5-2, and it’s only the second inning.
These games are beginning to look like the baseball version of the West Coast offense.
There goes another. 5-4. I don’t remember seeing anything like this in a playoff game before.
A pitching duel this ain’t.
5-2? 5-4.
A quick hook by LaRussa might be entirely appropriate tonight. But still, geez, whoever wins, their bullpen is going to be shot.
I think the WS starts on Wednesday, so if the Cards survive, that shouldn’t be a major issue.
Anyone putting money on total HRs before this game is over?
I dunno. Out of 45 innings so far, not counting tonight, the Cards starters have pitched 22 1/3, the bullpen 22 2/3. The Brewers are slightly better, but not by much.
Even with a couple days off, and maybe only one day off, it doesn’t bode well for either team against a tanned, rested, and ready Rangers team.
I predict it’ll be 9-8 at the bottom of this inning.
I have to get up early tomorrow and drive to Ohio, damnit! Let’s have some good pitching shutting down the good hitters! As I’ve been told happens.
It was something to behold.
That Pujols play at the bag scared the crap out of me.
Suffice it to say I am very not-surprised.
Boy oh boy, the Brewers are playing terribly.
The color guy, who I believe is Ron Darling, just said that the difference in this series has been that the Brewers have not knocked down Albert Pujols. Is he watching the same game I am? The Cardinals would be winning even if Pujols wasn’t doing much. The Brewers can’t even catch.
They’re really harping on the fact that Fielder may be batting for the last time as a Brewer. Assuming that’s true, where does he sign, ya think? I’d presume New York and Boston are out, since they’re set at first base and have guys to DH, too.
Everyone knows the path the Cardinals took to get to this point so I won’t rehash it. I can’t help but think of it, however, as I ponder this thought:
Three outs to go.
Toward the end of the regular season, I heard a lot of mumbling about the Dodgers acquiring Fielder (who is good friends with Matt Kemp) and either non-tendering James Loney or moving him out to left field (which he’s apparently said he can do and is willing to do).
Of course, the McCourt saga makes me think there’s no realistic way this will happen, as much as I’d like to see it.
Congrats, Cards! My home team. St. Louis is going crazy!
Apparently, starting pitching isn’t necessary to win a championship series.
I recall someone at SI speculating that Washington and San Francisco and (I think) Seattle might be in the mix.
Not if the other team pitches and fields like the Brewers did.
RickJay, thanks for the baseball-reference.com site, I’ve bookmarked that. Interestingly, La Russa said the same thing in the 4th and that he felt for starting pitchers that get hammered like that after doing so much during the regular season to get you there. Always interesting to get a manager’s perspective, especially the best in baseball. Which also scares me going forward… La Russa is one place where the Cards have a leg up on the Rangers.
This ought to be a very exciting series. Play ball.
I’ve only been in the stands for two World Series games in my life, and that was one of them. It was absolute pandemonium from the very first inning, with numerous lead changes. The feeling in the crowd was mostly of positive excitement, as the Phillies had the lead for most of the game. Still, with all of the crazy offense, I’ve never experienced such a collective pessimism from a crowd with the home team going into the 8th inning with a five run lead.
“Wild Thing” Mitch Williams was like a walking, throwing heart-attack that season, and when he came in the game in the 8th, there was a giddy fatalism in the Vet, like everyone was ready to see history made, even if we were going to be on the wrong side of it.
And of course, speaking of history, that game turned out to be a grim foreshadowing of Joe Carter’s similar abuse of the Wild Thing in game 6. 
Yeah–there was some chatter on the sports-talk radio shows about whether Wash would move him up in the order for game 6 after what he’d been doing, and the general consensus was (a) don’t screw with it when it’s working, and (b) who would you move down, anyway?
I was amused to see Leland IW’ing Josh Hamilton to load the bases with Michael Young on deck, and Adrian Beltre in the hole. How can you look at those upcoming hitters and think that’s a good idea? OTOH, how can you think it’s a good idea to pitch to Hamilton with runners on second and third? There just aren’t any good choices sometimes when you’re facing a lineup like this one.
Gonna be a fun Series. 
David Ortiz is a free agent who has not lately endeared himself around here. Odds are the Sox re-sign him (where else is he going to go?) but he may be part of the upcoming purge.