St. Louis Cardinals may turn to bullpen again in Game 5 of NLCS – NLCS Update
St. Louis Cardinals will have Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants on Friday, October 19. With 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series, the Redbirds are looking forward to striking a victory here to force their way into the World Series.
However, this uphill task requires an invulnerable defensive and offensive combination, the reliance of the Cardinals will once again be on their bullpen in Friday’s Game 5. The rotation has clicked well in the last two games, but unpredictability and uncertainty force the team to be prepared for any likelihood.
Jason Motte will be the team’s asset. His was an incredibly decisive role in Game 3 wherein he pitched a two-inning save to give the team their second win in the NLCS. On Thursday, Motte was not part of the bullpen, but Friday could well be an opportunity for him to repeat what he did in Game 3.
“It's good to get a day off," Motte said, "but at this point of the season, everyone is ready to go. It's pretty much all hands on deck. So if the phone would have rang, we would have gone out there and done everything we could."
In the regular season, appearing in a total of 67 games, Jason Motte had 42 saves to his credit with an impressive 2.75 ERA. He had 86 strike-outs to his credit as ge remained first in the National League with most saves.
Entering into the decisive phase of 2012 Major League Baseball, the pitching arm might well be dragging; something that he acknowledges. However, he is more than ready to take the task head on.
"Yeah and no," Motte said. "It is October, but we do our arm stuff and our shoulder exercises. We do what we need to do to keep our arms in shape. There may be some fatigue, but you do what you need to do to get out there, and when you do get out there, you're not thinking about that.”
It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals will once again turn to their bullpen in Friday’s game to deliver as Motte’s role will be crucial.
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