St. Louis Cardinals' ace pitcher Chris Carpenter falters again – NLCS Update
The St. Louis Cardinals' starter Chris Carpenter once again struggled in a crucial encounter on Sunday, October 21, resulting in the team’s 1-6 defeat in the National League Championship Series, inflicted by the San Francisco Giants.
The ace pitcher who had undergone a complicated surgery this year and was initially uncertain to pitch the whole season, had to face an intimidating Giants’ offence. In his four shaky innings, Carpenter surrendered no less than five runs with two walks.
He gave up all those runs in the first two innings. Add to it the fact that the Cardinals’ offence was hardly at its usual best, unable to face the onslaught by the Giants’ Ryan Vogelsong.
Compared to Carpenter, Vogelsong allowed only a run in his seven solid innings, giving up only four hits to end the game with 1.29 ERA.
Carpenter was obviously disappointed by the outcome of this eagerly awaited duel. After all, he was one of the key pitchers to facilitate team’s wins in the post-season last year, outrivaling anyone and everyone named against him on the mound.
"The bottom line is," Carpenter said, "I'm not giving my team a chance to win."
The Cardinals were, at some point, at 3-1 when the National League Championship Series progressed. However, with the win on Sunday, the best-of-seven series now stands even 3-3 apiece.
But much as the Sunday’s result was discouraging for the Cardinals, Daniel Descalso seemed unwilling to yield in easily. Instead, it was all about fighting.
"We've been in this spot before," second baseman Daniel Descalso said. "We're not going to be intimidated by it."
Manager agreed with Descalso’s contention. "The one thing I know is these guys take these ones hard," Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny said.
With the series-decider Game 7 scheduled for Monday, wherein Kyle Lohse will start for the Cardinals, it remains to be seen how the World Series champions take on their rivals.
With the considerable strength that goes to the Cardinals favour, it remains to be seen if the Redbirds make use of it and prevail over the Giants, like they previously did over all other rivals.
Tags: