Who will win the NLCS, the Astros or the Cardinals? Also let's discuss the series as it progresses.

I'll be rooting for Houston, but my prediction is Cards in 5.

This is tough--I genuinely like both teams and their style of play (fundamentally sound, using all the "tricks" of small ball baseball) but think the Cards will prevail in 6 games. The Astros will be hurt not being able to get Clemens until the third game.

~Adam

An exhausted Astros team against the Cardinals, who have been the most consistent, well-rounded team of 2004. Cardinals in 4 games.

I'm picking the Cardinals in 5. The Cardinals are very strong hitting team to go along with decent pitching. I'm sure Scott Rolen won't go hitless in this series. The Astros do have some strong pitching, and should pull out one win.

[ October 12, 2004, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: pat125 ]

Rolen still doesn't appear to have recovered yet. The Cards have a major liability in Morris, but their lineup, relief pitching, and Suppan, Marquis, and Williams should be enough for them to prevail. It would be excellent if 1) they got Carpenter back and 2) Ankiel proved to be as sharp as he was in the minors. When he's really on his game, he's virtually unhittable. As a Cards fan, I'm particularly glad they got Larry Walker!

I'm obviously in the minority but I think the Astros have a much better chance of winning the NLCS than many "media experts" think....in the last 9 years since only ONE team with the best record during the regular season (that would be St. Louis in 2004 -- sorry, Yanks ) has won the World Series I'm counting on the 'Stros to pull off the upset.

If they can earn a split in St. Louis with Backe and Munro on the mound (which is easier said than done, of course, against that VERY potent Cardinal lineup) then Phil Garner should be in good shape with Clemens and Oswalt slated to start games 3 and 4 at home....in either event, this should be one helluva series.

~Joe

Don't forget about us

** SWOON! ** :cool:

And Beltran is hot in multiple ways -- just hit his 5th postseason homer!

Hi Joe in Philly,

Beltran is HOT and he will look even hotter next year in center field wearing pinstripes for the Yankees.

Speaking of HOT did you all check out the Houston catcher Brad Ausmus. He gives me FEVER!
I would love to catch for him anytime!

The Yankees Rule!

Does every thread take this turn? Or just the ones I read?

The good news is we can always turn it back.

The Astros wasted an opportunity to get that much-needed split on the road. They had the 4-2 lead and let it get away, thanks to poor pitching and fielding. It'll be a lot harder for them to win tonight, I think.

You're only rooting for Houston because you don't want Scott Rolen to wear a WS ring when he's not playing for the Phillies. frown

That would be true. Scott Rolen wanted out, and wasn't totally honest about his reasons or the timing of his wanting out. So even though I don't sit and boo when he comes back to town, I have no reason to root for him to win.

And Beltran remains on his hot streak. His sixth (!) home run of the postseason, giving the Astros a 1-0 lead. Laboring in relative obscurity in Kansas City and then Houston makes him the major discovery of these playoffs.

~Adam

Beltran is just increasing his free agent value with his performance this post-season. Please Carlos, come to Queens! Please!!!!

I knew not turning that double play would end up haunting us. Who knew it would be to the tune of four runs? Geez.

The Astros' bullpen just keeps giving up runs. Unless they somehow rally to win game two, they'll need huge efforts from Clemens and Oswalt to stay in this series.

And as brutal as our bullpen is, you have to place some of the blame tonight on leaving so many men stranded on base.

Is it me (or too much tv), or does Matt Morris look like Gary Gulman, the guy that won Last Comic Standing 2?

Alright Astros!

Clemens and Brad Lidge pitched great and brought the Astros out of the grave. Once Clemens got that splitter working he was unhittable. I continue to be amazed at how good he is at age 42.

Brad Lidge pitched with enough heat to make the Astros forget about losing Wagner in the offseason. Not to mention there is something about him I find attractive.

If the Astros can tie this thing at 2-2 then it's anybody's series to win.

Lidge threw a lot of pitches today. How many can he throw tomorrow? Best-case scenario for Houston is that Oswalt pitches a complete game.

I want Carlos Beltran all over me. God is he one hot latino hunk!

Please oh please don't sign with the Yankees.

GO ASTROS!

Cool game. Minute Maid Park is a great venue if you haven't been there. Thing is, Houston sports fans are notorious "fair weather friends", unless a team is winning they don't go to the games. That's what killed the Oilers.

We'll see what happens from here. It's going to be tough versus the Cards.

Carlos Beltran's hot streak continues. He hit his 8th (!) post-season home run in the Astro victory. I still think St Louis will come back and take the next two games, but beltran has been nothing short of amazing.

On a more shallow note, glad to see some Astros growing playoff beards. It's a nice tradition that crosses sports & should be encouraged. Favorite totally useless stat from the game: when Brad Lidge and Brad Ausmus entered the game in the eighth inning, it was the first time in "any league championship game that two players named Brad came into a game at the same time." A Fox commentator actually told us this!! (Ausmus and Lidge offer yet more proof to my theory that there is not such thing as an unattractive Brad.)

~Adam

Beltran is carrying the Astros. And Brad Lidge, two more innings after two yesterday. Amazing. But now how do they win the series?

Wasn't it fun to see anti-gay Julian Tavarez lose the game? He was really self-destructing but managed to get a double play grounder to end his inning.

Every postseason homerun he hits adds about $ 5 million to the contract the Yankees will sign him to this offseason:)

NO! -- NOT the Yankees, MunsonMan ....Beltran was clearly deserving of a huge contract, even before his spectacular performance this postseason, but now that even the casual baseball fan is finally realizing what a great player Carlos is (after toiling in obscurity for so many years in KC) he may "break the bank" this winter....he won't get A-Rod money but if anyone deserves a contract comparable to Manny, Sosa and Vlad, it's Beltran.

Come to think of it, Carlos sure would be a great "first signing" for the Washington Senators/Nationals/Grays/Whatevers....it's doubtful that will happen since it's beginning to look like the new ownership group (whoever that ends up being) won't be in place before next spring (leading to potentially another season of MLB owning/operating the "Expos" ) but it sure would make em an instant contender for the NL East title.

As for the NLCS the Cards still have to be considered the favorite since they maintain the homefield advantage in what is now a best-of-three series along with the fact that there is no way Brad Lidge can pitch again tomorrow after throwing two innings each on back-to-back days to almost single-handedly resurrect the 'Stros World Series hopes (along with Beltran, of course)....having said that, though, my money is on Phil Garner's crew to find a way to win this series -- especially if Bagwell and Berkman's bats get hot and they can give Carlos (who obviously will be pitched VERY carefully from this point on) some much needed protection.

When all is said and done, I still think the Astros are this years team of destiny that will be dousing each other with champagne and holding the World Championship trophy aloft in two more weeks ....I'm just looking forward to a bunch of exciting games after the over-hyped Yanks-BoSox series comes to an end tonight.

~Joe

You just described every transplant city in the country. (See Atlanta.)

They have to find a way to outhit St. Louis. They're going to have to win tonight's game something like 9-7 or 10-8.

What got me was the efficiency of Lidge's pitching. He raced through the two innings yesterday. And, yes, Tavarez' meltdown--seemed to throw only two strikes & 20 balls over a stretch--couldn't have happened to a better guy.

~Adam

Oh. My. God! Houston sweeps the Cards to take a 3-2 series lead. Who would've thunk it???

If they end up beating the Cards, this only proves my belief that LaRussa is most adept at the Big Choke.

St. Louis's backs are against the wall.

Wow! What a game.

Houston coming back to win 3 in a row is unbelievable. Some stats were tossed around that said game 5 winners have taken the series 9 of 11 times. If St. Louis doesn't win the series it will be ok with Scott Rolen who is just happy to play in a no pressure city.

So much for my earlier statement that there was "NO WAY" Brad Lidge was going to be able to pitch tonight (after throwing two innings each in games 3 and 4)....what a performance from rookie Brandon Backe! -- going 8 innings when the team's bullpen was thin while allowing only ONE hit to arguably the best hitting team in baseball -- wow!

This Astros team has come alive at the right time AGAIN....and they certainly can't be unhappy at the fact that the ALCS has been extended to at least 6 games now either, regardless of which team they end up meeting in the World Series beginning Saturday night.

~Joe

[ October 18, 2004, 08:44 PM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

My my my, Jeff Kent finally gets the spotlight he never could get out here under Barry's shadow.

GO ASTROS! Cool, I want to see a Red Sox/Astros World Series! eek!

Uh oh...I know a certain Outsports Media Whore who would like to have a word with you...

Too bad the NLCS had most of its game blotted out by the AL marathon. Surely most of the country didn't have on FX this evening. Beltran didn't homer but he came through with a spectacular diving catch. If he really does want to go to the Yankees, I hope some team at least drives up the price.

The big question is: does Roger Clemens pitch game 6 on three days' rest?

Meanwhile, after his losing effort in game 5, anti-gay Julian Tavarez is suffering from Kevin Brown syndrome: he threw a tantrum in the dugout and broke his left hand fighting to rip a dugout phone out of the wall. Couldn't happen to a nicer...uh...never mind.

It's not shocking to me, living in St. Louis for 6 years, and watching the Cards, Rams (save '99), and Blues choke, St. Louis is like the MI tapes sent from Mr. Phelps, they're gonna self-destruct.

Agreed! Serves him right for his childish outburst. The article indicates that Tavarez has had several suspensions in the past, although I don't remember if there was any disciplinary action for his homophobic remarks when he played for the Cubs. And yet Tavarez was described by the Fox commentators as a popular figure in the Cardinals' clubhouse. His presence on their team almost makes me want to cheer for the Astros instead (who in contrast have Brad Ausmus, known for his gay-positive attitude and friendship with Billy Bean).

I have to concede the Astros generally have cuter players too (the aforementioned Ausmus, as well as Roy Oswalt, Carlos Beltran and Craig Biggio).

[ October 18, 2004, 11:29 PM: Message edited by: Marc ]

I'm so glad I switched from the Yankee/Red Sox marathan to fx to see the great pitching duel! The Cards and Astros both are such fundamentally sound teams & this series has been defined by solid play all around that it has been a pleasure to watch--even from the edge of a seat at the start of the 9th inning of a scoreless game. Neither Backe nor Williams were overpowering (neither got a lot of stikeouts) but they put on a clinic on efficient pitching--great to watch.
And no silliness as when Pedro Martinez beaned A-Rod following Jeter's hit.

What do you think of the possibility that Garner will have Monroe pitch game six--one the Astros don't absolutely have to win--to give Roger Clemens an extra day rest?


~Adam

[ October 19, 2004, 09:08 AM: Message edited by: Adam ]

I get home as the Astros/Cards are in the eleventh inning, and it's tied 4-4. They show Dan Miceli and Roy Oswalt warming up in the bullpen. I'm thinking, "Miceli's super hot, but this isn't the meat market, this is a crucial game. Please, don't make him pitch." What happens? 12th inning, Miceli pitches. He walks Albert Pujols, and after Scott Rolen hit a popup, Jim Edmonds hits a two-run homer to win the game.

I don't know, but I would've chosen Oswalt instead of Miceli. I think Oswalt is more reliable, even though he gave up five runs on Sunday. Ah, well, there's another game tomorrow.

PS: And about Carlos Beltrán

PUERTO RICANS DO IT BETTER!!!

(Sorry! I had to say that.)

[ October 20, 2004, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: noumenon ]

I think Oswalt is hotter than Miceli. wink My question is, why have him warm up then if you're not bringing him in the game? We already know he's likely to pitch tomorrow after Clemens. Why have him warm up today? That doesn't make sense to me.

And the announcers talked about how Isringhausen blew the save because he had to come in the game in the 8th, because Tavarez normally pitches in the 7th and 8th but hurt himself. So after Isringhausen is done who comes in but Tavarez. So I guess maybe, juuuuuust maybe, it was Isringhausen's fault he blew the save. wink

You know it's "Game Over" when Missile-lli shows up. Four runs just wasn't going to do the job. Good try, though.

Jim Edmonds' shot in the 12th was a thing of beauty and, for the Astros, Brad Lidge just keeps getting it done--quickly. He never seems to waste a pitch. Game 7 should be something. I know a lot of the east coasters will disagree, but St Louis is just about the best of all baseball towns; the smart fans there even applaud opposing teams when they perform above and beyond. (I don't even mind being wrong about the number of games it would take for this series to be over--predicted the Cardinals in 6--as long as game 7 is a good one.)

~Adam

St. Louis is a good baseball town, but they're not really any better than other baseball towns. They act like they are, and it's that stuck-up attitude that I don't like.

precisely

With the ALCS being over, this must be said

THE ASTROS MUST WIN!

Imagine ..... Clemens at Fenway in the World Series. Anything else would be wrong.

10-3

Bring it ON guys!

Rob

It would also have worked if the Yankees had prevailed; Clemens could have returned the Hummer they gave him when he "retired" last season.

~Adam