John Lackey came up big again and the Cardinals took advantage of the Dodgers shaky bullpen to win game three and give themselves a 2-1 lead in the NLDS.
Lackey, who was acquired in a controversial trade in which the Cards gave up Allen Craig and Joe Kelly, lived up to his big game reputation, allowing just 1 run in 7 innings. However, he was matched by Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, who allowed just 1 run in 6 innings despite making his first start since September 12th.
However, Ryu was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 7th and the Cardinals jumped on reliever Scott Elbert to the tune of 2 runs on 3 hits, with the big blow Kolten Wong's 2-run homer.
The Cardinals power surge has been surprising this postseason, with 6 homers in 3 games (Matt Carpenter has 3 of those, homering in each game), after finishing the regular season last in the NL with just 105 homers.
Now, with an series edge, the Cards are going to have to close it out against two of the best pitchers in the NL, as Clayton Kershaw will pitch on short rest tomorrow, followed by Zach Greinke in game 5 (if necessary).
The matchup tomorrow should favor the Cards, as Kershaw is 1-4 with a 5.20 ERA in his postseason career, including 0-3 with a 8.10 ERA in his last 3 postseason starts against the Cardinals. Plus, pitchers going on short rest rarely fair well in the postseason.
However, this is still Kershaw that we are talking about. The reigning Cy Young award winner and the guy most likely to win it again this year. So you can throw all those prior stats out the door. He will be out to prove himself and the Cards will have their work cut out for them.
He will be opposed by Shelby Miller, who was one of the Cardinals hottest pitchers down the stretch, with a 2-0 record and 1.48 ERA in his last 5 starts of the season. However, he is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA this year and 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA in his career against the Dodgers.
The Cards will hope to at least keep the game close so that they can exploit the Dodger's bullpen, which has given up 6 runs in 6.1 innings so far.
In any case, tomorrow is the game we want as we certainly don't want to head back to L.A. and have to face Greinke again (1-0, with a 1.64 record in his last 3 postseason starts against the Cards).
Showing posts with label John Lackey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Lackey. Show all posts
Monday, October 6, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Tomorrow we get to see if the Cardinals' John Lackey really is a big game pitcher
After splitting the first two games of the NLDS, in part due to an improbable comeback in game one against the NL's best pitcher and likely Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, the Cardinals return home for two games starting Monday night.
Taking the mound for the Cardinals is John Lackey, otherwise known as the guy the Cards traded both Allen Craig and Joe Kelly for back in July. Lackey will be making his first postseason appearance since winning game 6 of the 2013 World Series against the Cardinals.
Lackey has earned a bit of a reputation as a big game pitcher, with people noting that he out dueled Detroit ace Justin Verlander last year in game 3 of the ALCS and of course his big win in game 6 of the World Series.
However, is he really all that clutch?
This is Lackey's 6th postseason. His first postseason with the Angels back in 2002 was pretty special, as he went 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA including winning game 7 of the World Series against the Giants.
Last year was also kinda special, as he earned his second World Series ring while going 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA.
However, in between, he has gone 1-4 with a 3.40 ERA, not terrible stats, at least from an ERA standpoint, but hardly the resume of a "big game" pitcher.
Sometimes players can build a reputation from just a few games or one great season, weather its warranted or not. Just ask Allen Craig, who hit .454 with RISP in 2013, how "clutch" he was in 2014.
As statisticians always say, "beware of small sample sizes".
So while Cardinals fans are hoping for another "big game" performance from Lackey in game 3, I'll just be hoping for a win.
Taking the mound for the Cardinals is John Lackey, otherwise known as the guy the Cards traded both Allen Craig and Joe Kelly for back in July. Lackey will be making his first postseason appearance since winning game 6 of the 2013 World Series against the Cardinals.
Lackey has earned a bit of a reputation as a big game pitcher, with people noting that he out dueled Detroit ace Justin Verlander last year in game 3 of the ALCS and of course his big win in game 6 of the World Series.
However, is he really all that clutch?
This is Lackey's 6th postseason. His first postseason with the Angels back in 2002 was pretty special, as he went 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA including winning game 7 of the World Series against the Giants.
Last year was also kinda special, as he earned his second World Series ring while going 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA.
However, in between, he has gone 1-4 with a 3.40 ERA, not terrible stats, at least from an ERA standpoint, but hardly the resume of a "big game" pitcher.
Sometimes players can build a reputation from just a few games or one great season, weather its warranted or not. Just ask Allen Craig, who hit .454 with RISP in 2013, how "clutch" he was in 2014.
As statisticians always say, "beware of small sample sizes".
So while Cardinals fans are hoping for another "big game" performance from Lackey in game 3, I'll just be hoping for a win.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Random thoughts on the Cardinals moves as the trade deadline dust settles
As we all continue to digest the trade deadline moves by the Cardinals, here are some of my random thoughts on them.
The Cardinals overpaid on John Lackey
Lackey is a good pitcher and all that, but is he really worth both Allen Craig and Joe Kelly? My initial impression when I heard of the trade was that we "sold low" on both Craig and Kelly. Yes, they were both having down years and perhaps had fallen out of favor with the Cards, but couldn't we have gotten something better for them?
Despite all that, I don't think we could have used those two to get David Price and I don't think that John Mozeliak would have given these guys up for a two-month rental (aka Jon Lester), so maybe Lackey was the best he could do.
David Price's price was cheaper than I thought
In a 3-team deal, the Rays traded Price to Detroit while getting Nick Franklin (from Seattle), Drew Smyly (from Detroit) and minor leaguer Willy Adames. Franklin was, at best, a top 50 prospect and has yet to hit in the majors. Smyly is a good, solid left handed pitcher. While Adames is kind of a "meh" prospect.
Could the Cardinals have topped that? Certainly. Give the Rays Shelby Miller, Stephen Piscotty and some mid-level prospect and you should have a deal.
My thought all along is that it would take a top-end prospect to land Price, but apparently that was not the case.
Acquiring Justin Masterson was a classic Mozeliak move
The last few years we've grown accustomed to the Cardinals GM John Mozeliak making small tweaks to the team at the trade deadline (or thereafter). The last couple years those tweaks were to use some extra prospects pieces to acquire a struggling pitcher in hopes they turn it around with the Cards.
In 2012, that pitcher was Edward Mujica, who had a 4.38 ERA with the Marlins before Mo acquired him. He then proceeded to post a 1.03 ERA down the stretch with the Cardinals.
In August of 2013, the Cardinals picked up John Axford from the Brewers, who had a 4.45 ERA prior to the trade and a 1.74 ERA afterwards.
Hopefully, Masterson can follow this same trend.
Are the Cardinals really better off?
The team dealt from its surplus of outfielders to acquire some pitching depth, but does that make them better? Well, maybe.
The starting rotation should be better with Lackey and Masterson replacing Kelly and Martinez, who has been shipped back to Memphis to keep him stretched out as a starter. The biggest question is how Masterson's knee holds up.
On the hitting side, moving Craig opens up an opportunity for Taveras, but weakens an already thin bench. It also remains to be seen if Taveras can outproduce Craig, at least this season.
Overall, I would have been happy if Mozeliak had just stopped with the Masterson trade. The Lackey trade is one that could certainly come back to haunt him. However, it obvious that Mo felt that he had to make a big move to try to shake up this team and get them back to playing the way they're capable.
The Cardinals overpaid on John Lackey
Lackey is a good pitcher and all that, but is he really worth both Allen Craig and Joe Kelly? My initial impression when I heard of the trade was that we "sold low" on both Craig and Kelly. Yes, they were both having down years and perhaps had fallen out of favor with the Cards, but couldn't we have gotten something better for them?
Despite all that, I don't think we could have used those two to get David Price and I don't think that John Mozeliak would have given these guys up for a two-month rental (aka Jon Lester), so maybe Lackey was the best he could do.
David Price's price was cheaper than I thought
In a 3-team deal, the Rays traded Price to Detroit while getting Nick Franklin (from Seattle), Drew Smyly (from Detroit) and minor leaguer Willy Adames. Franklin was, at best, a top 50 prospect and has yet to hit in the majors. Smyly is a good, solid left handed pitcher. While Adames is kind of a "meh" prospect.
Could the Cardinals have topped that? Certainly. Give the Rays Shelby Miller, Stephen Piscotty and some mid-level prospect and you should have a deal.
My thought all along is that it would take a top-end prospect to land Price, but apparently that was not the case.
Acquiring Justin Masterson was a classic Mozeliak move
The last few years we've grown accustomed to the Cardinals GM John Mozeliak making small tweaks to the team at the trade deadline (or thereafter). The last couple years those tweaks were to use some extra prospects pieces to acquire a struggling pitcher in hopes they turn it around with the Cards.
In 2012, that pitcher was Edward Mujica, who had a 4.38 ERA with the Marlins before Mo acquired him. He then proceeded to post a 1.03 ERA down the stretch with the Cardinals.
In August of 2013, the Cardinals picked up John Axford from the Brewers, who had a 4.45 ERA prior to the trade and a 1.74 ERA afterwards.
Hopefully, Masterson can follow this same trend.
Are the Cardinals really better off?
The team dealt from its surplus of outfielders to acquire some pitching depth, but does that make them better? Well, maybe.
The starting rotation should be better with Lackey and Masterson replacing Kelly and Martinez, who has been shipped back to Memphis to keep him stretched out as a starter. The biggest question is how Masterson's knee holds up.
On the hitting side, moving Craig opens up an opportunity for Taveras, but weakens an already thin bench. It also remains to be seen if Taveras can outproduce Craig, at least this season.
Overall, I would have been happy if Mozeliak had just stopped with the Masterson trade. The Lackey trade is one that could certainly come back to haunt him. However, it obvious that Mo felt that he had to make a big move to try to shake up this team and get them back to playing the way they're capable.
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