St. Louis Cardinals turn to Chris Carpenter to clinch the NLCS title – NLCS News
The St. Louis Cardinals will have Chris Carpenter to start the crucial Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday, October 21, against the San Francisco Giants. As the Giants avoided elimination in Friday’s encounter, winning Game 5 by 5-0, this is going to be a big test for Carpenter’s skills, effectiveness and experience.
Chris Carpenter, after all, had a tough Game 2 in the same National League Championship Series where he could not last for more than four innings, allowing no less than five runs with two walks, which resulted in the Giants’ victory.
The pitcher who had undergone Tommy John surgery this year was not expected to make a return in 2012 Major League Baseball. But he impressively did. Nonetheless, the unexpected result of Game 2 has had its impact.
That impact will have to be reversed and Carpenter – given his experience and skills, has the ability to do that.
"I think with Carp, it's kind of the same thing with Adam [Wainwright]. They want that next chance to dominate," said third baseman David Freese. "And Carp's a gamer, everybody knows that, [with] what he's done over the course of his career. He understands that his time is limited in this game. Besides [the World Series wins in 2006 and '11], he wants to finish with more. And getting that ball and getting out on that mound, he's up for it. He can't wait."
With 3-2 lead in the National League Championship Series, the Cardinals are only a win away to make their way into the World Series. Incidentally, this is the fifth career chance for Carpenter to clinch the series for the Cardinals.
With 1.93 ERA in those chances, he appears set to do that. Whatever happened in Game 2 can well be reversed and rightly compensated here with an impressive win.
Considered to be one of the reliable starters in such a tricky situation, the Cardinals hope Carpenter will click here to not only score a great win for the club, but also help them make it to the World Series to successfully defend the championship.
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