St. Louis Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter defying odds to start Game 1 in World Series
The St. Louis Cardinals are living a dream and it is amazing to see a club that entered the playoffs through a wildcard berth selection on the last day of the National League season, do so well in the postseason. The club is now scheduled to face the American
League Champions, the Texas Rangers, in the World Series and they will be bringing in their best pitcher in the rotation, Chris Carpenter.
The two teams will collide at the Busch Stadium and there is great expectation form the two teams that have never crossed paths in the postseason. This happens to be the Rangers’ second attempt at glory in a second straight year. The Cardinals have done
it before but they would like to convert their amazing run in the regular season into something memorable.
Carpenter has been a man of inspiration for the team and he was a magnificent figure in his first three starts as he closed down the Philadelphia Phillies in two outings and the Milwaukee Brewers on one occasion. One of the performances against the Phillies
included a 1 – 0 winner that witnessed the 36-year-old pitch a complete, scoreless, game.
For a man who was 1 – 5 in 12 starts, at the end of May, this has been a revelation for the Cardinals. The hurler finished the season, 11 – 9 from 34 games and in all the while, he reduced his earning runs average to just 3.45. In the month of May, that
same average was 5.12. Carpenter went a long way to improve himself and his mentality proves that as a fact.
During the month of September, the hurler went 3 – 0 in six games, generating an earning runs average of 2.15. That was the form that the Cardinals were hoping to see and they look the strongest behind Carpenter now. That was an edge that worked well against
the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.
"I could easily have given up, and I didn't," Carpenter said last week in Milwaukee. "I continued to battle. I continued to go out and try to get better each time, and it turned around. Fortunately it turned around at the right time, and I was able to pitch
well the second half and pitch well there down to the end and so far here in the postseason. So I think that's a big key."
There is much expectation from the starter and he will keep things simple.
"The funny thing about this game is if you can keep it simple, it makes it easier," Carpenter said. "The more relaxed you are, the easier it's going to be."
Many experts would favour Carpenter over Rangers pitcher, C. J. Wilson, who is yet to impress the fans with his prowess.
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