St. Louis Cardinals slate Jaime Garcia to start Game 5 of NLCS – MLB Playoffs
The St. Louis Cardinals have named Jaime Garcia to start Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday, October 14. The choice is indeed not only surprising but also fairly overwhelming for the 25-year-old starting pitcher.
Playing Game 1 at Miller Park, Garcia could not pitch effectively and bore the brunt of predictably charged Milwaukee Brewers’ offence. The starting pitcher had given up six runs in over four innings that culminated in the team’s 9-6 defeat. .
Although the team has compensated that loss with two consecutive wins, the responsibility to keep the ball rolling heavily depends upon Garcia now. The pitcher thinks he can fit both on the mental and physical front to take on the Milwaukee Brewers’ offence.
His willingness to accept the challenge is due largely to not only make amends but also put the team on a winning track. "After you make a start where things don't go your way, you get a little anxious," Garcia said. "But it's part of it. It's part of the
game. You've got to have that feeling.”
Unlike the regular season games where pressure can somehow be resisted, absorbed, skilfully fought, the challenge that the playoffs pose certainly looms disproportionately larger. The pressure in the post-season can be immense for the players, especially
for the starters.
Garcia added, "It's the playoffs, it's a little more exciting. But I'm just trying to take this as getting ready as any other game, and just basically work on what I need to work on, and go out there and do my thing."
He has pitched a total of 11 innings in October whereby the pitcher has allowed 9 runs and has given up 12 hits, making his ERA 7.36. Although it does not make for an impressive read, he is determined to change things for good.
Garcia’s ability to make inroads into post-season games was due largely to the 13 wins he had in the regular season in 32 games that he started, maintaining a 3.56 ERA with 156 strike-outs to his credit. It will be interesting to see if Garcia can handle
the pressure and deliver for the Cardinals at this crucial time.
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