St. Louis Cardinals’ Kyle Lohse to start in Game 3 of NLCS against San Francisco Giants
St. Louis Cardinals have slated Kyle Lohse to start in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants. The best-of-seven NLCS is currently tied at 1-1 and it is on Lohse to turn the tide in the favour of the Cardinals.
To be played on Thursday at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals will have home advantage in Game 3. However, the Giants’ massive comeback in Game 2, which they won 7-1, has prompted the Cardinals to be properly prepared for the next encounter.
That which did not click in Game 2 was the rotation wherein Chris Carpenter proved costly in his four innings, giving up five runs. The Cardinals obviously want Lohse to avoid such an outing in the crucial Game 3.
However, Lohse prefers being steady, cautious and focused instead of being bogged down by pressure.
"You can't put more pressure on yourself," said Lohse, "to go out there and do more just because you need to. I'm just going to go out there and approach it the same way I have all season, and that game against Atlanta and Washington, where I just go out there and do my thing. I can only control one pitch at a time."
Lohse is a very consistent starter as he has held a consistent record this season, solidifying the Cardinals rotation to a considerable extent. In the postseason, of the two games he has played, Kyle Lohse has an impressive 2.13 ERA, 1-0 record with 11 strike-outs to his credit.
All the same, in the regular season, he had a wonderful 16-3 record in 33 games, maintaining 2.86 ERA throughout the season with 143 strike-outs.
Like Lohse, third baseman David Freese knows what the Giants will be thinking for Game 3. Freese said, “Both teams are still confident. I know the Giants are going to turn the page and be ready for Game 3, just like us."
With the series standing tied 1-1, the Cardinals will try to make the most use of Lohse presence on the mound and striking a much-needed win in Game 3 to increase their lead.
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