideal in the top half, lineup. Jose Reyes is a nice leadoff batter with some pop and great speed. He’s been a fun one to watch all year. Lo Duca is a nice contact hitter at the No. 2 slot. He can be dangerous with runners on. And Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and David Wright give them some nice pop in the heart of the order. About the only criticism you can lay on them is they’re less successful against left-handed pitching, but not greatly so. They still get on base, but their power is mostly muzzled. They’re no Yankees, but it’s a nice top of the lineup.
That leads me to this point that has popped up all over the news today. 2006 first-round drafte pick Andrew Miller is in Detroit, preparing for the World Series. Will he make the roster or is this a smoke screen by Jim Leyland? Hard to say. But Miller is a lefty who pitches lefties really well, and would probably take the place of Zach Miner, who hasn’t seen work in the postseason, or possibly Jason Grilli, who walked the bases loaded on 12 pitches in the fourth game of the ALCS. Danny Knobler says Miner, I’m apt to agree. If Miller can find the strike zone, he can really be a dangerous pitcher for short amounts of time. Otherwise I’d expect Wil Ledezma will fill that role nicely. His stuff isn’t as good, but he’s consistent in the relief role. It would be exciting to see Miller make the World Series roster, but only if he can actually throw strikes. The articles say his mechanics were being worked on in Florida since the regular season ended. I don’t think this is a terribly risky endeavor.
If the Cards win, the speculation is probably all for naught. But I think most observers would have to say Game 6, with Carpenter on the mound against NY’s John Maine, was the best chance for St. Louis to advance to the World Series. Of course, observers would probably admit things never work like you’d expect, so for all we know, St. Louis is a Game 7 lock. Game 3 winner Jeff Suppan — who also homered — takes the mound for St. Louis. The game is is set for 8 p.m. tonight and should be well worth the viewing. Truly, either team could win this one. No matter who comes out on top, conventional wisdom (and past results) shows that the NLCS going to seven games is a nice advantage for the well rested (and hopefully not rusty) Tigers.
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