***The OFFICIAL Cardinals vs. Astros NLCS Thread***

[pokerdirty]

Gm 1 HOU @ STL Wed Oct. 12 TBD
Gm 2 HOU @ STL Thu Oct. 13 8 pm
Gm 3 STL @ HOU Sat Oct. 15 4 pm
Gm 4 STL @ HOU Sun Oct. 16 7:30 pm
Gm 5* STL @ HOU Mon Oct. 17 8 pm
Gm 6* HOU @ STL Wed Oct. 19 4 pm
Gm 7* HOU @ STL Thu Oct. 20 8 pm

Let the discussion begin.

[Malachii]

Cardinals in 6

[pokerdirty]

Houston was 5-11 vs StL this year. But if Houston can keep putting runs up on the board like they did vs Atl, then they have to be the favorite.

anyone know what vegas is offering?

[GuyOnTilt]

Pinnacle's Line

GoT

[Zeno]

What's the over/under on the number of mistakes Tony LaRossa makes? That could help decide the Series.

Carpenter for the Cards in Game 1. Mulder's status is still up in the air. The Cards will be fully rested. Whether that really plays into it is hard to tell. The Houston bull pen was stretched thin in the 18-inning pitching fest.

Astros in 6. But I won't put any money on it.

-Zeno

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
What's the over/under on the number of mistakes Tony LaRossa makes? That could help decide the Series.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tony LaLoser will undoubtedly make several key screwups. It's a matter of whether the team can bail him out.

[ QUOTE ]
Mulder's status is still up in the air.

[/ QUOTE ]

I spent the weekend in St. Louis (saw horrible losses in person for the Blues on Sat and the Rams on Sunday.) and Mulder is in BAD condition. I'd guess the very earliest we see him in in Game 3.

[Clarkmeister]

It looks like the rotation will be Carpenter, Suppan, Mulder/Morris, Mulder/Morris (games 3 and 4 depending on Mulder's health).

[Benholio]

[ QUOTE ]
Cardinals in 6

[/ QUOTE ]

Or maybe even 5. Oswalt/Pettitte/someone will scratch out a win or two, but Houston just can't stack up against the Cards. The Cards' lineup is too good, and their pitching is strong enough to hold down the Astros. No big holes to exploit like they had against the Braves (bullpen).

Astros in 5. Yes, in 6 max.

We beat Carp and Morris in the last week of the season in Busch (and don't give me this "they weren't trying" nonsense...carp was going for CY award and Morris never phones it in")

You guys don't have Rolen this year...Mulder is ailing, you traded Haren and Calero (both of whom I thought did really well against us last year). You've got Grudzielanek at 2nd and Eckstein in lieu of Renteria (another downgrade). I forget your 3rd-sackers name but he's no Rolen that's for sure.

Sure you have Carp, but has hasn't been tested in the postseason until this year.

We've got Pettitte who's a proven gamer. Clemens, who showed signs of improvement yesterday out of the effin PEN, and Oswalt who can dominate any line-up. Oh yeah, and Backe, who 1-hit you guys last year in Game 5, and is able to truly dominate if he's on.

Also, last year we started a guy named PETER MUNRO in 2 games....he's no longer in baseball.

Your lineup last year had Renteria and Rolen and is replaced by Eckstein and Nunez? And your bullpen this year is far worse-off than last year, as I already said.

Mulder may not be able to pitch... the Astros pitchers will all be well-rested (even after the 18-inning marathon).

Cards fans won't admit...but they are deathly afraid to have to play this team right now.

Sure our lineup lost Kent and Beltran, but we're a different ballclub this year. We're more about speed, and we've got several youngsters itching to prove themselves (Burke, Scott, Taveras).

Plus our bullpen is twice as good as last year. (We'll have Wandy for long-relief, and Qualls and Wheeler are rock-solid as opposed to last year when they were wet-behind-the-ears.).

And playing at MMP will suck for you guys. It gets LOUD in there with the roof on.

All this said, I still think it will be a tough series for us, and it will take us 6 games to beat you guys. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Good luck. Let's just hope for a good, clean, injuyr-free, well-played, well-umpired series that will leave no question as to whom should represent the NL this year!

[CollinEstes]

I think in order for the Astros to win this series they are going to have to get some big hits from Lane and/or Everett. They are undoubtably going to come up with RISP with 2 outs in a big situation and are going to have to come through. Also not sure if Biggio can keep up his hot streak at the plate but he was huge for the Atl series.


For the Cards I think if Reggie Sanders stays hot they will be hard to beat. Especially with the way Jim Edmonds murders Astros pitching and hits everything pitched at MMP.

I don't see this series going anything less than 6 games. I'm picking the Stros to win in 7. Getting two wins from Pettite, one of Oswalt, and One from Clemens/Backe.