St. Louis Cardinals Vs Texas Rangers Live Streaming NAT TV FOX Saturday, October 22, 2011.Free Feed Tv Broadcast Telecast Soapcast Scores News Team Players Depth Chart Online Feed AL division series American Major League baseball Saturday, October 22, 2011.
Cardinals-Rangers Preview
Strolling behind the batting cage, Matt Holliday watched his St. Louis teammates hit away Friday and offered a simple tip."Get a good swing!" he hollered.Great advice for anyone with a Louisville Slugger in hand at this World Series.Despite the presence of Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, Nelson Cruz and other top boppers, the Cardinals and Texas Rangers have hardly dented the scoreboard while splitting the first two games.So far, a total of just eight runs. The last time there were fewer through the opening two games at a Series? Try 1950, when Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees combined with Philadelphia for four.
"A lot of people thought this was going to be an offensive World Series," Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus observed before an off-day workout.Blame the drought on a few factors: raw weather at Busch Stadium, good pitching and, perhaps most significantly, hitters facing arms they've never seen before.Both teams have flailed away at the plate, chasing sliders and curves that bounced, shattering bats and seeming to guess wrong on what pitches were coming next."We need to give good at-bats and get deeper and quit swinging at balls out of the strike zone," Mike Napoli said.Napoli has hit the lone home run of the Series. He connected off Chris Carpenter, but maybe he had an edge -- Napoli had been 3 for 3 lifetime against the Cardinals ace going into Game 1.
Fresh off their two-run rally in the ninth inning and a 2-1 win in Game 2, the Rangers start Matt Harrison on Saturday night at Rangers Ballpark. Kyle Lohse will pitch for the Cardinals."It's a tough place to pitch, especially when you see those flags blowing in. It usually means that jet stream is going to right-center," Lohse said. "I think everyone in the league knows that."Each team adds a designated hitter, with the AL rule in effect at Texas. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will make Lance Berkman the DH and put Allen Craig -- already with a pair of key pinch-hit RBI singles -- in right field.The Rangers will likely use Michael Young at DH, move Napoli to first base and put Yorvit Torrealba at catcher.
At this point, it might take more than a wind tunnel to help the hitters.Texas is batting only .186, St. Louis is stuck at .203. Hamilton and Pujols are hitless, and Cruz has been held to a mere single after tearing through the AL championship series.On Friday, Cruz gave the Hall of Fame the bat he used to hit a grand slam in the ALCS. It was cracked -- maybe Texas and St. Louis need new timber, too.It seemed fitting, in fact, that when Texas scored those two runs Thursday night to even the Series, both crossed on sacrifice flies.
Each team has scored four runs overall. Back in 1983, Baltimore and Philadelphia also combined for eight through two games -- it's more than 60 years since the total was lower than this October."I think honestly we got out of our approach a little bit, maybe a little over aggressive trying to create things that necessarily weren't there," said Ian Kinsler, whose bloop single and daring steal keyed the Texas comeback. "If we can just relax and play our style of baseball, let the game come to us, we'll be all right."Rangers outfielder David Murphy hopes it plays out that way, eventually."It's the World Series. We're going to face a guy tomorrow that most of us have never faced, if at all. Game 4 is a little different because Edwin Jackson has been in the American League enough to where most of us have probably faced him," he said.
"I feel like just watching the first two games, offensively, it's just a matter of who is going to make adjustments on the fly. We're facing their guys that we've never before and it's the same thing on their side. The pitching performances have been good, but we have confidence in our offense to put up runs, as well," he said.So does Texas hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh. He was promoted from the Triple-A job when Thad Bosley was fired two months into his first year with the team.Coolbaugh watched Young swing through strike three from Jaime Garcia in Game 2, then saw Adrian Beltre wave at a couple of low off-speed deliveries."I think it was evident that some of our guys were seeing someone for the first time," Coolbaugh said. "You can watch all the video you want and read all the scouting reports. But when you step into that batter's box, it all looks different."Coolbaugh, however, was not surprised when the Rangers put together better at-bats in the ninth against Jason Motte and the St. Louis bullpen."That was two days in a row that we were seeing their relievers. The more we see them, the better off we'll be," he said.
It's a new weapon for St. Louis
Here are some of the players the National League has run out as designated hitters in the past decade: Greg Dobbs, Chris Coste, Ryan Spilborghs, Marlon Anderson, So Taguchi, Pedro Feliz, Tsuyoshi Shinjo, Shawon Dunston.Not exactly a who's who of dangerous sticks.For the first time since -- well, maybe ever -- the NL will have a decided edge in the games with the DH in play. Tony La Russa will use the DH to get Allen Craig into the lineup, with Craig likely playing right field and Lance Berkman slotting into the DH role.The Rangers, meanwhile, will use the DH to get Yorvit Torrealba into the lineup. Or Mitch Moreland. In Game 3, Torrealba will catch, Mike Napoli will move to first base and Michael Young will move from first to DH. Moreland has been struggling but could see a start at first base at some point.Here are the regular-season OPS numbers for the hitters in question:
Craig: .917
Torrealba: .705
Moreland: .733
Obviously, a huge advantage there goes to the Cardinals. But there's another reason the DH favors St. Louis. La Russa could slide David Freese to DH and play the defensively superior Daniel Descalso at third base. As Dave Cameron suggests on ESPN Insider, with left-handers Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and C.J. Wilson going, La Russa can still get Craig's bat in the lineup by playing him over the switch-hitting Berkman, who is much weaker from the right side. By doing that, La Russa improves his defense at third base and right field, while still keeping the strong right-handed bats of Freese and Craig in the lineup.
Doing so also offers a final edge: La Russa can use Berkman as a pinch hitter when the Rangers turn to one of their power righties out of the bullpen. Without having to worry about saving pinch hitters for his pitchers, La Russa could use Berkman to hit for one of his weak-hitting second basemen (Nick Punto or Ryan Theriot) or Descalso, preferably in a key situation with runners on base. Down by a run with the bases loaded in the fifth and Alexi Ogando coming in? Use Berkman to hit for Punto. If trailing in the game, Berkman can slide into right field and Craig to second or third.No matter what La Russa ultimately does (it appears Berkman will start Game 3), DH is another weapon for the Cards.
Deep Texas lineup becomes deeper
After two games of pitchers struggling to make contact and a slew of pinch hitters parading to home plate, the World Series shifts to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. And that means the designated hitter is back in the lineup.That news disappoints C.J. Wilson, Texas' Game 5 starter, who loves to hit. But it doesn't upset the Rangers' coaching staff and front office. The Rangers won the American League West and disposed of Tampa Bay and Detroit thanks in large part to a deep lineup comfortable swinging the bats at home.Part of the reason for their success is having one of the top hitters in the AL in the past decade at DH.
Michael Young, who has played second base, third base and shortstop for the Rangers in his career, moved over to DH in 2011 when the club signed free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre. The move strengthened the offense but also helped the defense. Beltre has one of the best gloves at the hot corner in the big leagues, and his productive bat was used in the cleanup spot for most of the season. (He now is batting fifth behind Young and has been since he returned from the disabled list in September.)The addition of the DH for Games 3, 4 and 5 in Arlington allows manager Ron Washington some options. He can put both his catchers in the lineup, something he did at times during the 2011 season. The skipper is leaning toward that configuration in Game 3, putting Yorvit Torrealba behind the plate and Mike Napoli at first, while keeping Young's bat in the lineup at DH.
He also can put Young in the field and utilize the DH in other ways, if he chooses.It makes a deep lineup deeper and puts an important bat into the offensive mix in a ballpark that is primed for scoring runs.Having the DH means the bottom of the order is stronger. The Cardinals won't be able to pitch around guys lower in the order knowing the pitcher's spot is waiting for them. And Washington can insert his pitchers in the game and have more freedom to allow them to pitch longer if needed. In Busch Stadium, he wasn't able to get more than a few batters out of Alexi Ogando because the pitcher's spot in the order popped up and the manager needed to pinch hit. That won't be an issue in Texas.So by the simple shift of the series to the AL, the Rangers get to take better advantage of their deeper lineup. And they'll feel a lot more comfortable in the process.
Cardinals-Rangers Preview
Strolling behind the batting cage, Matt Holliday watched his St. Louis teammates hit away Friday and offered a simple tip."Get a good swing!" he hollered.Great advice for anyone with a Louisville Slugger in hand at this World Series.Despite the presence of Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, Nelson Cruz and other top boppers, the Cardinals and Texas Rangers have hardly dented the scoreboard while splitting the first two games.So far, a total of just eight runs. The last time there were fewer through the opening two games at a Series? Try 1950, when Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees combined with Philadelphia for four.
"A lot of people thought this was going to be an offensive World Series," Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus observed before an off-day workout.Blame the drought on a few factors: raw weather at Busch Stadium, good pitching and, perhaps most significantly, hitters facing arms they've never seen before.Both teams have flailed away at the plate, chasing sliders and curves that bounced, shattering bats and seeming to guess wrong on what pitches were coming next."We need to give good at-bats and get deeper and quit swinging at balls out of the strike zone," Mike Napoli said.Napoli has hit the lone home run of the Series. He connected off Chris Carpenter, but maybe he had an edge -- Napoli had been 3 for 3 lifetime against the Cardinals ace going into Game 1.
Fresh off their two-run rally in the ninth inning and a 2-1 win in Game 2, the Rangers start Matt Harrison on Saturday night at Rangers Ballpark. Kyle Lohse will pitch for the Cardinals."It's a tough place to pitch, especially when you see those flags blowing in. It usually means that jet stream is going to right-center," Lohse said. "I think everyone in the league knows that."Each team adds a designated hitter, with the AL rule in effect at Texas. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will make Lance Berkman the DH and put Allen Craig -- already with a pair of key pinch-hit RBI singles -- in right field.The Rangers will likely use Michael Young at DH, move Napoli to first base and put Yorvit Torrealba at catcher.
At this point, it might take more than a wind tunnel to help the hitters.Texas is batting only .186, St. Louis is stuck at .203. Hamilton and Pujols are hitless, and Cruz has been held to a mere single after tearing through the AL championship series.On Friday, Cruz gave the Hall of Fame the bat he used to hit a grand slam in the ALCS. It was cracked -- maybe Texas and St. Louis need new timber, too.It seemed fitting, in fact, that when Texas scored those two runs Thursday night to even the Series, both crossed on sacrifice flies.
Each team has scored four runs overall. Back in 1983, Baltimore and Philadelphia also combined for eight through two games -- it's more than 60 years since the total was lower than this October."I think honestly we got out of our approach a little bit, maybe a little over aggressive trying to create things that necessarily weren't there," said Ian Kinsler, whose bloop single and daring steal keyed the Texas comeback. "If we can just relax and play our style of baseball, let the game come to us, we'll be all right."Rangers outfielder David Murphy hopes it plays out that way, eventually."It's the World Series. We're going to face a guy tomorrow that most of us have never faced, if at all. Game 4 is a little different because Edwin Jackson has been in the American League enough to where most of us have probably faced him," he said.
"I feel like just watching the first two games, offensively, it's just a matter of who is going to make adjustments on the fly. We're facing their guys that we've never before and it's the same thing on their side. The pitching performances have been good, but we have confidence in our offense to put up runs, as well," he said.So does Texas hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh. He was promoted from the Triple-A job when Thad Bosley was fired two months into his first year with the team.Coolbaugh watched Young swing through strike three from Jaime Garcia in Game 2, then saw Adrian Beltre wave at a couple of low off-speed deliveries."I think it was evident that some of our guys were seeing someone for the first time," Coolbaugh said. "You can watch all the video you want and read all the scouting reports. But when you step into that batter's box, it all looks different."Coolbaugh, however, was not surprised when the Rangers put together better at-bats in the ninth against Jason Motte and the St. Louis bullpen."That was two days in a row that we were seeing their relievers. The more we see them, the better off we'll be," he said.
It's a new weapon for St. Louis
Here are some of the players the National League has run out as designated hitters in the past decade: Greg Dobbs, Chris Coste, Ryan Spilborghs, Marlon Anderson, So Taguchi, Pedro Feliz, Tsuyoshi Shinjo, Shawon Dunston.Not exactly a who's who of dangerous sticks.For the first time since -- well, maybe ever -- the NL will have a decided edge in the games with the DH in play. Tony La Russa will use the DH to get Allen Craig into the lineup, with Craig likely playing right field and Lance Berkman slotting into the DH role.The Rangers, meanwhile, will use the DH to get Yorvit Torrealba into the lineup. Or Mitch Moreland. In Game 3, Torrealba will catch, Mike Napoli will move to first base and Michael Young will move from first to DH. Moreland has been struggling but could see a start at first base at some point.Here are the regular-season OPS numbers for the hitters in question:
Craig: .917
Torrealba: .705
Moreland: .733
Obviously, a huge advantage there goes to the Cardinals. But there's another reason the DH favors St. Louis. La Russa could slide David Freese to DH and play the defensively superior Daniel Descalso at third base. As Dave Cameron suggests on ESPN Insider, with left-handers Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and C.J. Wilson going, La Russa can still get Craig's bat in the lineup by playing him over the switch-hitting Berkman, who is much weaker from the right side. By doing that, La Russa improves his defense at third base and right field, while still keeping the strong right-handed bats of Freese and Craig in the lineup.
Doing so also offers a final edge: La Russa can use Berkman as a pinch hitter when the Rangers turn to one of their power righties out of the bullpen. Without having to worry about saving pinch hitters for his pitchers, La Russa could use Berkman to hit for one of his weak-hitting second basemen (Nick Punto or Ryan Theriot) or Descalso, preferably in a key situation with runners on base. Down by a run with the bases loaded in the fifth and Alexi Ogando coming in? Use Berkman to hit for Punto. If trailing in the game, Berkman can slide into right field and Craig to second or third.No matter what La Russa ultimately does (it appears Berkman will start Game 3), DH is another weapon for the Cards.
Deep Texas lineup becomes deeper
After two games of pitchers struggling to make contact and a slew of pinch hitters parading to home plate, the World Series shifts to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. And that means the designated hitter is back in the lineup.That news disappoints C.J. Wilson, Texas' Game 5 starter, who loves to hit. But it doesn't upset the Rangers' coaching staff and front office. The Rangers won the American League West and disposed of Tampa Bay and Detroit thanks in large part to a deep lineup comfortable swinging the bats at home.Part of the reason for their success is having one of the top hitters in the AL in the past decade at DH.
Michael Young, who has played second base, third base and shortstop for the Rangers in his career, moved over to DH in 2011 when the club signed free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre. The move strengthened the offense but also helped the defense. Beltre has one of the best gloves at the hot corner in the big leagues, and his productive bat was used in the cleanup spot for most of the season. (He now is batting fifth behind Young and has been since he returned from the disabled list in September.)The addition of the DH for Games 3, 4 and 5 in Arlington allows manager Ron Washington some options. He can put both his catchers in the lineup, something he did at times during the 2011 season. The skipper is leaning toward that configuration in Game 3, putting Yorvit Torrealba behind the plate and Mike Napoli at first, while keeping Young's bat in the lineup at DH.
He also can put Young in the field and utilize the DH in other ways, if he chooses.It makes a deep lineup deeper and puts an important bat into the offensive mix in a ballpark that is primed for scoring runs.Having the DH means the bottom of the order is stronger. The Cardinals won't be able to pitch around guys lower in the order knowing the pitcher's spot is waiting for them. And Washington can insert his pitchers in the game and have more freedom to allow them to pitch longer if needed. In Busch Stadium, he wasn't able to get more than a few batters out of Alexi Ogando because the pitcher's spot in the order popped up and the manager needed to pinch hit. That won't be an issue in Texas.So by the simple shift of the series to the AL, the Rangers get to take better advantage of their deeper lineup. And they'll feel a lot more comfortable in the process.
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